Tips for Recording Class Sessions & Zoom for Remote Guests | Resources and Strategies for Teaching & Learning During COVID-19

Updated for Fall 2022

For assistance with any of the below, please email askIT@amherst.edu. Thanks!

Record a Class Session

Benefits:

Basic Instructions:

Connect computer to classroom projection system (if desired).
Launch Zoom app on your computer and start a new meeting.
Be sure you are unmuted in Zoom.
Within Zoom, click the arrow next to the Mute button and select “Test speaker and microphone” to make sure your sound will be captured OK. You can adjust settings as needed in this menu.
Optional: Share Screen (if you want to record a slideshow. etc)
Optional: Start Video (if you want to record yourself on camera)
Click “Record”.
When class is over, end the Zoom meeting. The recording will process and save to your computer.
More info here on recording Zoom meetings.

Audio Tips:

If you remain close to your laptop, the sound level should be fine.
If you need to roam about the room, you can request a wireless lapel microphone that connects to your laptop.

Video Tips:

Video is optional and many faculty are choosing to share audio-only recordings, or audio with screen/slides only.
For flexibility with the angle of the camera, you can request an external USB webcam that connects to your laptop (so the camera can point in a different direction than the laptop screen).

Some classrooms have built-in recording systems. Please see this page for a list of rooms and instructions.
The classroom computer can be used for recording if you don’t have a laptop available.

You will need to request a webcam and microphone and attach these to the USB ports in the classroom.
Not all classroom computers have Zoom installed, so please try to check ahead of time. Email askIT@amherst.edu to request it to be installed.
After class, the Zoom recording will need time to process on the computer before you can copy or move the file. If another class comes in right after yours, this may cause a problem.

Please note: these approaches require additional support and IT should be contacted well in advance of classroom sessions.

Record audio with your phone, or request an “H4N” digital audio recorder.
Request a standalone video camera and tripod.
If you are presenting with Powerpoint, you can record the slideshow with narration and timings as you present it in class. The end result will be a Powerpoint file with audio on each slide.
An iPad can be used as an additional Zoom device/participant to provide additional camera angles (but keep its sound muted!).

It can also connect to your computer to share the iPad’s screen instead of the laptop screen.

No matter what your recording method, the end result will be an audio or video file on your computer (here’s how to find Zoom recordings).
You can upload the video or audio recording to Moodle as a Kaltura Video Resource (yes, you can add audio this way, too).

Benefit of using Kaltura: automatic captions (available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese)

You can also upload a slide deck or any related materials (such as media screened in class) to Moodle.

Please remember that faculty are under no obligation to Zoom students into class. We also encourage faculty to refer to any recent guidance from the Provost's office around this issue.
We generally recommend the same set-up as above for live-Zooming in guests or students to class.
In cases when the faculty member must be remote, it often is easiest to have the entire class meet on Zoom.
Capturing video and audio of the students in the classroom is more challenging than capturing the instructor only.
Results will vary widely per room and class (based on room size, acoustics, masking, etc), with capturing audio often being the most challenging aspect.
The following equipment can be requested from MultiMedia Services:
- 360° “OWL” camera (best for small classes of 15 or fewer)
- Standard or Wide-Angle Webcam (better for getting a larger class on screen)
- USB Microphone
- Note that equipment availabilty will depend on the amount of requests in a given week.
Classes of 10 or fewer can reserve the Seeley Mudd Hybrid Meeting Room.
For larger classes, it has worked well to have in-class students simply approach the camera/mic when interacting with remote participants.
We do not recommend having students bring their own devices and each sign in to Zoom from the classroom. Generally, this will cause issues with echo and feedback.

Since the above methods focus on providing instructor-delivered content, many Amherst faculty rely on asynchronous online activities to help students in isolation feel connected to the class.
Some selections from our Resources and Strategies for Online Teaching page:

Add a discussion forum
Create Google Docs for collaborative writing, sharing or annotating
Have students collaboratively annotate course readings
Draw, brainstorm, comment, or annotate images or readings on a collaborative whiteboard
Set up a class blog or website
Create a class Slack channel