Creating and using videos in your teaching
Lecture capture refers to the recording of an in-class lecture in order to share it digitally. These class recordings are meant to serve as a "copy" of the lecture for students to review as study guides, for difficult concepts or in the event of an absence. In general, using lecture capture makes a course more accessible.
Videos made out-of-class are typically produced to support online, flipped or blended learning. These can be video lectures you make from your computer in the same way as you use lecture capture in the classroom, or they can be any other kind of video you make using your computer, phone or tablet.
At Concordia, YuJa is the software used to record and share online videos.
Last updated: November 15, 2024, 1:55 p.m.
YuJa: Concordia's lecture capture and video publishing tool
YuJa is a web-based software solution that is installed on all classroom computers across both campuses and can be freely downloaded by Concordia faculty and staff to any computer. This solution has two main purposes:
- to "capture" (record) lectures as you present audio accompanied by what is displayed on your screen (and, optionally, video)
- to act as a secure video-hosting site where videos are stored and made available to students through Moodle.
With Yuja, it is possible to:
- Record live lectures in the classroom and make available on Moodle
- Record lectures from your home computer and make available on Moodle
- Upload videos created using other software to your YuJa Media folder to make available on Moodle
- Upload videos you shot with your phone or tablet while in the field
- Edit the video in the online video editor
- Automatically add captions to your videos
These videos are one way to make your face-to-face course more accessible and to support online, blended learning and the flipped classroom approach.
For more information about YuJa, refer to the IITS Lecture Capture page and the YuJa Quickstart Guide.
For more information about YuJa, refer to the IITS Lecture Capture page and the YuJa Quickstart Guide.
Lecture capture
Lecture capture, also sometimes referred to as course recordings, is a way that you can record your voice and what's on your screen (and optionally video of you talking) in order to make it available in video format to students in Moodle via YuJa. Lecture capture is a great way to create short bursts of content that can be watched at any time. It can consist of:
- an audio recording of the lecture
- an audio recording of the lecture along with a slide show
- an audio recording of the lecture recording cursor movement, typing, and other non-cursor movement like writing with a stylus on a tablet.
The benefits of lecture capture
Course recordings can be used:
- to make lectures more accessible to learners with language barriers or learning disabilities
- to review topics that were not clear when presented the first time in class; students can fast-forward to a specific part that they did not understand and listen to it as often as needed
- to review before an assessment whenever, wherever and as often as they want
- as an alternative for a missed class
What kind of courses and classes benefit most from lecture capture?
Recording live lectures is especially useful for large lectures with many students. Furthermore, it is best suited to classes that primarily rely on instructor-led lectures accompanied by slides or documents. Because the microphone is limited to the instructor, highly interactive classes do not lend themselves well to this software because those audio interactions will not be captured on the video. Similarly, classes that involve a heavy chalkboard or white board use need to be adapted to a document camera in order to capture it.
How lecture capture works
The instructor starts recording using the podium computer at the beginning of the class session. The video will capture the slides displayed on the computer along with the instructor's voice when used with a microphone. Immediately after stopping the recording, the video is uploaded to the instructor's Media folder in their YuJa account. Once the video has rendered, the instructor will be able to make the video available on Moodle.
When recording voice or image of anyone in the classroom other than the instructor, instructors must receive signed release forms from people. Instructors should include a statement of use either on their course outline or in the Moodle site, or both. Please review the Lecture capture guidelines.
Lecture capture course outline insert
Guest lecturer recording consent and release form
For more information on using YuJa, please see the YuJa IITS Services page.
Video lectures & other types of instructor-created videos
Recording your own videos allows more flexibility in the kinds of content instructors can bring to the classroom and how that content is accessed.
Although videos are often recorded for online, blended and flipped teaching, video offers the potential to make learning more flexible and accessible to all students regardless of the format.
There are endless possibilities when it comes to the kinds of videos your can bring to the classroom. In addition to lectures, it presents an opportunity to bring the outside world into the classroom. Here are just a few examples of some of the ways that videos can be used to support learning in any class:
- Give a tour of your Moodle course (e.g. go over content organization, collaborative tools, and communication strategies etc.)
- Introduce your course requirements (e.g. syllabus, assigned readings, assignments, deadlines, etc.). Consider using the Lightboard for this kind of video.
- Introduce yourself to students to establish an online teaching presence and promote a welcoming learning environment
- Clarify difficult concepts and answering students’ questions mini lectures
- Do a worked example (an instructor talks through the steps in solving a problem - promotes disciplicary thinking)
- Deliver a guest lecture
- Demonstrate a lab experiment
- Show a performance
- Do a demonstration
- Show processes
- Provide examples, scenarios, and other footage from the field
- Explain an assignment
- Review an exam
- Give general feedback to the class on common issues in an test or other assessment
***Teaching considerations when creating online lectures***
Rather than record long lecture of 1-2 hours, it is recommended to record lectures in 20 minute (or smaller) segments and, where possible, adding a short activity that prompts students to put the ideas to ‘action.’ These activities could include: reflective question(s) or discussion questions for students to discuss in groups in a discussion forum, or quiz questions.
Additional resources
- Preparing a Video Presentation (University of Melbourne)
- Keeping Video Lectures Short (University of Michigan)
- How to Make Video Lectures: 9 Best Practices (My Tech Classroom)