Lecture Capture and Custom Recording Policy for Educational Purposes

Academic Development Unit, October 2022

Purpose of the policy

1. This document sets out the University’s policy for Lecture Capture of scheduled teaching sessions (either face-to-face or online) and Custom Recording.

2. The purpose of the policy is threefold:

• To inform students of the expectations and processes around Lecture Capture and Custom Recording at the University of Gloucestershire.
• To support academic staff in implementing the policy across the University of Gloucestershire.
• To outline, for other relevant stakeholders, the approach to Lecture Capture and Custom Recoding as part of the wider approach to learning and teaching at the University.

3. This policy presents guiding information for all staff, students and other stakeholders who are involved in teaching at the University of Gloucestershire. The policy clearly delineates the circumstances in which recording may take place, the respective responsibilities of those involved in such recording, and the implications of breaches of this policy. Students will be informed of the policy at enrolment. It will form a component of the Student Charter and Student Code of Conduct. New staff will be informed of the policy through the induction process. Existing staff will be made aware of the policy through their Heads of School and via ADU announcements.
   
4. For the purposes of this policy, the term ‘recording’ refers to the action or process of capturing sound and/or visual images of a lecture or other teaching session.
   
5. This policy is supported by the University’s Information Strategy and its policies on data governance and security (including the Data Protection Policy, Records Management Policy, Records Retention Schedule, Copyright).

Introduction

6. The Education Strategy 2022-2027 aims to develop a future-facing education that makes the very best use of technology to support student learning. Learning Design Principle 8 states that technology will be used effectively to enrich the learning experience for a diversity of students. Recording educational activities and developing multi-media learning resources can play a role in achieving this outcome and for meeting the University’s diversity and equality obligations.
   
7. There are many benefits to recording for educational purposes, including: supporting blended learning approaches; providing greater flexibility to learners within the curriculum, providing students with the opportunity to review and reflect on the curriculum, and widening accessibility for students with both identified and previously unidentified additional learning support needs, or students whose first language is not English.
   
8. The University recognises and acknowledges, however, that not all teaching approaches are suitable for recording. Some material and discussion will be of a sensitive nature and will not be appropriate to record. This policy should not prevent academics from choosing the most appropriate teaching style for their subject area. Recordings are not intended to replace scheduled contact time with staff, but are provided to enrich and support the student experience. Recordings are relevant to a particular cohort, and will not be used to create an archive of material for long-term reuse.
   
9. Lecture Capture and Custom Recording material is not designed as a tool for performance or capability management of staff, and there is no intention that it will be used in performance or capability proceedings. Nor will it be used, other than in exceptional circumstances, in disciplinary proceedings.
   
10. Lecture Capture and Custom Recording material will not be used to investigate student complaints except with the explicit consent of those delivering the lecture/session. Lecture Capture and Custom Recording material is not designed as a tool for monitoring or assessing the performance or progress of students. Nor will it be used, other than in exceptional circumstances, in disciplinary proceedings relating to breaches of the student Code of Conduct.

Production of custom recordings

11. As part of blended delivery and ‘flipped’ learning, staff may provide custom-made audio/video recordings that concentrate on core concepts, skills and techniques, or are related to assessment tasks and processes. Such audio/video recordings may be offered to students in addition to scheduled sessions if staff believe the time spent preparing the materials supports the cohort in a resource-effective and autonomous manner, reducing repetitive individual student queries.
    
12. To meet reasonable adjustments under the University’s equality and diversity obligations, custom recordings should be accessible to all students on a module. Captured audio and written text (such as slides) should be clear. If slides are narrated, the original text file should be uploaded to Moodle along with the audio and/or video file. If recordings are made using MS Teams, a transcript is provided automatically. Staff can access support for making resources accessible via ADU and LTI.

Lecture capture of live sessions

13. Staff are encouraged to make audio recordings of ‘broadcast’ elements of lectures (where the staff member transmits or broadcasts information to the student audience), with screen capture of slides/presentation material. This is the case for face-to-face and online lectures. There is no requirement for video capture of the lecturer, but staff may enable this function if they wish. Recordings are uploaded to Moodle following the captured session. Staff should communicate to students that recordings are not intended as a substitute for attendance at scheduled sessions.
    
14. The University recognises that whilst the content of lectures remains the property of the University, it is only in the act of recording that issues of ownership arise. Verbal and or/physical contributions to learning activities by students and staff in the recording, so-called performance rights, remain the intellectual property of their authors.
    
15. Students are permitted to make audio (not video) recordings of broadcast lectures on personal devices solely for their personal educational use. However, students must obtain the consent of their lecturer and any other participants before making such a recording. Staff are entitled to withhold permission, but they are also encouraged to consider the inclusive nature of such recordings, and how these may support all students when making their decision. Staff should permit recording for students with reasonable adjustments, except under the circumstances cited in paragraph 23.
    
16. A permitted personal recording made by a student must not be reproduced or passed on to anyone else (other than for transcription purposes in connection with the student’s studies) or posted on external websites including social networks. A student doing so will face action under University disciplinary procedures. Once the recording has served its purpose, it should be erased by the student. This will normally be after successful completion of the module on which the recording was captured.
    
17. Staff making recordings must comply with accessibility regulations. This means recordings should be made available to students with captions and/or a downloadable transcript or summary notes. Using MS Teams to record broadcast lectures fulfils both of these requirements. Staff are not expected to edit transcripts post-capture.
    
18. Should staff desire (e.g. for students who are unable to attend a class physically / synchronously for a valid reason), they can communicate the content of break-out discussions to students not in class by asking those attending to note key aspects of debate in their group, to summarise their discussions on a whiteboard in class (which are photographed and loaded to Moodle) or by using a shared online document. Staff may provide a written or audio summary themselves if they prefer. Guidance around alternative reasonable adjustments for disabled students where it is inappropriate to permit recording can be accessed from Student Services.

Key responsibilities

19. Lecture capture is not intended as a replacement for scheduled sessions. Students are expected to attend scheduled sessions whenever possible to contribute to and learn from live group activities, and to keep pace with learning schedules, supporting positive wellbeing.
    
20. Students may opt-out of being recorded. Any student not wishing to be recorded should notify the lecturer at the start of the class. Students are not permitted to request opt-out of recordings where a recording is an explicit requirement of a University award (e.g. recording of assessed presentations), except in exceptional circumstances.
    
21. Staff must make it clear to students when they are delivering a teaching session that is being recorded. Sessions considered as suitable for recording are:

• Broadcast elements of sessions, where a staff member transmits information to students
• Classes where the student voice is not a core part of the session

22. Where student voice is present in an otherwise broadcast lecture, staff can either confirm recording with the students and continue or pause recording during discussions. If a discursive class is not recorded, staff might use one of the methods cited in paragraph 18 as a means of capturing key content for those students who were absent for valid reasons or to aid refresh of those present.
    
23. Staff must also make it clear to students when the nature of the session they are delivering does NOT fall under the requirements of this policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Interactive sessions where student contributions are required and where full consent of participants is impossible
• Where students are discussing confidential issues
• Where research confidentiality could be breached
• Where a guest lecturer external to the University has not consented to be recorded
• Where content includes commercially purchased DVDs/CDs/downloads

As such, recordings of seminars, tutorials and other small group learning activities will only take place where the staff member deems it practical. If they wish, staff can use the methods cited in paragraph 18 as a means of recording key session content.

24. Staff should ensure they have appropriate copyright clearance for material included in their captured session recordings. Staff are encouraged to make use of freely licensed and Creative Commons content wherever practical and to provide visible citations on slides when referencing third-party material.
    
25. All recordings will be stored securely on University systems with appropriate data protection controls. Recordings will only be for the use of students enrolled on the relevant module in the academic year in which the recording is made. They will also be accessible to University staff who have authorised access, such as module teaching teams and system administrators. If recordings are to be shared by staff with third parties (e.g. Advance HE as part of the APA End Point Assessment), explicit consent must be gained from the students. Recordings should be deleted after the module run has been completed, although this is not currently automated. Staff can do this themselves or request support from LTI.

Visiting staff

26. If a visiting lecturer teaches on a module where Lecture Capture is used regularly, it is the responsibility of the staff member who invited the guest speaker to forward them this policy, to check whether they agree to be captured, and to keep their permission on file.
    
27. A staff member inviting a visiting lecturer should also seek (and retain evidence of) their permission before their captured lectures are made available to the student cohort.
    
28. Visiting lecturers will retain their rights in a capture made of them or by them. As such, their materials can only be used for educational purposes with their permission.