Lesson capture and streaming for teachers

Introduction

Recording taught sessions is not a new practice. Institutions have been capturing content for their learners in many different ways for well over a decade.  The arrival of more mobile and capable technologies has made the process of sharing taught content more efficient and much easier to access. How can teachers and learners in Wales adopt recorded or streamed teaching and learning content effectively and comfortably?

This guide is aimed at teachers who are either practising the use of recorded content to support teaching and learning, or who are looking to begin their journey. There is a separate guide on lesson capture and streaming for further education institutions.

It is important for teachers and learners to feel confident, safe, and comfortable with captured content. Whether the content originates from inside or outside the classroom, it needs to be a positive channel that underpins and supports teaching and learning.

Understanding the value and opportunity that recorded or streamed content can provide is key for teachers to be motivated to introduce it in their teaching practice.  Challenges and barriers caused by confidence, technical issues, or skills can be overcome more effectively if those values and opportunities are realised. This guide aims to contrast the possible challenges and barriers to the purpose and value of captured or streamed content.

Define what we mean by ‘streaming’

This guide defines ‘streaming’ of learning and teaching content as online content that is broadcast live in a synchronous format. Streaming content could be accessed by students joining a taught lesson from home, other location or joining a lesson that is delivered purely online. The delivery of the lesson is broadcast live in real time to an audience watching online. Streaming content can also form part of a hybrid or hyFlex lesson where a session is designed to involve learners in both online and in-person. Streaming could be audio content or video content.

Define what we mean by ‘content capturing’

Whether for lesson capture or for capturing content outside of the lesson, this guide defines ‘content capture’ as recorded content that can be accessed by learners asynchronously. Content capturing could be recorded content that is accessed multiple times after the recording is made. This could be a recording that was previously streamed live and has been made available afterwards.

In this guide we have used the broader term ‘content capture' rather than ‘lesson capture’ to reflect the wider opportunities in further education for recording content outside the classroom.

Desktop recordings or content captured on mobile devices for teaching and learning provide additional options for ‘content capturing’.

Lights, capture, action! Why record?

Teaching staff may have concerns about what it means to record or live stream their lessons: How will the institution use the recordings? How could it affect the teaching, the conversation and the behaviour of their learners?

It is important to understand exactly how the institution views the role of recorded content. If a teacher isn’t sure about the vision, it is beneficial for them to ask for clarification. For this to work at an institution, staff and learners need to feel comfortable and confident in using it. Transparency is key for users and the institution to understand the role it will play in teaching and learning. All parties must adhere to the boundaries of fair and proper use.

Any encroachment into the required space and time must be positive and enabling for both learners and teachers. Learners should, for example, see positivity in additional support, while recorded lessons should enable better access to taught content. When staff and learners are comfortable with the presence of lesson recording, it almost disappears.

Value for learners

Understanding the possible value of recording learning content is useful when considering how and when to use it. Sometimes, learners require more time, more information or more access to their learning, which isn’t always easy for busy teaching staff. Tools and platforms exist that provide resources to support learning. Virtual learning environments (VLE), for example, play a huge role in maintaining information and resources. Repositories of slides and handouts are common enough, but are often less motivating and engaging for learners.

Rather than just uploading lesson slides to the VLE, content recordings can add the context, discussion and activities to underpin the learning outcomes. As each recording is uploaded and made available to learners, their access and support is clearly visible to them, which can make them feel more connected, especially for those learners who were unable to attend or partake in the lesson, or who would normally be asking for help.  They are able to view the lessons at their own pace with no restriction on how often they can view it. This clearly offers huge potential, not just for learners struggling with attendance or distractions in class, but for all learners who want to revisit the lesson.

Missed lesson

Learners can miss lessons, sometimes through no fault of their own. While recorded lessons are in no way a replacement for attending the lesson in person, the option to view the lesson as it happened or even synchronously online, can relieve a stressful situation where a learner could be worried about missing vital learning. Having a recording of each lesson means that every learner has the option to catchup in their own time, either at home or when on campus.

Struggling learners

Even when attending lessons, there will be occasions when learners struggle to understand the lesson’s content. Often this can be a situation where the learner will reach out to the teacher for some additional support. Having the lesson available to revisit the content can allow the learner to pause and rewind any part of the lesson, giving them more opportunity to digest and understand the subject. If they still aren’t happy with it, they have a direct link to a section of the lesson that they can ask about, helping the teacher to immediately pinpoint where they have the issue.

If the lesson refers to content from a previous lesson, the learner is able to look back and ensure that they fully understood the content before taking on the challenge in the following lesson. This means that a wealth of content is available to any learner who is struggling with the course.

Note taking and revision

One of the most useful and valuable aspects to content capturing is the availability of learning content when it comes to assessment time. Where learners need to revise their notes and show their understanding of the learning outcomes, having the recordings of the lessons could be a huge benefit. In addition to revision, recordings can reinforce notes, particularly for learners who find it easier to take in information delivered this way rather than reading text-based material, such as learners with additional learning needs (ALN), dyslexia, or vision issues. Sometimes it isn’t easy to take notes in lessons because the lesson is moving too fast or distractions and activities can mean that learners are unable to fully capture the important details of the lesson.

Value for teachers

Time pressure relief

If there is a recording of every lesson, then learning content is available to learners 24/7.  This means that many requests for support could start with a revisit of the lesson. Without this resource, it is likely that teachers would be required to either provide 1:1 additional support or take up time out of the next lesson in order to go over the issues with the learner(s).

Teachers can ask learners what elements they are struggling with and request that they view a specific lesson recording to unpack the content further. Having the ability to review the lesson at their own pace and check their notes, or add more, means the learner is less dependent on the teacher’s time and availability.

Flipping the classroom

Teachers in lessons often refer back to subjects covered in previous lessons. Asking learners to remember the activity outcomes or discussion from a previous session isn’t always successful. Having those activities or discussions accessible to the learners in the class means that the next lesson can easily build upon previous ones.

There may be new questions the teacher wants to ask the class in relation to a previous lesson’s discussion. New facts or figures can change the perception or opinion of the group. Having the learners arrive at the next lesson pre-loaded with reaction or arguments ready to debate in class could be an effective way to draw them into the content and engage in the learning.

Data and analytics for teachers

Where there are recordings available, there will be a digital trace of how those recordings are being used. The insights from data can be a very useful tool for teachers looking to understand how their learners are accessing, engaging or maybe struggling with the lesson content. Where platforms allow, teachers can see which lessons are viewed the most and even which slides/sections. Could this be an opportunity to adjust how this section is taught for future cohorts?

From a pastoral perspective, analytics on lesson recordings could be useful when discussing progress and assessment feedback with learners. If a provider/platform shares which learners have viewed the videos, it could be useful to determine which learners are actively using the service. Some learners may be using recordings as an alternative to attending lessons and there may be differing reasons for this. The data could offer an opportunity to speak to individual learners and offer support or signpost them to other services at the institution.

Capturing outside of the classroom

Technology that enables desktop recordings are common in computers and devices available to most teachers in institutions today. Using a device with a webcam and microphone enables lesson capture platforms to easily record, process and upload clips to the VLE or lesson capture platform. For example, if a teacher finds that there are a lot of questions in a lesson that they don’t have time to answer, recording a short explanation video provides the learners with additional content that they can watch and revisit at their own pace. Signposting to extra reading or viewing can be done in the VLE alongside the teacher's video.

As teachers get more familiar with the process, the time needed to prepare and present to a webcam will decrease. Answering a number of questions once and recording it is a much better use of time than a teacher repeating themselves multiple times to different learners.

Teachers could also arrange a synchronous online ‘drop in’ session run from their desktop or mobile device. Learners could join and ask their questions in a live classroom and go over the learning points they are finding difficult. Again, recordings of these sessions could also be uploaded to the lesson capture platform/VLE for learners to access at their convenience.

Good practices for recording lessons

If recording lessons is effective and embedded in the culture at the institution, then it should hardly impact on the lesson itself. Teachers should be able to begin their lessons normally, whether they have to press record or not.

The lesson capture system is there to support staff and learners. Once it is seen as a positive tool for teaching and learning, it has every reason to be adopted as part of teaching and learning at the institution.

Communicating with learners

Discussing and using recordings within lessons can help embed the culture of recording lessons with learners. This can help to underpin the intended learning outcomes, as well as enabling the learners to take advantage of having such a wealth of resource to draw upon.

Negative impacts can happen if learners are caught out by unintentional capturing of private conversations or rowdy behaviour. The key things to remember are, if the recording has started, to pause the recording during breaks and stop it at the end of the session (some systems automatically stop at the end of the timetabled lesson). Ensure the learners are aware what status the recording is in. Some systems can display a light at the front of the classroom when recording is in progress. If something is captured by mistake, ensure that the recording is edited at the earliest possible moment or the upload to the VLE is halted while the sensitive clips are removed. Keep the affected learners informed so they can trust in the process.

Once lessons are recorded, teachers can reference recording when signposting learners to previous learning outcomes.

• Example without lesson recording: The test in the next lesson will be covering points one, two and three. We covered these last week in our lessons on A, B and C.
• Example with lesson recording: Last week we watched a video on A. Can you now look at the video and our discussion again from the perspective of the other group.  Does this change your opinion? We will discuss this in our next lesson.

Microphones

Depending on the size and location of the room, most good quality microphones will be capable of capturing the teaching and conversation within the room. It may be useful for teachers to check some recordings to see how their voice is captured in the recording. Does it change as they move around the room? Are there spots in the room where their voice is difficult to hear? Taking time to discover what works and what doesn’t could make a huge difference to the effectiveness of recorded lessons.

Cameras or slides?

Some classrooms may have cameras in. While these recordings may be more engaging to watch, they may be more intimidating for some teachers. It could be useful to rehearse some lesson content and record it to understand how recorded delivery could look and feel for learners watching asynchronously. What location in the room is best captured? Do teachers need to stand at the front of the room? Does it impact on the lesson recording if the teacher moves out of camera view?

Slides may be vital to the lesson, so ensuring they are captured in the recording is an important step to check. Where cameras are installed, they may be used to capture the teacher next to the slides on the projector screen, or a separate capture of the slides is taken and sewn together with the camera footage and audio in processing. Again, checking a recording or rehearsing will inform the teacher how they should use the camera and slides to confirm the recordings are useful for learners.

Captions and transcripts

Most systems will automatically produce transcripts and caption them into the recordings.  It is important for teachers to maintain a good volume with their voice when speaking to the class.  The system will be able to transcribe words more easily when the microphone can capture a clear vocal sound. If speaking to individual learners, they can lower their voice as they would do naturally.

Most systems are able to produce an accurate transcript of the audio in the classroom. It would be wise to take some time to periodically look at some recordings to check the captions are an authentic version and spelt correctly.

Bilingual requirements mean that transcriptions and captions must be available for Welsh speaking learners. The institution should provide processes for this to happen which may be automatic. Teachers should ensure their recordings meet the requirements.

Synchronous, hybrid or online lessons

If delivering a lesson where learners are joining online, it may be either a hybrid or a completely online lesson. The slides and audio capture will be essential, just as in the classroom.

If asking questions and looking for learner participation in the activity, teachers should aim to include online learners as well as those in the classroom.

Teachers will need to be confident in accessing any questions or chat that have been sent from those learners. This is much simpler when delivering an online lesson where the chat is in the same platform but the teacher is in a hybrid lesson. Where there are learners attending in-person and online, the teacher will need to be able to manage the responses of all learners. The teacher may also need to allow learners online to open their mics to interact with the other learners or ask questions.

When planning lessons, be sure to include activities and discussion that can involve those online and outside of the classroom. If watching asynchronously, the learners can expect not to be involved in the lesson but those watching synchronously will have a much more engaged experience if they can contribute to discussion and activities, especially if they have questions to ask. It could be a useful technique to set times in the lesson to check for online questions, especially if the teacher moves around the room and out of view of the lectern screen.

Overcoming barriers to lesson and desktop recording

How can teachers overcome the barriers to making recorded lessons an everyday occurrence and almost invisible?

The added value to both teachers and learners of recorded content is a motivating thought, but there could be other barriers that block that motivation. Whatever reasons there are, teachers will only overcome them when they are comfortable and confident with its use. In the interviews undertaken by Jisc for this guide, there were teacher comments around confusion and trust regarding the use of recorded lessons, regardless of the added value:

“I’m worried my recordings will end up on YouTube.”

It is important for teachers to identify their concerns and constructively unpack them with the support team. It is essential to fully understand the role of recorded teaching and learning content. As part of the service governance, there should be policy and strategy around its use.  As a teacher who will be recorded, it will be important to ensure they are fully informed with the intended role of the service at the institution. What will it be used for? What will it not be used for? Being fully informed can reduce concern and remove any unknowns that cause apprehension.

Technophobia - what if it all goes wrong?

Technology is prone to catching out its users from time to time. The main issue for teachers is how to respond if the lesson capture or desktop recording is hit by a tech issue.

Ensuring they know how to start, pause and end recordings is essential, but teachers could benefit from understanding how to restart or refresh the system locally on the computer doing the recording. Rehearsing with the platform will help teachers develop confidence and familiarity by understanding the functionality and settings. Institution guidance and resources should cover common technical issues.

As institutions become more experienced in running a streaming/content capture service, their help and support processes should become more refined in how they respond to issues. A teacher delivering a lesson in a classroom will struggle to help a learner having connection issues when joining the lesson online. That responsibility could lie with the support service for lesson capturing and streaming, so the learner should know how to contact them and find a resolution to get them in the lesson. This would mean the teacher is left to deliver the lesson to those learners in the class and any who have successfully joined online. The teacher should have the information to share with the learner if they need additional support at that moment when trying to join a lesson.

If things do fail completely with the lesson capture or streaming, a sensible option for the teacher is to run the lesson as normal and record a short desktop recording after the lesson with the key learning points for those who either missed the lesson or want to revisit/revise later.

Time to learn the system

Trying to use a system like lesson capture can be incredibly frustrating if a teacher doesn’t know how to use the technology. Just like any digital tool or platform, it takes time to feel comfortable and confident in using lesson capture platforms. With more and more use, it can become part of everyday experiences and less of a challenge but getting to that point needs time and space. Creating space for new skills is not always easy and teachers should be given sufficient time to develop an understanding of the role that lesson capture, desktop recording and streaming will play at the institution. In an already busy timetable and workload, teachers may struggle to find time to put into learning something new. It is worth considering that the investment of time could enable better use of lesson capture which in turn could free up more time supporting learners.

Teachers should ask themselves where they see the biggest advantages of the service and where they see the biggest challenges. These will be key areas to investigate and refine their knowledge. Fully understanding how lesson capturing will impact on their role as an educator means they can identify what, if any, changes they may need to make in their lesson design, delivery and follow up. Booking time in calendars to look specifically at the lesson capture processes and operations could prove invaluable for teachers’ workflows and teaching itself.

Showcasing good use

If taking the time to learn good practices around lesson capture or desktop capturing, teachers should have space to share and showcase how they are finding success or coming up against barriers. The institution and teachers individually can benefit from a shared experience to grow knowledge and build confidence. Could this be positioned in the help area for lesson capture? The more teachers share, the more the robust the practices and culture of recording content both inside and outside of the classroom can become.

Impact on attendance

“Learners won’t turn up if I record my lessons.”
Teacher comment in interview

Recorded lessons do not replace attendance in the classroom. Celebrating recorded lessons as a vital resource with learners is a great way to communicate the value and benefits. Learners should also be made aware of the value and benefits of the classroom experience and the institution’s expectation on attendance. It should be communicated how the classroom, VLE and recorded content offer the most effective and rich experience for learners to succeed in their study.

Learners will sometimes miss lessons for legitimate reasons, the recorded lessons offer a chance to catch up. Restricting access to recordings for learners who repeatedly skip lessons is not an ideal solution to control a drop-off in attendance. Creating a culture with learners to engage with their learning in person should be the aim of the teacher and the institution, instead of punishing them in a way that removes their access. This may be through more engaging classroom activities or group work/conversation that learners will want to be a part of.

User examples

What roles can streamed and recorded content play?

Recording content for learners sounds simple enough, but there could be a large collection of different user cases of which both teachers and learners can take advantage. What scenarios can make the most of both the lesson and mobile and desktop captures?

Many different experiences in learner and teacher daily campus life depend on the tools, places and people there. With so many elements that make up a typical day, there can be countless ways in which learning and teaching can be supported and underpinned.

This section offers some ideas where learners and staff could use both synchronous and asynchronous recorded content.

Learner uses

Learner attends a timetabled lesson in person that is recorded

Sam attends a timetabled lesson. They are aware the lesson is being recorded.

They make brief notes during the lesson as they are going to use the recording to make notes at an easier pace at home.

While in the lesson, Sam is able to ask a question about the subject that the teacher explains in more depth. Sam makes a note of the time in the lesson so they can skip to that point in the recording.

Learner attends a lesson online that is being streamed from a classroom on their laptop

Sam is not on campus today. They have a timetabled lesson that is being held in a classroom. As Sam has access to WIFI at home, they access the institution VLE and find the course page where the module timetable is located. There is a link in the timetable for learners to access the live stream of the lesson. Sam joins the lesson from their laptop and can see the shared screen and hear the teacher who begins the lesson.

Sam writes notes in a cloud doc while listening. They can see the slides and sometimes take screen grabs to add to their notes.

Sam asks a question in the chat window for the lesson. The teacher asks if there are any questions from the room and checks the chat window. The teacher then answers all of the questions including Sam’s.

Learner interacts with activity whilst attending streamed lesson from home

Sam has joined a timetabled lesson on their laptop.

They are taking notes in a cloud doc. The teacher asks the group to join an online poll on mobile devices. The slide displayed on Sam’s laptop screen gives them a QR code and password to join the poll. Sam uses the camera on their phone to scan the QR code and enters the password. They answer the first multiple choice question displayed.

The teacher shares their screen to display the responses from the room and those from online for each question. Sam notes the questions they got correct and where they need to do some revision. Sam asks a question in the chat window about one answer and the teacher explains why Sam’s answer was incorrect.

Learner attends additional streamed online lesson from laptop at home

Sam saw a post on the VLE that the teacher will run a short session this afternoon for learners to join online to go over the more difficult elements of a recent lesson. The teacher asks the learners on the module to post any questions they have in the VLE post that they can begin with.

Sam clicks the link on the VLE and is able to join the session. The teacher is sat at their desk and is answering questions from learners. Some learners have extra questions and are putting their questions in chat or using their microphone.

The teacher has the relevant slides from the earlier lesson and shares their screen to the learners attending. Sam is able to hear questions being asked and see the chat window.

Learner interacts with whiteboard on laptop whilst attending streamed lesson from home

Sam has joined a timetabled lesson on their laptop. They are taking notes in a cloud doc. The teacher asks the group to join an interactive whiteboard. Sam’s teacher shared a link to the whiteboard on the VLE before the lesson. Sam has the whiteboard open in a browser window.

The teacher asks the learners to add text to the whiteboard. Then asks them to add emoticons to the board on the answers they like. Sam is able to interact with the whiteboard as well as hear the teacher from the lesson window on their laptop.

Learners attending the lesson in person are able to interact with the whiteboard using their laptop or mobile devices in the classroom.

Learner attends a lesson online that is being streamed from a classroom on their mobile device

Sam is not on campus today. They have a timetabled lesson that is being held in a classroom. As Sam has access to WIFI at home, they access the institution VLE on their phone and find the course page where the module timetable is located.

There is a link in the timetable for learners to access the live stream of the lesson. Sam taps the link in the VLE which opens a separate app for the content capture platform.  Sam can see the shared screen and can hear the teacher who begins the lesson. Sam plugs in their earphones to their mobile device.

Sam writes notes on paper while listening. They can see the slides and sometimes take screen grabs on their phone.

Sam asks a question in the chat window within the app. The teacher asks if there are any questions from the room and checks the chat window. The teacher then answers all the questions verbally including Sam’s.

Learner joins a lesson streamed from a 360 camera using a browser window on their laptop

Sam is not on campus today. They are joining a lesson that is being streamed from a 360 camera.

Sam access the VLE on their laptop and clicks the link which opens in a new browser window. Sam is able to view the entire room and the people within it by moving the mouse around or using the trackpad. The teacher is moving about the room as they deliver the lesson. Sam is able to follow and make notes in a cloud doc.

The teacher is also using a polling platform to engage learners in the room as well as those joining online. Sam can engage in the poll using their phone.

Learner joins an academic skills revision session streamed from library team

Sam is aware of a selection of academic skills sessions being run by the library team.  They look on the library VLE pages and find the date and time of the revision session.

At the right time, Sam clicks the link on their laptop and joins the lesson in a browser window. One of the library team are at their laptop and are sharing their screen. Sam can hear them and can see the shared screen. The librarian turns their camera on to introduce themselves before the lesson begins fully. There are 15 other learners in the session. Sam takes notes in a cloud doc and can ask questions via the chat window or by turning their own mic on.

Learner joins mobile device streamed library induction on their laptop

Sam has just started at the institution. Their induction week contains an introduction and induction into the library services platform. Sam joins the lesson via a link on their VLE course page. A member of the library team is delivering the lesson from a mobile device as they are walking around the library space. The camera and microphone are used on their device.

Sam makes notes but is aware that the lesson is being recorded. They put a question into the chat window. The librarian can hear a notification of Sam’s question and is able to answer it by pointing to the particular equipment Sam was asking about.

Hearing impaired learner uses transcript to follow streamed, timetabled lesson on laptop

Sam is attending a lesson from home today. They open their timetable from the VLE on their laptop.

There is link on the timetable for the lesson which opens in a new browser window. Sam waits for the lesson to begin and clicks the live transcript button. This allows them to follow the words of the teacher.

Sam makes notes as they follow the transcript and can see the teacher’s lesson slides.

A learner in the classroom asks a question which the room microphone captures. The transcript shows the question as well as the teacher’s answer. Sam has a question to ask and enters it into the chat window. As the teacher finishes the current slide, they can see Sam’s question and responds with the answer. Sam can read the response in the transcription displayed on their laptop screen.

At the end of the lesson, Sam exports the transcription and saves to a cloud doc with their notes.

Learner revises by revisiting previous lessons using their lesson notes

Sam has a test coming up at the end of the week. They have been revising their notes to prepare for the test but are unsure of a few different points. They check their notes to see which lessons were relevant to these points.

The VLE has a list of the lessons recorded. Sam selects the required lessons by clicking the links and is able scan through the video to the point where the teacher discusses the points Sam is struggling with.

Sam adds further notes and is able to go onto the next learning point. Sam closes the current video and clicks the link for the next video containing the information they need.

Learner revises by revisiting previous lessons and searching for keywords

Sam has a test coming up at the end of the week.

They have been revising their notes to prepare for the test but are unsure of a few different points. They check their notes to see which lessons were relevant to these points.

Sam is able to go to the collection of recordings for their cohort. Sam wants to revise information about a particular subject so searches for the keywords. The system searches the transcripts and is able to show Sam where those keywords are mentioned in the recordings. Sam visits each recording in the timeline where those keywords are spoken. They make notes to add to their revision notes.

Learner misses a timetabled lesson and catches up with recording on laptop

Sam was unable to attend lessons on campus for a few days as they are ill. Whilst at home, they log on to their laptop and access the VLE and can see the lessons they have missed. Sam selects the first lesson they want to watch and clicks play. They can see the slides from the lesson and can hear the teacher. They make notes in a cloud doc.

Sam is unsure of some of the learning points in this lesson. They post a question in the VLE to peers about how to calculate the answer. The teacher responds with a link to some further exercises to complete that may help.

Learner watches pre-lesson desktop recorded content on way to campus

Sam has a lesson on campus today. On the train on the journey, they check the VLE for any updates or changes to their timetable. The teacher for the lesson uploaded a video a few days ago to watch before arriving on campus.

Sam clicks on the link in the VLE which opens the app on their phone. The teacher has recorded a video using their laptop’s camera and microphone. The recording is short, so it doesn’t use too much data on the learner’s devices.

Sam listens to the instructions and before the lesson will go to the library.

Learner listens to audio podcast produced by their teacher

Sam’s teacher records short audio pieces to support the lessons in classrooms. This week the subject is about a particular period in history and the impact on the behaviour of the local people.

The teacher has posted a link to the series of audio clips on the VLE. Sam is able to subscribe to the podcast on their mobile device and often listens to the episodes on their way to campus. Each episode is an introduction to the content that the class will go through in the next lesson(s). There is also information on some further reading or preparation for the upcoming lesson(s).

Learner submits video for assessment on their laptop

Sam has to produce a short video as part of their assessed homework. They have written a script and have made their slides.

Their teacher has created a link on the VLE for Sam to access the recording application.  Sam clicks the link and starts recording their screen. The laptop microphone captures their voice.

Sam can edit the recording to remove their mistakes and pauses.

Once they have finished recording and are happy with it, Sam saves the video and clicks on the submit button.

Hearing impaired learner uses accessibility features to watch recorded lesson on laptop

Sam is revising for an assessment due next week. They have been reading through their notes but are struggling with one of the theories in this module.

They go to the VLE page for the module and open the link to previous recordings of their lessons. They search for the keywords and the results show each lesson and time where the keywords were spoken.

Sam opens each lesson recording and jumps to the relevant section identified in the search results. They open the transcription of the recording and are able view the slides and follow the teacher’s captions as they are spoken.

Sam updates their notes as they watch the recordings.

Teacher uses

Teacher delivers lesson in classroom that is recorded

Alex has a lesson to run today. They have their slides ready on the classroom computer that will project at the front of the room. The room has a microphone hanging from the classroom ceiling that will capture the sound of the lesson.

As the lesson begins, Alex clicks the ‘record’ icon on the classroom’s computer which will capture the sound from the microphone and the slides in the presentation.

At the end of the lesson, Alex stops the recording. The recording will be made available automatically on the VLE page for this cohort.

Teacher delivers lesson to learners in the classroom that also has learners join from online

Alex has a lesson to run today. They have their slides ready on the classroom computer that will project at the front of the room. The room has a microphone hanging from the classroom ceiling that will capture the sound of the lesson.

As the lesson begins, Alex clicks the ‘record’ icon on the classroom’s computer which will capture the sound from the microphone and the slides in the presentation.

Alex is aware that some learners have joined online as this lesson is being streamed.  Alex keeps an eye on the chat window for the learners watching the stream to check for any questions. They also ask the room questions and allow the learners online to answer in the chat window too.

At the end of the lesson, Alex stops the recording. The recording will be made available automatically on the VLE page for this cohort.

Teacher decides to run an additional desktop lesson based on questions in previous in-person lesson.

In Alex’s lesson today, many of the learners attending were struggling with a few of the learning points. There were multiple questions on the theory behind some of the examples given.

As there is assessment coming soon, and Alex isn’t due to see the group for a few days, they decide to run a session online. Alex posts a link on the VLE page for the group and gives a date and time. Learners are invited to attend if they found the subject difficult.

At the right time, Alex opens the VLE window and clicks the lesson link on their desktop computer and is able to use their teacher role to begin the lesson. Alex shares their slides from their screen and presses record to make the lesson available to those who will miss it. This also means learners can revisit the lesson later to aid revision.

Alex chooses the slides that caused the most confusion and goes over the subject at a slower pace and in more detail. The learners are able to ask questions in the chat window where Alex can answer them and try to help the learners understand.

At the end of the lesson, Alex reminds the learners to check the recording of this session and the timetabled lesson to go over anything they don’t understand. The learners log out of the session and Alex closes the window.

Once processed, the recording is automatically made available on the VLE page for the learners in that cohort to access.

Teacher runs a streamed hybrid timetabled lesson from desktop and uses polling

Not all lessons in Alex’s timetable are run in a classroom. As part of a new institution hybrid approach to teaching and learning, some lessons are delivered online and recorded.

Alex will run the lesson from their desktop in their office. They share their screen and use the computer’s microphone. There is a camera available on the computer so Alex will use this to welcome the learners and introduce the lesson. Alex opens the lesson window and waits for learners to arrive.

As the lesson is timetabled, the learners will have the link in their timetable which can be accessed from the VLE.

As learners arrive at the lesson, Alex has their camera on and is able to say hi and welcome them. They also remind the learners to have their work available they completed in previous lessons as they will need it to complete today’s tasks.

As it is time for the lesson to begin, Alex starts the recording and shares their presentation slides by sharing their screen. The learners are able to take notes during the lesson either on paper or on their devices. Alex also has elements of the lesson where they will ask questions in a poll.

Alex shares the link to the poll by sharing a link in the chat window. They also share a QR code on one of their slides with a passkey. The learners can click on the link on their devices which will open the questions in a new window or scan the QR code with a mobile device.

The poll questions are based on an upcoming assessment and designed to give an indication on progress within the group. After each question, Alex shares the responses alongside the correct answer and asks if anyone has a question about the answer.

At the end of the lesson, Alex presses stop on the recording and checks for any questions in the chat window before ending the lesson and closing the window. The recording, once processed, will be automatically made available on the VLE for this cohort. Alex also uploads a PDF of the anonymous responses to the poll questions to the VLE with the correct answers.

Teacher runs timetabled lesson from mobile device on location

Alex has a timetabled lesson with their history learners today. As it is an online lesson, Alex has decided to use their mobile device to stream the lesson from Kidwelly Castle. While it may be a shorter lesson, Alex feels there is value in engaging the learners through the location.

Alex has previously checked the signal is strong enough to broadcast from and has checked their battery is full.

At the time of the lesson to begin, Alex opens the app on their mobile device and waits for learners to log in. Using the camera and microphone on their device, Alex is able to deliver the lesson while walking through a location that is relevant to the learner’s tasks that have been set. Alex is also able to record the lesson to upload once they are back on a wifi connection.

As learners ask questions, Alex receives a notification on their device and is able to answer.

At the end of the lesson, Alex checks for any questions and stops the recording. Once back on wifi, the recording will be uploaded and automatically processed to go on the VLE. Alex closes the app on their device.

Teacher runs a Q and A session from desktop

Alex is aware that some of their learners are struggling on some learning points in this module. They post on the VLE that there will be a Q and A drop-in session at 12 o’clock for 30 mins. They ask learners to reply to the post if they have any questions but also can ask questions in the session.

At 12 o’clock, Alex logs into the app from their desktop computer in their office and opens the session. There are some questions already posted on the VLE which Alex has noted.

A handful of learners attend the session where Alex can use the camera and microphone on their computer to answer the questions.

At the end of the 30 mins, Alex checks for any last questions and closes the session window.

Teacher uses interactive whiteboard in a timetabled hybrid lesson streamed from classroom

Alex is running a hybrid lesson today.  As the lesson is timetabled in a classroom, learners joining online will have the link to the lesson on their timetable.

In the classroom, Alex has a presentation ready to begin. They press record on the computer which also starts the live stream. Learners online can see the shared screen of the presentation and can hear Alex through a room microphone hanging from the ceiling.

During the lesson, Alex requests the learners to join an interactive whiteboard on their mobile devices by posting a link in the chat and showing a QR code on the screen. Once all learners are in the whiteboard, Alex displays the whiteboard on the screen for the sake of the recording.

The whiteboard is already prepared with activities. Each task requires learners to post opinions using sticky notes or emoticons. There is also discussion in the chat window where some learners are questioning some answers. Alex is able to respond to the sticky notes and the chat to delve deeper into the subject and push for more reflection and interaction.

The learners online are able to interact with the whiteboard just as those in the classroom. As they can still hear the discussion in the room, Alex keeps referring to the whole group, not just those in the room.

At the end of the lesson, Alex checks for any questions and stops the recording. The learners online are able to log out of the lesson by closing the window. Those in the room close their devices being used for the whiteboard. Alex adds the slides to the VLE and exports a PDF of the whiteboard to upload to the VLE page for this cohort. Once processed, the recording of the lesson will be available on the VLE.

Teacher uses a 360 camera to stream a hybrid lesson from studio

Alex is using a 360 degree camera to stream a lesson today. They will deliver the lesson from the drama studio. As there are learners joining the lesson from online, Alex felt that they would benefit from being more immersed into the room by accessing the VR aspect to streaming in 360.

Alex sets the camera in the centre of the room and starts the recording and stream.  The camera is connected to the room computer so it can be recorded. The content of the lesson involves roleplay from different groups spaced out in the room.  The online learners are able to hear Alex through the microphone on the camera.

As learners attending in-person and those online are asked to observe the activity around the space, they are asked to note down their reactions to the action.  Those online are able to manipulate the perspective of their view by looking around if wearing VR google cardboard headsets or moving the screen in a browser window using their mouse.

Alex is able to check the chat window for any questions from online learners although those wearing headsets might not be able to type anything while using their device to view the room. Alex makes it clear that after the lesson they will check the VLE page for any questions or comments.

At the end of the lesson, Alex closes the lesson window on the room computer which stops the recording and the stream. Once processed, the recording will be made available on the VLE page for this cohort.

Teacher has issues with live stream and must call support during hybrid lesson

As they are about to start their lesson, Alex is informed by a learner in the classroom that the learners attending online cannot hear any sound from the room.

Alex briefly checks the microphone is connected but can’t see any issues. They don’t have time to contact the support team as the lesson is about to start.

They post on the chat window to online learners that there is an issue, and they are unable to stream the lesson today. They also post that there will be a follow up recording of the lesson with a summary of content, exercises and homework.

Alex runs the lesson as normal with the learners in the classroom.

After the lesson, Alex returns to their desk and opens the content capture platform and presses record. They share their screen and turn on the microphone and camera.

Sharing the screen with the slides from the session, they briefly go over the important elements of the lesson and any homework that needs to be done. Once uploaded, the recording will be available on the VLE.

Alex asks any learners who have questions to comment on the VLE post of the recording.

Alex emails the support team to inform them of the issue with the sound.

Teacher records podcast audio series to support lesson content

Alex spends a few mins after each lesson to go over the learning points and homework requirements to complete before the next lesson.

Either when they get to their office or once the learners have left the classroom, Alex uses their mobile device to record short audio recordings for the learners. Alex then uploads the recording to the content capture platform.

If the learners are subscribed to the feed, they will be able to listen to the recordings through an RSS platform or visit the VLE where the episode link will be automatically posted.

Teacher records recap of lesson from desktop

After important lessons, Alex records a short recap of the lesson and any homework tasks or assessment information.

Using the camera and microphone from their office desktop computer, Alex is able to press record in the content capture recorder application. As there are sometimes slides to share, they can also share their screen.

At the end of the recap, Alex closes the recording window which will be automatically posted to the VLE page for this cohort once processed.

Teacher records video on technique from sports field

Alex wants to record some technique content for their sports learners. They use their mobile device on a stand in the 3G pitch to record short video clips.

The camera and microphone on the device capture Alex explaining the technique required in different scenarios.

Once back with wifi connection, Alex is able to open the content capture app and name each clip and upload them. Once processed, they will automatically be available on the VLE for that cohort.

Alex is able to save the clips to use for other cohorts in the future.

Teacher edits a recording of lesson on desktop computer

During one of their lessons, Alex had to stop presenting due to a disruption with a few learners. The classroom microphones were able to pick up the incident.

After the lesson, Alex waited for the processing to be completed and opened the content capture platform.

The recording of the lesson was available, but they wanted to remove the period of the lesson that was disrupted. On the timeline of the recorded lesson, Alex clicked on the edit button and highlighted the few mins required and clicked the ‘remove selection’ button. They save the changes and close the window. The recording is re-processed and automatically made available to the cohort on their VLE page minus the period of disruption.

Teacher provides assessment feedback in video format recorded on desktop computer

Alex is providing assessment feedback to the cohort. They have decided to record the feedback using the camera and microphone on their computer in their office.

Each video is a few mins long and allows Alex to express their enthusiasm for the learner’s work and progress.

Alex opens the content capture application on the computer and presses record. They record the feedback and stop the recording. Instead of uploading the recording to the VLE, they create a folder within the application and securely add the recordings there.  Each video will have a secure link that can be shared with individual learners.

Each recording has a transcript available that can be exported to PDF.

One of the videos has a mistake in. Alex is able to open the video and select the portion of the video that has the mistake and remove it. Alex clicks on the save button and the video is corrected.

Teacher uses drone to capture sports field session with sports learners and uses in lesson later

Alex is running a session with learners on the sports field. A part of the session is about coaching ‘team formation’ during game play. They launch a drone to hover above the playing field during repeated set plays. The drone is able to keep position, but Alex ensures that a member of their team is constantly in control and aware of its positioning.

Alex has used the drone because the perspective it gives of the whole team’s positioning and reactions to how the scenario unfolds.

After the session, Alex downloads the footage from the drone and uses the lesson capture application to record their screen while they record their voice to discuss what is happening on the pitch. Alex points out some good movement and some issues they have identified.

Later in a lesson with learners, Alex plays the video. As the lesson is being recorded, the screen is captured for the learners to re assess the footage outside of the session.

Institution uses

Content capture systems offer a wide range of functionality and value to teaching and learning, but there are uses outside of those spaces that can bring value to institutions. Examples of institution uses can be found in the lesson capture and streaming guide for further education institutions.