A good proportion (47%) of teachers in Viikki were interested in recording lectures for later use in our 2014 survey on teaching facilities. After the survey, to record live lectures as they happen in lecture halls has become widespread. On the other hand, making recordings outside live lectures is not yet as common – although Viikki teachers are pioneers in this regard as well (see Chiara Lombardini’s excellent summary on producing lecture videos).
In this blog post we focus on screencasts: short recordings typically made without a live audience. Whatever happens on the computer screen is captured, and added with a voice-over. For an example, see screencasts from the programming MOOC at Kumpula. At its simplest, a screencast features lecture slides with or without the lecturer’s voice. Students may watch the content independently, and contact hours are preserved for interaction.
For making screencasts on your desktop:
- UH software portal recently introduced Corel ScreenCap X8 (see a tutorial screencast from Corel)
- Record Slide Show with PowerPoint (tutorial from Microsoft)
- Microphones can be borrowed from us e-learning support, but usually the internal microphone of your device is enough
Facilities to make screencasts at the Viikki campus:
- UniTube lecture capture theatre (B-house hall 3) – see the introductory video (in Flamma)
- Viikki campus will also have its own UniTube-studio later this year.
Screencasts can also be recorded with online tools often used for streaming live lectures and meetings:
Editing is not compulsory, especially if you make short, up-to-the-minute casts. For longer casts or those used for a longer period of time, editing is usually a good idea. The Educational Technology Centre at UH updates a list of available editing software.
A recommendable option to share the screencasts to students is the UniTube uploader, but you may use any online tools that you’re accustomed to.
The main difference between recording live lectures and making screencasts lies in how the interaction with the students is organized. Ways to incorporate interactivity to screencasts include:
- Apply the principles of flipped classroom, and use the face-to-face time with the students for exercises, student presentations, group discussions, checking that the students have learned the content…
- Communicate with the students through screencasts: give feedback, dedicate more time on difficult concepts…
- Some applications (see, an overview from JAMK (in Finnish)) provide the possibility to include interactive elements within the video itself – use them creatively!
UH Yammer group “Opetusvideot” (Teaching videos) is a place to follow the latest news on the topic. Please let us know if you’re interested in making screen casts for your students, let’s have a workshop or two!