Recording Class Sessions 

Overview

  1. Recordings can be made via the Online Meetings (Zoom) or Panopto Video tools in UVACanvas.
  2. Record using the computer in the classroom, not a laptop. This gives you access to the high-quality microphones and cameras in the room. 
  3. Keep things simple. Recording in a classroom will not capture every aspect of your activities.
  4. Recordings must be stored in a password-protected space (generally, your UVACanvas site) and shared only with class participants. Sharing recordings elsewhere requires permission of students. 

Should I record my class?

Recordings can help absent students to maintain a connection to course activities. Particularly in lecture-driven courses, recordings give all students opportunities to review concepts and return to difficult points in the lecture.

Recording class sessions is not required. A few alternatives are listed below. You might choose not to record a class that includes sensitive discussions or is heavily group-work oriented (this can be difficult to follow on a recording).

Alternatives for accommodating absent students

  • Provide lecture slides/outlines as documents
  • Have students rotate responsibility for posting their class notes on UVACanvas (using Files, Piazza, Discussions)
  • See more tips for making courses more resilient to disruption.

Support

Overview of the Recording Process 

  • Record via your UVACanvas site. Options are Online Meetings (Zoom) or Panopto Video.
  • If you recorded in your classrooms prior to the pandemic, the process is essentially unchanged.
  • We recommend using the classroom PC computer for all recording of class sessions. To present content from a laptop or mobile device, and record via the classroom microphone/camera system, please follow these instructions.

Using Online Meetings (Zoom) to record a class

Using Panopto Video to record a class

  • Add the Online Meetings tool to your UVACanvas site.
  • Schedule a meeting. Set the meeting to automatically record. 
  • At the start of class, log on to the classroom computer AND log into Zoom on the computer (otherwise you could be a guest in your own meeting).
  • Open your UVACanvas site > Online Meetings > Press the START button next to your meeting 
  • Let students know you are recording. 
  • Adjust to a different camera/video input if needed (most rooms have one camera facing the instructor and another facing students). 
  • Share your screen as needed.
  • Pause recordings as needed via the pause button inside your Zoom meeting. 
  • End the zoom meeting to end the recording. 
  • Add the Panopto Video tool to your UVACanvas site. 
  • At the start of class, log on to the classroom computer 
  • Open your UVACanvas site > Panopto Video  > Create > Panopto Capture* 
  • Let students know you are recording.
  • Adjust to a different camera/video input if needed (most rooms have a camera facing the instructor and another facing students)
  • Stop recording at the end of class, follow on-screen instructions, and then close and log out of computer
  • Get more details on using Panopto via ITS

How do students access my recording? 

  • Students open Online Meetings and navigate to Cloud Recordings. 
  • The video will appear within a few hours of the end of class. 

How do students access my recording? 

  • Students open Panopto Video and navigate to the class folder. 
  • The video will appear within a few hours of the end of class.

Why use Online Meetings (Zoom)?

  • If you are already familiar with using Zoom to share a screen and to record, this is likely the simplest option for you.

Why use Panopto Video? 

  • This tool is supported by UVA Classrooms team (434) 982-4586
  • Panopto Video can provide automatic machine-generated English captions.
Want printable instructions for recording in the classroom?

Do’s and Don’ts: 

  • DO record via the classroom PC available in the room. This allows you to access the cameras and microphones in the room.
  • DO set up recording once at the start of class and leave it on throughout class. Don’t worry about making adjustments to camera angles, etc. during class. 
  • DO keep in mind that recordings need not be professional-quality to be helpful to your students.
  • DO watch and listen to your first recording, to be sure your audio is being captured. If it isn’t, please contact Classrooms. (434) 982-4586 or classrooms@virginia.edu.
  • If you do use your laptop for the zoom meeting, DON'T connect the laptop to the 'wireless' or HDMI systems in the room. Follow these instructions for presenting from a laptop while recording in the classroom.

Strategies 

I walk around a lot while lecturing. Will I be heard and seen? 

  • You may not always be in the frame if you move around. Prioritize being heard and sharing access to the materials you are providing on the screen or writing on the board.

My class involves a lot of discussion or group work. Should I record? 

  • Let students know you’re recording (and why)
  • Avoid recording during potentially sensitive discussions

I write on the board a lot. Will students see it in the recording? 

  • Ask students to share their notes, so that you need not be concerned about capturing every item written on the board. 
  • Try to write clearly (and larger than usual) 
  • Zoom the camera to a section of the board and write there. Zooming out too far from the board can make it difficult to see what is written.

I use a laser pointer when showing slides. Will it be shown in the recording? 

  • In PowerPoint, or on any slide during presentation mode, right click on a slide and choose pointer options then choose laser pointer. This turns your cursor into a pointer.