Patterns of Usage and Attendance: A Study of Zoom Recordings Usage Among Students

This paper examines students’ usage patterns and attitudes towards Zoom recordings in higher education and the impact of Zoom recordings on student attendance in live sessions. The research adopts a quantitative approach, employing an online questionnaire to gather data from 118 Israeli students. The study finds that students primarily use recorded lectures to supplement material due to absences but also for reviewing before exams and completing assignments. The most common method of watching recorded sessions is revisiting specific segments while watching an entire recorded session more than once is less common. The study challenges the notion that watching recordings adversely affects attendance and supports the argument that there is no clear correlation between viewing recorded lectures and attendance. The research suggests that instructors should continue recording lectures to support students’ learning beyond formal class hours, particularly in courses with exams or assignments.