Video and audio tools
Why use video and audio tools?
Video and audio tools allow you to communicate with students remotely, record mini lectures and publish them online, as well as use external content to compliment existing resources.
What video and audio tools are available?
There are a range of centrally supported tools available:
- Echo360 Universal Capture: record mini lectures which students can watch at their own pace.
- Echo360: upload video/audio content and embed it within your course. Students can also use Echo360 to submit video assignments.
- Zoom: communicate with students remotely and facilitate active learning through polling and reactions.
- External Content: embed external content within your course to compliment existing resources (i.e. YouTube and TED talks).
What functionality is available?
Live Lecture Recordings
The following table outlines the available options for recording live lectures.
| Adhoc / Scheduled Echo recording in an enabled room | Zoom Virtual Classroom (cloud recording) | Zoom Virtual Classroom (local recording) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | - Can record combinations of the screen/multiple screens, document camera and audio - Polling via Echo ALP - Recording automatically transferred to Echo360 | - Can record combinations of screens, applications, whiteboard, webcam and audio - Active learning features such as polling and reactions - Chat with the ability to share files and save chat history - Breakout rooms for collaborative group work - Records to Zoom cloud storage - Generates an audio-only version - Automatic transfer of recording to Echo360 personal library (can be configured to publish automatically to an Echo360 classroom) | - Can record combinations of screen, webcam and audio - Records a file directly to your computer |
| Limitations | - Restricted to rooms that have Echo recording hardware | - Can only share one screen at a time - No editing functionality | - Can only share one screen at a time - Takes time after the session has finished to process the recording - Requires hard drive space on your device for the recording to take place. - Requires you to upload the recording to another location for students to view |
| Guides | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Desktop Recording
The following table outlines the available options for desktop recording.
Echo360 Universal Capture is the most popular choice for desktop recording and can be used to create video tutorials for your classes, an introduction to your course, a mini lecture on a specific topic using a PowerPoint presentation with voiceover or demonstrations of how to use a software program.
| Echo360 Universal Capture | Zoom | PowerPoint | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | - Can access through Learn.UQ - Can record combinations of screen, webcam and audio - Includes in-built discussion board | - Can record combinations of screen, webcam and audio - Automatic transfer of recording to Echo360 personal library when cloud recorded (can be configured to publish automatically to an Echo360 classroom) | - Can record combinations of screen, webcam and audio - Can edit recording slide-by-slide |
| Limitations | - Can playback two screens at the same time side-by-side - Limited video editing - No video quiz functionality | - Very limited video editing - Unable to customise playback options (i.e. position of second screen) - No video quiz functionality | - No video quiz functionality - Will need to upload final video to another system |
| Guides | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Video and Audio Upload
You must upload all videos to a cloud storage option and not directly to your Learn.UQ course site.
Benefits of cloud storage include:
- Transcripts and closed captioning are generated automatically
- Improved accessibility for students
- Reduced costs for storage on Learn.UQ (hundreds of thousands of dollars each year)
- Improved Learn.UQ system stability
The following table outlines the available options for video and audio uploads.
| Echo360 | Zoom Cloud Recordings | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | - Limited editing functionality - Media is uploaded to the same place students access lecture recordings - Can upload PowerPoint presentations in addition to media files - In-built discussion boards - Adaptive stream quality - Computer-generated transcripts - Transcript editor - Downloadable transcripts - Searchable transcripts - Closed captioning (needs to be applied to the recording from transcript) - Variable playback speed - Multiple playback views (if applicable) - Detailed playback analytics available | - Adaptive stream quality - Computer-generated transcripts - Transcript editor - Downloadable transcripts - Searchable transcripts - Closed Captioning - Variable playback speed - Multiple playback views (if applicable) - Downloadable (if permitted) - Basic playback analytics available |
| Limitations | - Must create a 'class' to upload the content within - No video quiz functionality - Closed captioning not automatically applied from a transcript - Video not downloadable by students - Computer-generated transcripts and captions may require manual editing for accuracy | - Only usable when recording a Zoom meeting to the cloud - Only shareable to Learn.UQ via a URL - Unable to provide certainty that it will comply with section 3.4 of the eLearning Policy and Procedure - Computer-generated transcripts and captions may require manual editing for accuracy |
| Guides | Learn More | Learn More |
Virtual Classroom
Zoom is the university's video conferencing and virtual classroom system that allows participants to communicate, view presentations, interact with learning resources and work in groups. Zoom can also be used to host a meeting with UQ and non-UQ people by simply sending them your meeting room URL.
Features
- Active learning features such as polling and reactions.
- Waiting rooms for online exams.
- Chat with the ability to share files and save chat history.
- Breakout rooms for collaborative group work.
- Share screens, applications or a whiteboard.
- Setup a Zoom meeting link within your Learn.UQ course.
- Create a reusable meeting link.
Limitations
- User limits over 300 participants (can submit an IT request to increase the limit to 500).
External Content
A variety of video and audio streaming content is available from the UQ Library and you can also embed content from external sources such as YouTube, TED Talks or LinkedIn Learning.
Features
- You don't have to create new content from scratch.
- Can embed videos within your Learn.UQ or edX (Edge) course.
Limitations
- Unable to customise existing content.