Recording of on-campus face-to-face lectures is now a standard part of course delivery in Australian higher education due to large student numbers and the need for flexibility in accommodating students’ balance of work and study [1]. While studies have examined lecture recordings from the perspective of the institution, lecturer and/or student (see [2] for review), these are often conducted at the end of semester, with few studies utilising unbiased analytics throughout the semester.
This study used Echo360 analytics to classify lecture viewing behaviour in 3rd-year endocrinology students at the University of Queensland (2023; n=100). Given low in-person attendance (<10% per class), we predicted that lecture viewing behaviour would affect exam performance. There were 33 content lectures (2-3/week). Lecture-viewing data were downloaded weekly during the 13-week semester and during Swotvac and post-exam periods (Week 13+). A recording was considered ‘viewed’ when ≥50% was viewed by the student.
Four viewing behaviours emerged: 1) Non-viewer (viewed <1/3 of the recordings; 16%); 2) Crammer (viewed ≥50% of recordings in Week 13 and 13+ of semester; 26%); 3) Consistent viewer (viewed 1-4 recordings per week during semester; 25%); and Erratic viewer (viewed 0 videos/week in ≥5 weeks during the semester plus occasional ‘binge’ viewing ≥5 videos/week; 33%). Erratic viewers were further divided into low (≤20 recordings) and high (>20 recordings). Consistent viewers (average mark 67%) had significantly higher marks (P=0.04) compared to non-viewers (49%). Overall, number of recordings viewed was more important than the pattern of viewing.
This study suggests that making students aware of the importance of consistently engaging with lectures could improve academic outcomes. Understanding how students interact with online learning resources such as lecture recordings can inform curriculum and assessment design to encourage and support students to stay ‘on track’ and maximise chances for learning.