Students at UK universities watch lectures online due to overcrowding

Students at multiple UK universities have been told to watch lectures online or in overflow rooms after their lecture theatres exceeded capacity.

First year Mathematics students at the University of Manchester were provided with links to a YouTube livestream and encouraged to watch the lecture in alternative locations because their 600 seat capacity lecture theatre was fully occupied.

The students were also given access to a separate overflow lecture theatre showing the livestream, but would not be able to participate or question the lecturers.

An Economics undergraduate student at the Manchester, Soifja, explained how she has stopped going to this lecture because of overcrowding and its effect on her anxiety.

“Even if you were in the lecture and got a seat, it was literally impossible to pay attention. I’ve got an anxiety disorder that gives me some sensory issues, it was 100% impossible for me to pay attention to anything,” she explained.

Psychology students at the University of Lancaster have also been affected by over crowding in lectures. They were also sent to overflow rooms and given the option to watch sessions on their laptops instead.

The University of Nottingham advertised for a paid temporary role for someone to monitor overflow lectures provided for first year law students.

The National Union of Students blamed the increase of lecture overflow on the actions of “desperate” universities being forced to admit as many students as possible to maximise their tuition fee income.

Universities will be mindful to ensure that this does not compromise the quality of teaching or disadvantage students not attending in person

– Universities UK

The representative for higher education providers, Universities UK (UUK), emphasised the importance of students being able to attend their lectures in person.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: “Universities will be mindful to ensure that this does not compromise the quality of teaching or disadvantage students not attending in person.”

The University of Manchester suggested lecture overflow was a temporary problem. They explained: “When overcrowding does occur, we work with schools to resolve it as quickly as possible using solutions such as splitting the cohort into smaller groups or using a larger location.”

The University of Nottingham attributed its overflow lecture to a timetabling problem that only affected a small number of its students, claiming: “Rather than disappoint students, we arranged a live stream of the lecture, with full technical support and additional tutorials.”

Lancaster University said the presence of overflow lectures was due to the popularity of its course, but added: “There is always a staff member present in the streamed venue with mechanisms in place so the students can ask questions.”

In November 2019, The Boar asked Stuart Croft about issues of overcrowding on campus in an annual interview with Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor.