Guidance on lecture recordings for students

All lectures in 2020-21 are being delivered online, with recordings made available via Panopto. For students, online lectures provide both new challenges and new opportunities. The usual advice of attending lectures, taking notes, reviewing course material and asking your supervisors for help still applies, but there can be additional points to consider when your lectures are recorded. The tips below came out of focus group discussions with Cambridge undergraduates, who were asked to reflect on their experiences of online teaching and learning in Easter Term 2020.

Twelve Top Tips!

Creating a regular study routine may help you to stay on top of your work and motivated

Try using the lecture release schedule as a starting point for planning your study routine

Break up your learning into shorter segments to maintain interest and stamina

When structuring your days, make a clear distinction between study and leisure time

Try to keep your study and leisure spatially separated; maybe using dedicated study spaces, or even just a different chair in your room!

Scheduling study activities with others can help you to maintain your routine

Try to maintain interaction with your peers; your library may offer virtual study spaces, and the next tips have more ideas

Ask your lecturers to create a Teams group where students can share ideas, notes or questions about the material

Try creating opportunities for interactions with peers in virtual environments, such as a lecture-watching group

Find out if there are socially-distanced ways to meet in study spaces within colleges, departments and libraries

Try re-watching parts of the lecture you have trouble understanding first time through

But - don't spend too much time on lecture recordings; take questions to your supervisors as you would normally