This guide sits alongside the UCL Data Protection Policy.
Our aim is be completely transparent about all aspects of our use of data analytics.
We want you to understand exactly what data is being collected, how it is being processed, what we will be doing with the information and to provide guidance relating to the use of Lecturecast data analytics. This document provides these details, and will be updated as our use of data analytics develops.
What data is being collected by Lecturecast?
The processing of lecturer personal data that takes place in Lecturecast is:
- recording the live teaching session
- storing, editing (for example by the addition of any questions or teaching notes) and making available online to students registered on that course of the recording
- recording and making available any online comments added by the lecturer.
In addition to:
- Background information: given name, family name, email address, username, Moodle role
- Details about your courses: the modules on which you a tutor
- Details of all your activity in Lecturecast: e.g. logins, deletions, edits.
This data will be used in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998, and more specifically in accordance with the Data Protection Principles and UCL's Data Protection Policy.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
The UCL Staff Intellectual Property Rights Policy states that staff have ownership of copyright and other intellectual property rights in, amongst other things, class materials.
Under paragraph 8 of the Policy, UCL is granted a licence to use, for academic and commercial purposes, academic and teaching materials in all formats generated by members of staff arising out of employment with UCL.
That licence is sufficiently wide for UCL to use it for the current purpose of Lecturecast.
Recording access and downloads
The default student access methods for lecture recordings will be via streaming. Where data is streamed, it is only processed by UCL at its servers. Any personal data viewed via streaming will be processed by the student so any such viewing that takes place outside the EEA will not involve processing by UCL.
Downloads have been restricted at a global site level but it is possible for content controllers (administrators, academics, lecturers etc.) to make content available for download to their students at a per course level, which as system administrators UCL could not prevent.
If content is made available to download, please be aware that there are no mechanisms to monitor how that content is subsequently used or distributed, including compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Guidance on using Lecturecast Data Analytics
The purpose of Lecturecast is to enable students to watch lectures after they have happened and to interact with the content using an "interactive classroom" facility. Students will be able to comment on the videos and ask questions, make notes and answer presentation questions.
The aim is to enhance the overall learning experience of the student, and enable the university to monitor the performance of the students, anticipate difficulties that they may face and offer assistance. However, there is at present no UCL policy for individually targeted student interventions based on data analytics.
Upon logging into Lecturecast you will be presented with a DASHBOARD. This will present data for any course on which you are a tutor. For more detail about the DASHBOARD refer to Lecturecast Online Help: Understanding the Instructor DASHBOARD
You will be able to access data analytics about courses at both class and individual student levels. Data is primarily presented under the heading Student Engagement.
Overall "Engagement" scores for classes and students are obtained by combining six different metrics. The weightings assigned to each of these metrics can be adjusted by individual tutors, but it is our recommendation that this functionality is not used.
These metrics are:
| Attendance | Whether or not the student accesses the specific class section DURING the time it is scheduled. Students can access the section to take notes view presentation material or take part in class activities and Q&A if activated |
| Video Views | The number of times students have viewed 5% or more of the class video. |
| Presentation Views | The number of times students have viewed 5% or more of the class presentation (with at least 5 seconds on each slide). |
| Q&A / Questions | The number of questions and responses posted by students, either in total for the section or viewable by class. It does not take into account Instructor-posted questions or responses. |
| Notes | The number of words entered by students into the Notes panel and/or Study Guide for the section or class. |
| Activities | Whether or not students are answering the interactive questions/slides posted in class presentations. There are two parts to this metric: Activity participation, and Activity correct. |
More detailed information about these metrics can be viewed on Lecturecast Online Help: Engagement and Analytics Metrics
UCL does not have a definition or policy relating to "Engagement", in addition, attendance with regards to Lecturecast is not associated with UCL's attendance policy.
These data therefore cannot be used with regards to Personal Tutor interventions or any of the academic regulations, policies and procedures applicable to all UCL taught and research students (UCL Academic Manual). To use these data for Personal Tutor interventions at this time would also risk non-compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.