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Online lecture service set to double

4 May 2005

The Monash University Lectures Online service that provides digitised audio recordings of lectures on the internet is set to double.

The Lectures Online team: Mr Laurie Smith (left), with Lectures Online assistants Mr Philip Bertling and Ms Sharon Wingrave.

By mid-July, the number of lecture theatres at the Clayton, Berwick, Caulfield, Gippsland and Peninsula campuses equipped with the specialised technology is expected to reach 80, up from 40 at the start of the year.

The service, run by the Monash University Library and supported by the Teaching and Facilities Support Unit, has grown steadily since beginning as a pilot project in 1998/99. It replaced the library's taped lecture service, which had been in place since the 1970s.

Lectures Online coordinator Mr Laurie Smith said increased demand for the service by students and academic staff was driving the expansion.

"Monash was the first university in Australia to provide immediate access to lecture recordings using automated technology, and Monash University Lectures Online has continued to be one of the largest systems of its type in Australia," Mr Smith said.

The service produces more than 350 hours of audio per week covering some 200 undergraduate subjects across all faculties.

The recordings are available for audio streaming immediately after lectures are held, making it only one step removed from live broadcasting or webcasting.

Mr Smith said more than 500,000 live audio streams were delivered to users in 2004, and on a typical weekday it was not uncommon to have up to 100 users simultaneously accessing audio streams on the internet.

"The service caters for students who miss lectures due to timetable clashes, illness or domestic or work commitments, as well as students with disabilities and those who wish to hear lectures again because of language difficulties," he said.

"Students at various overseas locations such as the Monash University Prato Centre are also accessing the service on a regular basis."

For information, visit www.mulo.monash.edu.au/.