Once a class has a recording, its instructor can have a written summary made from it: what was taught, the key terms, the homework, the questions students asked and a timeline of the recording. The draft is written by the school's AI only from what was said in the class, and nobody but the instructor sees it until they have checked it and pressed Publish.
Making a summary
Step 1: Open the class meeting
On the On-campus class work page choose the class and batch. Class meetings with a recording show a Make summary button.
Sign in to open this screenStep 2: Press Make summary
The summary is made in the background. You can leave the page; it moves through Queued → Transcribing → Summarising → Ready by itself.
Step 3: Check the draft
Read every point against what you taught. Correct, add or remove anything in the text area. Transcript (only you see it) shows what the summary was written from.
Step 4: Publish
Press Publish to students. Tick Email the summary to students who missed this class to send it to every student of the batch not marked present for that class.
What the statuses mean
What each status means
- QueuedWaiting to start; usually under a minute.
- TranscribingTurning the recording's speech into text. A long class takes a few minutes.
- SummarisingWriting the draft from the transcript.
- ReadyThe draft is ready for you to check. Students do not see it yet.
- FailedThe reason is shown (for example, no transcript could be made). Fix it if you can and press Make summary again.
What the summary contains
- Key points: 5 to 8 short points of what was taught, in order.
- Key terms: terms used in the class with the meaning the instructor gave.
- Homework and next tasks given in the class.
- Questions asked in class with the answers given.
- In the recording: a timeline such as "12:30 — Flexbox", so students can jump to a part of the recording.
- An optional one-line summary in Roman Urdu.
- A section the class did not cover is left out rather than guessed. Terms never said in the class and times past the end of the recording are removed before you see the draft.
Where the transcript comes from
| Recording | Transcript used |
|---|---|
| Automatic Zoom recording, with Zoom's audio transcript turned on | Zoom's own transcript (no transcription cost) |
| Automatic Zoom recording without a Zoom transcript | The audio is transcribed (needs the school's OpenAI key) |
| A video you uploaded | The audio is transcribed (needs the school's OpenAI key) |
| A link to YouTube, Google Drive or another site | No transcript can be made; upload the video instead |
For students
Open the class in your classroom: a published summary appears under the class recording as Class summary, from your instructor. If you missed the class, you may also get it by email. The summary is a revision aid; watch the recording for the full class.
Common messages
Messages you might see
“Add the class's recording first: the summary is made from it.”
WhyThe class meeting has no recording.
FixAdd the recording, or wait for the Zoom recording to arrive.
“You have made 10 of your 10 class summaries today. You can make more tomorrow.”
WhyThe daily limit per instructor.
FixTry again tomorrow (Pakistan time).
“The school's AI budget for today has been used. Please try again tomorrow.”
WhyThe school's daily AI spending limit has been reached.
FixTry again tomorrow.
“Transcript unavailable”
WhyZoom has no transcript and the audio cannot be transcribed (no OpenAI key, or the recording is a link to another site).
FixUpload the video file, or ask the school to set up transcription.
“A summary of this class is already being made.”
WhyYou pressed Make summary while one is under way.
FixWait for it to finish.
FAQ
Can I make the summary again?
Yes. Make again writes a new draft from the recording. What students see stays the same until you publish again. It counts towards your daily limit.
Can I take a summary down?
Yes. Unpublish removes it from the students' classroom; your draft stays.
Are students emailed twice if I publish changes?
No. The email to students who missed the class is sent once per summary.
Do students see the transcript?
No. Only the instructor sees the transcript; students see only the published summary.