Graphics Course Formative Feedback and Teaching Innovation Using Screen Capture Technology

At most higher education institutions, the promotion and tenure (P&T) process, as well as merit raises, are in part determined by “Teaching Effectiveness, ” which is primarily measured using student satisfaction survey results. This would typically provide faculty the motivation to improve teaching methods and formative feedback mechanisms for students. Even if an institution does not use student survey results for P&T and/or merit decisions, it is the responsibility of most faculty to practice continuous improvement methods to satisfy program review criteria and/or accreditation agencies, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) organization, that require an assessment plan. One method of improving the communication of course materials to the student is by using personal computer technology, which has the capability to efficiently screen capture real-time video and audio. Screen capture technology has made it feasible to provide feedback to students in the form of a movie file that can be downloaded and viewed on the student’s own schedule. This process allows students time to review the material outside of class and utilize in-class time for more active learning exercises. The use of online instruction has become increasingly popular through the years, but for producing most courses, a sophisticated television studio is necessary, requiring much time and staff coordination. This paper describes the desktop computer process used to capture the video for demonstrating NX3 solid modeling graphics software instruction of techniques, and for providing individual feedback on student projects. Obstacles and challenges that must be overcome to develop a system that is not overly burdening to the instructor are described. This paper also discusses some of the feedback from students as a result of the innovations and comparative data from student evaluations of the course taught before and after using these techniques