How to Record Lectures at College (Best for Lecturer and Student)

With everything that’s going on around the world, the entire work/study dynamic has shifted. Work from home and study from home has become the norm in most countries. Given the situation that our world is facing, what we need to do is to adapt as quickly and efficiently as possible. Take too long, and you’re going to miss out. Almost all lectures taught are done via video-calls nowadays. Hence, recording lectures becomes an actual necessity, and knowing how to record lectures becomes crucial.

As a lecturer wishing to record lectures…

If you do plan on recording your lectures, here is how you should go about it. As a lecturer, the effectiveness and quality of your teaching mustn’t get affected by anything.

Step 1: Set up a workplace to record the class lecture

It is a vital step in recording your lectures since without a specified workplace set up and ready, you’re going to be wasting tons of time with little to no result. If you’re at home, find the most isolated place in the house with enough space for you, your desk, and a whiteboard. Isolation is vital, not just for preventing distractions that might come your way but also for any sound and other issues that might affect the quality of your lectures. Ensure that you have enough natural light coming in, wherever you decide to station.

Step 2: Get the necessary lecture recording devices you’ll need to record lectures

Once you have your workplace defined and ready to go, you must have all the necessary hardware that you might need to record a lecture. Some of the hardware that is a must-have are:

Quality Camera and Mic

It is, by far, the most vital piece of hardware that you WILL need if you wish to record lectures. It doesn’t matter how good your lectures are, without a quality camera and mic, it will be average at its best. It is an investment, since should you choose to dive into making YouTube videos of the same, this same camera and mic will come in handy. Rode, Sennheiser, and Shure offer some good voice recorders for lectures while Canon and Sony lead the camera game.

Greenscreens

Greenscreens allow for interesting backgrounds and make lectures fun. You have the flexibility to show whatever you want as your background. It can just be a plain background, or it can even be something that has to do with your lecture. The possibilities are endless. Though it isn’t a must-have, we highly recommend getting one.

Whiteboard and accessories

If you are trying to simulate classroom lectures, getting a whiteboard and related material would make a lot of sense. Lectures that you record will have a much more personal touch since your students will be able to see everything they would have seen if there were in an offline lecture. These don’t cost much and will add another dimension to your online lectures.

Step 3: Get the necessary software you’ll need (Lecture recorder, editing, and transcription program)

Lecture Recording Software(For Students and Lecturers)

Screen recorder software is the most important and crucial piece of software when it comes to recording lectures. It is something that can be used by the lecturer and student. Recording the screen has many benefits for both parties involved.

Aiseesoft is the perfect choice for this and does the job quickly without compromising on quality.

Some of the standout features for Aiseesoft are:

It allows you to record screen video. If you are watching a video and wish to capture and record a particular portion, downloading the entire video and then trimming it is a hassle. Aiseesoft provides an easy solution to record screen videos.
Record the entire desktop screen. Aiseesoft allows for recording either the desktop, a particular tab, or application, all from within the software. The process is seamless, and the UI/UX has made them a household brand when it comes to recording lectures. It can record streamed audio, capture online audio, and even record microphone voice.
Aiseesoft also allows us to take snapshots. It is useful when it comes to recording lectures since it makes taking pictures of notes and pdfs a piece of cake. You can adjust the size of the snapshot by dragging the very interactive pointer, and you can save it in almost all of the most-used image formats (.jpeg, .png, .bmp, .gif, etc.). It is quite a blessing for students.
This software, unlike many other recording software out there, allows you to edit the lecture that you just recorded. It would be a bonus for you as a lecturer. Add text, shapes, etc. to make your lectures more understanding and interactive.
It offers high-quality screen recording in different video formats at affordable prices and makes the entire process quick and easy with its shortcuts and mouse recording features.
Aiseesoft offers a free download for Windows 7/8/10, Mac, and a fully paid service with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It speaks volumes about the trust they have in their brand.

With everything taken into consideration, this is by far the best way to record lectures. Give the free version a try and if it suits your needs (pretty sure it will), then go for the paid service and avail all its benefits.

Video-Editor Software

If the recorder mentioned above didn’t meet all your ultimate editing needs, then go for a full-fledged video editing software to make those recordings captured via Aiseesoft stand out. There are many options available online. Some of these are free, while others work on a freemium model. With such software, you will be able to give proper effects, transitions, and overlays that will help complete the video experience. If you plan on uploading your lectures to YouTube, then spending a few bucks on such a software solution would make sense. If you are a student, there is absolutely no need for this when it comes to recording lectures.

Transcription Software

As a student or a lecturer, there might be instances where you wish to have a text transcription of everything you either said or heard. After recording these lectures, it makes sense to have a transcription service that will give you a text document of everything you just recorded. It will take your note-taking to a whole new level and provide you with all forms of all possible information you might need to prepare for the next pop quiz or meeting.

Step 4: Prepare material and sessions, keeping in mind virtual classroom constraints

Once you have the workplace, hardware, and software all set up, the final step is to prepare your material. As a lecturer, it is vital to note that when lectures become online, the quality of the content needs to compensate for the absence of the offline experience. Use Prezi, MS PowerPoint to make presentations, and use the software mentioned above to make some quality video lectures.

Now that you know why you need to record lectures and how to record lectures, we hope you can take your productivity to the next level. Happy Recording.