Screencasting Lectures

About Screencasts

A screencast is a video capture of the activity on a computer screen, which may also include audio narration, that can be viewed on the Web. Screencasting is becoming a popular method of enhancing learning in both face-to-face and online or hybrid classes. With screencasts faculty can:

• review part of a lecture
• demonstrate mathematical equations
• draw graphs with audio narration
• give slide presentations accompanied by audio narration
• demonstrate a computer application

Many faculty have found that by moving parts of their lecture online, they free up class time for focusing on most difficult concepts, hands-on work, or exploratory discussion. This is commonly referred to as the "flipped classroom" approach.

Screencasting Software

Several screencasting options exist for both Mac and Windows. As with all software, the exact feature set that comes with each screencast program changes as new versions are released, and the price range varies widely depending on the features offered.

Here are a few of the programs that the CTL has reviewed:

1. Screencast-o-matic (http://www.screencast-o-matic.com)
   Free
   To use this tool, you simply go to the website and start recording. The screencast videos are limited to 15 minutes and can be either saved to your computer or shared directly in YouTube. There are options to include captions if desired. Screencast-o-matic is also available as a free program that you can install on your Mac or PC.
   
   
2. Jing (http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html)
   Free
   Jing can create screencasts that are up to 5 minutes long. You can choose the area of the screen to record as well as the audio level and you can turn on the webcam to include a video of your “head shot.” A link will be created for you to share the video. You can also save a copy to your computer.
   
   
3. Camtasia (http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html)
   $75 for Camtasia for Mac 2.0 (Educational price)
   $179 for Camtasia Studio for Windows (Educational price)
   (Each offer annual maintenance and upgrades for additional 25%)
   Both the Mac and Windows versions of Camtasia are robust and fully-featured screencasting programs. They include a host of editing features including the ability to cut, splice, and combine clips; zoom and highlight specific areas of the screen; animations, transitions and a variety of video, audio, and cursor effects; title slides and captions; multiple video and audio tracks; and a table of contents feature. Camtasia Studio (Windows) includes several additional features such as the ability capture keyboard input and to embed simple quizzes and surveys.
   
   » See a comparison chart of Camtasia Studio (Windows) and Camtasia for Mac: http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia-pc-mac-comparison.html
   

Disclaimer: Links to non-University web pages are provided as a courtesy and do not constitute an endorsement by the University of the linked materials or of any products, services, or providers.

Short List of Comparisons: (Or see extended list)

» See extended list of comparisions

External Resources for Screencasting

» Screencasts as a Pedagogical Tool

Focus: pedagogy; Northern Illinois University

An excellent resource for the beginning user. Learn how screencasts can be designed to engage learners through well-conceived sequences of planned activities and assignments. This brief article shares a few popular resources and gives readers examples of a number of innovative ways screencasting can be used in their own teaching.

» Screencasting 101: the Definitive Guide!

Focus: how-to, pedagogy; The Chronicle of Higher Education

This article focuses more on the technical aspects of screencasting. It provides an excellent overview of different products that can be used to accomplish different screencasting goals. The writer has included many handy screenshots showing specific export and "save as" settings for a number of popular tools. This is a great place to begin when you don't know which program you should use to accomplish your goals!

» [PDF] "7 Things You Should Know About Screencasting" from Educause.edu

» Learning to teach through video

Focus: how-to, basic principles, pedagogy; In the Library with the Lead Pipe

This article delves deep into all of the surrounding principles facing teaching with video (not just screencasting) it refers to teaching principles such as split attention, modality. redundancy, spatial contiguity, temporal contiguity and coherence principles when using multimedia instruction. Additionally the article speaks about how to plan video instruction and provides helpful insight into making video production easier for those with busy lives.

» Using Screencasting to Engage and Build Community with Online Learners

Focus: basic principles, pedagogy; Faculty Focus

An excellent introduction to the basic principles of creating screencasts to be used with online learners. This article shares a few additional resources not discussed in the prior articles.