Andy Taggart– Using Screencastify for screen capture

With the current crisis requiring a much greater use of online teaching and learning, teaching staff will be looking at tools that can help to easily produce and deploy web-based resources. However, what’s not necessarily particularly helpful for staff is simply to be presented with a long list of tools that can be used for distance learning, rather what is more meaningful is to have is what are the best tools to use for specific tasks.

One such tool is Screencastify, a Chrome extension, which provides a very easy way to create narrated screen capture videos. Videos produced using Screencastify can be audio only, for example talking through a Powerpoint, Word Document or any other application displayed on the desktop, or you can allow the app to access your webcam so students can see you. Although the free version limits video length to five minutes, users can currently upgrade to a premium version using the 'redeem coupon' with the code CAST_COVID for the duration of covid-19 emergency.

Once the extension is installed, Screencastify is accessed via an icon that will appear top right of the browser which when clicked reveals the Record tool box with various options including whether or not to use your webcam.

When recording has finished, the recording can be uploaded directly to Youtube and once uploaded a pop up box will allow you to copy the Youtube link ready to be added to Moodle. Recordings can also be saved directly to a user’s Google drive from where it can be shared.

Some limited editing is available but this is really just trimming.

For a straightforward, quick way to produce screen capture video resources, Screencastify is ideal, as one staff member, who’d never used the app before, commented

“I found it really easy! Really useful, hate the sound of my own voice but its a really good resource.”

I have used it a great deal to produce short instructional videos that don’t require much editing or effects such as screen transitions or text overlays. Other potential uses include, online feedback, talking through a Word document or article, short talking-head seminars/tutorials or as part of a flipped learning package. So if you are looking for a quick easy solution to producing resources such as these, Screencastify is well worth a look.

Video tutorial