Assignment
Screencasting is an excellent way to create videos of what’s on your computer screen in order to share them with students. You can record anything that is happening on your screen, from a powerpoint lecture, to using D2L or other websites, to using software specific to your field. You can even use a screencast to capture portions of a video on the screen!
The first tool we’ll look at with regard to screencasting is Snagit. Snagit is a product made by Techsmith that allows you to make shorter screencasts and to take still screen captures of what’s happening on your computer screen, then annotate those captures. Snagit is paid software if you want to use it longer-term, but the 30 day trial of it is free. You can find multiple tutorials for how to use it on YouTube, but I’ve linked to their tutorial site below to get you started.
Other tools for doing screencasts are listed below. I’ve indicated whether they are free or not and whether they are mac or pc software. If you are very interested in screencasting you may wish to use one of these other tools as some of them offer different features. There may be other options out there that will work as well, these are just the major ones that I know are in use.
- Camtasia ($, Mac/PC)
- MediaSpace(Free, Web-based)
- SnapzPro ($, Mac)
- Screenflow ($, Mac)
Deliverable
There is no deliverable to Scott this week, but you’ll need to know how to do this in order to turn in your draft course in early November so please take time to play with the software and learn to use it.
Questions?
Email Scott for clarification at schopie1@msu.edu