Many educational technology tools can be used in instruction; however, one fundamentally useful tool in teaching is the screencast. A screencast can provide learners a student-centered and engaging learning experience in both distance and traditional learning settings. Screencasts enable teachers to create a digital recording of any instructional activity performed on a computer screen,1 and they can be used as learning resources, learning tasks, and learning support.2
Screencast 2012 Key
This article focuses on educational screencasts. The topics explored include an overview of screencasting, its benefits, the flipped classroom, screencast software, tools, planning, and teacher-created screencasts. (For specifics on creating screencasts from PowerPoint slides, see my tutorial "Creating a PowerPoint Screencast Using Camtasia Studio.")
A screencast is a digital video and audio recording of what occurs on a presenter's computer screen, and it can be used to create sophisticated, information-rich multimedia presentations. The word "screencast" was first coined by columnist Jon Udell in 2005. Udell first used the word in an article published in InfoWorld, describing the benefits of using this technique to show his readers how computer applications worked. In a screencast, the presenter records all the screen activity and images continuously to complete a designated task. Audio can be recorded simultaneously or afterwards in postproduction along with sound effects and music tracks.3
Screencasting can be integrated across the curriculum and into many learning activities. Screencasts are an effective instructional format that can be used for tutorials, demonstrations, digital storytelling, and narrated PowerPoint presentations. During the video editing process a variety of media can be imported into a screencast project, such as video clips, photos, music, and animations. Screencasting is a multimedia alternative to video recording, is easy to use, and helps fill a need for dynamic, engaging content.
Screencasting has emerged as a prominent teaching tool on the Internet. There are several advantages for both the instructor and the student. For the teacher a screencast is an efficient and effective means of describing a step-by-step process, explaining a particular concept, or presenting a PowerPoint presentation with narration. Teachers have the ability to craft succinct and concise presentations because each screencast can be edited. The inclusion of video-based instruction in online environments, such as screencasting, can have positive effects on student learning and can be pedagogically equivalent to their face-to-face instruction counterparts.6
For the student, screencasting allows them to learn by example, seeing for instance a step-by-step sequence in great detail or viewing a screencast video directly related to lesson content. In addition, students can watch a screencast video anytime, anywhere and have complete control of the lesson, which means they review any part of the presentation as needed. Screencasts can be delivered via streaming or downloaded in their entirety for later viewing.7
The ability to pause or review content also gives students the option to move at their own pace, which is not always feasible in the classroom. Screencasts are excellent for those learners who just need an aural as well as a visual explanation of the content presented. Screencasting is a perfect medium to explain difficult technical concepts to anyone with a non-technical background. Teachers can also use screencasting for a variety of other classroom activates such as reviewing lesson content and presenting online lectures and professional development.8
Screencasts as instructional tools can be used in many different instructional modes such as an introduction to a topic, overview of a lesson, in-depth discussions, remediation, etc. The pervasiveness of online instructional videos such as Khan Academy, TeacherTube, YouTube, Lynda.com, neoK12, and many others gives student access to many educational screencast videos on the Internet. Recently there has been a lot of interest generated in the "flipped classroom" teaching model.
The term "flipped" is so named because the classroom and homework paradigm is reversed. What used to be done in the classroom is now done at home, and that which used to be done at home is now done in classroom. Students watch and listen to a teacher's lecture via screencast video for homework, and then use class time for what previously, often, was done in homework: tackling difficult problems, collaborating in groups, and researching.
Flipped teaching can be a very effective learning technique in learning content. However, students have to watch the screencast video to learn the content. How do you know students have watched the screencast? Here are a few strategies you can employ to track student responses, interaction with the screencast, and reflection using Google forms. (Google forms are a tool in Google Docs.)
A Google form lets you create an easy to use web form to track student results. A Google form is automatically connected to a spreadsheet with the same title. When you send or share a form, recipients' responses will automatically be collected in that spreadsheet. To create a Google form, sign up for a Google Account and follow the Google steps in creating a form. Two form methods (screencast summary and question forms) can validate a student interaction with a screencast as the student writes a screencast summary and goes through questions and answers.
In this screencast I learned about the Battle of the Bulge. Specifically, we learned where and when the battle took place, the nature of the attack, the German objectives in the battle, strengths of the allied and axis forces, casualties of the American, British and German forces, American Commanders that led the battle and why this battle was important. I really understood how this was such an important battle in World War II. I am still a little confused about the German objectives in planning this battle. This screencast lecture can be related to other battles in World War II.
Numerous programs create screencasts, and they vary in size, features, ease of use, and cost. There are free (table 1) and commercial (table 2) screencast software programs available for both the PC and Mac platforms. If you are interested in creating screencasts to supplement your lessons without limitations, I recommend a commercial program such as Camtasia Studio, which has a user-friendly interface and functions designed to be easy to use while providing a quality production. (See my tutorial on using Camtasia Studio to convert PowerPoint slides to screencasts.)
Many online content-related screencasts can be used to supplement or even replace direct instruction, as in the flipped teaching model. Instructors can choose from thousands of educational screencast videos on the web for a particular lesson. However, searching and prescreening screencasts that align to specific lesson objectives can be a very time-consuming task. Therefore, teacher-created screencasts are the best way to ensure meeting lesson objectives, goals, and alignment to assessment practices and standards.
In designing a screencast, instructional planning is essential in delivering quality instruction, as is a systematic approach to planning. The following eightsteps will help you create a screencast quickly and effectively:
The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative "7 Things You Should Know about Screencasting" contends that good screencasts depend not only on thorough planning but also on thoughtful and careful editing to re-sequence lesson elements, eliminate awkward and unnecessary portions, and craft a focused, easy-to-follow presentation that uses students' time efficiently. For example, look at the screencast on the Battle of the Bulge.
Screencasts have emerged as a prominent teaching tool on the Internet. Screencasts are an effective way to share ideas, deliver content, and obtain student feedback. Screencasts can be used for describing a step-by-step process, explaining a particular concept, or presenting a PowerPoint presentation with narration and multimedia elements. A screencast can be used in any class as a part of real-time instruction or as the lesson itself as in the flipped teaching model. With the flipped teaching method, instructors use screencast videos to deliver their lectures, assigning them as homework. Then, in class, students can ask questions as they work through problems that they normally would have done at home without teacher help.
Creating an educational screencast that meets content objectives requires a systematic approach to planning. It seems clear that screencasting is a powerful, highly effective, and affordable learning tool that can facilitate learning across any curriculum area. Screencasting is a remarkable instructional tool. Give it a try!
As you become more proficient with screencasting, you can create a series of topical videos to provide a variety of instructional materials. This can help you meet additional SRS, including SRS 4.5 and SRS 6.3.
Your students can also use screencasting. Screencasts can be used to show mastery of a subject. Students can also use screencasts to provide student-to-student feedback and engage in collaborative projects. Most importantly, though, screencasts provide students with a visual way to engage with course material at the time and place that is best for them.
Mathieson, K. (2012) Exploring Student Perceptions of Audiovisual Feedback via Screencasting in Online Courses, American Journal of Distance Education, 26:3, 143-156, DOI: 10.1080/08923647.2012.689166
I first encountered screencasts as a feedback tool several years ago in an online course I was taking for professional development. My instructor used screencasts to comment on my work. Inspired, I started using screencasts the following semester to comment on writing submitted in my face-to-face courses. Since then, I have come to rely on screencasts during both formative and summative assessment. 2ff7e9595c
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