Information for course leaders about video and audio submission for assessment in SHS

Due to the recent introduction of optional assessments and broad interest in providing alternative forms of assessment beyond written formats we have seen an increase in video/audio submissions in the school. As such ventures are new, it seems timely to outline the support provisions and available resources related to the use of video.

Scenarios:

1. Recording an oral or poster presentation so that it can be moderated or the recording can be provided to the student to accompany written feed and/or for personal reflection.
2. Asking students to produce a video or screencast (e.g. recorded slides and voiceover) or an audio recording for assessment.
3. Recording OSCE skills assessments.

Points for scenario 1: Oral presentation or poster presentation

In the first instance please consider whether this assessment needs to be recorded and what the pedagogical benefits of recording might be. This is important to think about as storing video uses resource and returning video to students takes extra time. This needs to be a high stakes assessment or an key formative point for students to warrant video recording.

Where recording is deemed appropriate we recommend that you get in touch with the school technical staff to book equipment as early of possible. The equipment that you will need is: a webcam with internal mic; a tripod; a long USB cable; tape to secure the USB cable on the floor. You also require that the computer you are using has MediaLecture, the university’s screen capture solution installed. Most classrooms will have this installed, but if you are using a school laptop you can install the software by following these instructions: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/is/learningandteaching/Pages/Medialecture.aspx . Your Learning Technologies Advisers (LTAs) can offer training on request on how to use this method of recording, ideally for groups, module teams or course teams. LTAs cannot offer in-class recording support and will not run the camera during assessments.

There are also cases where you may choose to use a SD card-based video camera to record this type of assessment. Please be advised that videos produced in this way typically need to be converted to a more universal format (e.g. .mp4) prior to being uploaded to mediastream (university’s YouTube equivalent) for assessment and distribution. The method described in the paragraph above bypasses the need for the conversion process. LTAs cannot support this video conversion process.

Most importantly we strongly recommend against the use of iPads/tablets or smartphones for recording student work. These devices are designed for short videos and cannot accommodate multiple >15minute videos for a number of students. Also, in many cases even if the recording is successful it is then not possible to transfer the video footage off the device due to limited export options from such devices.

Points for scenario 2: Student produces video, screencast or audio recording (media assignments)

When asking students to produce a media submission (e.g. video, screencast, audio) it is very important to consider what equipment they have access to and if you are offering this as an optional assessment you may wish to alert students to these points.

To create a successful media submission students need the following:

• Access to a computer with a microphone for recording audio – this cannot be assumed as for example the library computers do not always have microphones (particularly those on the ground floor at Falmer for instance). Students with newer laptops, should have these capabilities built-in and many pairs of headphones now have a built-in microphone which can often be used with a computer.
• Access to a quiet space to record their video/audio. For instance, in the case where a student does not have a laptop they could book a library study room with other students (eligible for groups only).
• Where a screencast is requested, for example you would like the student to present PowerPoint slides with a voiceover, then PowerPoint needs to be installed on the computer that the student is using. PowerPoint is available to all students free of charge through the university’s Office365 subscription, however many students do not realise this, particularly those who are part-time.

What you need to do:

• Students need a suitable submission point for their media submission. This is always a studentcentral assignment submission point, Turnitin submission points cannot accept video/audio materials.
• Provide a practice submission point or allow the student to submit multiple submissions and you mark the last submission put through.
• Ensure that the student is provided with training and/or support materials for submission. The LTAs provide videos and step-by-step materials to help support your students at this page: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/is/learningandteaching/Pages/mediastream-assignments.aspx – Students are unlikely to locate this information on their own so it should be placed contextually with the module.
• Where a media assignment is provided as an optional assessment, make sure that it is clear how the work will be assessed and how this compares in terms of equivalency to the alternative standard written submission. For example, a 25 minute video could be proportionally more work than a 2,500 word essay as it would include: slide creation, rehearsal and editing.
• If you are planning to introduce a media submission assignment, then we recommend that you are in contact with your LTA so that they can help to advise on the delivery of the assignment and supply or advise on support materials for students. Furthermore your LTA can help to liaise between module leaders and programme administrators to ensure that the correct type of submission point is in place and that it is setup correctly.

Points for scenario 3: Recording OSCEs

If you need to record OSCEs then we recommend that you are in contact with school technical staff.

As mentioned above, if you require training in the use of mediastream or support for the introduction of a media assignment (video/audio) then your LTAs are able to provide support upon request. Particularly in the case of media assignments it is very important to plan these carefully and to have contingency plans in place for technical failure as the potential for students to have a negative experience at the point of submission, a point of high stress, is far greater than a written submission.