This document outlines how broadcast media can be used effectively in science education and provides guidance on obtaining material legally. It discusses the pedagogic value of video and audio clips, how to search for relevant broadcasts using TRILT, and how the Educational Recording Agency license allows recording and use of off-air material for educational purposes. Specific examples are given of potential uses of clips from South Park and a BBC documentary in teaching.

1. Dr Chris Willmott
Dept of Biochemistry,
University of Leicester
cjrw2@le.ac.uk
Making the Most of Broadcast
Media in Science Education
HEA STEM, Birmingham April 2013
University of
Leicester
http://tinyurl.com/39zaw6q

2. Outline of session
• The value of TV and Radio for teaching
• What can I do (legally)? - copyright, ERA & BoB
• Knowing what’s on: Introduction to TRILT
• Setting up TRILT alerts

3. Central thesis
• There is huge pedagogic value in the use of
broadcast media
• Video (and audio) clips:
- familiar and engaging medium
- to help scene-setting
- as discussion starters
- to convey factual information
- clips more efficient than full programme

4. Obtaining programmes
“Titles are available for as little as £125...”
... actually much less!
E-mail: October 2008

5. Central thesis
• There is huge pedagogic value in the use of
broadcast media
• Video (and audio) clips:
- familiar and engaging medium
- to help scene-setting
- as discussion starters, and/or
- to convey factual information
- clips more efficient than full programme
• Video and audio material can be obtained freely
and legally for use in education, provided you know
what you are looking for

6. Copyright
• It is important that copyright is honoured
• Educational Recording Agency (ERA)
• ERA Licence allows for the use of “off-air recordings”
provided your usage remains within terms of Licence
• see www.era.org.uk for details

7. ERA Licence
• Recorded material must include:
- the date when the recording was made
- the name of the broadcaster
- the title of the programme
- an exact phrase specifying usage
• “This recording is to be used only for educational
and non-commercial purposes under the terms of
the ERA Licence ”
• Recordings can be made on behalf of other licensees
(e.g. colleague at another university)
• Recordings can be loaned to UK-based students

8. What is not allowed under ERA?
• Standard ERA licence does not allow you to upload
material to a VLE unless you can guarantee ALL users
are ONLY able to access it on CAMPUS (not from
home, definitely not from outside UK)
• Open University programmes, including co-
productions, are specifically excluded as they operate
a separate arrangement
• You cannot materially alter a recording (e.g. adding
different soundtrack)
• Podcasts, downloads and “on demand” services are
not broadcasts and are not covered by ERA

9. What about BoB?
• You can upload material to a VLE (for UK use only) if
you have an ERA+ licence
• ERA+ cost approx double standard ERA
• The main appeal of ERA+ is now as a gateway to
BoB, the national Box of Broadcasts
bobnational.net

10. • Despite what it says on the packaging, you MAY use
purchased films etc in their original format for
educational purposes
• It is illegal to copy them
(e.g. to select out just the clip you want)
• You are not allowed to convert to a different format
(e.g. WMV)
• Remember: You CAN copy and convert off-air
recordings, so even if you possess a DVD of a film it
may be worth setting up a TRILT search for next
broadcast
What about DVDs I’ve bought?

11. A Child Against All Odds BBC1, November 14th
2006
Example uses: (1) Documentary

12. • watch this short clip describing an experiment to
investigate whether you can smell if someone is afraid
• having watched the clip, consider:
- what was good about the design of the expt?
- what was wrong with the experiment?
http://tinyurl.com/terrorface1
Example uses: (2) Discussion

13. Brainiac Science Abuse: The Smell of Fear
Sky1, 07:00, 28th
January 2009 (http://tinyurl.com/brainiacfear)
Example uses: (2) Discussion

14. Good aspects of Brainiac expt?
• included a negative control (no fear, no sport)
• all subjects carried out their activity for same time
• all subjects were “sniffed” by same person
• all subjects were same gender
…but little else is good

15. What was wrong with this expt?
• only one “sniff-er”
• only three “sweat-ers”
• not same person on crane/running/relaxing
• distance nose-to-armpit not same in all cases
• may have been other explanations for the observed
differences, e.g.
• natural body odour differences between the three
• use of deodorant
• eating of smelly foods
• olfactory fatigue/adaptation may have occurred

16. Design a better version
• work with those sitting near you to design a
better experiment looking into whether it is possible
to smell fear
http://tinyurl.com/armpitsniffing1

17. A more scientific approach
Prehn-Kristensen et al (2009), PLoS ONE 4(6): e5987
http://tinyurl.com/anxietypaper

18. South Park: “Kenny Dies”
(Paramount Comedy Channel, 16th
Jan 2006)
Example uses: (3) Scene-setter

19. TRILT entry: Kenny dies

20. TRILT
www.trilt.ac.uk
• Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching
• Run by the British Universities Film and Video Council
• BUFVC also offers a range of other services including
a back-up service for missed programmes

21. TRILT – 2 great services
www.trilt.ac.uk offers:
• A weekly e-mail alert warning you of any programmes
coming up in the next two weeks that match your
keywords
• A searchable database of transmission history
covering broadcasts since 1995, in which all
programmes are given an ID code
• The latter can frequently be used to identify
recordings available through the BUFVC back-up
service (inc all terrestrial TV since June 1998)

22. TRILT – Logging in www.trilt.ac.uk

23. TRILT – Logging in www.trilt.ac.uk

24. TRILT – Logging in www.trilt.ac.uk

25. TRILT – Logging in www.trilt.ac.uk
Don’t include
“University” in
search

26. TRILT – Logging in www.trilt.ac.uk
Don’t include
“University” in
search

27. TRILT – Logging in www.trilt.ac.uk
Don’t include
“University” in
search

28. TRILT
• Weekly e-mail alert:
- up to 150 stored “Auto Alerts”
- sent on day of your choice
- can be keywords or programme ID codes
- can include “non-work” queries
www.trilt.ac.uk

29. TRILT: Setting up alerts

30. TRILT: Setting up alerts

31. TRILT: Setting up alerts

32. TRILT – Time to have a go…
• Opportunity to set up (or add to) your TRILT account
• Keywords, specific series, programme ID
• Care re keywords? Limit genre?

33. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

34. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

35. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

36. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

37. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

38. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

39. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

40. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts

41. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts
No “save as” button?

42. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts
No “save as” button?

43. TRILT: Searches and auto alerts
No “save as” button?

44. Any Questions?
E-mail: cjrw2@le.ac.uk
Twitter: cjrw
Slideshare: cjrw2
Delicious: chriswillmott
Blogs: www.bioethicsbytes.wordpress.com
www.biosciencecareers.wordpress.com
www.lefthandedbiochemist.wordpress.com University of
Leicester