The following information is credited to Rachel Tunstall and Catherine Leyland. They are both learning technologists in the Leicester Learning Institute in Leicester, UK. The original article can be found here.
A lecture may be complex and difficult to understand
If your lecture covers new terminology and/or complicated material which must be remembered, it is an enormous help to students to be able to play back the lecture at their own pace and look again at specific topics they may not have fully understood the first time round.
Lecture capture can be a useful back up to the notes distributed and be used selectively when wanting to revisit a topic.
Students may not speak English natively
Someone for whom English is an additional language might find it difficult to interpret or understand everything that is covered during a lecture. Having the ability to re-watch will give them time to look up anything they are unsure of.
Students may have trouble note-taking
If a student has a disability they may find it difficult to listen to a lecture, process the information, and make notes at the same time. A lecture recording provides an audio and visual record which students can repeat as many times as they need. Any part of a lecture can be found easily and played back. It also means an electronic version of the lecture is stored, so it is not a problem if handwritten notes are lost.
Students are unable to ask all the questions they would like to
In some lectures attendance numbers are very large, which means not all students will have the chance to ask questions, or they may feel inhibited from asking questions in front of such a large group.
Distance learning students
Being able to watch a lecture online means that students who can’t be physically present in a lecture still feel part of a learning community and can see and hear their tutors speaking about a topic.
Review
During intense review periods it can be very beneficial for students to be able to revisit or catch up on lectures and to navigate easily to the content they need.
Different learning styles
As different students prefer to learn in different ways and at different paces, giving them the flexibility and control to view a lecture in their own time means those students who find it difficult to learn from lectures have an alternative method of delivery to suite their learning style.
Not the only source of information
You may also wish to remind your students that a lecture should be only the start of their learning and not the totality. Refer them to the Library and other relevant sources of information.