Recording and Playing Back Audio in Quizzes and Assignments

The experience of recording audio feedback in Assignments, and your students’ experience of recording audio in response to Quiz questions, has changed. This is due to the old Flash versions of those features being switched off as Flash reaches its End-of-Life at the end of December. See below for a walkthrough of how the new recorder works. 

Recording Audio in Quiz Questions and Assignment Feedback 

In both Assignment feedback, and in certain formats of Quiz question, you have probably seen the Record Audio button. Previously, clicking this button launched a recorder window that then requested your permission to run Flash in your browser. As most browsers have stopped supporting Flash, the new version uses a technology called HTML5, which means that it captures audio directly in the browser, without the need for additional plugins. Now, to record audio, just click the Record Audio button. 

screencap of the Record Audio button

 

 

The tool will request your permission to use the microphone. Grant this permission, then create your recording. You may also wish to click the “remember this decision” checkbox. 

screencap of the audio recorder requesting browser permission to use the microphone

Click New Recording to start your recording. Click Stop Recording to stop when finished. Then click Add to save. 

In the next screen, under Title, enter something descriptive. Students might want to enter their name, or something describing the question they’re answering. Instructors marking an Assignment might enter the student’s name, the Assignment title, or simply “feedback.” If you don’t enter anything under Title, the file name will be a random alphanumeric string. 

Click Add again to attach the recording. It will appear as an HTML file in the same area as other file attachments. 

screencap of a file attachment under a quiz question

Listening to Audio Recordings in Quizzes and Assignment Feedback 

To play back these recordings, you must download or open the attached HTML file. 

Recordings Attached to Quiz Questions (Instructors)

In a quiz attempt, click on the HTML file attached to the question.  

screencap of a quiz attempt question with an audio file attachment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on your browser, you may be offered one, or two option: to download the file and then open it, or to simply open it in a new browser tab or window. Either will do. If downloading the file, most browsers will show the completed download in the corner of the window. Click on it to open. 

Click “click to view” to see the player.  

screencap of a link reading "click to view"

 

 

Click play to listen to the recording. 

screencap of the brightspace audio player 

Recordings Attached to Assignment Feedback (Students)

From Assessments > Assignments, click the Feedback link in the Assignment. 

 screencap of the Evaluation Status column in student view of Assignments

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the HTML file attached to the feedback. 

screencap of the Feedback screen in student view of Assignments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on your browser, you may be offered one, or two option: to download the file and then open it, or to simply open it in a new browser tab or window. Either will do. If downloading the file, most browsers will show the completed download in the corner of the window. Click on it to open. 

Click “click to view” to see the player.  

screencap of a link reading "click to view"

 

 

Click play to listen to the recording. 

screencap of the brightspace audio player