A comparison of staff perceptions of lecture capture before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rapid transition from face-to-face to mostly online learning in higher education. As staff became more familiar with teaching technology, their perception of online learning became more positive, and many expected substantial changes towards blended learning after the pandemic. This study aimed to investigate staff perceptions about lecture capture before and after the pandemic. A mixed-method survey of staff teaching biosciences was used to explore staff perceptions about the impact of lecture capture on student learning and on themselves. We found no significant difference in relation to the number of staff believing lecture capture to be beneficial for students in 2023 compared with 2019, although there was a trend towards a slight post-pandemic increase. In both years, the main concern of those who thought that recordings are detrimental to students was the negative impact on lecture attendance. When asked how staff feel about being recorded, the percentage of negative responses dropped significantly from 35% in 2019 to 14% in 2023. There was a four-fold decrease in the percentage of those who found lecture capture stressful. At the same time, more staff were concerned about where the recordings may end up and what they could be used for. The results indicate that staff have got used to lecture recordings and see some positive sides. On the other hand, even after the pandemic, many staff remain concerned about its impact on student learning.