EduCase : an automated lecture video recording, post-processing, and viewing system that utilizes multimodal inputs to provide a dynamic student experience

Abstract

This thesis describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of EduCase: an inexpensive automated lecture video recording, post-processing, and viewing system. The EduCase recording system consists of three devices, one per lecture hall board. Each recording device records color, depth, skeletal, and audio inputs. The Post-Processor automatically processes the recordings to produce an output file usable by the Viewer, which provides a more dynamic student experience than traditional video playback systems. In particular, it allows students to flip back to view a previous board while the lecture continues to play in the background. It also allows students to toggle the professor's visibility in and out to see the board they might be blocking. The system was successfully evaluated in blackboard-heavy lectures at MIT and Harvard. We hope that EduCase will be the quickest, most inexpensive, and student-friendly lecture capture system, and contribute to our overarching goal of education for all.