Online learning has become a massive feature among college students, with around 10 million college students taking at least one online class in 2022. This equates to 73.4% of students, up from 25.5% in 2012. Although the global pandemic acted as a catalyst for online distance learning, that trend has continued to grow since lockdowns ended.
With online learning more prevalent than ever, screen recording has become an indispensable tool for lecturers wanting to engage with their students without having to be in the same room. Similarly, students can learn from wherever they are, saving time on travel while still benefitting from high-quality lecturing and being able to collaborate with their peers online.
This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know to screen record lectures that pop. This enables high-quality distance learning and provides an excellent overall educational experience.
Once you’ve read this article, you’ll be able to:
- Get the right software to help you record your lectures
- Know how to record your screen to create high-class educational content
- Understand how to edit your recordings
Let’s get into it.
Why screen record lectures?
Recording your lectures offers a massive array of benefits to both students and educators. For example, students can enjoy access to lectures at any time, wherever they are, meaning they can enjoy a more flexible schedule that might include work to help meet those all-important bills.
In addition, they can pause and replay complex topics or make more in-depth notes by pausing the video, which helps deepen their learning.
Meanwhile, screen-recorded lectures allow educators to spread their content to a broader audience, engaging new students without being burdened by geographical boundaries. They can also reuse content repeatedly, meaning they spend less time prepping for class and more time directly interacting with students.
In addition, screen recordings can help improve learning outcomes by catering to different learning styles. Some people learn through auditory explanations; others are more visual learners. This approach allows both types of people to thrive, especially when live, in-person sessions are combined with recorded content.
How to screen-record a lecture (step-by-step guide)
Screen recording a lecture for the first time can be an intimidating prospect. This is where planning, getting everything in place, and understanding the best recording techniques come into their own.
We’ve created this simple step-by-step guide to getting everything in place to record top-notch educational content:
Step 1: Preparation
Preparation for recorded content is much the same as it would be for a classroom section. Outline your lecture content so you know what you’re going to say. Establish your learning objectives and ensure your content always refers back to them. Think about how long you have for each lecture section and plan accordingly.
Once you know what you’ll say, prepare your additional presentation materials. With screen recording, you can use a rich array of media types. From a presentation slide deck to website content, interactive videos to annotations and animations. The key is to know when you will use each additional piece of content as you speak.
Step 2: Setting up software
Decide which tool you will use to capture your lecture, and download the software. Once your software is installed on your computer, test the configuration until you’re happy with the quality.
Consider the resolution you need to record in and ensure your computer can support your chosen frame rate.
Step 3: Record!
If you’re happy with your setup, it’s time to hit “Record” and begin creating your content. Speak clearly and confidently, take your time over your content, and don’t worry if you stumble over your words; you can edit them.
Engage with the camera, be confident about your subject matter, and use on-screen annotations to add deeper context to your talk’s essential sections or emphasize points as you talk.
Step 4: Saving and exporting
Once you’ve finished your lecture, save your content and export it so you can share it with your students. Make sure you choose the correct file format. MP4s are the most common file type, but you can also use MOV and AVI files, which are usually compatible with most platforms.
When exporting files, consider your preferred sharing platform to ensure it supports your content. For instance, if you aim to share on YouTube, your content should have a resolution of at least 1080p and be in a 16:9 ratio.
Essential equipment and setup for high-quality recordings
So, what equipment and hardware do you need to create high-quality recordings, and how do you set them up?
Computer spec
You’ll need a computer or laptop with at least 8GB of RAM and a quad-core processor running at 2.5GHz or higher for high-quality recordings.
Microphones
Don’t rely on your laptop or device mics for professional-quality audio. Get a good-quality USB mic, such as Blue Yeti, for crisp, clear sound quality.
Webcams
Check your device’s webcam before you use it to ensure it records the required quality. For recommended HD content, you’ll need one that records at 1080p resolution. If you need an external one, we recommend the Logitech C920 webcam.
Lighting
Natural light is ideal for recording high-quality lectures. However, if you need artificial lighting, a ring light or LED panel provides flattering and non-abrasive illumination.
Noise-cancelling tools
Audio quality is critical when creating engaging lecture content. Use a noise-cancelling headset to help reduce background noise and your software’s editing suite to create clear audio.
Best practices for screen recording lectures
Here are some top tips to help you nail your lecture recordings and elevate them to the next level:
Content delivery
How you deliver your content is crucial to your audience’s understanding, helping them meet your learning objectives and ensuring positive outcomes. Keep your explanations clear and concise, use easy-to-use language where possible, and use the multimedia power of screen recordings to provide definitions if you’re using complex terms or jargon.
Storytelling is an excellent way of engaging your audience, as it helps students relate to the point you’re trying to make. Humor is another fantastic device for helping your audience relate to your content and maintain their attention.
Visual aids
Screen recordings are a great way to combine multiple media sources, so it makes sense to use them. Mix up your content to maximize engagement rather than just letting your students see your face.
Integrate videos, images, and animations to help illustrate your points, and make sure you use your presentation slides effectively. Don’t make them too busy or detailed; you don’t want to overwhelm your audience visually while talking. Stick to the main points on the screen and expand on them verbally.
Audience interaction
Interacting with your audience with screen-recorded lecturers is easier than you think. Even if you don’t have a captive audience in front of you at the time, you can still communicate with them.
Ask them prompting questions throughout the content to help them think critically about the topic content. Create prompts asking them to pause the recording to brainstorm or perform an activity. Encourage them to take notes to help them further their understanding and be a tool to refer back to as they revise.
Top Screen Recording Software Options
| Software | Features | Pricing | Editing Tools? |
| Dadan | Webcam capture Audio recording Auto-captioning and transcriptions 4K video capture Annotations Cursor highlighting Asynchronous communication Interactive video including quizzes and polls Password-protected sharing URL link sharing | $9 per month | Wide range of tools |
| Loom | Webcam capture Audio recording Cursor highlighting AI note-taking facility Easy-to-use Annotations | $12.50 per user per month | Good selection of editing tools |
| Xbox Game Bar | Webcam capture Audio capture Easy-to-use | Free with Microsoft Windows | No |
Editing and enhancing your lecture recordings
Editing your completed recordings is the next step in enhancing them to a high standard that educates and engages your audience. From basic techniques, such as adjusting the sound, to advanced tips, such as adding annotations, here’s a glimpse of what you can do in post-production:
Basic editing
Taking the virtual scissors to your video helps you remove elements that disrupt the flow. That could be stumbling over your words, sections that are difficult to understand, pauses, or any content that, on reflection, you feel is irrelevant. Using your software’s trimming tool is the perfect way to remove those unwanted sections.
Similarly, you can amend audio levels, make sure your audio and visuals are in sync, adjust color, contrast, and brightness, and include transitions to break up your video into more manageable, easy-to-navigate sections.
Advanced enhancements
Once you’re happy with the flow of your video, you can personalize it further with a range of additional enhancements and flourishes. Be prepared; some free versions of editing tools don’t allow these advanced features, but most paid subscriptions will.
You can add subtitles to aid accessibility for your audience and other text enhancements, such as callouts and captions, to focus the viewer’s attention on a specific part of your screen. Other features include animations, annotations, picture overlays, and access to music to place underneath sections of your content.
Software tools for editing
Many screen recording tools also offer excellent editing features to enhance your content and take it to the next level. Dadan, for example, isn’t just a screen and webcam capture tool; it also has a massive range of editing tools designed to help you create the most engaging content possible.
If you’re working with free tools, DaVinci Resolve is one of the best on the market. It is packed with interesting features and is easy to use for people of all technical abilities.
Look online for guides on editing your video content for more details on enhancing your lecture recordings.
Sharing and distributing your lecture recordings
Your content has been recorded and edited; now it’s time to share it with your eager audience. If you’re a lecturer at a college or university, you’ll likely use a Learning Management System (LMS) to interact with your students. These platforms are perfect for the educational arena, allowing you to target your intended audience.
However, sometimes you may want your content to reach a wider audience, so you might use a video hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo. Dadan also provides video hosting that allows you to share content by sending a web link to your chosen recipients that takes them straight to the video.
Of course, privacy is a huge consideration too. While you might be happy for your video lecture to be viewed by all and sundry, in which case you can stick with public sharing, if you’re sharing content that you want to limit access to, then use private sharing settings and control access for students via a password or access code.
The other key consideration is accounting for individuals with different learning styles and possible difficulties. Make sure your video is captioned, and provide students with a transcript so they can follow along. Also, ensure your video is compatible with your students’ devices. For example, if it’s created to be shared on laptops or desktops, make sure that’s communicated to avoid potential problems.
Troubleshooting common issues
There will be occasions when videoing your lectures will run into problems. Here are some of the most common issues and how to resolve them:
Audio problems
Low or no sound
If your recording has little or no sound, here’s what to do.
Check your hardware connections, ensuring your microphones are plugged in and powered on. Check that your recording software or device is not muted, and test your audio sources with different apps to isolate the issues. If issues persist, run system updates to ensure you’re using the current drivers.
Eliminate background noise
If your video has unwanted background noise, use a noise-canceling microphone and record in a quiet environment. Apply noise reduction filters during the editing process, and if issues continue, use some noise-softening treatments within your recording space.
Video quality issues
Resolving blurry content and lag
Ensure your computer meets the minimum system requirements to support screen recording. Close any unnecessary background apps to free up resources. Adjust the frame rate or resolution, and consider upgrading to a dedicated graphics card if needed.
Adjusting resolution settings
To optimize your recording resolution, ensure it matches your display’s native resolution settings. Balance the quality between file size and picture clarity, such as recording at 720p for web content.
Software issues
Crashes
Keep your OS and software up to date to prevent your software from crashing. Ensure you have sufficient disk space for temporary files to save as you record. If crashes continue, check the error logs and contact the supplier for solutions.
Updating software and drivers
To ensure optimal performance, regularly check for and install updates for your OS, software, and hardware. Run regular Windows updates and iOS upgrades, and restart your system after updates so the changes take effect.
Wrapping up
Screen recording lectures and utilizing video messaging software to provide students with a whole multimedia experience has redefined the educational landscape for good. Now that you’ve read this guide, you’re equipped to create high-quality, engaging, educational content from the initial planning and setup stage through recording and post-production to know how to resolve common issues and share your content with your students.
So, there’s no better time to act and get started with your lecture recording journey to help your students reach improved learning outcomes and fulfill your educational objectives.
To help you on your journey, check out these additional in-depth guides to recording and enhancing your video content:
- How to edit your screen recordings
- How to screen record with your Windows laptop
- Best beginner video editing software
- Best screen recorder for training
Dadan’s screen recording software and video editor should be your first stop on your lecture-recording journey. With a 14-day free trial, why not sign up and test out Dadan to kick-start your remote lecturing experience today?
