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While students may find comfort in having the ability to attend lectures in the privacy of their own rooms, some professors are less enthusiastic about the new technology which allows them to do so.

Tape recorders have become a trend of the past as some professors are making the move to have their lectures put online via BruinCast, a service that was introduced fall quarter by the Office of Instructional Development.

But some professors are not wholly convinced that broadcasting lectures online is the right way to enhance the higher education learning experience.

“Why have the class then?” said Professor Arthur Arnold, who is currently teaching Life Science 2 without BruinCast. “I don’t have to go to class either.”

Though Arnold said he may consider using the service in the future, his main concern is that having class lectures available online will take away one of the vital elements of education: interaction.

“I think that the move to make coming to class a dispensable item is not good,” Arnold said. “(The) strong impression is (that) the best education comes from human contact.”

But students in Professor Jay Phelan’s Life Science 2 lecture have the luxury of viewing their lectures online – and students seem pleased.

Dave Martin, a second-year electrical engineering student in Phelan’s course, said it is a helpful resource for when it’s impossible to make it to lecture.

“If you miss the class (BruinCast) is good,” said Andrea Siu, a second-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, adding that it is a great resource for reviewing before a test.

Though students appreciate having the entirety of their lectures placed online, some said they still prefer to experience the lecture first-hand.

“In class I get more information and there is the ability to interact and ask questions with the professor,” Martin said.

While students and professors using the online service do not see a dramatic decline in student attendance, some professors are still trying to pinpoint the benefits of utilizing such a service.

Professor Fuyuhiko Tamanoi, who is teaching a Life Science 3 lecture without BruinCast this quarter, is still deciding on whether he will make use of the new technology in the future.

“I don’t see any value in doing that on a campus,” Tamanoi said. “Discussion with the professor is more important than watching a broadcast.”

Like Arnold, Tamanoi is less worried about declining attendance than the demise of student-teacher interaction.

“Spontaneous discussion is what I try to do in my class,” Tamanoi emphasized. “It’s very difficult to replace ... if you just watch a broadcast.”

Most professors agree discourse within a classroom setting is crucial, but having lectures available online is still a beneficial option, said Professor Chentao Lin, who is currently using BruinCast for his Life Science 3 lecture.

“(Interacting) with other students and professors can never be replaced by (an) online experience,” Lin said, adding that he hopes the service helps those students who do not regularly attend class.

Though new technological services are becoming easily accessible for in-class lectures, the possibility of having entirely online courses at UCLA is unlikely.

“Televised instruction is not a new idea,” Arnold said, emphasizing that there is a reason why many universities have not turned to such teaching methods. “It’s not the same as being engaged in class (and) asking questions.”