Overview 

1. If an instructor informs students/guests, the instructor may elect to record their class sessions to allow students to view sessions or read the transcription after class (PROV 008). 
2. Recordings can be made via the Online Meetings (Zoom) or Panopto Video tools in UVACanvas. 
3. Record using the computer in the classroom, not a laptop. This gives you access to the high-quality microphones and cameras in the room.  
4. Keep things simple. Your recording will not capture every aspect of your activities, but will be a valuable resource to class participants nonetheless. 
5. Recordings must be captioned. Request free professional captioning of your recordings using the Captioning Request for Assistance Form. 
6. 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-based courses, recordings give all students opportunities to review concepts and return to difficult points in the lecture. 

You might choose not to record a class that includes sensitive discussions or is heavily group-work oriented (which can be difficult to follow on a recording). Exception: If a student has an approved SDAC recording accommodation, then recording is expected. The accommodation of permission to record or access class recordings allows students with disabilities to have an equal chance to receive and process information presented in class by supporting their notetaking needs (PROV-005). If you have concerns about recording, contact SDAC directly to address the concerns.  

Additional Tips

• Provide lecture slides and outlines as documents (word doc, powerpoint, for example) via your Canvas course site. 
• 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 

• Technical help (cameras not working, students can’t hear you in recordings, PowerPoint not captured, etc.): Contact Classrooms: (434) 982-4586 (immediate support) or classrooms@virginia.edu. 

• Instructional strategies during recording: Contact A&S LDT learningdesign@virginia.edu.  

• Captioning: Request captions of instructional content via the UVA Library Captioning & Transcription Assistance Form. Learn more about the Academic Captioning Services. 

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. 

Do’s and Don’ts:  

• DO inform the students and any class visitors, each time, prior to recording (PROV 008).  

• 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, unless a student has an SDAC recording accommodation. Contact SDAC directly if you would like to discuss recording accommodations in your course. 

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.