The Lectures Are Recorded, So Why Go to Class?
Chronicle of Higher Education – May 13
…Recording lectures is becoming more and more common, and many colleges are buying new products that make it as easy as pushing a button. But many professors worry that as soon as recordings are available, classroom seats will collect dust…David M. Brommer, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Alabama, has been recording his lectures since last spring using software from Tegrity, and he gives short quizzes to keep students coming. He says students do watch the lectures a second time, though they usually just review short sections they found difficult. He says the 200 students in his course have tuned in more than 3,000 times and watched more than 675 hours of the lecture recordings. He says that makes for better classroom discussion. “A lot of the students who use it show up to class and are asking more engaged questions.” And the videos let him hold a mirror up to his own teaching. About once per semester, he sits down to watch a few of the recordings to see what worked and what didn’t, which he says helps him hone his craft…
Sudden infant death syndrome
MSNBC – May 12
…Dr. Mark Feldman is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Alabama. We have to understand a few things about sudden infant death syndrome. One is that there is typically no warning sign…
Crime Junkies — People who are fascinated with serial killers
May 12
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – May 12
University of Alabama psychiatrist Marc Feldman says it’s not too far removed from the fascination with crime thrillers people watch or read…
State Legislature Gets Little Done in Regular Session
WAFF (Huntsville) – May 12
…Only three bills remain with a chance of receiving final approval. University of Alabama political scientist William Stewart says other states and congress also have had little success in dealing with the issue. Stewart says there’s not a consensus of what needs to be done.