Lights, camera, ... screencast!

I hope that all of you are doing well, and not feeling too stressed about the move from your standard mode of instruction (whatever that may be) to this Brave New World of Remote Teaching! This week I’d like to introduce you to (or if you are already acquainted, perhaps remind you about the usefulness of) screencasting.

WHAT IS A SCREENCAST?
“Screencasting” just means that you are recording a video of whatever it is that you are doing on your computer screen. This could very well be the easiest way to create video in the entire known universe! Most screencasting software is as easy as having a “Record” button or an icon, sizing a frame to the area of your computer screen that you want to capture, and you start talking.

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WHY SCREENCAST?
Uses for screencast recordings that I have found (I’m quite sure that you could think of more) include:

• Creating a Canvas Course Tour video, showing students how to navigate the key areas of our Canvas course.
• Modeling responses to a variety of assessments, from practice questions to writing/research projects.
• Demonstrating how to use a particular tool or type of software – for example, I have created several screencasts showing my students how to use the Weebly website editor.
• Creating a video answer key that has not only the answers, but also explains how to get to those answers.
• Student project screencasts. For my classes, this is typically a video tour of a project website that the student has created.
• Video grading. Tech Tuesday blog post, “Try Grading with Video:” https://ctla.cgc.edu/facultyworkshops/tech-tuesday-try-grading-with-video

For additional information on uses for screencasts, read “Screencasting in the Classroom,” from Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything: http://www.schrockguide.net/screencasting.html

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HOW DO I SCREENCAST?
So MANY screencasting tools… Which tool is right for you? Well, I can’t really answer that for you, because different users prefer different tools, but here are a few that I have tried:

Your CGCC CTLA is quite knowledgeable about Screencast-o-Matic, so if you want a tool with local support, you may want to start there! If you aren’t sure about any of the four tools already mentioned and want to cast your net a little wider, check out this recent WeShare.net blog post, “Top 10 Free Screen Recorders with Audio for Windows and Mac.”

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I decided that I wanted to give Loom a try, in part because of their recent commitment to make (and keep) their Pro version free for educators. Here I have three videos that I put together:

1. This is actually a SnagIt screencast, capturing myself using Loom (creating a demo of a screencasting software can be tricky, because you typically need to use some OTHER screencasting software to capture the software that you want to demo…)

2. This second video IS the demo Loom screencast.

3. This third video is an assignment answer key/guide that I posted for my students on a worksheet that proved particularly challenging for them. To create it, I used Loom as the screencasting tool and the “Draw” feature in MS Word. There was no special pen, or purchased software – just my free screencasting tool, an MS Word document, and the Draw feature in Word using the trackpad on my laptop.

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If Loom is a tool that may be of interest to you, here is one additional video, from the Flipped Classroom Tutorial Channel on YouTube: How to use Loom and record your lesson for Remote and Online learning. This video goes into considerably more detail regarding the features of Loom.

NOTE: Although the presenter uses the Google Chrome extension, you do not need to go this route if you are not a regular Chrome user. Instead, you can download the desktop application.

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Try making your own screencast - it's easy!
And if you have questions or need assistance regarding Teaching, Learning and/or Assessment, your friendly neighborhood CTLA is (as always) happy to help. These days that means remote assistance, but we're still here for you!
 
Don't forget that you can use this link to Submit a Request for Assistance from the CTLA:
https://ctla.cgc.edu/help.html

HAPPY TUESDAY, EVERYONE!