Recording Lectures

This is a picture of a audio recording device.

If you have problems listening to lectures because your attention wanders or if you miss things while you are taking notes, you can record lectures with your instructor's permission or with a documented disability accommodation from Disability Services that provides this, having made arrangements with your instructor.

You can record using a laptop, tablet, phone, or an audio recorder.

Below are some hints about how to record, in addition to programs and apps that do the recording.

Audio Recording • Audio Recorders o Recorders are easily found in stores and online at prices around $20-$30. Make sure the one you choose can upload the recordings to your computer to create MP3 files or that it has large enough storage capacity for all your lectures (1 class: 15 weeks of classes X up to 2 lectures a week for 1 class = 30 hours). MP3 files can be uploaded to your Pierpont Microsoft 365 account or any other online program (ex., Evernote, Google Drive) that you are using to organize your study notes. • Computer Audio Recording Devices o There are several online recording devices, some of which are free. (One example that is free is Online Voice Recorder https://online-voice-recorder.com/.) They usually allow you to save the audio file as an MP3 file. To use these, you must have a laptop or tablet that has a microphone (built-in or attached). • Phone Apps o There are many free apps to make recordings: Sony Audio Recorder, Samsung Voice, iPhone Voice Recorder. You can also use Voice Memos, Memo, or Notes (click on the app, start a Note, and click on the microphone). These should automatically be installed on smartphones. Audio recordings using Notes or Memo can be emailed to yourself and cut/pasted into a document to print or save. Voice memos can be emailed as an audio file.

Speech-to-Text A microphone is NEEDED – built in or attached to the device • Microsoft Word o Your Pierpont email has Microsoft apps attached to it. Microsoft Word, the word processing program, will record and type what is being said (click "Dictate" and begin speaking clearly). Like other apps, you will have to edit the text afterwards, since these programs can misunderstand what is being said and may not accurately punctuate. You can use this program to dictate papers for class, also. This does not save the lecture as an audio file, just as a written document. • Phone Apps o Some phone apps such as Notes can be used to record notes or lecture. Like Microsoft Word, they will not keep the audio file, only the written file. • Dragon NaturallySpeaking o This is a program that you can buy that can be used for speech-to-text. https://www.dragondictationsoftware.com/

Photographs • Some instructors use whiteboards to augment their PowerPoint slides. Ask your instructor for permission to photograph drawings and notes on the whiteboard. This allows you to pay attention to what is being said instead of sketching the diagram. You can email the photo to yourself and cut/paste it into a document to print or save.

Hints:

Record a lecture in segments associated with specific topics or PowerPoint sections. Write the name of the recorded section in your class notes. This makes it easy for you to locate specific information instead of having to listen to an hour of lecture to find the ten-second comment you missed. Also, some devices turn off after a specific time, so recording in segments accommodates that, assuming that the segment is not too long.
Whichever program you use, watch that it does not turn itself off too early in the lecture. Some programs/apps report recording for 30 minutes, others are shorter.
Sit close to the instructor so the device can pick up what is being said. Maybe test the device before you start classes to determine its audio pick-up range.
Regardless which you choose, practice using it before you need it.

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