Access to Lecture Materials Accommodation

For students who’s disability and/or medical condition documentation supports an access to lecture material accommodation SAS recommends recording for the following reasons:

1. By providing a student with Audio Recording SAS is supporting the the three principles of accommodation: (8.1 Principles of accommodation Policy on accessible education for students with disabilities - Ontario Human Right Commission) 

• respect for dignity, 

• individualization and 

• integration and full participation

Using audio recording to meet their access to lecture material accommodation the student can attend, fully participate and is integrated in class in the same way as other students while accessing the lecture material in a format that supports their individual needs.

2. Lakehead University as a service provider has a “duty to accommodate” students with disabilities and/or medical conditions.

• Duty to Accommodate Definition: means a legal obligation to adjust rules, policies or practices to enable a student to fully participate (Accommodations and Access for Students with Disabilities and Medical Conditions Policy and Procedures - Lakehead University).

• Audio recording allows Lakehead University to meet their “duty to accommodate” for many students with the access to lecture material accommodation. The student has the responsibility for the logistics of the access to lecture material accommodation with no additional requirement from the instructor or SAS to meet this accommodation requirement.

3. Audio recording is a Ontario Human Rights Code recommended UDL that provides accurate lecture content in a timely manner creating an adaptive learning environment recognizing the diverse needs of all learners (8.2 Inclusive Design Policy on accessible education for students with disabilities - Ontario Human Rights Commission).

4. Audio recording is a basis for many assistive technologies that support note taking. Students have the autonomy of full control over their access to lecture material accommodation through attending class and exercising their own note taking skills with the support of their access to lecture material accommodation that is audio recording based. SAS Assistive Technology webpage.

Recording capability allows students to take responsibility for their access to lecture material through attending classes and developing note taking skills that are supported by audio recording the lecture.

The student is responsible for using their own device to record (laptop/tablet/iPad/cell phone/audio recorder).

Confidentiality

All students that require an Access to Lecture Material Accommodation must consent to and sign the Audio/Zoom Recording Agreement, which states:

• Recordings of class lectures will not be distributed, emailed, posted or otherwise communicated to any other person without the written consent of the lecturer.

• Audio recorded lectures will not be used in any way against the faculty member, other lecturers, or students whose classroom comments are recorded as part of the class activity.

• Students will erase/destroy the recordings when they are no longer required for the purposes of private study.

• That information contained in student recordings of lectures is protected under federal copyright laws.

Glean for Education is a recording based note taking solution which allows students to;

• Receive transcripts of their class lectures to support their own note taking.

• Utilize their own recording device (laptop/tablet/iPad/cell phone/audio recorder) to support the creation of multimedia notes by combining audio recordings of the class, class handouts or PowerPoints, and web content such as pictures or videos. 

• Take responsibility for their access to lecture material accommodation by attending class and developing note taking skills supported by the recording capability and transcription.

• Extract their notes/slides and transcripts from Glean.

NOTE: Students are not able to extract the audio recordings from Glean for Education which maintains the confidentiality and security of instructor's intellectual property. 

Click Here for more information on Glean for Education and FAQ's. 

NOTE: Glean for Education is not a support that all students have access to: this will be dependent on the students disability and/or medical condition and discussed and approved by the SAS Advisor.

Confidentiality

All students that require an Access to Lecture Material Accommodation (Glean for Education) must consent to and sign the Audio/Zoom Recording Agreement, which states:

• Recordings of class lectures will not be distributed, emailed, posted or otherwise communicated to any other person without the written consent of the lecturer.

• Audio recorded lectures will not be used in any way against the faculty member, other lecturers, or students whose classroom comments are recorded as part of the class activity.

• Students will erase/destroy the recordings when they are no longer required for the purposes of private study.

• That information contained in student recordings of lectures is protected under federal copyright laws.

Contravention of the agreement with respect to Recordings may constitute breach of Academic Integrity under the Student Code of Conduct - Academic Integrity (linked under “General” at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/about/policies-procedures/policies).

There are recording based assistive software other than Glean for Education that may suit a student's disability and/or medical condition functional limitations. SAS does not facilitate access to these software however, a student may utilize one or more on their own. Some of these assistive software are described on the SAS Assistive Technology webpage.

Confidentiality

All students that require an Access to Lecture Material Accommodation must consent to and sign the Audio/Zoom Recording Agreement, which states:

• Recordings of class lectures will not be distributed, emailed, posted or otherwise communicated to any other person without the written consent of the lecturer.

• Audio recorded lectures will not be used in any way against the faculty member, other lecturers, or students whose classroom comments are recorded as part of the class activity.

• Students will erase/destroy the recordings when they are no longer required for the purposes of private study.

• That information contained in student recordings of lectures is protected under federal copyright laws.

Contravention of the agreement with respect to Recordings may constitute breach of Academic Integrity under the Student Code of Conduct - Academic Integrity (linked under “General” at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/about/policies-procedures/policies).

SAS encourages instructors to consider allowing students in their course to use Glean for Education in order to access the accommodation of "Access to Lecture Materials" as it has specific functions that help to maintain the confidentiality and security of their intellectual property. 

Glean for Education allows students to take responsibility for their access to lecture material accommodation by attending classes and developing note taking skills that are supported by the recording capability.

Specifically Glean for Education is an recording based note taking solution;

• Receive transcripts of their class lectures to support their own note taking.

• Utilize their own recording device (laptop/tablet/iPad/cell phone/audio recorder) to support the creation of multimedia notes by combining audio recordings of the class, class handouts or PowerPoints, and web content such as pictures or videos. 

• Take responsibility for their access to lecture material accommodation by attending class and developing note taking skills supported by the recording capability and transcription.

• Glean for Education allows students to extract their notes/slides and transcripts from Glean but students are unable to extract the audio recordings.

• Glean for Education has a pause feature, so students can quickly stop the recording when necessary and then resume it easily when appropriate, supporting confidentiality and sensitivity in in class discussions.

Click Here for more information on Glean for Education and FAQ's. 

If the instructor agrees that Glean for Education can be implemented for their course, they should contact the student’s SAS Advisor who will revise the accommodation form to reflect this change and inform the student of the updated accommodation parameters.

Example of Revised Accommodation Wording: SAS supported Access to Lecture Material; recording based assistive software (Glean); the student will utilize their own recording device; student has signed confidentiality agreement with SAS each term.

If instructors still feel that they cannot implement the “Access to Lecture Material; recording capability for lectures in a class” accommodation via Glean for Education they shall contact the SAS Advisor to discuss possible alternative accommodations that will be provided by the instructor. Note: any suggested accommodation for access to lecture materials must include access to all aspects of the lecture including class discussion, announcements, videos shared in class etc.

SAS has provided a list of possible alternatives that the Instructor can consider (the list is not exhaustive and the instructor may have further alternatives to propose):

• Instructor can secure a peer note taker from the class and have the peer note taker contact SAS (until a peer note taker is secured and SAS provides the instructor confirmation that they are providing notes the instructor is responsible for providing an alternative solution; see this list)

• Instructor provides their lecture notes to the student and/or the class. (PowerPoint slides may not equate complete lecture notes)

• Instructor can provide previously recorded lectures to the student (ex. Zoom recordings from a previous year).

• Instructor can record lectures themselves and provide the recording and/or transcripts to the student and/or the class.

• SAS can provide access to Glean for Education to Instructors so they can create and edit transcripts to be shared with the student and/or the class. (Note: Glean does not allow exporting of recordings so only transcripts created in Glean can be shared with students.)

• Instructor sets up community of note takers for class to post notes 
  • University of Guelph 
  • Council of Ontario Universities: Accessible Campus

• Instructor can assign note taking to their TA/GA (if there is one) and these notes could be provided to the student and/or the class

Once the instructor has decided on the alternative accommodation to provide the student with and has notified the SAS Advisor of the alternative accommodation, the SAS Advisor will revise the student's accommodation letter with an accommodation that reflects the alternative solution. For example:

Accommodation Wording Example: Faculty supported Access to Lecture Materials; Prof to record lectures and provide the recording and/or transcripts to the student via email.

If an alternate solution cannot be found “If unable to implement the accommodation(s) in dispute due to undue hardship, the instructor and their Dean, shall refer the matter to the Chair of the Accommodation Team by completing an Accommodation Team Application Form.”(Page 3-4; Accommodations and Access for Students with Disabilities and Medical Conditions Procedures)

SAS recognizes that there may be specific disability/medical functional limitations where the accommodation of "recording capability for lectures which may include recording based assistive software (Glean/other)" will not accommodate a student. SAS will consider each circumstance individually and collaborate with the student and instructor regarding options and revise the students accommodation letter accordingly. 

Students are responsible for contacting SAS to discuss any concerns about their access to lecture materials accommodations.