A common method of lecturing in both traditional and online classes is the virtual lecture hall or VLH for short. It delivers content on timed slides with prerecorded audio covering the content on each slide. This method of learning can be used as a complement to traditional lectures and potentially as standalone, but should you work to put it in your courses?

A survey was conducted with hundreds of students of the University of Windsor in Canada about how well the VLH was received in their online and offline classes. Only about ten percent of online students had a negative perception of the VLH. However, negative perception of the VLH from offline students was almost entirely absent. The survey also looked at expected grades. When looking at expected grades, the amount of expected A’s and B’s were similar. Lower grades of online VLH students were more likely to expect a D grade.

Overall it seems that the VLH is more beneficial when put into a traditional course. It is slightly better perceived possibly because it isn’t the only source of lecture the students have, and can be used as optional review. When it’s limited as being the only lecture students receive, it doesn’t help nearly as many students.