Introduction
In this resource, we will look at recording in-person lectures. We will explore why it is important and how you can use it to make your teaching practice more inclusive. In addition, we will provide you with a practical guide on how you can go about making recordings. There are many ways to approach this, but we aim to offer you a simple and easy-to-follow process.
Page quick links :
You can use the following links to jump directly to each section in this resource.
Why is recording in-person lectures important?
One of the key recommendations for inclusive teaching is to record in-person teaching sessions. There are lots of reasons why students value recordings. However, they can be especially helpful if students struggle with chronic conditions, have difficulties with concentration or worry about note-taking. Our aim here is to try and remove barriers to learning because disabled students have a right to access their studies. Disability Services have provided some case studies, to help us understand how recordings can help our students:
Case study 1
Omar needs to attend an important medical appointment, which he has been waiting for for a long time. The appointment coincides with his dissertation briefing, which it is important to attend. The dissertation briefing is filmed and put on Moodle. This means that Omar is able to go to his medical appointment and then catch-up on the dissertation briefing. As a result of attending his medical appointment, he has access to treatment which supports his health and attendance in his final year
Case study 2
Jay is about to start their BA at LCF. Jay is worried about notetaking in lectures, as they have found this difficult in the past. They see in their course handbook that their course allows students to take recordings freely, as long as they are for personal use only. Jay decides to record lectures on their phone, which allows them to relax in lectures and listen to what is being discussed.
Case study 3
Grace has a long-term health condition that causes significant pain and fatigue. She finds that if she attends college one day, she is less likely to be able to attend the following day. Because her course records lectures, she decides to watch these from home. In doing so, she is better able to attend the workshop and making sessions, which require her to be in college.
You can read the Disability service guidance on recording taught sessions here:
Lived experience
“doing things as you have always done doesn’t work, because things have always been exclusive”
(Suriya Aisha, 2017)
In the following video, you can watch a powerful account by The Horizontals at the TedxBrum conference. Whilst the video doesn’t specifically reference our context, we think it is helpful to listen to their experiences that describe what it’s like to live with a condition that others can’t see. It can be difficult to understand why we should take action and what effect it can have, especially if we find those changes difficult to make. It’s also quite likely that we make assumptions about disabled people. We believe listening to others’ experiences can help us to break down our misconceptions and motivate us to make changes.
Wider benefits
Recording teaching can also benefit other groups of students as well. This is because when we think about removing barriers to learning, it can put us on a path to Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
For example, another specific group of students that can particularly benefit from lecture recordings are those that have English as an additional language. Using captions whilst watching video recordings can significantly improve listening comprehension.
Furthermore, a wide range of students value the availability of lecture recordings. They use them in many ways, such as reviewing complex material, revisiting sections they missed in the live lecture, making more detailed notes, and pacing their own learning.
Lecture capture is generally thought to be one of the covid era innovations that students do not want to leave behind, and their availability can promote student satisfaction.
Getting started
In this section, we will look at why we use Panopto and how to use it. You will find a video demonstration and a set of printable instructions you can take with you into the lecture theatre.
Why use Panopto?
Panopto is a tool that allows you to record lectures or other videos, and easily add them to your Moodle page for students to view asynchronously.
Panopto is a good choice for this type of activity because:
- Panopto is integrated into the UAL network. This means that you already have an account, and there will be no extra passwords.
- Videos hosted in Panopto are not available to the public.
- The video will be stored on the Panopto server and not on your computer.
- Panopto is integrated with Moodle which means you will not have to download a recording to reupload it elsewhere.
- Panopto captions are reliable and easy to edit.
- It is easy to add a contents table to the recording. A contents table (chapters) makes recordings even more accessible.
Finding Panopto
You can use this link to access Panopto:
How to start recording in-person teaching
When writing this resource we made a few assumptions about delivery:
- You will be using PowerPoint slides or similar to share information with your students.
- You will be in the lecture theatre or seminar room at Kings Cross
- Your laptop or IMac will be connected to the WIFI.
However, this process will work in other scenarios too. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Video demonstration
In the following video we will demonstrate how to start recording your session:
Step-by-step instructions
After you have watched the demonstration you may find it easier to follow this step-by-step guide when you are in the class room setting. Clinking the link will download the file onto your computer:
Tips for recording
Microphone
An important part of the recording is the sound quality. The recording will be useless if the sound is not good. In most of the seminar rooms and the lecture theatres, there are microphones already in place. Where there are boundary microphones secured to the desk, it is a good idea to stay relatively close to the mic to ensure it will pick up your voice. However, it is worth considering getting a clip mic from LTS. It will pick up your voice more effectively, especially if you tend to move around. Improving the quality of your voice recording will also help to improve the quality of the captions generated.
Saving it to the correct folder
When you have finished the recording, you will need to save the file in the correct folder. You have two options, depending on what you intend to do with the recording:
Option 1: Keep the recording in your ‘My folder’ area in Panopto.
NB: You can share the link or embed the video from here. If you choose this option you must remember to change the permissions settings to allow other people to view the recording. Otherwise, it will remain private.
Option 2: Save the recording in the folder that is associated with a certain Moodle page.
NB: To be able to do this, you must have a Panopto block provisioned on the Moodle page (essentially this sets up the folder in Panopto). However, it means that when you store a video in that folder the link to that video automatically shows up in the Panopto block on the Moodle page, without you having to do anything else.
Checking the captions
Captions play an important part in making a video accessible. Panopto will automatically generate them for you. However, it is always a good idea to check the accuracy. If you would like to watch a recording on how to edit the captions you can use this link:
Trimming the recording
If you wish to trim the beginning or end of the recording, it is easy to do that in the editing area. The following video will demonstrate how:
Adding a table of contents (chapters)
Adding a table of contents or smart chapters can also help to make your recording more accessible. These are like bookmarks, you can place them at appropriate places in your video, and viewers will be able to jump directly to that point in the video. It is easy to add a table of contents to recordings in Panopto. The following video will show you how:
Questions about recording in-person teaching
We recognise that some of you might still have some doubts about this process. In this section, we will try to address some of the common questions that come up. If you have a question that we have not addressed, then please get in touch.
I feel worried about the technical process, can I get help?
There are support teams that can help you. The Digital Learning team can provide you with 1:1 support. We can meet you in your learning space and guide you through the process. LTS can also help you with the physical equipment in the room. Please do reach out for support at csmdigitallearning@arts.ac.uk. You should also remember we are not striving for a perfect solution. Even the smallest intervention can make a massive difference.
Will my students stop attending?
The process we recommend is not designed to replace in-person teaching, but rather to enhance it by making it more accessible. We know recordings do not provide the same benefits as participating in the session. However, they can be beneficial for students who cannot attend, and would otherwise miss out on that content entirely.
Other benefits of making recordings available include helping students to consolidate their learning by enabling them to pause, rewind and revisit content. Recordings can reduce anxiety about missing key content in the lectures and they can also support Universal Design for Learning as they reduce the need for reasonable adjustments at an individual level. Students should still be encouraged to attend whenever possible. We recommend discussing the benefits and limitations of recordings with your students so that there is a clear understanding of the purpose.
Should we be recording everything?
This process works best for informational sessions like briefings and knowledge transfer sessions like lectures. It will be harder to record the sound of a group discussion for technical reasons. Moreover, some students may be less likely to engage in the discussion, as the recording process may inhibit them. For these reasons, we recommend discussing which sessions should be recorded with your students. Building consensus with your students and getting their buy-in is an excellent place to start. We recommend providing an alternative, such as recorded summary, if a session is not suitable for recording.
Should I ask my students permission?
When thinking about recording teaching you should decide if you want to record the room, or just yourself, or even just your voice with your PowerPoint for visuals. If your students are going to be in the recording, you do need to get their permission. You can consider setting aside an off-camera space, just in case someone is not comfortable with being recorded. If you are only recording yourself, then it’s best practice to make your students aware.
Further information
The UAL Educational Video Policy is applicable from 01 September 2023. You can read the policy and further guidance at the links below.
References and Resources
Alabsi, Thuraya. “Effects of Adding Subtitles to Video via Apps on Developing EFL Students’ Listening Comprehension.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies 10, no. 10 (October 1, 2020): 1191.
Brame, Cynthia J. (2016) “Effective Educational Videos: Principles and Guidelines for Maximizing Student Learning from Video Content.” CBE—Life Sciences Education 15, no. 4 (December 2016): es6.
Disability Services (2019) “Guidance for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.”| UAL. Accessed May 27, 2023.
Disability Services (2019) “Recording Taught Sessions.” | UAL. Accessed May 27, 2023.
Disabled Students Sector Leadership group (2017) “Inclusive Teaching and Learning in Higher Education as a route to Excellence”. Accessed July 14, 2023. #
Dommett, EJ., Gardner, B., and van Tilburg, W. “Staff and Student Views of Lecture Capture: A Qualitative Study.” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 16, no. 1 (June 28, 2019): 23.
“Equality Act 2010.” | Accessed July 17, 2023.
Fritzgerald, A, and Rice, S. “Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning: Building Expressways to Success”. Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA: CAST Professional Publishing, 2020.
Nordmann, E, Kuepper-Tetzel, C, Robson, L, Phillipson, S, Lipan,G, and Mcgeorge, P. (2018) “Lecture Capture: Practical Recommendations for Students and Instructors.” PsyArXiv, December 11, 2018.
Richards, A and Finnigan, T (2015) “Embedding Equality and Diversity in the Curriculum: An Art and Design Practitioner’s Guide,” n.d.
Rielly, M (2022) “Lecture Capture.” |Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Cambridge. Accessed 10 July 2023
The Horizontals (2017) “Not All Disabilities Are Visible.” | TEDxBrum. .
Times Higher Education (2023) “Overseas Students Still Want Online Lectures” | Accessed July 18, 2023.