Procedure: Recording of teaching activities

Purpose

This document provides support to the Recording of teaching activities policy and outlines the process for ensuring appropriate recordings are published for students.

The recording of teaching activities is designed to supplement learning and not designed as a substitute for attendance or participation in scheduled teaching activities.

Definitions

Associate Dean Education (ADE) – the College Associate Dean (Education), or their delegate

Course – a subject of scholarly study, as defined in the glossary, Policy: Glossary - student policies and procedures. In this procedure this term refers to the instance of a course throughout one session. An iteration of a course is a class.

Course convenor – the ANU staff member responsible for administration of the course as defined in the Procedure: Knowledge, Pedagogical Skills, and Qualifications requirements for Educators, clauses 6–7.

Course site – the web presence of a course in the LMS

Learning Management System (LMS) – the University digital platform provided to support learning and teaching, currently Wattle (Web Access To Teaching and Learning Environments)

Session – An academic period of study. Standard sessions are Semester 1 and Semester 2. Non-standard sessions are: summer session, autumn session, winter session and spring session

Teaching activity – an instance of a class being taught, constituent of an ANU course and represented in the University timetable

University Recording System – the University-supported system for recording of teaching activities, currently EchoVideo (formerly known as Echo360), installed in many teaching venues

University timetable – The ANU class timetable, listing the times and venues for teaching activities.

Procedure

1. Wherever possible digital video and audio recordings are the default means of capture for a teaching activity.
2. The University supported system for recording of teaching activities, is currently EchoVideo (formerly known as Echo360) and is installed in many teaching venues

Automatic pre-scheduling of recordings

3. All teaching activities scheduled in a venue equipped with the University recording system will be automatically recorded if, in the University timetable:

1. The teaching activity is associated with a course; and
2. The teaching activity is not Hidden; and
3. The teaching activity is associated with one of the following Activity types: 1) Lecture, 2) Lectorial, 3) Seminar;
4. The teaching activity is not scheduled for more than 4 consecutive hours. For an activity longer than 4 hours to be recorded, it needs to be broken into multiple shorter sessions, noting that there will be a 10-minute break in the recording between sessions; and
5. The teaching activity is not scheduled on an ACT public holiday.

Recording activities which are not pre-scheduled

4. A course convenor can request to have any other activity type automatically recorded for a given course and session via a request to the ITS Service Desk. This is possible if, in the University timetable:

1. The teaching activity is scheduled in a venue equipped with the University recording system; and
2. The teaching activity is associated with a course; and
3. The teaching activity is not Hidden;
4. The teaching activity is not scheduled for more than 4 consecutive hours; and
5. The teaching activity is not scheduled on an ACT public holiday.

Ad hoc recordings

5. An ad hoc recording may be used for any teaching activity for which a recording schedule does not already exist. This may include activities:

1. Where a late change to venue has occurred; or
2. Where a recording for a teaching activity has not been pre-scheduled; and
3. Where the venue is equipped with the University recording system; and
4. There is not another pre-scheduled recording for that venue and time.

6. Ad Hoc recordings are initiated and controlled from the lectern computer within the venue.

Alternative Recordings

7. The recording of teaching activities that are not captured by the University Recording System are classified as “alternative recordings’.
8. Alternative recordings may occur owing to pedagogical or environmental reasons or where a teaching venue is not equipped with the University Recording System,
9. Course Conveners are to upload any alternative recordings via the University Recording information security ANU
10. System so that they can be made available to students via the LMS. Instruction on how to upload are located [Uploading recordings and slides on your EchoVideo (formerly known as Echo360) Personal Library - Staff Services - ANU]
11. Other software used for alternative recordings and supported by ANU include:
    1. Zoom
    2. Microsoft Teams

Opting Out of a Scheduled Recording

12. Where a course convenor does not wish to automatically record teaching activities as described in section 3 of this procedure, the course convenor seeks approval of the relevant College Associate Dean Education (ADE) to “Opt out” of the scheduled recording. This approval is in the form of an email that the convenor can share with the ITS Service Desk.
13. The request seeking ADE approval must include the following:

1. The reason for opting out as per section 16 of this procedure
2. The course code/name
3. The term code/name
4. The teaching activity type
5. the dates and start time and end time, location - either for the whole term or for specific weeks within the term
6. The type of alternative recording (where applicable)
7. Alternative learning support for accessibility
8. How the opt-out will be communicated to students

14. Where a teaching activity is timetabled into a room equipped with the University recording system, and the course convenor requests to move to an alternative room not equipped with the University recording system, this is considered opting out of recording, and therefore needs approval as per section 11.
15. A request to opt out of scheduled recording is per course, activity type and for the duration required.
16. A request to opt out of a scheduled recording for the all teaching activities of a particular activity type for the course are typically received by the final timetable release.
17. The ADE may approve a request to opt out if any of the below apply:

• The planned classroom activity is not conducive to recording (i.e. an interactive/team or group/lab or workshop/discussion based pedagogy is predominately used);
• Commercial-in-confidence material is discussed;
• Sensitive material is being discussed;
• A guest presenter is delivering the session and does not wish to be recorded.
• An approved alternative recording is being taken and will be uploaded to University Recording System and made available to students via the LMS.

18. Once approval has been obtained, a request to opt out is submitted via the IT Service Desk, allowing at least two working days for implementation.
19. Where an opt out from the University Recording System is approved by the ADE, the Course Convenor ensures that:

1. The approval and proposed alternatives are discussed with educational designers and Access and Inclusion as appropriate; and
2. Students are informed of the alternative learning materials that are to be made available on the LMS for that course and the support available to students.
   1. Alternative learning materials may include (subject to copyright requirements): handouts, pre-recorded materials, and alternative recordings of the activity (e.g. recording of a Zoom or Teams meeting)
   2. Support may include consultation sessions with teaching staff.
3. That the requirements of student EAPs are met.

Management of recordings

20. In accordance with the Timetable Policy, a pre-scheduled recording commences at 5 minutes past the published start time and concludes at 5 minutes before the published end time.
21. Recordings that commence before or finish after this schedule are manually controlled, noting that a pre-scheduled recording in the venue may over-ride a manually initiated recording.
22. Recordings produced by the University recording system are automatically made available to enrolled students via their course site in the LMS.
23. Requests to postpone the publication of recordings to students is only permissible with the written approval of the ADE, on the grounds that the recording contains inappropriate material.
24. Access to control a recording or to initiate an ad hoc recording is given to teaching staff listed for a course as recorded in the University Recording system.
25. Access for additional staff to control or initiate recordings requires prior notification via the ITS Service Desk.

Archiving

26. Recordings are available for streaming and download for students and staff while the associated LMS course site remains available. Past recordings may be retrieved by request to the ITS Service Desk within 5 years after cessation of the course.

Copyright, IP, and privacy

27. The Copyright in the recordings of teaching activities is either owned by or licensed to the University. Students may use the recording for personal study only. No lecture may be communicated online, copied or shared, without the prior permission of the University. This is in accordance with ‘Copyright in Lectures including recordings: a guideline’ and with the Academic Integrity Best Practice Principles for Learners, section 4.4.
28. Ownership of Educational Materials used in the teaching activity is in accordance with the ANU Intellectual Property (IP) Policy.
29. The collection of student information through their use of the University recording system is in accordance with the EchoVideo Privacy Statement.
30. Signage is prominently displayed in venues where teaching activity capture occurs to ensure that participants are aware that they may be recorded and consent by their participation.
31. When inviting a guest presenter, course convenors inform the guest presenter that the activity will be recorded and the recording will be available to staff and students unless the guest presenter informs the course convenor in writing that they do not wish to be recorded.
32. Lecturers should attempt to ensure that inappropriate material is not included in the recording or is edited out as soon as is practically possible. Inappropriate material includes but is not limited to:

1. Defamatory comments
2. Sensitive or personal information
3. Where there is no licence to use third party copyright materials used in their course materials, where the use of the third party copyright work falls outside ‘fair use’.

33. Personal recordings by members of the audience are not permitted without the express written permission of the presenter.

Feedback

34. Feedback regarding the University recording system is welcomed via the ITS Service Desk.