More than one pathway to success: The effects of lecture attendance and Lectopia viewing on exam performance in large engineering classes

This study aimed to create an understanding of how Engineering students use online lecture recordings (Lectopia) as a part of their learning toolkit, so as to better assist staff concerned about the possible negative consequences of introducing Lectopia into their course. Online surveys were given to third year civil and chemical Engineering students, twice throughout the semester, recording both quantitative and qualitative data regarding the frequency of lecture attendance, the reasons for non-attendance, the amount of Lectopia viewed, and the usefulness of Lectopia. The answers to these questions were related to exam marks for each student. The results showed that the effects of viewing Lectopia and Lecture attendance interact; i.e. that neither variable alone can explain student marks. Furthermore, in terms of exam results, Lectopia proved to be a successful substitute for lectures for some students, suggesting that Lectopia and lectures are comparatively effective forms of student engagement. However, lower grades were found for students who both attended most lectures and viewed over half of the Lectopia. Analysis of student comments suggests that this was due to factors such as ability to concentrate in class, clarity of the lecture, struggling to understand,and leaving study till the end of semester. Together with lecture attendance and Lectopia viewing, these factors are described within a ‘student engagement model’ of learning, which is presented in contrast to the implicit ‘student attendance model’ underpinning current beliefs regarding the importance of lecture attendance for student learning.