Some University of Minnesota – Duluth Medical School professors are prohibiting students from accessing lectures online, the Minnesota Daily reported Monday. Restricting access to lecture materials is unnecessary and hurts students who would have benefited from the online access.

This fall, UMD began to use âÄúlecture captureâÄù technology, which provides lectures and class materials online for students to access. There are several benefits to using this technology.

Students who may fall ill will not have to desperately rearrange their schedules to catch up and are guaranteed the same material that students in class received.

Some students have learning styles that require them to engage with more than just an in-class lecture. The âÄúlecture captureâÄù technology would provide them with class materials and information at their disposal. Students who want to reference the material for additional studying and reviewing benefit from the technology as well.

It is troubling that some professors refuse to allow their material to be accessed online, prohibiting students from using it outside of the classroom.

Professors and faculty in general are there to help students succeed in any way they can. That means they have to cater to different learning styles, not restrict them to one.

Students are paying for the material presented in class. ItâÄôs nonsensical for instructors to restrict the information in this way.

FacultyâÄôs job is to aid students in their learning process. By prohibiting material from being accessed online, professors do the exact opposite. Professors should instead help students by putting class materials online.