A lot of course materials are either pre-recorded, or streamed live online and recorded for the option of viewing later. This means that a lot of the content you need to work through in your units involves watching videos.
1. View actively instead of watching passively Videos for university are not the same as entertainment videos, so you need to make sure that you approach them with an active learning mindset, rather than passively watching the content.
Make useful study notes Make notes just as you would during a live, in-person session. Even short videos contain important information that you should make notes about so that you can easily revise, consolidate, and apply your learning.
Ask questions During the video, ask yourself how the content relates to your unit learning outcomes, assessed tasks, and other content you have studied. After the video, ask in your unit forums for clarification on any points that you are uncertain about.
Review, revise, and follow-up Review your notes and identify any gaps in your knowledge, then conduct additional research to fill those gaps.
2. Find or create a conducive study space Approach video material in the same way that you would for other kinds of study by setting up in a location that is conducive to study. Somewhere relatively free of distractions, where you can sit at a desk or table is ideal. It is a lot easier to view videos on a device with a larger screen such as a computer or tablet, than on a smaller device such as a mobile phone. If you are making notes digitally, a device with a keyboard or touchscreen is also necessary, so experiment to find the best setup for you not only to view the videos, but also to easily make notes.
3. Pause, rewind, and rewatch - but not too much! The key advantage of pre-recorded content as opposed to live content is a greater flexibility in how you watch it.
Pause to take notes and check content Pausing the video to make notes about a particularly complicated point, or rewinding the video to rewatch a point that you didn't quite follow is an excellent strategy that takes full advantage of the technology. However, doing this too often will significantly increase the amount of time that it takes you to get through the content, so try to keep pauses short, and use them sparingly.
Take breaks Actively engaging in recorded content can be very draining, especially for long class recording, which can typically go for up to an hour or more. Factoring in short breaks can make it easier to pay close attention to the video content when you are watching it. Keep the breaks short so that they don’t turn into a form of procrastination, and move around if possible to help prevent desk work related injuries. Taking a 5 minute stretch break every 25 minutes is a good way to break up long study sessions.
Recording classes
Classes at Monash, whether online or face to face, may be recorded at times. All seminars and lectures are recorded and some other select activities as determined by individual faculties.
Please note
Class recordings are made available for you to support your studies. They are not recorded as a replacement teaching activity that is scheduled.
Your educator will let you know how and where recordings can be accessed.
Where a class is delivered more than once, there will only be one recording of that session (typically the first scheduled class).
Select teaching activities are recorded as part of Monash’s unit delivery processes. Individual consent is not required.
You can turn off your camera when online or hybrid classes are being recorded.
How to get the most out of videos
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