TaLIC news & announcements

I think we should keep the lectures but it is about time that the University reaches out to the 21th century and have all of them for revision online and I mean visual presentations with audio. All this new technology out there not well exploited. I always thought universities should be one of those places in the vanguard. It's a big shame! If there isn't staff to do this may be a collaboration of academic staff and students could achieve it.

Actually, is quite possible to sit at home and download information from the internet, most of it textual. Indeed, some great material, literature and non-fiction has been freely available to the individual for a long time even before the advent of the internet, namely in bookform in public libraries. You don't need universities to have access to materials per se and the Open University has been rather successful in implementing "the belief that communications technology could bring high quality degree-level learning to people who had not had the opportunity to attend campus universities."
Their statement does suggest that it remains an opportunity to attend a campus university, an experience of which going to lectures is only a small part. Engaging and participating with others plays an important role in that experience. Finally, I doubt that we shall ever be able to download knowledge, unless it is used synonymously with "information". Knowledge and understanding are something you acquire as part of the learning process, and cannot be merely funneled "into your head". But surely, it can be an advantage to have access to materials that make that acquisition easier, and having lectures available as podcasts can be especially useful for revision.

it's not about either or.. podcasts of lectures can be very helpful after you actually attended the lecture. I used it while writing essay and recalling things that have been said. and it can be very helpful if - as my last one - they turn the lights off so you won't be able to take notes. ;)

I recorded a lecture and uploaded to the learn.gold system last week. I wouldn't ever say this was an alternative to giving live lectures (for all the reasons Sonja pointed out) but it IS 'appropriate' given the circumstances. One of the things Goldsmiths lacks is a large amount of space. it is enormously difficult to find a teaching room outside of the established schedule, so finding another occasion is not always possible. Nor is it very easy to get students to come along to a rescheduled lecture/seminar, as I've learned to my cost. When things shut down (for whatever reason) a podcast seems to me a wise alternative.