“Blown off": Students feel dismissed over poor lecture recording quality

Quality issues in Massey’s online classrooms have sparked ongoing criticism among distance students, who have taken to Facebook to share their frustrations.  

Distance student Tai Kingi-Smith voiced concerns on the Massey@Distance Facebook page last month, asking: “Is there any explanation given for why the audio quality for many lectures is so poor for distance students? It seems like most of them are just recorded using laptop microphones, which only works well if the lecturer is seated and has a decent quality laptop.”  

Persistent problems with online visuals, audio, and lack of captions continue to aggravate students. 

While the university recommends students raise complaints with course coordinators, Kingi-Smith had no response after sending feedback to his course coordinator.  

Kingi-Smith withdrew from his course as a result.  

Currently, teaching staff do not have a set standard when uploading or editing video content, reflecting a lack of cohesion between student concerns and staff obligations.  

This lack of consistency undermines the quality of online education, as outlined by the Community of Inquiry framework, which highlights that without organised lecture materials, distance students will struggle to engage and achieve at a high level. 

Other students joined the discussion in the Facebook comments, feeling similarly dismissed by the university.  

One distance student commented on Kingi-Smith's post, saying, “I have just approached a lecturer about this. Absolutely blown off. The suggestion was my computer's fault.” 

Complaints about the quality of recorded lectures aren’t new. In March last year, disabled students called for captions to be included in recorded lectures.  

A Massey spokesperson told Massive, “while there are no set standards currently in place for uploading lecture content, it would be incorrect to say no progress has been made”. 

“In coordination with our disability and inclusion action plan, we are seeking to resolve issues, and students will be consulted throughout the process.” 

Massey’s Manawatū disability rep, Eloise Southee, said transcripts and captions are available by request to students under the disability support services who work closely with the university.  

Southee said, “Although it certainly can be acknowledged that this doesn't accommodate those that don't have lived experience within these communities.” 

She said there had been ongoing conversations with the university about resolving the issue.  

If students face escalated issues of poor recording quality, they can complete a complaints advice form or contact the advocacy team at Te Tira Ahu Pae.