Trinity defends using old pre-recorded lectures in new academic year

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has defended its continuos use of year-old pre-recorded lectures for students in some courses this year.

As reported in The Irish Times, a spokesperson for the university confirmed that TCD has been using the pre-recorded lectures in some circumstances as an alternative to face-to-face teaching.

An article about the university in the UK publication VICE claimed “at least eight courses have reused lectures recorded during the 2020 lockdown”.

Other Dublin universities, including UCD and DCU, have resumed in person teaching with up to 500 students per lecture with masks.

However, TCD reduced the number of students per lecture to 150.

The spokesperson for TCD said the use of prerecorded lectures could be “a sensible use of lecturers’ time, freeing them up to spend additional time on engaging with smaller class groups where lecture material can be discussed”.

“Some schools have long had a standard practice of recording lectures to make them available for students,” they said.

“Many students have reported that they welcome the ability to review material in their own time,” the spokesperson added.

“That this practice has continued for some, (by no means all), lectures, in no way contradicts the fact that intensive planning has been undertaken for this year to maximise face to face teaching in line with the relaxation of public health restrictions.”