SCREENCASTING AS A MEANS OF ENHANCING THE STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE

This project has harnessed recent advances in communication to enhance the student learning experience. The objective was to use technology to complement and make better use of the valuable lecturer-student contact time. There is strong evidence from this pilot study in BSc degree chemistry teaching at Manchester Metropolitan University that screencasting technology can lead to significant educational gains in this area. Screencasting involves recording a short video clip of a computer screen with narration and the resulting video files made available for students through a virtual learning environment (VLE). In this pilot study, pre-lecture screencasts were recorded and students encouraged to view them prior to the lectures in an effort to prime them for classes and release contact time for more interactive learning using the flipped teaching model. The project has capitalized on the initial work to explore how this blended learning approach can further improve teaching practises in a variety of potential activities.