By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
· Capture snapshots for instructions
· Create video guides and share for students
Screen Capture
What?
A Screen Capture is a reproduction of something displayed on a computer screen, saved as a graphics file. It is sometimes called a screenshot.
Why?
- So people can have a visual image of what you are talking about.
- To make directions more understandable.
- To illustrate your text.
- To make text more readable.
How?
There are a number of applications for screen capture, but an easy to use and free application is
EXERCISE:
If you are working at home, download Wisdomsoft Screenhunter Free Version 5 to your personal computer.
1. Open Screenhunter and set it up for the following defaults:
- Capture on F9
- Capture What? Rectangle Area and Mouse Pointer
- To: Send to Clipboard and . . . set up a Screen Shots folder on the desktop to save to.
- Click on Stand By.
2. Open MS Word.
3. Use Screenhunter to capture a screen shot of this Google Sites page.
4. Paste it into your Word document.
If you need more features and more versatility, SnagIt is another software which does screen captures. You can edit your screen captures by adding text, arrows and other visual aids and add hot spots. SnagIt offers a free 30 day trial after which it costs $49.95 if you wish to keep it. The Real value of SnagIt is that it allows you to insert dialog boxes on your screen capture.
Screencast
What?
A Screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration.
Why?
- So you don't have to explain it over and over and over.
- To provide a visual tutorial
- To add another dimension/interest to your course
You will need:
- software which will capture both your moves on your computer and your audio recording (such as Jing)
- sound canceling headset with microphone
- quiet space/time to make your recording
- a plan
How?
Jing is software that will allow you to take screenshots, but it also enables you to create a video capture of what you do on your computer, up to 5 minutes in length
SCREENCAST-O-MATIC
- Make a screencast with screencast-o-matic -- click here for a video demo, from the screencast-o-matic site.
- Things you should know about screencast-o-matic:
- 15 minute time limit on a video
- Saves screencast as .mov file
- You can export your .mov file (so that you could store it on your own computer) even without an account. However, the file is very large.
- The procedure to embed a screencast-o-matic video is similar to those used for Jing videos.
Screencast.com is a site where you can upload and save your Jing screencasts. It offers a free account with 2 GB of storage Space and 2GB of monthly bandwidth. | 
