Abby SchenkAround mid-semester, a symphony of sniffles, sneezes, and hacking coughs rises from every lecture hall. As distracting as it is, mildly disgusting students coming to class sick present a barrier to learning for both students and faculty. The University of Alberta should then provide recorded lectures to reduce the pressure on students to come in sick. This change would more than likely increase student well-being and overall academic performance.
When students are unwell, recorded lectures allow them the opportunity to rest, which is critical to a fast recovery. On top of physical well-being, this could also enhance academic well-being. While sick, learning is reduced, and academic performance can suffer. A study on students at the University of Minnesota found that 46.3 per cent of students reported doing poorly on a class assignment due to sickness. On the other hand, 27.8 per cent reported illness resulting in a poor test score. By allowing students to learn when they are feeling at their best, students can recover faster and perform better. Therefore, when students can rest when they are ill and watch recorded lectures when feeling better, student well-being and grades can improve.
Reducing pressure for students to head to class while sick benefits everyone. Letting ill students stay home and rest also reduces the amount of germs on campus as a whole. This would especially benefit students who are immunocompromised. But, on top of that, it reduces the number of cancelled classes and improves the school’s overall well-being. When sick students can stay home, other students’ performance may improve as well. Noises occurring at random times, such as hacking coughs or sneezing, distract and negatively affect short-term memory, potentially impairing learning and grades. When recorded lectures are provided, students and staff get sick less often, and create a classroom environment conducive to learning.
Those tempted to skip class, though, might take advantage of these recorded lectures. However, while this is true of some students, other studies have found that student attendance would remain the same or even increase if recorded lectures were provided. Another upside is that recorded lectures could potentially improve students’ ability to take responsibility for their learning. Students who miss a class due to extenuating circumstances have the opportunity to catch up, while students who choose to skip are responsible for using the recordings provided. Additionally, if a student has trouble understanding a particular topic in lecture, they would be able to revisit the recording and attempt to understand it on their own, potentially saving professors’ time as well. While a small percentage of students may use recorded lectures as a reason to skip class, they ultimately create an opportunity for students to take an active role in their education.
By providing lecture recordings, the U of A can improve students’ well-being and academic performance. Recorded lectures can reduce pressure for students to come in sick, limit the spread of illness, and reduce distractions to learning. All of this could provide students on campus with a greater education that they actively participate in making better.
