Lecture Capture at the University of Nottingham

Lecture Capture @ NottinghamWhere we started…

Where we are…Where we are going…

January 2015Ian Pearshouse

[email protected]

Where we started…

• Pilot started in 2008/9– Capture hardware deployed into a small number of lecture

theatres– Ad-hoc captures initiated from touch screen– Opt-in service

• Users (academic) registered as required• Courses/module created as required

– Moodle integration• Captures

– 2008/9 – 107– 2009/10 – 234

SFTP upload

R/W

DB queries

Capture Endpoints

Media Processing

Media Ingest60Gb

Echo System Server/Web/WowzaManagement/web/delivery

ESS/SFTPuilapech06

Database

MySQL DBEcho360db.nottingham.ac.uk

End Users

Content Storage(2Tb SAN)

R/W

Media Processinguilapech10

R/W

Where we are…

• Opt-in service– Also have services in Malaysia and China

• All staff registered by default– ‘personal’ module created for each user

• All modules registered by default• 300 lecture capture rooms– 22 hardware - SCHD– 278 software - Classroom Capture

SFTP upload

R/W

DB queries

Capture Endpoints

Media Processing

Media Processinguilapech09

Each System: 4 x vCPU

12Gb RAM

60Gb HD plus 40Gb per vCPU (320Gb)

Total 380Gb

Multi Gigabit NIC

Media Ingest320Gb

R/W

Delivery

Web serveruilapech08

Wowza Streaming Serveruilapech07

4 x vCPU

8Gb RAM

100Gb HD

Multi Gigabit NIC

4 x vCPU

8Gb RAM

100Gb HD

Multi Gigabit NIC

Echo System ServerManagement

ESS/SFTPuilapech06

8 x vCPU

12Gb RAM

80Gb HD

Multi Gigabit NIC

Database

MySQL DBEcho360db.nottingham.ac.uk

End Users

R only

R only

Content Storage(8-10Tb SAN)

R/W

Media Processinguilapech10

R/W

Where we are…

• All captures started from PC interface• Approx 200 events being captured per week• Peak views in one week – 12,632

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

107 234597

10381305

2850 3000Captures

Other developments

• Live stream• Student feedback Video Diary Booth

Where we are going…

• Project to investigate a step change in scale– ‘All’ lectures captured by default globally

• Still 300+ rooms (UK)• Potentially 4000 events per week (UK)• Peak capture rate 300Mbps• Peak viewing 4.5Gbps• 120Tb storage per active year– 90Tb for each previous year retained

SFTP upload

R/W

DB queries

Capture Endpoints

Media Processing

MediaProcessing

8 x vCPU

12Gb RAM

60Gb HD plus 40Gb per vCPU (320Gb)

Total 380Gb

Multi Gigabit NIC

Media Ingest1.3Tb R/W

Delivery

Web

WowzaStreaming

4 x vCPU

8Gb RAM

100Gb HD

Multi Gigabit NIC

4 x vCPU

8Gb RAM

100Gb HD

Multi Gigabit NIC

Echo System ServerManagement

ESS 8 x vCPU

12Gb RAM

80Gb HD

Multi Gigabit NIC

Database

MySQL DBEcho360db.nottingham.ac.uk

End Users

R only

R only

Content Storage(120Tb SAN)

SFTP

R/W

VmwareFT

MediaProcessing

MediaProcessing

MediaProcessing

Web

WowzaStreaming

ESS

Why are we going there?

SU survey

• May 2014• Figures are ‘rounded’…– Any mistakes are purely down to me

• 1400 respondents• 600 of which currently use lecture capture

SU Survey results

• 80% use as an aid to study• 70% use as an aid to revision within 1 month

of recording• 88% use as a revision aid at exam time• 13% less likely to attend a lecture• 70% hampered by lack of lecture captures• 90% see lecture capture as a benefit

Opposing views

• Student responses– This is critical for my education, I rely on the

recordings for revision / making notes /clarifying material• Language, speed of delivery

– Why should they be recorded, just because the lazy #@#@ can’t be bothered to go to the lectures in the first place

Opposing views – academic staff

• Capturing Content– I don’t want any of my lectures captured…– I’m happy for all of my lectures to be captured…

• Creating the capture– I want to be able to start and stop the capture

when ‘I’ want– I want it to just happen, I’ll look at it after and

decide if I release it or not

Opposing views…

• Data retention– The content has to be available for the duration of

the program – 3,4,5 years…– I want the content deleted after 12/18 months

• Video of lecturer (preferred by students)– I’m happy to be captured on video, I think it adds

something to the presentation– I see no value in capturing video of myself.

Future investigations

• Cloud based solution• Automation– Scheduled captures – requires good TT data

• Accessibility– Sub-titling / closed-capture– Camera angles – for lip-reading– Audio-description of demos etc.

• Mirrored video storage/delivery

Comments and questions