Recording lectures is done more frequently today thanks to the benefits it can provide for all students. When you’d like to start recording your lectures, it’s important to know how to do it correctly and to make sure you have everything set up. This goes beyond getting the right equipment to start recording. Use the following to help you get started recording your lectures and give students more access to the information.
Determine Why You Want to Record Lectures
Why do you need to record lectures? Knowing the why behind recording them can help you figure out some of the logistics and make sure the finished videos meet your needs. You may want to record lectures for students who have to miss a class, ones who need more time to listen and absorb the information, or those who have disabilities that make it more challenging to learn in a classroom setting.
Are You Recording During Class or After?
Consider whether you’ll record the lectures while you’re in class or if you’d prefer to do it after. In class, you have the ability to include questions asked by students, which can be useful for others to learn from, as well as the ability to record the lecture while you’re teaching, saving time later. Doing it after class may open you up to better production methods, enable you to cut out unnecessary audio more easily, and provide an easier way to edit the content as you go.
Plan for the Recording to Cover All Materials
Take the time to plan out what should be recorded and make sure everything is covered in the video. Create a video outline of everything you want to cover so you can follow along as you’re recording the lecture. This helps ensure you don’t inadvertently leave out any information and that everything is covered in depth. The more detailed your notes are, the easier it will be to make sure it’s all covered and available for the students.
Finishing Touches for the Recording
After the recording is finished, don’t forget about the finishing touches. This might include adding subtitles to make the videos more accessible or editing them to remove anything that’s not needed. It could also include adding timestamps to the video so students can quickly get to the specific part they need instead of having to rewatch information they’ve already learned. Think about what enhancements will benefit your students and add those in before publishing the video.
Providing Access to the Recordings
Consider how you’ll offer access to the recordings and how students will want to watch them. There may be a way to upload them to the school website or you might use a video-sharing site like YouTube to make all the recordings easily accessible. You may want to make them viewable by anyone or have them limited to just your current students.
If you’d like to start recording your lectures, make sure you know how to do it and plan carefully so each one will be a success and can help as many students as possible. Though you’ll learn a lot as you go, using the tips here can make it easier for you to get started and make sure your videos are not only accessible but contain everything your students need to achieve success in your class.
