<![CDATA[IST eClass Support]]> <![CDATA[Lecture Recording Overview]]>
NOTICE: Please be advised that the content of this article may only be relevant for users concluding the final stages of course work on eClass or for users on the eClass External system. The eClass Learning Management System is currently in a read-only state that prohibits new courses, enrollments, and users from being added to the site. Credit courses and co-curricular courses at the UofA are now being delivered on Canvas, and full articles on how to use Canvas can be found here.

Please note: Pre-recording lectures and providing them through eClass is one of the recommended strategies as part of the U of A's shift to online courses in response to Covid-19. 

This article outlines the options available to instructors who need to record lectures and deliver them online to students. Recorded lectures posted in eClass give students the flexibility to view them on demand. There are a wide range of methods for doing this but it is a good recommendation to keep videos to a maximum of 10 - 15 minutes long - these are more engaging and don't cause bandwidth or connection issues.

Record Directly Into eClass

  • Use the YuJa software capture application to record audio, video, and screens for upload to your course (recommended).

Record Using Online Meeting Software

  • Most of the available online meeting tools provide the option to share slides or a full screen and record audio. (No students need to be present for the recording.)
  • Meeting recordings made using Google Meet are automatically saved to Google Drive and can be embedded in eClass. Please note: Google meet premium features are expiring September 20th, 2020 - after this time, users can no longer record their Google Meet sessions. 
  • Recordings made in Zoom are automatically accessible from eClass. (Zoom recordings can also be recorded onto user's local computers.) 
  • **Please note: eClassLive (Adobe Connect) has been decommissioned as of January 3rd 2021. 

Record Using Content Creation Software and Upload

Record Online and Link

Accessibility

 

]]> <![CDATA[Online Lectures Overview]]>
NOTICE: Please be advised that the content of this article may only be relevant for users concluding the final stages of course work on eClass or for users on the eClass External system. The eClass Learning Management System is currently in a read-only state that prohibits new courses, enrollments, and users from being added to the site. Credit courses and co-curricular courses at the UofA are now being delivered on Canvas, and full articles on how to use Canvas can be found here.

There are several centrally supported online lecture tools available at the U of A. These tools can add live discussion and dynamic interactions inside existing eClass courses or as separately scheduled events by email. All of the tools enable instructors to have real-time audio and video conversations with students while sharing content. See below for the recommended tools for each functional use or review a fuller comparison of the different functions and capabilities. Instructors should also consult the known issues for Zoom meetings and Google Meet.

Please note: As per the University's recommendations for shifting lectures online, instructors should consider providing lecture recordings that students can access at their own pace instead of delivering full synchronous lectures online. The tools below, along with using eClass forums, should be used to supplement lecture recordings through smaller interactive sessions.

Delivering full lectures online

This is the prime instructional use for Zoom meetings. Students can join synchronous online sessions where instructors deliver, audio, video, and share their screen and/or lecture slides. Live sessions can be recorded for later review. As the number of participants in sessions increase, it becomes more challenging to manage participant interactions and keep sessions engaging.

Recommended tool: Zoom

Facilitated group collaboration sessions

In smaller numbers, it is more manageable to have students sharing their own audio and video and contributing collaboratively using whiteboards. Breakout rooms are available in both Zoom and eClassLive to break down the class into smaller sized groups.

Recommended tools: 1) Zoom 2) Google Meet

Team meetings

Group members (with or without instructor participation) can share audio, video, and screen content to collaborate. These sessions can be created by anyone with a CCID. Note: students cannot create their own Zoom meetings.

Recommended tool: Google Meet

Virtual office hours

Instructors can arrange online sessions for 1-on-1 interactions with students. These can be scheduled through google calendar easily when using Google Meet. Zoom meetings have a feature to allow instructors to schedule sessions and allow students to join one at a time.

Recommended tools: 1) Google Meet 2) Zoom

Pre-recording lectures

All of the available tools provide the ability to record sessions. For Zoom and eClassLive, these recordings are automatically available for students to view on their own time through their eClass course. Instructors should also review the Lecture Recording Overview for other available options.

Recommended tool: Zoom

Note: Google has announced that access to Meet premium features (e.g. hosting meetings up to 500 people, recording meetings directly to Google Drive, and more) will be available for instructors through their UAlberta G Suite accounts. For all other campus users (staff, students), the standard Google Meet features are still available.

Zoom is still the University recommended video conference tool for online classes. To learn more about Zoom, visit: Using Zoom - Instructors

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