screencasting

=Tool/technology title: Screencasts=

Spoiler: This Wiki is written by somebody who has absolutely no personal experience with screencasts. Continue reading at your own peril …
 * Author: Walter**

1. Definition
**What is a screencast?** A screencast (also video screen capture) is essentially a video that shows everything that is happening on your computer screen. You may include anything you can display on your computer screen (videos, pictures, graphics, screenshots, power point presentations etc), down to mouse movements and mouse clicks. You can also include audio such as explanatory narration, sound recordings or music. The final product is basicaly a movie file that can be shared, emailed or uploaded.

**What it is not**: Don’t confuse with screenshot, screencam, video podcast, webcast etc

**How do you make a screencast**: You need a computer, a microphone (reasonably low-tech), and some screencasting software (see below). Making a screencast usually happens in three stages. During the recording stage you capture your video (anything on your computer screen) and audio. During the editing stage you can combine several audio / video clips into one screencast, delete unwanted content, add captions or even a soundtrack. In the converting stage you convert your screencast into a format which you can share with others (flash player etc) and define resolution and frame speed.

2. Examples of products (open source/free or commercial)
**What kind of software do you need?** Some screencasting software is web-based, others are programmes which you’ll have to install on your computer. Some are open-source (free), others you’ll have to buy. Some are easy to use but may have certain limitations, others are for advanced users. Here is a select list of 10 software packages:


 * Programme || Platform / Type || Comments ||
 * Screen Flow || Mac || Commercial; has an editor ||
 * Camstudio || Windows || Free ||
 * Camtasia Studio || Mac and Windows || Commercial; recommended for advanced users ||
 * Pixetell || Windows (web-based) || Commercial ||
 * iShow U HD || Mac || Commercial ||
 * Jing || Mac and Windows (software and web-based) || Free (not Jing Pro); easy but for short projects only ||
 * Demo Creator || Windows || Commercial ||
 * Screenr || Linux and Windows (web-based) || Free; Java based; Twitter focussed ||
 * Screen-O-Matic || Linux and Windws (web-based) || Free (not the Pro version); Java based ||
 * Wink || Linux and Windows || Free ||
 * Wink || Linux and Windows || Free ||

3. Examples of applications for Teaching and Learning
**How can you use screencasts in teaching and learning?** Screencasts weren’t originally designed for teaching purposes. You might equally use them for marketing presentations or to make your holiday videos look really cool. Their potential use in teaching is however easily apparent. Screencasting is an asynchronous (not real-time) communication technology. It allows including a mixture of both auditory and visual input which some believe is important for learning. You may simply use it to capture your lectures (basically a power point presentation with voice-over). More importantly you can use it to convey complex skills and problem solving that cannot easily be put in writing (for example how to perform a manual task within a certain laboratory technique, how to operate a piece of machinery, how to navigate your way through a database or software package etc). As any online tool it allows students to access information at their own time and repeatedly if they need to. It may also allow you to use screencasts as a powerful tool to convey basic information online and leave more time for interactive activities in the classroom. Please don’t fall into the trap to use screencasts to cram more content in your course which you haven’t been able to cover otherwise. Some have suggested using screencasts as a tool for learners as well (e.g. to capture complex skills for their portfolio). I would however think hard whether this cannot be done using easier techniques such as a simple video-recording, animated power point presentation or just in writing. I included some published examples I found in my own field, Health Sciences in 4.

**Possible problems?** Apart from trying too hard to put technology first and teaching second: filesize and bandwidth. Newer software keeps filesizes relatively small. Don’t make your screencasts too long (rather break up information into short sessions). Tweak screen size, resolution, frame speed etc to keep file size small.

4. Other resources (articles, guides, videos, examples...)
**Further reading**. Of course you’ll find something on Wikipedia and a google search will flood you with a tsunami of information (mostly software and discussion forums). Here is what I found useful:

Kevin Yee and Jace Hargis (2010) Screencasts. The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education Vol.11(1), p.9

NETsavvy: Screencasting. []

Screencasting for the Online Classroom. []

University of Vermont. Teaching resources: Screencasting lectures. []

**Examples from Health Sciences**:

Evans DJ. (2011) Using embryology screencasts: A useful addition to the student learning experience? Anat Sci Educ. Mar;4(2):57-63. Razik R, Mammo Z, Gill HS, Lam WC. (2011) Academic screencasting: internet-based dissemination of ophthalmology grand rounds. Can J Ophthalmol. 46(1):72-6. Kircher MF et al (2010) Implementation of Screen-Capture Video Recordings of Resident Conferences in an Academic Radiology Department: Pilot Experience. Academic Radiology Volume 17(2): 255-263