Use the controls for your method
Sightline changes the recording area to match the method. Use the buttons on screen or the shortcut keys shown beside them.
For Interval and Frequency observations with peer comparison, check whether the recorder is currently recording the student or the comparison peer before entering data.
Record with iPhone
Record with your computer nearby explains how to enter scores on iPhone while the desktop recorder runs. To leave the computer behind, prepare an away observation before leaving. See Companion requirements for access and supported methods.Keep context alongside the data
Use Context for notes about the observation as a whole, such as an interruption, a change in staffing, or circumstances that will matter when interpreting the results. Use an observation note for something tied to a particular moment. Anecdotal recording keeps written observations in its entry list. The other recorders provide a note control alongside the measurement controls. If Track activities is on, choose the current activity and update it when the activity changes. This lets you review the data by activity later. Activity is a description of the context; selecting an activity does not record a behavior or establish that the student completed the activity.Pause when you stop observing
Select Pause to stop the observation clock, then Resume to continue. If you turned on Pause when Sightline loses focus in Settings, switching away from Sightline also pauses the recorder. Check its state when you return. A Latency trial cannot be paused while it is active. Finish the trial by recording the response, marking No response, or canceling the trial before pausing the session.Find shortcuts and hide the student’s name
Select the keyboard icon near the top of the recorder to see shortcuts for the current method. Interval and Frequency use the behavior keys from setup. For other methods, follow the shortcuts shown in the recorder. Use Privacy mask in the recorder’s top bar when you need to hide the student name on screen. The saved observation still belongs to the same student.End and save the observation
Select End when you are finished and confirm End Session. With Duration recording, ending stops any running behavior timers. If a Latency trial is still active, Sightline asks whether to end it as No Response. On the completion screen, review or add the final Context notes. Then choose the next step:- With Starter or Pro, including an active Pro trial, View Results opens Results, where Sightline attempts to save the observation. Review later saves it and returns you to your students.
- With the free Community plan, Save observation keeps the record. Download CSV saves it and starts a CSV export.
Recover an interrupted observation
Sightline keeps a recovery copy of the observation in progress. It saves the copy about a second after each change, at least every 30 seconds while the observation clock runs, and when you switch away from the window. If the recorder shows Auto-save failed. Your data may not be saved. Keep the session open., keep Sightline open and finish the observation through the completion screen. The warning clears when a later save succeeds. If Sightline closes before the observation is saved, the next time you open the observation setup screen it shows an Interrupted session found banner with the student, behaviors, method, and elapsed time.- Select Resume to reopen the recorder at the recovered elapsed time with the data saved so far.
- Select Discard to delete the recovery copy. This cannot be undone.
- Duration: recovery closes running episodes at the recovered elapsed time and reports how many it closed. That time does not tell you when the behavior actually ended.
- Latency: only completed trials are recovered. A trial still being timed is lost without a notice, so check Completed trials against your notes.