This one could run and run (so I might as well add my bit as I've been a bit 
quiet recently).

Tape recording lectures is becoming popular as a rule amongst all students, 
I'm sure some tutors must feel like they're giving some kind of 
international press conference, and I bet it becomes an issue with some 
before long. (Especially when they get to the point when one student turns 
up at the lecture with thirty tape recorders).

It does take people longer as they have to listen through the notes then 
type them up, but they are not (supposed to be) audio-typing them. I thought 
the idea was that they can sit in the lecture and give thought and 
consideration to the subject matter, then go through the tape afterwards and 
make the kind of short lecture notes they would in lectures if they could 
write or write fast enough. It just takes the pressure off during the 
lecture. However it's much better to get lecture notes, copies of OHP's as 
well but still tape the lectures in case you wish to add to these notes with 
some pearl of wisdom which might come up during the lecture or discussion. 
And you can't always guarantee the tutor will be the kind who's together 
enough to organise for copies of notes, or the photo-copier is working, 
network printer doesn't go down etc etc.

Acoustics is generally a nightmare in many lecture theatres. Even if the 
tutor allows you to put the tape recorder on the desk you can't always 
guarantee he or she won't decide to take a stroll around the class, or turn 
their back and write on the board at a crucial moment. Maybe they should all 
have radio microphones with the receiver linked to a tape recorder and the 
students get a copy (from a high speed tape copier) afterwards. If DSA 
funded Uni's instead of individual students maybe that's the kind of 
arrangement people would go for.

The student dream seems to be a voice recognition computer which plugs into 
the tape recorder. I'm not sure this is such a good idea even if it was 
technically (and financially) possible. Who wants or needs a full 
audio-transcription of a lecture, coughs and all? Ask any deaf student who 
needs to make their own notes from a note-taker's notes -  it'll still take 
a long time to make their own notes, and there is going to be the greater 
temptation to just not bother and file the transcript, so the all important 
stage in the learning process where the lecture goes into the students' 
brain is skipped.

I think the best thing is to have some way of note taking (eg 
braille'n'speak for blind and visually impaired students) but I think tape 
recording will last for some time yet.

Still, I could be wrong...
Ian Francis    [log in to unmask]



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