ISLA (Inclusive Synchronous Learning Activities) guide

Please read through this guidance to understand whether an ISLA room is the best choice for your module. ISLA rooms are designed for small-group interactive teaching, primarily for when lecturers and some students are attending in-person, and some students are attending online. Please consider whether this technology is the best option for your teaching before choosing to book an ISLA room. 
 

Lecture Capture/Echo LiveStream: Lecture Capture is a system that allows you to make automatic recordings of your lectures or presentations and it can also stream lectures/presentations live without having to set up a camera, microphone or other recording equipment. The livestream option can be chosen during the booking process.

Echo360 is used to process and manage Lecture Capture recordings. You can choose which inputs you would like to record which include:

• The visualiser and projector,
• Audio from the microphones in the room,
• Camera view of the front of the room.

Use Lecture Capture if your teaching is:

• Primarily 1-2 people lecturing/presenting.
• Can have Q&A that is conducted via chat/PollEverywhere/online, as you will not be able to record the audio or video of in-person student audience.
• Has more than 40 student participants, in any mode of attendance.

You can use either DALI or Legacy rooms for this kind of teaching. DALI rooms are fitted with a range of technology including new teaching podiums and have both lecture capture/livestreaming capabilities. 

If this is a new module or programme, you need to use the space request form to request the ISLA rooms, but you may also need to do a business case as there may be a need for additional rooms to be adapted for hybrid teaching. Once this has been processed through PARC, it will also require financial approval from your School to fund this. If this is a new programme, then the cost will be added to the budget for the new programme.

If you are planning to amend a module or programme to start using hybrid teaching you will need to include some additional information. You will need to complete the space request form, and you might need a business case. If it is one module, this may not be necessary, but for the whole programme, you will need this. The amendments will be processed through PARC initially, but the scale of changes may lead to them being escalated beyond this.

It is essential, whether this is an amendment or a new module /programme, that you ensure this is also noted on LEaD’s spreadsheet, accessed via your ADE. It is also essential you discuss with LEaD if co-pilots are needed, and we suggest you plan training for all involved in using this.