Recording Lectures using Zoom

When teaching online, blended, flipped classes, or preparing for class cancelations, recording your lectures can be an extremely useful technique.

I recommend using Zoom since Penn State has a license for all faculty, staff, and students. If you have any technical questions, you can contact the Helpdesk for assistance.

Here is a list of steps and related best practices:

  1. Quiet space
    1. Do not disturb signs
    2. Let others know that you’ll be recording
    3. Turn off notifications and silence your devices
  2. Prepare
    1. Plug in and test your headset or microphone
    2. Download the Zoom desktop client
    3. Adjust your Preferences
      1. Cloud Recording preferences overview
      2. Adjust recording preferences
        1. Check “Optimize the recording for 3rd party video editor” option
        2. Check “Audio transcript” option
    4. Record
      1. Consider chunking your presentations down into natural sub-topics
      2. Switch to Presentation-mode if you are sharing your slides
      3. For first recordings or when recording in a new space, record only a minute or so and check that recording to make sure everything looks good before recording your entire video
    5. Share
      1. Zoom will send you email notification(s) when your cloud recording is done processing
      2. Access your recordings
      3. Copy the Share link and distribute it to your students

Please contact the Office of Learning Design or check out the online web resources with questions.