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Aberystwyth University

Are dictaphones allowed at Aber? Or do lecturers go mental?

Basically the title.

Are most lecturers okay with the use of dictaphones or do they moan that its against their rights.

I've been looking into buying one for university in 2011 and on the reviews for some of them students have said that certain lecturers despise them at their universities. I was wondering if this was the case at Aber - in the Computer Science department if possible - if not then thats okay as well.

Reply 1

Joinedup

Dunno how far you've looked into it but you're pretty much going to have to have the guy speaking directly into the mic for you otherwise you'll just get a recording of the general background noise - people around you coughing, clicking their pens and scratching their nuts etc - all the stuff that gets processed out by your brain without you realising it.

If you've got dyslexia or something and you can get dictaphone use written into your plan I guess they'll have to put up with it.

Aberystwyth University

Reply 2

jb9191

Original post by Joinedup

I know some of them are over sensitive to sound but surely you should be able to just put in on the desk at the front of the lecture theatre to pick it up.

There are a few with 5 star reviews all over the net. Olympus models seem to be very good but if the lecturers at Aber moan then there is no point in purchasing one.

I guess I'll have to wait and ask my lecturers and then purchase one. I would have rathered get one before uni to have it ready for day one. I'll still take notes but sometimes its hard to track back to notes - it would be easier to relisten to a recorded lecture and then I'd know what my notes meant more clearly, if I needed to listen to them again a few months later.

My mate used one at his university and the recording was fine - the odd bit of background noise but still very good and it helped him massively - he then uploaded all his lecture recordings to his PC so he could revisit them if needed.

Reply 3

RightSaidJames

The rules for your uni/department will probably require you to ask permission from the lecturer, but in practice most people just put it on the desk in front of where they're sitting - they pick up the lecturer quite well.

Reply 4

Joinedup

If it'll operate discreetly from your desk I can't see why they'd care or even notice - Lecturers can get narky about laptops on the (quite well founded) assumption that the people 'taking notes' with them are actually messing about on facebook. (non aber specific information)

TBH I can't see how it'd be remotely useful myself - but other peoples study methods vary... I susect it's largely that taking the gadgetry into lectures gives them a psychological boost or or something.

Reply 5

Bslforever

Original post by Joinedup

A girl in the row in front of me was watching glee during one of our lectures :holmes:

Reply 6

Pink Liquid

My younger brother is at Aber and says that dictaphones are only allowed if you have a learning disability or it will aid learning in some way for you, but you must declare this to your department, otherwise the lecturer will question you if you place it on your desk. In his class, only one student with a learning disability has one and he has a scriber too who is employed to take notes for him in the lecture, the other students who purchased them for personal usage were told to discontinue using them due to unfair practice - Waste of money. Tbh, your lecture notes are purposely condensed down to the main points that you need to know.

Reply 7

Arcanine

Original post by jb9191

Ah wait, heres a thought........Listen and make notes you turd.

Reply 8

bambipoppins

Original post by Bslforever

A girl in the row in front of me was watching glee during one of our lectures :holmes:

I hope she fails hard.

Reply 9

bambipoppins

Original post by Arcanine

Ah wait, heres a thought........Listen and make notes you turd.

Harsh. She meant as well as taking notes. It's easy to get behind. With notes you won't get stressed, no biggie :smile:

Reply 10

Bslforever

Original post by bambipoppins

I hope she fails hard.

She didn't even have the decency to watch something I would have been interested in :rolleyes:

Reply 11

Wookie42

Original post by Bslforever

She didn't even have the decency to watch something I would have been interested in :rolleyes:

The cheek of it. Some people, I don't know.

Reply 12

CallumG

I spoke to a couple of my friends at Aberystwyth doing Comp-Sci, they said dicatarphones are allowed without a medical reason, they just asked the lecturer before hand out of courtesy.

Reply 13

Declan01

The short answer to your questions is yes. You are allowed to use a dictaphone in lectures at Aberystwyth University.

I am a postgraduate research student and a note taker for a couple of students with specific learning difficulities (SpLD) The lecturer's union along with SKILL: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities agreed a UK wide policy of allowing the recording of lectures for those students who have additional learning needs. This applies to all UK universities.

Therefore, no lecturer should be going ballistic at all. They cannot tell you to stop recording a lecture if you are a student who has a Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) Assessment of Needs report which states that a dictaphone is required for you to make effective notes later on. Most students ask the lecturer/notify them they are going to record the lecture just out of politeness. You don't have to tell them why if you don't want to, and they cannot force you to tell them.

There is more information on the subject at the following webpage

http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/regulations/contents/student/appenix-8/

The Student Support Services section of the website will have other useful information for you.

Hope that helps. :smile:

Reply 14

Æbbie

In my department (InterPol) all the lecturers seem perfectly ok with you recording their lectures - and most state this at their first lecture. If they don't, just ask. I've never heard of anyone not allowing people to record.