Do you hear what I hear?

January 9, 2008 3:58 PM

Need tips on recording a lectured class

I'm taking a class in Anatomy and Physiology. Love the professor, she's incredibly knowledgeable and very approachable. But she also speaks a mile a minute and has a beautiful, but very heavy accent.

Once I fall into step with the accent, I have no problem understanding about 90% of what she says. But I fear that once the class gets complicated, I'm going to start to miss key information. She has informed us that the tests/midterm/final will be based upon at least 80% of the notes taken, and the textbook will only be used as reference. There are also lab portions of the class, though I don't know how that works in terms of her teaching (does she walk around individually commenting? Make general comments to the class? Should I record that stuff too?)

I picked up a voice recorder yesterday - just a basic digital one (it has a 144hr capacity), and I have her OK to record the class. So, now what? I've never recorded a class -- I've only ever done it the 'regular' way. FWIW, I normally take really good notes.

Any input is most appreciated. Thanks!

posted by dancinglamb to Education (6 answers total)

You should ask her whether she walks around, and whether you should record what she says at those times. You should check out the room, ask whether she will have a microphone, etc. If there is a convenient place where you could leave your recorder up front on the desk, that would work well. Just turn it on before class. Otherwise you'll have it at your seat. If all else fails, try out different methods in the first couple of classes.
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:23 PM on January 9, 2008

I often record my classes, as many of my professors lecture while presenting information on power-point. It is difficult (nay, impossible) to capture everything presented in class, so I use my iPod with a recording attachment to record the actual lecture. If you can, try to position your recorder as close to the professor as possible. This will allow for greater quality and clarity of sound. If your professor lectures at a podium, ask her if it's alright to leave the recorder on the podium, too, or at least on a surface nearby.

I always sit in the front row, so I keep the iPod on my desk, which is usually within a close enough range to pick up my professors' voices. This, of course, proves to be somewhat difficult when my classes are held seminar-style (there isn't one particular place where one ought to position the recorder in this situation, as the conversation bounces around the room), but it appears that your class will be largely lecture-based, so you shouldn't run into this problem. If you do keep your recorder on your desk, be sure that you're not sitting next to someone who is coughing/has the sniffles. These sounds will over-power the voice of your professor due to proximity and volume.

Also, I highly suggest archiving your voice recordings on a hard-drive of sorts. I've done this, and am able to pull up these lectures directly from my computer, while freeing up space on my iPod for future lectures. I use the recordings time and time again (often across classes), and I find them invaluable.
posted by numinous at 4:24 PM on January 9, 2008

I'm hearing impaired so I often have trouble with normal speech, let alone heavy accents. I sit in front, I raise my hand and say "Could you write that on the board?" - or if it's a more complicated portion that I didn't understand, I'll talk to her one-on-one later. E-mail is great for double-checking what you heard. Some profs use PowerPoint for lecture sessions and post the files online. (If she does use any materials for presentation, even overhead projections, ask if you can get those if she doesn't normally hand them out.) Also, make friends in your class, even if it's not your major and you'll never see these people again. Share and compare notes.

Even though she says the exams will be based 80% on the lectures, A&P is not one of those subjects like Political Science where the professor's point of view will heavily factor in. A&P is what it is, and you should still be able to pick up the required knowledge from the text and other sources.
posted by desjardins at 4:28 PM on January 9, 2008

Related, I saw this the other day [flash video auto-starts], and kinda want one now. Preferably in conjunction with some kind of e-ink device.
posted by djgh at 4:37 PM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]

One tip to throw into the mix: Keep taking paper notes, but add time markers to them when appropriate so you know roughly where in the recording she talked about a given topic. While it may be useful to listen to whole lectures for review, in most cases, you'll probably just want to refer back to certain passages. Nothing is more frustrating than going through 90 minutes of sound to find four sentences of a lecture or interview.
posted by j-dawg at 5:02 PM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster:
So far, she hasn't really been walking around much. She writes on the whiteboard pretty endlessly. I sit right up front, immediately adjacent to her desk (on the rare few minutes she sits), and she does project her voice well. When I asked her if she was OK with having her classes taped, she said it was OK to leave the recorders right up front. So, whether on her desk or on my lab table, I don't think it will make much of a difference. I really do feel bad for the poor schlubs who are sitting waaaaaaay in the back of the room. They said they couldn't hear much.

Dijgh, that thing is *very* cool, but I couldn't figure out whether or not it's Mac compatible.

j-dawg, thanks much for the tip about the time markers. That wouldn't have occurred to me.

numinous - how do you record with your iPod? I have a nano but don't think it has that ability. I'm a total dork when it comes to its capabilities (mr. dancinglamb is the resident house nerd). When I asked him if I could record the classes and upload them as podcasts he said he didn't think it would be possible. Is there something he's missing? That would be awesome. Don't think the kids would love listening to that stuff in the car.... but hey, it would be a good way to review. :)

Great tips so far, Mefites! Keep them coming.
posted by dancinglamb at 6:52 PM on January 9, 2008