iLecture Support

The audio that is recorded is in the majority of cases the same audio that comes through the speakers in the lecture theatre. For example, if you play a CD, video or audio cassette during the lecture, the audio from these devices will be recorded. Similarly the audio from all of the microphones provided is recorded (assuming the microphone is switched on).

The video that is recorded is usually the same as that projected in the lecture theatre, except if you are projecting from a computer. For example, if you play a video or use the visualiser, the video from these devices will be recorded. The Lectopia System is also capable of recording video from a video camera source. For example, by connecting a video camera to the lectern and pointing the video camera at the speaker, the Lectopia System can be used to record a talking head style video lecture BUT this is highly discouraged.

I checked my lectures and there was a problem. Either there was no sound, image or the accompanying PowerPoint file was not attached. What do I do?

Lodge a problem report to the Service Desk.

How do I know when a lecture has become available?

You will receive an automatic email from the computer as soon as it has processed the recording and created the first available file format. This will also include a link to your Lectopia Recording so that you can check that it worked.

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If I make a mistake in my lecture, can you edit it out?

Yes, this is possible, however this action is reserved for special cases only, e.g. cutting out parts of a private conversation that was accidentally recorded at the beginning or end of the lecture.

However, the Service Desk, Learning and Teaching and the Library avoid manually intervening with Lectopia files as it can be quite time consuming.

At what point does the lecture start or stop recording?

Lectopia Recordings are based around a time schedule, which in this case is the standard UNSW lecture schedule. It is expected that you start the lecture 5 minutes past the hour and end 50 minutes later. We make some allowance for differing lecture times and lengths, so recording starts 5 minutes past the hour and finishes on the next hour (e.g lecture starting at 2pm - recording time starts at 2.05pm and ends at 3pm).

The recording is 'auto-triggered' - this means that it will only start recording when the microphone first picks up sound after the system has started 'listening'. However, once a recording has started, it then runs for the duration and the end of the recording occurs at the scheduled time, not when you finish, or even if you turn off the microphone. So if you started a lecture 10 minutes late, at 2.10pm, your recording will continue until 3pm as scheduled and students will only hear 50 minutes of the lecture if you run over time.

Is the time on the Lectopia system the same as the time on the clock in the lecture venue?

This is difficult to say. What we can say is that the computer which records your lecture synchronises its clock on a regular basis with a very accurate time clock. In this instance it is probably best to try and rely on a watch that you know is fairly accurate.

I do repeat lectures. Can I choose which one I want to be put online?

Yes, you can. Sometimes lecturers find that one lecture had more information than the other, or that it was delivered better. Just make sure you inform the Service Desk.

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Can anyone access my Lectopia recordings?

Not if your Lectopia recordings are only made accessible via My eLearning Vista. There are also additional security options that can limit access based upon Student Id and Unipass. These options are chosen when scheduling the recordings, and can be later modified upon request to Service Desk.

Adding further security, the lectures are delivered in what is called a streaming format, which basically means that the computer accessing the recording only has a few seconds of the recording at any one time. This means that they can never have the whole recording to save and copy as you might a word document or computer program. There are tools available that can rip streams, but these are pirate tools and their use is not allowed under the UNSW acceptable use policy. Consequently if a student uses these tools, they may be punished under the provisions of that policy.

If a downloadable version is desired, this could be made available via the PodCasting option for the students. If this is desired a request should be made to Service Desk.

What happens to my Lectopia recordings after the unit is finished for the semester?

Prior to the beginning of each session all previous recordings for the course are archived and removed from view. The recordings continue to exist on the Lectopia servers, however they are no longer accessible by students or staff. If you do not wish your lectures to be archived and instead continue to make them available to students, please contact the Service Desk.

How long are the Lectopia recordings available for access to students?

Students generally have access to the recordings until after the deferred exams at the end of each semester. Lecturers do have the option of requesting for lectures to remain online for access longer than this (as in the case of some lectures being hosted on separate Faculty webpages for regional or offshore access), but this will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

What about the copyright issues in the material I use in my lectures?

You are responsible for obtaining appropriate permission for all material delivered by the Lectopia Recording System. This includes copyright clearance and/or payments for any material that you have requested to be recorded. Under the FTA with the US, the AVCC has published copyright guidelines that indicate that there is a difference between streaming media and downloadable media and what content can be used in either. This is particularly true of music. If you wish to make your lectures available by podcast as well as streaming, you should ensure that you are aware of the new copyright requirements.

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I need to change the time/venue of the scheduled recording. What do I do?

Instructors now have a great deal of control over their recording schedules using the Self Service Tool, this includes editing recording schedules. For details on this process please see the Adding or Editing Recording Schedules page of this site. If you experience any problems using the Self Service Tool, or cannot gain access, please contact the ITS Service Desk.

I am recording my lectures using tapes, what tapes should I use?

You should use C120 tapes, as they allow for 60 minutes of recording per side. You can use C90 tapes but it is not recommended as they only allow for 45 minutes of recording per side and often the ends of lectures get cut off. The library no longer supports holding and lending of audio cassette recordings for lectures.

What should a student do if they have a problem accessing My eLearning Vista?

First, check the resources and FAQ at http://support.vista.elearning.unsw.edu.au/content/default.cfm?ss=0. If the issue is still not resolved, contact the Service Desk.

What happens when a student has a problem with Lectopia?

First, check with the resources and FAQ at http://elearning.unsw.edu.au/lectopia/content/default.cfm?ss=1. If the issue is still not resolved, contact the Service Desk.

How do i subscribe to the PodCast of my lectures?

You need an application that allows you to subscribe. The most used application is iTunes on both PC and Macs. In the course recordings page, if podcast is available, an icon of an ipod and a link to subscribe will appear at the top of the list of recordings. Clicking on this leads to some further information and instructions, and to the link you need to copy and paste into the program your using. In iTunes, you select Advanced and then subscribe to podcast. Paste in the link, click OK and your done. Whenever your iTunes checks for updates to podcasts, if there are new lecture recordings available, they will be downloaded to your iTunes.

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I've connected my laptop to use PowerPoint but nothing appears on the lecture screen. Help!

Put your back up plan into action! You should always have something else planned, such as handouts or transparencies in case technology fails for some reason. If not, try the following suggestions.

Before turning on your computer: Did you press the proper Computer button on the lectern control console? Have you also switched the lectern to project on?

Sometimes it takes a while for the projector to warm up. Standing at the lectern, look up at the projector suspended on the ceiling. Can you see any light coming from it? Once you can see light shining from it, this means the projector is warming up. Switch on your computer now.

If there is still no image on the lecture screen, but there is an image on the monitor of your laptop, you may need to toggle your monitor screen so that the image is mirrored on the lecture screen.

For PCs - pressing the function keys F4 or F5 (it will have a small icon of a computer screen on it). Press slowly as each time you press it will either bring up screen only on your monitor, on the lecture screen or both.

For MACs - go to the monitor Control Panel and switch to Simulscan or VGA (this depends on the model of your laptop). For OS X, open system preferences, select Displays and make the required changes. You may need to select Detect Displays or put the laptop to sleep and wake it with the external cable attached.

If you are still having problems, contact the custodian of the theatre you are in.