Embedded Files
Recording Classes to Increase Access and Accessibility
Recording Classes to Increase Access and Accessibility
A Universal Design for Learning Perspective
A Universal Design for Learning Perspective
From a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) perspective, recording class sessions can help ensure that all learners have access to essential information. Recordings support those who need additional processing time, have scheduling conflicts, or require multiple exposures to material to fully understand it. They are especially important for learners from diverse cultural or religious backgrounds who may observe holidays or events during class time. Captions can further enhance accessibility by creating transcripts, and additional tools such as transcription or note-taking software can complement recordings.
Recording doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. You can combine recordings with other accessibility strategies, including shared note-taking, summaries, or selective content reviews, to ensure students can access information in ways that work best for them.
How does recording help support learners?
How does recording help support learners?
Recordings can be implemented in both face-to-face and online class formats. In face-to-face settings, recording lectures, demonstrations, or key instructional segments ensures that students who cannot attend in person still have access to the content. In online or hybrid courses, recordings are often built into the platform and can capture live sessions, presentations, or asynchronous instructional material. Regardless of the format, the same principles of accessibility, privacy, and community expectations should be followed.
Recording class sessions provides several benefits for students:
Makes content accessible to anyone who cannot attend in real time.
Allows participants to rewatch important sections, clarify questions, and improve note-taking.
Supports learners who need additional processing time or missed content due to illness, appointments, or personal responsibilities.
Helps students with disabilities, parents, or caregivers who may face scheduling challenges.
Offers flexibility with playback, including adjusting audio speed.
Note: If confidentiality or anonymizing discussion is necessary, focus recordings on instructional content rather than participant discussion, or record only portions agreed upon by the class community.
How Recording Supports Faculty and Instructors
How Recording Supports Faculty and Instructors
Faculty and instructors also benefit from class recordings:
Students can review content independently or make up missed sessions, reducing repeated explanations.
Recordings can be used for self-review and peer review purposes
When paired with limited remote participation, recordings may help improve overall attendance and engagement.
Note: Always consider confidentiality. Recording sensitive discussions may require focusing only on instructional content and avoiding student-identifiable material.
Balancing Privacy and Accessibility
Balancing Privacy and Accessibility
Recording classes can raise understandable concerns, particularly around sharing and classroom dynamics. Faculty should take steps to protect recordings through confidentiality agreements, password protection, or restricted access. Although some worry that recording may inhibit participation, evidence suggests that it generally does not reduce engagement. In fact, when expectations and boundaries are clear, recordings can encourage more thoughtful discussion and sharing among students.
Common-Sense Guard Rails:
Record by default, but share recordings only upon student request
Use password protection and prevent downloads whenever possible.
Set expiration dates for recordings no later than the end of the course term. Many faculty allow students 2–4 weeks to review recordings.
Pause recordings during sensitive discussions.
Be clear about expectations with your students.
Be clear about expectations with your students.
It is the faculty’s responsibility to discuss the purpose and benefits of recording with students. This conversation helps students understand why recordings are important for accessibility, learning, and inclusion, and allows faculty to gain student support while addressing any concerns. Include a clear statement about recording in your course syllabus. This ensures students understand in advance how recordings will be used, what portions of class may be recorded, and the expectations for privacy and personal use.
Key points to cover in this discussion include:
Why recording is being implemented and how it supports learners who may need additional processing time, have scheduling conflicts, or celebrate cultural or religious holidays.
Which portions of class will be recorded (e.g., instructional content vs. student discussions).
Expectations for how recordings may be used, including that they are for personal study only.
Consequences for unauthorized sharing or distribution of recordings, emphasizing the importance of confidentiality and protecting sensitive or personal information shared in class.
Engaging students in this discussion not only promotes transparency and trust but also helps create a learning environment that balances accessibility with privacy and community norms.
One faculty member shared this information statement from thier syllabus:
We may record some portions of class sessions (key information and instructions) if permission is granted by the class community. Due to potential technical issues I cannot guarantee that a recording of every session will be available. Recordings are generally available approximately 24-hours after a class session. Students wishing to access a class recording should email the instructor.
Class recordings do not offer the interactive opportunities designed to facilitate much of your learning in this course, so they are not a substitute for synchronous participation. However if you need to miss class, they can help you keep up with key content and can also be a good tool for studying or reviewing content where questions may have come up. They are also aligned with a framework of promoting accessibility through Universal Design.
By accessing a class recording, you are agreeing that it is for your own personal use. The recordings are for the sole use of students who are enrolled in this class this semester. Recordings may not be stored, shared or distributed to anyone else at any time.
I take this very seriously because our classes are likely to include:
Personal information about everyone who participates in the course
De-identified but potentially sensitive case information both from students in the course, and from my own clinical practice experience
Video content and other copyrighted resources that are not authorized to be shared
Creating a space where students can honestly share questions and case information is exceptionally important. I often hear from students that personal anecdotes and examples from practice are extremely helpful in learning clinical skills. Thus, it is critical that everyone in the course abides by this agreement. Any violation of confidentiality by sharing class recordings, or any portion of these recordings, without permission will result in a forfeiture of participation points for the course (which may be up to 30 points).
Note that all recordings will be permanently deleted at the end of the semester.
Technical Instructions
Technical Instructions
Sharing Zoom Recordings (MSW and PhD)
Sharing Zoom Recordings (MSW and PhD)
Sharing Recordings Manually (Recommended)
If you are not using the Zoom for Blackboard integration, you can still publish your recordings manually.
Log in to Zoom Meetings using your BU Login.
Click the “Recordings” link, located on the sidebar to the left of the page.
Locate the recording you wish to share in the list and click “Share….”
Viewers can download: Disabled
Password protection: Enabled with an alphanumeric password set in the field that appears. Click “Save” to set the password.
Click “Copy Sharing Information” to copy the recording information. You can then paste the information into whatever format you are using to share with students.
Sharing Recordings with Zoom for Blackboard (Available Automatically to All Students
Instructors using the Zoom for Blackboard integration can publish recordings with one click:
Enter your Blackboard course and navigate to the Zoom Meetings tool.
Click the “Cloud Recordings” tab. A list of your course’s cloud recordings is shown.
Don’t see your recording? It may still be processing. Once it finishes processing and you receive an email confirmation, your recording will be listed here.
Locate the recording you’d like to share with your students and click its “Publish” slider.
Students will be able to view any published recordings immediately by clicking the “Cloud Recordings” tab within the Zoom tool. Recording passcodes will automatically copy to their clipboard when they open a recording.
Unsharing Cloud Recordings
Instructors using the Zoom for Blackboard integration can publish recordings with one click:
Enter your Blackboard course and navigate to the Zoom Meetings tool.
Click the “Cloud Recordings” tab. A list of your course’s cloud recordings is shown.
Don’t see your recording? It may still be processing. Once it finishes processing and you receive an email confirmation, your recording will be listed here.
Locate the recording you’d like to share with your students and click its “Publish” slider.
Students will be able to view any published recordings immediately by clicking the “Cloud Recordings” tab within the Zoom tool. Recording passcodes will automatically copy to their clipboard when they open a recording.
Sharing Engagli Recordings (OMSW)
Sharing Engagli Recordings (OMSW)
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Knowledge base article on Zoom Recording and Sharing: Recording
Last Updated/Modified: Insert Date
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse