Tegrity takes over for taped lectures

The new lecture recording software attempts to make learning easier.

By Rachel Allred

Published Aug. 28, 2009

Professors campus-wide now have the opportunity to record their lectures and upload them to Blackboard where students can then review or download the lectures through new software Tegrity.

Before subscribing to Tegrity, a collaboration of Division of Information Technology members, professors and faculty led by Educational Technology Director Danna Vessell and Desktop Technology Director Kevin Bailey looked into several other lecture capture software. Vessell said during the spring semester, MU conducted pilot classes to test Tegrity.

"We actually ran about six pilot classes in the spring," Vessell said. "We surveyed the students in those classes, and the result was overwhelmingly positive. Since it was so successful in pilot we felt comfortable with the purchase."

MU chemistry professor John Adams said he began recording his lectures about five years ago with videotapes and was in the group that piloted Tegrity. Adams said a co-worker suggested Tegrity to him, and he supported usage of the software after testing it.

"It was suggested to me early on by one of the people in the department who had taught at the Naval Academy and used it," Adams said. "It looked like the easiest for the faculty to use that also had really good functionality. If it's easy, people are going to use it."

Tegrity is either installed or being installed in 23 classrooms, and 55 courses have already agreed to use the new software.

When professors want to record a lecture, they access Tegrity from their computers, Bailey said.

"There is an application on the computer and they can start a recording session," Bailey said. "It records what the faculty say and what is on their computer screen. When they stop recording they load it into Tegrity. The lecture can be downloaded to a mobile phone or music player in MP3 format or watched on the Web."

When a lecture is loaded onto the Internet it is placed on Blackboard, where professors often post homework assignments and other class information. Bailey said Tegrity is compatible with Blackboard and they link well together.

"We wanted the lectures to be tied to the course," Bailey said. "Blackboard is the easiest way to do it."

Adams said the use of Tegrity and recorded lectures is beneficial to students.

"It's a huge advantage to students who are in activities that take them away from class on the day of lecture," Adams said. "One of my sections is at 8 a.m. Not everyone is wide-awake then. It gives them an opportunity to go back and listen to the lecture. It's also good for people with disabilities."

Senior Mason Prashek, who had a chemistry professor a few years ago who recorded their lectures with a tape recorder and put them online, currently has a professor who uses Tegrity.

"I used them more as a reference," Prashek said. "It was nice to be able to see the lecture notes again. I have a physics teacher who uses it for problems. It not only shows the answer but also the process of getting it. It's a good supplement to the lecture."

Vessell said the Tegrity program is also helpful to professors.

"It helps professors because they can make sure they have conveyed everything they want to convey," Vessell said. "If they have questions they can look at it. Anything that enhances learning is always good."