Viewing Online Lectures
Lectures available via the Internet use streaming video technology along with standard Internet browser software. The screen shot below shows how a distance education lecture is presented. The video window appears on the left side of the screen, the controls below it adjust the video, and the supplementary course materials are displayed on the right side of the screen.
Sample Lectures
Students should make sure they can view one of the following sample lectures before they register for a distance course.
- BIO S-80 Neurobiology (View Lecture)
- CSCI S-1 Great Ideas in Computer Science (View Lecture)
- ENVR S-101 Environmental Management (View Lecture)
About Online Lectures
Lectures are typically available 48 hours after they are presented on campus. Much of the communication between the teaching staff and students takes place via e-mail and course websites. The format of each course varies, but many courses also have a bulletin board or chat room to foster dialogue among students and the teaching staff.
The term streaming video refers to video that is sent to the user as it is viewed. The advantage of streaming video is that, like TV or radio, students receive the images and audio just before they see and hear them. This is much quicker than waiting for the entire video file to download before viewing it, as is the case with static images on the Web. The disadvantage is that to decrease file size and allow for a steady stream of data, the video must be compressed, which means that the image is smaller than the size of a TV image.
Select one of the thumbnails below to view samples of screens you will see when you follow the video link from your course website.
 Video Preference Menu |
 Lecture Viewing Window |
How to View Lectures
Download RealPlayer
In order to provide streaming video, the Harvard Extension School Distance Education courses use technology provided by RealNetworks. You must download the current RealPlayer plug-in before you view the lecture videos. Earlier versions of the player are not supported. You must also be using a current version of Safari, Internet Explorer, or Firefox with the minimum Internet and system requirements. Please see Technical Requirements for more information and to download RealPlayer.
Determine Bandwidth
Three video format options are available depending on the speed of your connection to the Internet (bandwidth). The information below should help you determine your bandwidth. Before you view lectures, you are asked to select a bandwidth option from the Video Preference Menu. Please note that the faster the Internet connection you are able to use the better video performance you can expect.
- High bandwidth. Choose this option from the Video Preference Menu if you have a cable modem, DSL, or a corporate network connection to the Internet.
- Low bandwidth. Choose the low bandwidth option from the Video Preference Menu if you use a 56 Kbps dial-up modem or other low speed connection to the Internet. This is the minimum connection speed required to view the lecture video.
- Audio only. Choose this option if you have a low bandwidth connection to the Internet and/or you only wish to listen to the audio portion of the lecture.
Video Preference Menu
If you follow the video link from your course website, you are presented with the Video Preference Menu (See the screenshot example shown below.) Use this menu to select the appropriate bandwidth option. (See Determine Bandwidth.) The Video Preference Menu also shows how the different video format options appear. After the second week of classes, lectures are password-protected.
Password Information
Students may log in to password-protected videos using either their Harvard University ID number and PIN or their Harvard University ID number and their video password (the first eight characters of their last name). Harvard ID numbers are printed on registration confirmations; students may also log in to online services to obtain their Harvard ID numbers. Harvard University PINs are requested online at www.pin.harvard.edu and are different from the registration PINs used for online services.
Lecture Viewing Window
Once you have selected your bandwidth option on the Video Preference Menu, you are presented with the Lecture Viewing Window from which you view the lectures. (See the screenshot example shown below.)
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