Opencast

Opencast Content Capture System (OCCS) is an automated classroom recording system available in supported University of Toronto teaching spaces. Instructors can use Opencast to record lectures and other classroom presentations, review and edit recordings, and make them available to students through Quercus (Canvas).

Opencast can support students in reviewing explanations, demonstrations, and other course content after class. It is an opt-in service, and availability depends on the classroom’s recording capabilities.

Important: Opencast recordings are stored temporarily for a maximum of one academic term. Recordings are deleted from the OCCS server at the beginning of the following term. Instructors who wish to retain recordings must download and transfer them to another storage or hosting service before the retention period ends.

Getting Started with Opencast

Before using Opencast, instructors should confirm that their classroom supports OCCS recording. The system is available in supported Learning Space Management (LSM) classrooms equipped with compatible teaching stations.

OCCS in Quercus is available in the following divisions:

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Faculty of Arts and Science
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
Faculty of Music
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
School of Graduate Studies
Transitional Year Programme
Woodsworth College

To check classroom availability:

Open the LSM Portal and sign in using your University account.
Select My Classrooms.
Locate your course and review its recording capabilities and OCCS status. If the course has opted in, the status will display Record Activated.

If the assigned classroom does not support Opencast, consult your divisional support team about available recording options.

Enabling Opencast in Quercus

Instructors must enable the OCCS applications in their Quercus course and complete the opt-in process.

Open your Quercus course.
Select Settings, then Navigation.
Locate OCCS Instructor App and OCCS Student App in the list of available navigation items.
Enable the OCCS Instructor App and, if you intend to publish recordings to students, the OCCS Student App. Select Save.
Open OCCS Instructor App from your course navigation.
Review the course information and recording conditions, then complete the opt-in process.

The two applications serve different purposes:

OCCS Instructor App: Allows instructors to enrol in the recording service, access recordings, and manage recording options.
OCCS Student App: Allows students to access recordings that instructors have published.

The enrolment process may take up to 48 hours. Instructors should complete it before the first class they intend to record.

For detailed instructions, consult the Help Documentation library in the OCCS Instructor App, the University’s Classroom Technology webpage, and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s How do I enable OpenCast (OCCS) via the instructor and student apps in my Quercus course? guide.

Recording Classes with Opencast

Once instructors have opted in, Opencast automatically records scheduled classes in supported teaching spaces. Recordings begin and end according to the classroom booking schedule.

To ensure that classroom content is captured:

Sign in to the classroom teaching station using your UTORid.
Select the appropriate presentation source, such as the room computer or a connected laptop.
Send the selected source to the projector so that its video and audio can be captured.
Use the classroom microphone to ensure that spoken content is included in the recording.
Where available, use the teaching station’s pause and resume controls to manage recording during class.

If you pause a recording during class, remember to resume it when you want recording to continue. Content presented while recording is paused will not be captured.

Opencast captures the audio and video sent through the classroom audiovisual system. Activities that do not use the system, such as some whiteboard work or small-group discussions, may not be captured.

Managing Recording Preferences

Instructors can manage recording settings through the LSM Portal.

To review or change settings:

Open the LSM Portal.
Select My Classrooms.
Locate the relevant course and review its recording status.
Use the available editing controls to change recording and publishing preferences.
Save the changes.

Available options include:

Pause or resume future recordings: Temporarily stop scheduled recordings and reactivate them when needed.
Manual publishing: Review recordings before making them available to students. This is the default setting.
Automatic publishing: Make processed recordings available to students without requiring manual publication.

Instructors should consider whether every class session is appropriate to record. For example, guest presentations, sensitive discussions, or activities involving substantial student participation may require different recording arrangements.

For detailed instructions, consult the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s How do I record selected sessions (e.g. lectures) using OpenCast? guide.

Managing and Sharing Recordings

Once a recording has been processed, instructors can access it through the OCCS Instructor App.

Depending on the available options, instructors can review recordings, make edits, publish them to students, or download copies for use elsewhere.

Reviewing and Editing Recordings

Opencast includes editing tools that allow instructors to adjust recorded content before publishing.

Instructors can:

Review recordings before making them available.
Trim or exclude sections that should not be shared.
Edit recording metadata to help identify content.
Select an appropriate thumbnail.
Save changes and publish the recording.

Opencast’s editing tools use a non-destructive process, allowing instructors to revise edits without permanently removing the original captured material.

For detailed editing instructions, consult Learning Space Management’s Opencast Content Capture System Operation and Usage Instructions.

Publishing Recordings to Students

Instructors can publish recordings through Opencast for students to access in Quercus.

When manual publishing is enabled, instructors must review and publish each recording before students can view it.

When automatic publishing is enabled, recordings are made available after processing without requiring individual approval.

Students access published recordings through the OCCS Student App in the Quercus course.

Before publishing, instructors should review recordings for content that may not be appropriate to share, including identifiable student contributions, private discussions, or other sensitive material.

Downloading Recordings

Instructors can download recordings from Opencast for archiving, editing, or sharing through another supported platform.

To download a recording:

Open OCCS Instructor App in Quercus.
Select Manage prior OCCS recordings.
Locate the recording and open its available actions.
Select the option to access the recording’s media assets.
Locate the appropriate media file and use its download link.
Save the file to the desired location.

Downloaded recordings can be stored or shared through supported services such as Microsoft OneDrive or MyMedia.

Important: Edits made using Opencast’s non-destructive editor affect the published playback version. Instructors should not assume that downloading the original media will preserve those edits.

Recording Retention and Reuse

Instructors who wish to retain recordings beyond Opencast’s one-academic-term retention period should download them before deletion and transfer them to an appropriate storage or hosting service.

When preparing recordings for reuse:

Review content: Determine whether the recording remains accurate and appropriate for future students.
Consider privacy: Check whether identifiable student contributions or other sensitive information are included.
Prepare accessible recordings: Review captions and provide supporting materials where appropriate.
Choose appropriate storage: Use supported services such as MyMedia or Microsoft OneDrive according to the intended use.
Check permissions: Ensure that only the intended audience can access the recording.

For broader guidance, consult CTSI’s Recording Lectures and Classes, Captioning Recorded Videos, and Media Hosting and Sharing for Teaching resources.