Frequently Asked Questions about Audio Recording of Class Sessions
What is Glean?
Glean is an online note-taking platform that helps students take notes and organize information effectively. It includes features such as audio recording, importing of slides, and annotation/organization of typed notes. Glean allows students to engage with class content they may have missed in real-time and makes it easy for them to come back and review important information later on. You can read more about Glean on their Faculty FAQ page.
Why has Reed decided to use Glean for the audio recording accommodation? Why can’t students audio record using their phones or other software?
Reed is piloting the Glean platform for one year. We chose Glean for a few reasons:
- Glean offers enhanced security and data privacy measures, which may not be available when students are audio recording on their phones or while using other recording applications.
- Glean does not allow students to export audio recordings outside of the Glean platform. This means that all class recordings remain securely within the platform, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized distribution.
- Glean offers features to enhance students’ learning and engagement with course material, including:
- Capture audio, text, lecture slides, and images into a single comprehensive notes document
- Annotate notes so information can be found and reviewed easily
- Create “tasks” or to-do items for classes
- Create quizzes to assess retention and comprehension
- Customize the application’s layout to support attention and minimize distractions
How do students get access to Glean?
Only students who are registered with Disability and Accessibility Resources and have been granted an official accommodation to audio record class sessions are given access to Glean.
Are students allowed to share their recordings?
As per Reed’s recording guidelines, any audio recordings made for accommodation purposes are for the student's personal educational use only. Recordings and/or transcripts may not be shared with others or published without the prior written consent of all participants.
Can students export their recordings from Glean?
Glean does not allow users to share audio recordings or export recordings outside of the Glean platform. This means that all class recordings remain securely within the platform, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized distribution.
For how long do students have access to their recordings?
As per the agreement that students sign each semester (see full text below), students agree to delete their class recordings once the recordings are no longer needed for the student’s academic work--typically, upon completion of the course.
What are the guidelines given to students who are using this accommodation?
All students who request use of this accommodation in a course must sign the following agreement once per semester:
"I agree that I will only audio record class content within the Glean application. I acknowledge that this accommodation does not permit me to use other audio recording applications to record class content.
I agree that any recordings or transcriptions of class content are solely for my personal use in study and preparation related to the class.
I agree to delete/destroy any recordings I have made once the recording is no longer needed for my academic work (typically, upon completion of the course).
I will not release, post, share, sell, or otherwise make available the recordings/transcriptions in any format to any other person, whether or not that person is in my class.
I will not publish or quote information contained in the recordings/transcriptions without express written consent of the speaker(s).
I acknowledge that the recordings are sources, the use of which in any academic work is governed by rules of academic conduct at Reed, in addition to federal copyright laws.
If other students or speakers are sharing personal information that would be inappropriate to record, I will be prepared to pause the recording occasionally upon request.
I understand that a violation of this agreement may result in referral to the Judicial Board and a hold on my eligibility to use this accommodation or other note taking accommodations."
Do other students in the course need to be notified that recording may be taking place?
While Oregon law does not require notification or consent (as long as the recording device is unconcealed) Reed's guidelines do ask instructors to inform all participants that the class may be recorded. These guidelines also state that this notification should not disclose the identity of the student using this accommodation.
Some faculty choose to include a statement on their syllabus, along the lines of: “This class may be recorded at times for accessibility reasons. Any students using this accommodation have agreed that the recordings are for their personal educational use only, and that recordings will not be shared with others or published unless they have secured prior written consent from the instructor and all participants.”
What if we are discussing sensitive or personal subject matter?
Occasionally, instructors may have concerns about recording class sessions that involve significant self-disclosure or discussion of sensitive topics, fearing that the recording will inhibit students from sharing freely. If these discussions are not appropriate subject matter for any student to be taking notes, it would be appropriate to make a general announcement to the class and ask all students to pause in their note-taking and recording activities.
This question has also been addressed by the U.S. Department of Education (see their Q&A section).
Is Glean a secure platform? How does it protect recordings and information stored in Glean?
- Glean has been vetted in accordance with Reed’s Technology Adoption Policy and meets the security and accessibility standards required for educational technology at Reed.
- You can learn more about Glean’s security practices on the Glean Security webpage.
Does Glean allow user data to be used to train AI technology?
Glean does not sell or rent user data, or allow third parties to use their data for AI training. You can learn more on Glean’s Artificial Intelligence FAQ webpage.
Is audio recording of classes permitted under Reed policy and Oregon law?
Oregon law (165.540) generally requires that all participants be informed if their conversations are being recorded. However, this requirement does not apply to "regularly scheduled classes or similar educational activities in public or private institutions," so long as the recording device is unconcealed (i.e., it is on the table or in the student's hand rather than in the student's pocket or backpack).
Reed's guidelines state that students may record class sessions either with instructor permission or as a disability accommodation.
Is this accommodation allowed at other schools?
Yes, permission to audio record classes is a commonly-issued accommodation in the higher education setting, and is endorsed as an appropriate auxiliary aid by the U.S. Department of Education (see their Q&A section).
What if I’m concerned that audio recording may be an unreasonable accommodation for my particular course, given the course content or format?
Faculty who are concerned that a recording accommodation may be unreasonable for a particular course may contact DAR to request reconsideration of an accommodation.
Once DAR receives the faculty member’s request, DAR will convene a committee of qualified individuals, including a representative from the Dean of Faculty office, to review the request and arrive at a determination. This process ensures that faculty’s concerns are carefully considered while taking into account the College’s obligations under the ADA to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to Reed’s programs.