Case Study: Aberystwyth University achieves scalable lecture capture and improved exam revision with Panopto

Aberystwyth University Turns to Panopto to Enhance the Traditional Lecture

Aberystwyth University, a 12,000-student university in Wales, needed a scalable way to capture lectures after earlier audio-only efforts proved time-consuming and resource-heavy. Hardware-based capture options were too costly and would have required different room setups, so the IT team sought a software solution that would integrate with Active Directory and the university’s Blackboard system and support business continuity needs (e.g., during the 2009 swine flu concerns) across 86 teaching spaces.

They deployed Panopto’s software-based lecture capture (with a launch-pack support option), completing installation in six weeks and quickly enabling lecturers to record audio, video, screen content and PowerPoint without technical intervention. Early results included 14 lecturers set up for term one, more than 800 students enrolled in Panopto-enabled modules, 100+ recordings and over 18 modules using the system by winter 2010; students used recordings heavily for exam revision, faculty reported fewer interruptions, courses adopted flipped-class activities, and offline recording and Blackboard integration broadened use.

Aberystwyth University

Tim Davies

Desktop systems manager for Information Services Department