Alternatives to standard Panopto lecture recording 

Published on: 05/06/2026 · Last updated on: 05/06/2026

Introduction 

Standard Panopto lecture capture is suitable for many taught sessions, but it may not always be the most pedagogically appropriate way to meet students’ access needs or reasonable adjustments. 

When a standard recording of the full live session is not the best option, the following approaches can help you provide an accessible record of key teaching material. 

Use this advice alongside existing Panopto, Moodle and AV guidance.  

Important: Panopto is the University’s video and audio platform, and video or audio recordings should be stored in Panopto rather than uploaded directly to Moodle. Moodle-linked Panopto folders inherit permissions from Moodle, helping ensure recordings are available to the appropriate staff and students. 

When to consider an alternative to standard live lecture capture 

You may want to use an alternative method when: 

• the session includes sensitive discussion, personal disclosure, clinical examples, commercially sensitive material, or third-party contributions 
• the teaching relies on discussion, debate, problem-solving, live polling, group work, or board work that may not make sense as a passive recording 
• recording students or a presenter on camera may affect participation 
• only part of the session needs to be available for review 
• a student has a reasonable adjustment requiring access to core teaching content, but a full room recording is not necessary or appropriate 
• you want to create a more concise, structured, or reusable version of the material 

The aim is to provide access to the key learning content, not to reproduce every moment of the live session. 

Options	Use this when	What students receive
Capture the live session without presenter video	Students need access to the explanation, slides, visualiser, screen or audio from the live session, but a standard camera recording is not appropriate.	A Panopto recording with audio and selected teaching materials, such as slides, PC screen or visualiser
Create an alternative recording outside the live session	The live session is interactive, sensitive or not suitable for recording, but students still need access to core explanations.	A narrated slide recording, short pre-recorded lecture, worked example or topic-based explanation
Turn past lectures into new material	Existing recordings contain useful explanations but need editing, updating or restructuring.	A shorter, current and more purposeful learning resource

Option 1: Capture presentation screens or visualiser with audio only (or with the camera pointed away from the presenter) 

Why use this: 

This is the closest alternative to a standard lecture capture. It gives students access to the key explanations, slides, demonstrations, annotations, or visualiser work without recording the presenter or students on camera. 

This option is useful when: 

• the presenter does not need to appear on camera or prefers not to be filmed 
• visual content and spoken explanation are the important parts of the session 
• students need to review worked examples, diagrams, code, calculations, or visualiser demonstrations 
• recording the room or presenter could inhibit discussion or participation 
• camera recording may distract from the content 
• the session includes movement around the room that is not useful to capture 

How it works: 

In Panopto, different sources can be captured as separate “streams”. A stream might be audio, camera video, screen capture, PowerPoint, or a visualiser/document camera feed. In a General Teaching Room you can manually set Panopto to record with the streams you choose to include. 

If a lecture has been scheduled to record automatically, then you (in the Creator role) can access the recording in Panopto, which allows streams to be added, edited, or deleted in the editor. 

It may be possible to have the camera repositioned to look away from staff and students. 

• Recording using Panopto in GTA spaces 
• Editing Panopto recordings 

Practical guidance: 

If you are unsure whether your timetabled room can record only the sources you need, or if you want to reposition a camera, contact DD&T (AV support) in advance. 

• Contact the IT/AV Service Desk  

Important: Do not assume you can remove presenter video after recording while keeping the same audio in every case. Where audio and camera are captured together as a primary stream, they may not be separable in the way you expect. It is better to set up the correct capture sources before recording.  

Option 2: Create an alternative recording outside the live session 

Why use this: 

This option is useful when the live session itself is not suitable for recording, but students still need access to the core teaching content. It can also produce a clearer, shorter and more reusable resource than a full lecture capture. 

This option is useful when: 

• the live session includes discussion or student participation 
• you want to explain slides more concisely than in a live session 
• a recording of the live room would not make sense without the activity context 
• the same explanation will be useful across multiple cohorts 
• you want to create short topic-based recordings rather than one long recording 
• you want to use live teaching time for questions, discussion, application or problem-solving (i.e. a flipped classroom model) 
• the subject matter can be reused in various scenarios 

How it works: 

You can record audio and your screen in a number of ways: 

• How to record using Panopto 
• Editing Panopto recordings 
• Record video in PowerPoint 
• Editing a video in Clipchamp 
• Add recordings to a Moodle-linked folder 

Practical guidance: 

• Break content into short sections where possible. 
• Use clear titles, for example “Week 4: Introduction to enzyme inhibition”. 
• Record in a quiet space with a good microphone. 
• Upload the final recording to the Moodle-linked Panopto folder. 
• Add a short Moodle description explaining what the recording covers and how it relates to the live session. 

You could consider creating: 

• 5 to10-minute concept explanations 
• short worked examples 
• threshold concept videos 
• introductions to weekly topics 
• revision or summary recordings 
• explanations of common misconceptions 

Shorter recordings are often easier for students to navigate and revisit. 

Important: A narrated recording does not need to replicate the live lecture word-for-word. Focus on the explanations, examples, and transitions students need to understand the material. You can direct students in Moodle to readings, worksheets, quizzes, or seminar activities for the parts of the live session that are not recorded. 

Option 3: Turn past lectures into new material 

Why use this: 

Existing lecture recordings can be a useful starting point, but they are not always suitable to reuse without adaptation. They may include outdated information, references to previous cohorts, long sections of silence or activity, or material that no longer aligns with the current unit. 

This option is useful when: 

• you have a strong existing explanation that remains current 
• students would benefit from a targeted extract rather than a full recording 
• you want to reduce duplication of effort 
• you want to build reusable learning resources 
• you need to provide access to core content without recording the current live session 
• a previous recording can be updated, reframed or shortened 

How it works: 

You might: 

Practical guidance: 

• Review the existing recording in full before reusing it. 
• Check whether the content is still accurate and aligned with the current unit. 
• Remove references to previous cohorts, old assessments or outdated dates. 
• Edit out irrelevant, sensitive or low-value sections. 
• Add a new title and description for the current context. 
• Provide guidance in Moodle so students understand how the recording fits the current teaching. 

Important: Do not reuse recordings without checking them first. Past recordings may include outdated content, references to previous assessments, student contributions, or material that is no longer appropriate to share. 

Copyright warning: You can reuse your own recordings as long as students are not present or you have permission from them. You can only reuse recordings by other staff if  there are exceptional circumstances.  If you believe your requirement to be exceptional or have any queries about copyright and intellectual property rights, please email the University’s Copyright Advisor. 

Working with past Panopto recordings