THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS Policy on Audio or Video Recording for Educational Purposes Guidance for Heads of School The Policy has been approved by Senate (S/13/19). This guidance document is provided for Heads of School and staff to support the implementation of the policy. Background 1. Audio and video recording for educational purposes is integral to the University s Digital Strategy for Taught Student Education (TSEB/12/54) and the Blended Learning Strategy (TSEB/13-06). The use of mobile devices, multimedia management capabilities, lecture capture technology, social media and online learning platforms are transforming the potential use of audio and video recordings for educational purposes. 2. Recording by the University of educational activities is an important part of the University s strategy to enhance the quality of the student experience and the University sees it increasingly as part of mainstream academic work. 3. Recording of educational activities is becoming an expectation for many students, and is widespread across the Russell Group. There have been a number of successful trials of lecture capture and recordings of students for assessment across the University. 4. There are considerable educational benefits to recording for educational purposes, including: Flexible learning any time and anywhere access to learning materials, at the learners own pace; Multi-modal learning providing learning materials in multiple formats to suit individual learning preferences; Deep learning ability to evaluate and contextualise learning materials over time; Accessibility particularly useful for students with special educational needs or whose first language is not English; Practicality ability to pause, repeat and / or revisit complex learning materials to increase understanding 1 5. Currently much recording of educational activities in the University is undertaken by students themselves, using mobile devices or other recording equipment. Often recording takes place covertly without the agreement or knowledge of any of those present. This fails to deal with the rights and interests of those being recorded. In effect the present system is unregulated and needs to be properly administered within a clear framework. 6. The University is investing in audio and video technology for recording of lectures and other activities which will be available in central teaching rooms by September 2014. The University is very keen to ensure that these facilities are maximised and used responsibly. 7. In rooms where video cameras are installed, the majority of these will be front facing and fixed angle. However, some large high profile rooms will be fitted with tracking cameras which will follow the 1 Further discussion on Why record is available at http://www.sdduonline.leeds.ac.uk/changinglandscape/training-andsupport/
teacher s movements around the room 2. All rooms will be equipped with audio recording equipment in the front of the room 3. 8. The audio and video recording policy applies to all educational purposes, which is taken to mean any purpose related to taught student education at the University. 9. The policy seeks to ensure that all staff and students will receive proper notice that a recording is due to take place, have a right to opt-out or ask for an edit of that recording. It is trying to encourage responsible recording in a transparent and consistent manner. Schools/Services are taking control of the process. Deciding when to record 10. It is recognised that there is a pedagogical discussion to be had about when and where it is most appropriate to use recordings to enhance student learning. In recognition of this debate, Schools and Services are asked to discuss and decide when it is appropriate to record. The University recognises the different learning and teaching contexts in each School and Service and the importance of decisions on recording being made. The decision as to when to record is therefore devolved to the Head of School, who may in particular take into consideration the following factors: the aspiration to provide a consistent student experience across modules / programmes taught by Schools and Services; the value of providing students with exceptional learning resources to support their education; the value of providing a recording of video and/or audio from teaching sessions alongside simultaneous screen capture, as appropriate pedagogically and according to staff preference; consideration of the pedagogic value of recording effect of a recording in a more intimate learning environment e.g. small group teaching sessions such as seminars / tutorials, where there may be limited value to a recording; the availability of at-desk recording functionality to allow staff and students to produce recordings of educational activities; the value of the University providing an authenticated recording of teaching sessions, instead of covert student recordings shared widely without permission. The Policy 11. The key elements of the policy on audio and video recordings for educational purposes are as follows: The policy applies to all audio and video recordings for educational purposes. It is up to the Head of School/Service (or nominee) to decide when it is appropriate for recordings to take place. Save in very exceptional circumstances where sensitive personal data is to be recorded, generally staff and students are deemed to consent to the recording taking place. Staff and students are given a right to opt-out of being recorded or to ask that their contribution be edited. Staff and student are required to inform the person responsible for the activity to be recorded of their decision to opt-out. In the case of a member of staff who wishes to opt-out of a recording, the Head of School or nominee may discuss the matter with that person, for example to explore the scope for using audio rather than video recording. Where sensitive personal data is to be recorded, explicit (opt-in) consent of the individual being recorded will be required. 2 These cameras may record an image from members of the audience sat at the front of the room if the teacher moves into the audience. 3 These microphones may capture the voices of members of the audience.
Explicit consent will be obtained from staff where recordings are to be made publically available. Students may not be permitted to opt-out of recordings where a recording is an explicit requirement of a University award (e.g. recording of assessed presentations). Staff and students (wherever practicable) will receive an initial notice that a recording is due to take place to be later supported by a final reminder just before the recording starts. Where students wish to record they must obtain the prior consent of the member of staff managing the particular activity that is to be recorded. Only in exceptional circumstances will consent be given. Where students have a need to make an audio recording of a teaching session because of a recognised disability, they will be permitted to make this recording for personal use. Note that this legal right will normally override staff / student requests to opt-out. In accordance with existing policy the University owns both students and staff recordings. However, the University will respect the rights of staff and students to be accredited as authors and performers. If recordings have taken place without consent then the University is clear that it maintains its right to take down. Any recordings that contain personal data must be kept securely in accordance with the University s Information Security Policy. The University has agreed to provide further supplemental training to staff to ensure that they know how to operate the policy properly. Suggestions for resolving notifications of opt-out 12. Whilst staff/students have the right to opt-out of recordings, there may be occasions where discussions would be appropriate to explore the scope for a suitable compromise. Practical measures that can be taken to address concerns could include: just audio and screen capture recording (voice and related PowerPoint slides only) positioning individuals "off camera" instructing the relevant staff/student not to identify themselves or be identified by others when asking questions allow those who have opted-out to participate at a time when the recording is not in progress e.g. at the end the activity or in a different group reminding individuals of the ability to pause recordings and the ability to edit a recording before publication reminding individuals of the agreed limits on use and publication of recordings offering training and support. Implementation of the policy in 2014/2015 13. Schools and Services are asked to commence discussion about implementation of this policy for 2014-15. It is expected that local frameworks will be established which will include which activities will not be recorded and how information will be managed and recorded. 14. Schools are asked to provide information to School timetablers as part of the normal programme cycle for 2014/15. 15. An outline of the proposed operational process for implementation of the policy in 2014/2015 is detailed at Appendix 1.
16. Heads of School will receive a report from school timetablers of all teaching sessions where recordings will not take place in 2014/2015 and are asked to report to the first FTSEC in the 2014/2015 session on recordings taking place in Schools. 17. Frequently Asked Questions on implementation of the policy are outlined at Appendix 2. Support for Schools 18. A communications plan for the policy is being developed by the Communications team. This is being done in partnership with LUU and the Communications team will liaise with Schools regarding this. 19. Training and support by the Staff and Departmental Development Unit on recording audio and video and third party rights will be offered from February 2014 onwards as part of a roll-out of institutional audio and video capture solutions. Further information 20. The policy document is available at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/secretariat/documents/ 21. This guidance document is available at: http://www.sdduonline.leeds.ac.uk/changinglandscape/essentials/strategy/ 22. Staff and Departmental Development Unit training materials are available at: http://www.sdduonline.leeds.ac.uk/changinglandscape/training-and-support/ 23. Support and advice for students about this policy is available at: https://www.leedsuniversityunion.org.uk/helpandadvice/academic/
Default positions Appendix 1 The University Policy on Audio and Video Recording for Educational Purposes Operational Process for 2014/15 1. From 2014/15 recording equipment to record audio synchronised with simultaneous screen capture will be available in all central teaching rooms supported by teaching technology support, and video recording equipment will also be available in larger rooms 4. 2. The timetable software will be programmed to enable recordings to be synchronised with the timetable for teaching sessions, and to start/end automatically without staff intervention. Recordings may also be made on an ad hoc basis as required. 3. The default setting in the timetable software will be for the lecture capture system to make a recording of all timetabled teaching sessions as the recording equipment permits in the teaching rooms, 4. Recordings of all timetabled teaching sessions will be made unless timetablers are instructed otherwise by Schools or Services with sufficient notice. School Level Frameworks 5. It is essential that accurate information about teaching activities, members of staff leading activities and notice of any decisions to opt-out of recording teaching sessions is provided to staff responsible for managing the timetable software, as this will be the source of information for automated lecture capture recordings. 6. Schools are invited to engage in debate about recordings and set a framework for recording to commence in 2014/15. In particular Schools are asked to discuss: The recording of lectures; Recording of other teaching sessions and educational activities; Recordings as part of assessments; Recordings with or without video; Supporting colleagues considering opting out of being recorded; Limits of use and publication. 7. It is expected that most Schools will decide to take advantage of the recording for the benefit this brings to students and record lectures and other teaching sessions unless there are discipline based pedagogical or commercial reasons for opting out. 5 8. Schools should decide what should and should not be recorded and advise School timetablers of the School level decision as part of the normal timetabling cycle as follows: a. Decision 1 the default settings will apply to all timetabled activities, and recordings will take place as the equipment permits in all timetabled activities in central teaching rooms. b. Decision 2 a variation on the default settings will apply to all timetabled activities (e.g. opt out of video recording, or opt out of recording of certain types of timetabled teaching sessions. 4 A full list of recording equipment to be installed in Central Teaching Space venues will be provided shortly. 5 See Why record http://www.sdduonline.leeds.ac.uk/changinglandscape/training-and-support/
c. Decision 3 all individual academics will make a decision about whether to opt out. The opt out can be set by module, by educational activity, and by type of recording. Module Level discussion and individual opt out 9. Once a School Level Framework has been agreed, a discussion should take place at module level as to which teaching sessions will not be recorded and the format of recording (e.g. video or audio only). 10. Information about all opt outs is to be provided to school timetablers by May 2 nd to enable the correct information to be notified to students as part of the online module enrolment process. 11. Information about all activities that are opted out of is to be given to school timetablers using the normal School mechanism to provide timetabling information. The following is a suggested proforma for ensuring accurate capture of this information: Activity: i.e Lecture/Seminar/ Group Work Day Start time End time Group (if applicable) Name of staff member leading the activity Opt out of video camera recording during your session, but retain recording of audio and the screen content projected? Opt out of all recording for this activity? Has the person responsible for the activity been notified? Opt out Y/N Opt-out Y/N Yes/No 12. Individual staff do not need to advise timetablers of the publication channels for the recording, because they will retain control over publication of sessions recorded, but they do need to decide the extent of publication prior to making the recording to ensure that the correct notice is given to students. Notification 13. Where student recordings are to take place as part of a programme of study, students should be informed as early as possible and ideally before a module commences to enable them to make an informed choice as to whether they wish to study on the module and be recorded. 14. Students should be given notice of recording at two stages: prior to selecting their modules and immediately prior to the recording taking place. Schools will be provided with notification templates in due course. Prior to Selecting Modules 15. Students will be notified as part of registration that they may be recorded and they will be advised that all modules may involve recording as part of assessment.
16. From the information provided to School timetablers a central list of modules where recordings of teaching sessions will take place will be produced. 17. Students will be given notice of those modules where recording will take place by colleagues in School Education Service Teams as part of the information provided to students during the module enrolment process. 6 18. Information of recording should also be given in module handbooks or other course documentation as appropriate to cover (1) details of intended use and access; (2) a reminder that individuals may opt-out of recording or ask to edit the recording; and (3) details of where any requests to opt-out or editing should be sent. Final Reminders of Recording 19. A final reminder that a recording is being made should be given by the person leading the session immediately before the recording commences. Sensitive Data 20. If sensitive data is to be recorded 7 notice of recording is not sufficient; express consent to be recorded is required from all those involved in recordings. Non-timetabled activities 21. For all other recordings made which includes staff recording students; students recording staff; staff recording staff, students recording students, and staff and students recording visitors or members of the public, wherever practicable notice should be given at least 21 days before the recording. A final reminder should also be given. Process for 2015/16 onwards 22. It will be looked to integrate the process of notice of recordings into the module and programme catalogue as it is developed for the future. 6 It is also anticipated that these lists from all Schools will be published to students across the University centrally on a University website to ensure that those studying joint honours and students choosing electives in a different School from their parent School will have notice. 7 See Paragraph 7 of the policy
Appendix 2 The University Policy on Audio and Video Recording for Educational Purposes Frequently Asked Questions What type of educational activities does this policy relate to? Why is the University keen on recording for educational purposes? The policy has been developed to cover all audio and video recordings associated with the educational experience by staff and students. Therefore, it covers all recordings of face-to-face teaching and assessment activities as well as pre-recorded material produced by staff and students for teaching or assessment purposes. The policy is intended to protect individuals rights when producing audio and video recordings for educational purposes. The policy is in line with the University s aspirations for Blended Learning and the Digital Strategy for Taught Student Education. Evidence from key competitor universities indicates that we risk falling behind in these areas if we do not make more effective use of technology to enhance the quality of the student education. The policy has been developed in response to demand from staff and students to make the position on recordings of educational activities clearer, support on-going recording activity and inspire innovation across the University. The University believes there are many educational benefits to recording for educational purposes, some of which are summarised below: o o o o o Flexible learning any time and anywhere access to learning materials, at the learners own pace; Multi-modal learning providing learning materials in multiple formats to suit individual learning preferences; Deep learning Ability to evaluate and contextualise learning materials over time; Accessibility particularly useful for students with special educational needs; Practicality Ability to pause, repeat and / or revisit complex learning materials to increase understanding. Recordings of face-to-face educational activities have the following specific perceived benefits: o Access to learning resources in context (as opposed to accessing slides and handouts without the benefit of the session discussion and interaction); o Revisiting complex ideas, sequences of practical steps and parts of the session poorly understood particularly beneficial for second language speakers, disabled students, students attempting to multi-task in the session; o Increases learners ability to concentrate more fully in a face to face teaching session without anxiety about the quality of notetaking; o Supports research based learning e.g. recordings of master classes, visiting speakers, research seminars; o May enable large cohorts to be taught across several rooms via streaming; o Allows for editing of material to highlight key points; o Can be reused in future sessions as session pre-requisites or face-to-face resources to reflect on changes in that field of study, their causes and effects; o A library of recorded materials can afford the benefits of Open Educational Resources both internally and externally; o Allows the possibility of attending two sessions timetabled at the same time; o Provides an opportunity for students to review content of interest beyond the constraints of their timetabled activity.
Pre-recorded audio and video learning resources have the following additional perceived benefits: o Ability to storyboard the learning materials (e.g. narration over multimedia) for release to learners; o Allows for introductory learning materials to be delivered online, freeing up face-to-face time for collaboration, interaction and discussion; o Multimedia and interactive learning resources increase student engagement and enjoyment of the subject, increasing the likelihood of improved educational outcomes. Recordings of audio video materials in the context of assessment have the following perceived benefits: o Provides a record of assessed student work (e.g. oral presentations); o Provides the ability for students and teachers to evaluate, critique and reflect on performances; o Ability to provide personalised or generic audio and / or video feedback on performance or assessed work. What is the evidence that recording supports student learning? Evidence which has informed the University s position on the value of audio and video recordings is summarised below, but it is recognised that there is a discussion to be had about when and where it is most appropriate to use recordings to enhance student learning. In recognition of this debate, the policy invites schools and services to discuss and decide when it is appropriate to record. University and HE sector Projects o The University of Leeds has piloted lecture capture (Echo 360) in the Faculty of Engineering since 2009 and within this time has seen an increasing demand for lecture capture (Davis et al., 2009). Other Faculties (e.g. Biological Sciences) have widespread use of audio recording of lectures, with high student demand and evidence of improved student engagement. o The JISC funded ELTAC project (Enhancing Lecture through Automated Capture) http://cuba.coventry.ac.uk/lecturecapture/institution/ suggests that the growth rate of recordings of lectures in the UK can be explained by a combination of three critical features: it leverages learning benefit from the predominant classroom delivery method (the lecture); it is relatively invisible to the lecturer and therefore requires little or no technical training and student feedback is overwhelmingly and consistently positive. A summary of research evidence applied in that project can be found as follows: Lecture Capture Student Perceptions and Use http://cuba.coventry.ac.uk/lecturecapture/teaching-and-learning/lecture-capture-studiesstudent-perceptions-and-use/ o The JISC Building Capacity project at Leeds http://www.sddu.leeds.ac.uk/lbc/ between May 2010 and February 2011 used the application of JISC outputs and outcomes to inform use of audio and video to support assessment and feedback. Research For a selection of relevant literature on the pedagogical implications of audio and video recordings for educational purposes, colleagues are directed to the following: o Bollmeier, S. G., Wenger P. J., Forinash A. B. (2011) Impact of Online Lecture-capture on Student Outcomes in a Therapeutics Course. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 74: 127 o Copley, J. (2007). Audio and video podcasts of lectures for campus-based students: production and evaluation of student use. Innovations in education and technology international, 44(4), 387-399. o Davis, S. J., Connolly, A., & Linfield, E. (2009). Lecture capture: making the most of face to face learning. Engineering Education: Journal of the Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre, 4(2), 4-13. o McKinney D, Dyck JL, Luber ES (2009) itunes University and the classroom: can podcasts replace professors? Computers and Education 52: 617-623.
o Morris NP (2010) Podcasts and mobile assessment enhance student learning experience and academic performance. Bioscience Education, 16.1 o Owston, R., Lupshenyuk, D., & Wideman, H. (2011). Lecture capture in large undergraduate classes: student perceptions and academic performance. The Internet and Higher Education, 14(4), 262-268. o Shaw G.P.; Molnar D. (2011) Non-native english language speakers benefit most from the use of lecture capture in medical school. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education. 39: 416-420 o Taplin, R. H., Low, L. H., & Brown, M. A. (2011). Students satisfaction and valuation of web-based lecture recording technologies. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(2), 175-191. o Traphagan, T., Kucsera, J. V., & Kishi, K. (2010). Impact of class lecture webcasting on attendance and learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(1), 19-37. o Yudko, E., Hirokawa, R., & Chi, R. (2008). Attitudes, beliefs, and attendance in a hybrid course. Computers & Education, 50(4), 1217-1227. For a selection of literature, which informs the approach to discussion and debate at school/service level: o Kirkwood, A & Price, L (2013) Missing: evidence of a scholarly approach to teaching and learning with technology in higher education, Teaching in Higher Education, 18(3), 327-337 o Malcolm, J & Zukas, M (2009) Making a mess of academic work: experience, purpose and identity, Teaching in Higher Education, 14(5), 495-506. o Fenwick, T & Edwards, R (2011) Introduction: Reclaiming and Renewing Actor Network Theory for Educational Research, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 43:sup1, 1-14 o Goodfellow and M.R Lea (eds), (forthcoming) Literacy in the Digital University: Critical Perspectives on Learning, Scholarship & Technology. London: SRHE/ Routledge Why have a policy? Why has the decision on recording been devolved to the Head of School/Service? Do I have to record? Are there limits on the use of recordings by the University? Without a policy it is unclear as to where the decision lies as to when to record. When recording there is a strong suspicion that individual rights may not be properly protected with patchy use of waivers that may not be properly effective (for example students recording and sharing recordings of staff without their consent). In addition, there is a need to further clarify with students what their rights are with regard to using University recordings and whether it is permitted to make their own recordings. Staff and students alike need clarity. The University recognises the different learning and teaching contexts in each school and service and the importance of decisions on recording being made which are sensitive to the disciplinary context. Whether or not it is appropriate to record is to be debated and agreed in each school or service. An individual may always opt out of being recorded. Final confirmation of intended use will be included in the Recording Notice sent to all those anticipated to be present at the recording. There will be a terms of use statement on all recordings saying where they may be used. Explicit consent will be sought from individuals before any recordings are published on externally facing channels (e.g. itunesu,
Can I use third party materials in a recording? What happens if I want to remove material from a recording? Why will students not be allowed to make unauthorised recordings when this policy is in place? What action can be taken for breach of the policy by staff or students? What about any impact on disabled students Can Schools continue to agree arrangements with visiting staff? YouTube etc.) Yes, with consent. You should take steps to ensure that the materials you use are used in accordance with copyright and attributed correctly. See the library for advice http://library.leeds.ac.uk/copyright-basics and SDDU for details of training available. It is recognised that there are situations when recordings may include material that you do not wish to be published (e.g. preliminary research data). You may edit your recording before releasing it to students. This ensures that staff and student opt out is possible and enforceable i.e. it is not appropriate for any individual to record staff or students who have opted out from being recorded. To do otherwise would be to put the University and others at risk because the University would not be able to control their protection of rights. As in all instances of breach of University policy, this could be a disciplinary matter. Additionally the University may ask students or staff to edit or remove inappropriate material. Guidance will be available to support Schools to implement the policy and respond to breaches. If this is part of an assessment of needs they will be able to record for their private study purposes. Under the policy there is a default position which may be customised with the agreement of the Head of School/Service.