Tech Tips Tuesdays: YuJa (GUEST ISSUE)

Good morning,

Last week, Kala and I held a workshop on accessibility. If you missed the session, you can view the recording here: https://columbiasc.video.yuja.com/v/common-learn-accessibility. The recording can also be found on the library website on the “For Faculty” page.

During the session, I mentioned YuJa as something I’d like to cover, but didn’t have time during that hour. Luckily, this week’s newsletter is on just that: how to use YuJa to caption your videos and make your content more accessible.

Instead of me sharing this information, I’m passing the mic over to Jennifer Raasch. If you haven’t met her yet, she is an instructional designer with the online program, helping faculty move their courses into the online modality in a way that enhances student learning.

Here’s Jennifer!

Good Morning! I am Dr. Jennifer Raasch (rhymes with gosh), the new Instructional Designer.

For those of you who have not worked with an instructional designer before, my job is to assist faculty with online teaching and learning best practices. This means I partner with faculty to review their course(s) and redesign the learning elements that are not resonating with students. In my past work, faculty have enjoyed an opportunity to brainstorm alternative learning activities and assignments for students.

Today, I have some tips to share on YuJa. YuJa is a video recording software that lets you record yourself through a webcam and/or your screen to lecture or demonstrate a process to students. YuJa is also ADA accessible because it can auto caption.

Question 1: Where can I find YuJa?

YuJa is conveniently located in Canvas on the left side navigation bar.

Question 2: Where do I find more information on recording with YuJa?

YuJa has helpful videos and written tutorials on their website.

• YuJa Website: https://support.yuja.com/hc/en-us/p/software-capture
• Tip: All the YuJa information is posted in the new Faculty Orientation and Online Teaching Portal in your Canvas Dashboard list of courses. (Ed: If you don’t have access to this portal, please reach out to Jennifer!)

Question 3: What if I want to edit a recording?

YuJa provides editing capabilities for video recordings and captions.

• Tip: Always watch a recording and check the captions for accuracy!
• Reminder: See the YuJa website or the Faculty Orientation and Online Teaching Portal course (under Modules) for more information.

Question 4: What if I have an old video that is not in YuJa but needs captions for ADA accessibility?

You can upload a video to YuJa and it will auto caption it.

• Upload a Video: https://support.yuja.com/hc/en-us/sections/360007024174-Uploading-and-Downloading
• Tip: If you have an old PowerPoint with narrated audio added to it, you will need to convert it to an MP4 video file. PowerPoint can do an Export to MP4 file. Then, upload the MP4 file into YuJa.
• Reminder: If you are using Zoom or YouTube videos, they will add captions in their settings too or upload them to YuJa.

Question 5: How do I add a YuJa video to a Canvas Page?

YuJa has an interlocked double C icon in color on the Page toolbar to search and add your video(s).

Question 6: What else should I know about recording a video with YuJa?

Some Presentation Tips:

• Wear solid color clothes and limit any reflective jewelry.
• Light your face so students can see you (front and side – not backlighting behind you).
• Break PowerPoint lectures down so you can easily move through the slides and keep new information on the screen.
  • This will help students focus and keep their attention.
  • Define key terms that students may not know.
  • Try adding a critical thinking question, example scenario or quiz question during the presentation to encourage students to reflect on what they are learning.
• Break lectures down to a max of 10 mins.
  • Cover 1 – 3 key concepts per lecture. Students need short breaks to absorb the new information.
  • It also makes it easier for students to go back and review.
  • Videos download or stream faster on slower internet speeds.

Bonus Tip: Guess What?

Students can use YuJa too and it’s free!

• Students can see and use YuJa on the left side navigation menu in a Canvas course like the faculty.
• They can record discussion responses or peer critiques and upload their video for the instructor or fellow classmates to see.

If you have questions about YuJa, please contact me for further assistance.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post! Look out for more tips from Jennifer in a future issue.

Tech Tips Tuesdays will be going on a short (Fall) break next week, but we’ll be back the following Tuesday. 🍂