Selecting Software for Tutorials and Screencasting

Selecting Software for Tutorials and Screencasting

Nina Exner, MLS Evening Services Librarian,

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

and

Gwen Exner, MLIS Web Master, Psychometric SocietyEditorial Manager, Psychometrika

“Choose your Own Adventure”

How many people here already know what screencasting is and how to do it, and just want the technical discussion?

How many people want to know more about screencasting first, then get into the tech talk?

ObjectivesIn this session we will:

o Introduce the concept of Screencasting

o Discuss common practices in planning a screencasting project for information literacy

o Review technical features of screencast-recording software

o Present free and paid software options

SCREENCAST?

Video of on-screen movements and actions

Usually (but not necessarily) narrated

Can be produced in multiple formats

Faster and easier than designing and making Flash videos from scratch

Most useful for creating videos of things people do on the computer

EXAMPLES

http://support.ebsco.com/training/flash_videos/basic_search_academic_tut/basic_search_academic_tut.htm

http://www.library.ncat.edu/tutorials/citation08/citation08-short.html

http://libguides.library.ncat.edu/content.php?pid=46296&sid=342129

INFORMATION LITERACYSCREENCASTING

Natural choice for teaching online tools

Especially demonstrating databases!

Can be used for any sort of brief demo

Great for embedding in Blackboard

But…

Harder to add ‘critical thinking’ into

Planning and good scripting are essential!

BEST PRACTICES:IMPLEMENTATION

Decide on your goals and keep them in mind

Plan and script!!

Allow plenty of time to record, re-record, re-re-re…

Know where you’ll put themHosting: library server, paid host, etc.

Where to ‘embed’? Where’s the audience?

Establish the workflow in advance

Branding? Consistent look-and-feel?

BEST PRACTICES:INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

Keep your audience in mind. Stay student-centeredAvoid unnecesary jargon

Stay as brief as possible

Break different aspects into separate videos

For elaborate DL classes, consider “scaffolding” by creating series that build on each other

Connect instruction and technology.

…Do you need advanced features?

SCREENCASTINGSOFTWARE

There are many products out there that can be used for screencasting.

Any video or animation editing software can probably make screencasts. But specialty software is usually easier (especially for non experts).

Specialty video capture / screencasting software can include other value-added functionality

CHOOSING A PROGRAM Remember to develop goals and keep them in mind! What do you need this for?

Mainly technical introductions and help?

Longer class-like recordings?

Budgetary constraints

Technical needs such as…

Formats, file size

Teaching Tech: quizzes, CMS integration

Effects, callouts, A&V editing, captions

THE BIG TRADE-OFFS

Features

Ease of use

Price

PRICINGThree tiers of pricing:

“High ticket” paid softwareThe “gold standards” usually mentioned in the

literature: Adobe Captivate ($249) and Camtasia ($179)

“Low” price paid software

Small companies, downloadable software

Free software

Open source or Freeware

EASE OF USE

Can include many usability factors:

Easy to install

Simple, intuitive interface

Warning: geek presenters

Straightforward workflow

Help files

Tutorials

TECHNICAL FEATURES 1Input options

Audio

Importing

• Individual graphics

• Video from other sources

oold videos

ocamcorder images

Video in video

Powerpoint

TECHNICAL FEATURES 2Editing

Video

oResizing is very helpful

oCut and paste, crop, image adjustments

AudiooHow robust is it? How much do you need?

File-size OptimizationoDo you need it?

oFrame-rate control, guidance on formats, etc

TECHNICAL FEATURES 3Instructional concerns

Accessibility: Captioning

Quiz support

What kinds of quizzes are suported?

How can results be delivered?

SCORM-compatible = Blackboard

TECHNICAL FEATURES 4The bells and whistles

Callouts

On-screen notes

Special effects

Combining videos into multipart modules

Table of contents & other navigation

Transitions, title clips, branding

Custom Flash integration

If you can do this, you are in the wrong session!

…but could you teach me?

“HACK” TO LIVE

If no one program has what you want…

How about two programs?

FEATURE CHARTSWe have tried to provide lists of the features and trade-offs we found in various screencasting products.

Three sources we used to find products:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screencasting_software

http://mashable.com/2008/02/21/screencasting-video-tutorials/

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/05/screencasting-to-help-your-mom.html

Comments or questions about the handouts?

OUR TOP PICKS“High” ticket:

Camtasia $179.00“Low” ticket:

UV ScreenCamera $50Free ride – more features:

WinkFree Ride – user friendly:

CamStudioor Jing if you like a highly visual interface

CAMTASIA• Includes some basic quizzesoIf you need robust quiz support you need Captivate

•ProsoReally good help files and tutorialsoFairly easy to use for basics, but a good amount of

features for “power” usersoLots of output formatsoLots of bells and whistles

•ConsoPriceoMenus aren’t intuitive, have to hunt for settingsoFunctions in multiple modules (Recorder, Studio, etc)

UVSCREENCAMERA•ProsoInexpensive, with an infinite free trial

oFree trial disables many output optionsoModerately easy interfaceoCan edit video

and audio

•ConsoNot free, and no quizzes eitheroCurrently having eCommerce trouble

WINKLinux version available. Open Source.

•ProsoFreeoMany options for file optimization,

custom callouts, audio & video editing

•ConsoVery steep learning curve, very

tediousoOnly help is a manual – not very

good, bad indexoFew output formats

CAM STUDIONot affiliated with Camtasia

•ProsoFreeoEasy interfaceoGrab and go recording

•ConsoFew optionsoIt may disappear – has a strange history

JINGMade by the same people who make Camtasia

•ProsoFree!oPicture-based interface, very visualoNot many ways to get distractedoGrab and go

•ConsoPicture-based interface, very visualoFew options; only Flash outputo5 minute limitoMust be logged in at all times

REACTIONS AND DISCUSSION

What could you use screencasts for at your library?

What issues would you consider (or are you considering) in a screencast project in your library?

What features are essential in a program for your project?

Questions?

Further discussion?

Thank you for your time and attention!

Nina Exner, [email protected]

Evening Services Librarian, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

and

Gwen Exner, [email protected]

Web Master, Psychometric SocietyEditorial Manager, Psychometrika