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YuJa is the university’s new Learning Capture solution. It’s used for recording on-campus lectures and storing and sharing videos on your Blackboard module.
You may see signage outside classrooms and lecture theatres making you aware that lecture recording may occur. Be aware that not all lecturers will be recording your on-campus sessions.
What will be recorded?
Classroom Capture (recording of on-campus teaching) involves the recording of audio and the main screen in a teaching room or lecture theatre. There are no cameras capturing the audience and the microphones are designed to prioritise the main speaker in the room.
Recording of on-campus teaching is designed as a complimentary resource and not a substitute for attending your lectures. You may find that some sections of a session are not recorded, as they are unsuitable for Classroom Capture.
Getting started with YuJa
To start using YuJa, you just need to log in with your university credentials (ab123456@student.reading.ac.uk), either via reading.yuja.com or by clicking a YuJa link in a Blackboard module.
To make best use of YuJa, ensure that third party cookies are enabled.
Where to find YuJa videos
If your lecturer is using YuJa, then you might find videos embedded in your Blackboard module. These can be played from within Blackboard (but you may be asked to authenticate, or sign in).
You may find that your lecturer posts recordings of your on-campus sessions to the ‘Channel’ for your module. You can access this via the YuJa link in the appropriate Blackboard module.
Using YuJa Effectively
You can find information on how to use YuJa effectively in your studies on the Study Advice pages. You can also find links to this information in the YuJa area of your modules in Blackboard.
As well as this information, you may find these features of the player helpful when interacting with YuJa video content.
Multi-Stream Videos
Multi-stream videos in YuJa (for example, where camera and screen input has been recorded) allow you to adjust the placement and display of streams so you can watch in a way that works best for you.
Multi-stream videos will show as 'picture-in-picture' by default. This will prioritise one video stream and place another in a floating window above the player (1).
You can move the position of the floating window by clicking and dragging it to anywhere on the player and switch the prioritised streams by clicking 'Switch Streams' (2).
You can further adjust the view by selecting between four different player displays (3)
Picture-in-picture - with a main stream displayed in full and additional streams as a floating window (shown above)
Single Stream - showing one stream at a time
Presenter View - prioritising the main stream, with additional streams and the index placed to the left
Gallery View - giving equal priority to each stream
The Sidebar
The Sidebar allows you to access additional information and resources on a video. Be aware that not all of your videos will have resources available via the sidebar feature.
You can access the Sidebar by clicking 'Show Sidebar'. Via the Sidebar, you can:
- Search captions - the Search feature allows you to find specific words or phrases and can help you navigate to a specific topic.
- Navigate Indexes - these are either automatically or manually generated sections of a video, which let you skip through topics.
- Access Slides - we are not recommending your lecturers attach slides to videos. Check your Blackboard module for your lecture slides.
- Captions - this view allows you to navigate the video via each individual line of captioning
- Notes - allows you to write down personal notes about a video. These are not shared with your lecturer or any other viewer
- Resources - Resources offers an additional place to download the video's transcript. For module-specific resources, always check your Blackboard module.
Accessibility Features
The YuJa video player has a variety of accessibility features to improve your experience, such as keyboard shortcuts and configurable and moveable captions. You can read more about the accessibility features on the YuJa support pages.
To access and download the transcript for a video, open it in YuJa and click 'Show Transcript' beneath the video. This will open the transcript beside the video.
Accessing Central Video Resources
You can access central university video resources (such as Library or Study Advice guides) via the Shared area within YuJa.
Click a YuJa link in any Blackboard module, or visit reading.yuja.com directly and access the Shared area (where you can find the Channels for your modules).
Central video resources are stored under the ‘Shared Folders’ heading.
YuJa for Assessment
You may need to submit videos for assessment via YuJa. The following guides cover how to record, upload, and submit with YuJa:
Video Presentation: Recording yourself and your screen
Always leave yourself plenty of time before uploading or submitting work for assessment. If you have any issues, get in touch via the Self-Service Portal or by emailing DTS@reading.ac.uk