How to Record Online Classes: Audio, Board Layout and Privacy

To record an online class well, use a headset for clear audio, write large on an uncluttered board, split the lesson into named tabs that act as chapters, and press record at the very start. Tell students in advance, keep the recording within the class and share where to find it afterwards.

A recorded class keeps working after the lesson ends. Students who were absent catch up, students who were present rewatch the part that confused them, and you build a library of explanations you can reuse. But a recording is only useful if people can hear it, read the board and find the part they need.

How do you get clear audio when recording a class?

Get clear audio by using a headset or external microphone in a quiet room, because sound matters more than video in a recording. Students forgive a blurry webcam. They do not forgive an echo, a humming fan or a voice that drops in and out. Before you worry about anything else:

• Use a headset or an external microphone. A laptop's built-in microphone picks up the room.
• Choose a quiet, soft room. Curtains, a rug and a bookshelf reduce echo more than any setting.
• Keep the microphone at the same distance from your mouth throughout the lesson.
• Mute notifications on your computer and phone before you press record.
• Record a one-minute test and listen to it with headphones. Fix what you hear before the class.

How should you lay out the board for a recording?

Lay out the board for a recording by writing large, working left to right and keeping a fixed colour system, so the replay is readable on a phone. A board that works live can still be hard to read on a replay, especially on a phone. A few habits make every recording clearer:

1. Write bigger than feels natural. Zoom in on the area you are working in.
2. Work from left to right and top to bottom, so the order of ideas is obvious when someone jumps into the middle of the video.
3. Use a background that fits the content. Ruled or dotted for writing and math, coordinate plane for graphs, blank for diagrams.
4. Use two colours with fixed meanings, for example blue for working and red for key notes.
5. Point with the laser pointer instead of drawing extra circles. Its trail fades, so the board stays clean for the viewer.

How do you add chapters to a recorded class?

Add chapters to a recorded class by giving each part of the lesson its own board tab and saying the tab's name aloud as you open it. Board tabs are the easiest way to give a recording a structure. Plan one tab per part of the lesson and say the name of each tab out loud when you open it:

When you say "now we move to tab 3, practice", students scrubbing through the video know exactly where they are. The tabs also become clean pages that students can download with the session's resources as a PDF.

How do you record a class in Educastic?

Record a class in Educastic by pressing the Record button in the top toolbar when the lesson starts and stopping it when the lesson ends.

1. Start the session and admit your students.
2. Press Record in the top toolbar at the start of the lesson, not halfway through.
3. Teach as usual. Talk while you write and name each tab as you open it.
4. Stop the recording when the lesson ends.

Educastic keeps recordings in the My Recordings tab of My Library. From there you can replay a recording, download it, or play it back inside a later class, which is useful for revising last week's explanation together before moving on.

How do you share recordings with students?

The simplest way to share an Educastic recording is to do nothing extra: a class's participants can already watch its recording. Tell students where to find it and when it will be ready, and remind them at the start of the next lesson.

A few habits make recordings more useful:

• Mention the tab names in your message ("the worked example starts at tab 2").
• Pair the recording with the PDF of the session's resources, so students can follow the board.
• Play a short clip in the next class instead of re-explaining from scratch.

If you download a recording, remember that the file is no longer protected by the class's access rules, so think carefully before sending it anywhere else.

Who can watch a class recording?

Only that class's participants, admitted guests and the owner can watch an Educastic recording. That keeps a lesson within the group that took part in it.

Even so, a recording contains students' voices, possibly their faces, their names in the chat and their handwriting on the board. Treat it as you would any student record.

Do you need consent to record an online class?

Yes, in most cases you should tell students in advance and ask for consent where your school or local rules require it, including from parents or guardians of younger students. Before you record, follow your school's or your own policy, and be open with students:

1. Tell students in advance that the class will be recorded and why.
2. Ask for consent where your local rules require it, and from parents or guardians for younger students.
3. Say it again at the start of each recorded lesson.
4. Offer an alternative for students who prefer not to appear, such as keeping their camera off and asking questions in the chat.
5. Keep only what you need and delete recordings you no longer use.

For tips on making the lesson itself work well, read how to teach online with a whiteboard.

Frequently asked questions

Where are my class recordings saved? In Educastic, recordings are kept in the My Recordings tab of My Library, where you can replay or download them.

Who can watch a recording? Only that Educastic class's participants, admitted guests and the owner.

Can I show a recording in a later class? Yes. Educastic recordings can be played back inside a later class.

Is recording included in the free version? Yes. Educastic includes all of its teaching features in the free version.

Record your next lesson

Open the Educastic online whiteboard, plan your lesson in tabs and press record when your students arrive.

Record a class free