Welcome to week 12 of 23 Things Kansas. I’m Sharon Moreland, Technology Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS), and I will be your guide this week to the wonderful world of Screencasting.
Introduction
According to Wikipedia, that wonderful free online encyclopedia, a “screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration.” So, basically a screencast is a video recording of your computer screen, mouse movements, and keyboard strokes, with (or without) narration. Here’s an example – An overview of an online catalog.
Sharing and Productivity
Screencasting helps you help patrons, staff and even software developers. How? Do you have an online catalog that allows patrons to place their own holds? Record a 5 minute how-to video demonstrating the process and post it to your library’s Web site. Screencasting can also be used with IM reference to answer questions about subscription databases – the staff at K-State’s Hale Library shared this tip at the 2008 Unconference. Use it to help train new employees. For example, you might have a trainee watch a screencast on how to add new patrons to the catalog and then follow-up with Q&A. Think about all of the software programs we need to be familiar with, including any and all of the wonderful Kan-ed and State Library databases, and then use screencasts to demonstrate how they work. At NEKLS, we use screencasting to record problems we encounter with our Koha ILS and share those with the software developers. Why try to explain in writing what you can demonstrate in a two-minute video? Talk about efficient! Educators have also been making fantastic use of screencasting to provide feedback on papers and create brief instructional videos. Here are more ideas for how to use Screen Capture in Education.
A recap of some uses for screencasting:
- Demonstrating library-related software, including the online catalog
- Training
- Sharing bugs and software problems
- Answering reference questions
- Software tips and tricks
Tools for Your Consideration
- Jing! – After downloading the program to a PC or Mac, you can create and annotate screen shots (stills of your computer screen) or take 5 minute screencast videos that are saved as .swf (Adobe Shockwave) files. You can upgrade to Pro for $14.95 a year. Videos can be downloaded to the computer or stored for easy sharing online at screencast.com.
- Screentoaster.com – Set up an account, hit record – here’s the demo.
- Screencast-o-Matic.com – After setting up an account, you can create 10-15 minute videos that are easy to upload to YouTube.
In January, the EmergingTechEd.com blog compared a dozen different screencasting tools, if you want to explore further.
Tool Instructions and Activity
If you are able to download software to your computer, install Jing!, if not, check out Screencast-o-Matic.com.
Rather than write out the instructions, I’ve made screencasts! Seemed appropriate.
Step 1 – Finding and installing Jing
Step 2 – Setting up your Screencast.com account
Step 3 – Capturing a Video
OR
Click to see How to Use Screencast-o-Matic.com
Activity: Let’s keep it simple – share a link to a screencast you created in the comments. Then, post it on your blog and write about the experience. How can you see using screencasting at the library? Think of all the great tutorials we will be creating this week! Exciting.
Carry over from Week Nine: Come chat with us by joining the #23thingsks IRC channel. Type your nickname and click Connect. See this screenshot for help on where to click to start chatting. This multi user chatroom is hosted on Freenode (what is IRC?). I’ll be in the channel when I’m at my desk.
Things to remember when screencasting:
- Be aware of background noise, both visual noise on the computer screen and auditory noise.
- Log out of chat, email and any other programs that might pop up or otherwise interrupt you while you’re recording on your computer.
- For training or demo screencasts, go through the process a few times to make sure everything works as expected.
- Be aware of patron privacy – if you want to share your video with the world and it happens to be about your online catalog, be sure to use fake patron accounts – some of our favorites are Nick Fury, Charles Xavier and Barack Obama.
- Tell us what you’re doing with your keyboard and mouse, since we can’t see your hands even if we can hear the clicking.
- Test your mic and sound quality – is it loud? soft? hissy? high? low?
Here is a screencast I did to help patrons find our online databases. I hope to create more so they can be used on our website and facebook account.
Here is the link:
http://www.screencast.com/t/NjUzMWNhN
I’m running behind with some of my 23 Things Kansas lessons, but I’m trying to get caught up. I’ve been doing parts of each week by reading and checking things out so now I’m cutting it close to the wire to get all of the lessons done in a timely manner. Anyway, I just finished Week 12 on Screencasting and after some minor problems, I did a screencast on labeling events and photos in iPhoto. I used ScreenToaster and it was a lot of fun. Thanks for giving us such a great lesson. Here is the link to my screencast:
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUEtXRU1IRFtYQVVVXV1fVlRR/iphoto_event_and_photo_title_changes
http://www.screencast.com/t/MGZlODJmYm
Here is the link to my screencast. It isn’t very professional but I am just learning. I loved doing this.
My short and sweet, but now done, little screencast: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c6fToN17N It is amazing what one can do!
Here is the link to the screencast I did for my students & faculty to do a title search and request an item from the Coffey County Library system.
C:\Documents and Settings\ssielert\Desktop\Jing_video_cclibrary_title_4-27-10.swf
Ok. Correction on the comment just posted. I pasted the link to my desktop, which is pretty hard for you to use. Here is the link to the screencast for the video.
http://screencast.com/t/ODA5MGJj
Screencast on how to use Paint.Net to resize photos
http://www.screencast.com/t/MmY4ZDViNjA
I couldn’t get the screencast to embed in my blog. All that worked was inserting the link. I’m also wondering how one could get a screencast onto YouTube. It is much easier to work with YouTube in blogs and wikis. Thus, I’d like to get my screencasts onto YouTube.
[...] a look at this 23 Things Kansas Lesson written by Sharon Moreland to learn about even more options for screen capturing, including taking videos of your screen; [...]
[...] the time that the problem occurs, so we can see the problem and attempt to replicate it better. Screencasts, screenshots and as many specific details as you can provide are much [...]
I did one for demonstrating how to set up an email account.
http://screencast.com/t/MDg4ODhl
Not original, but here’s how to find Audiobooks, Music and More! ebooks in the Lawrence Public Library online catalog:
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c6hXcXiVS
It took several “takes” to get the script and demo working together. I think this project has taken me longer to complete than any of the others.
I made a screencast to show how to access the LearningExprees Library database. The database is a nice souce of practice AP and college entrance exams in addition to many others.
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c6hYDeiQf
Here is the screencast that shows how to do a visual search of the library catalog.
http://www.screencast.com/users/rgarard/folders/Jing/media/9a0e637c-a7d4-4ce7-bb75-f3dd91c28bdb
My finished screencast. Quite a process! It took longer than I wanted it to, but here it is: http://www.screencast.com/t/NzBjOGRmYjEt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kelYBB6Bohw
Got it Yea! Posted on my blogger blog about screencasting! Have seen it used, and it will be great to use for the library to teach the patrons how to use the card catalog when every thing has been cataloged at Wilmore!!! Yea! Thanks gang! For all your help, a big wonderful hats off to ya!
Definitely not perfection, but I think I get it. http://www.screencast.com/t/NWI3MGFlNTI
Here is my screencast on the magic of directory assistance at the reference desk. The audio is fairly low, but I could not get it to record louder. Ah well. http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c6hufrioL
Finally got my screencast done!! Yeah!! Just a quick overview of how a patron can access their online account with us through our Verso site. Here it is. http://screencast.com/t/NTM1ZDY2MDgt
http://vimeo.com/6967526 – tutorial for a new database
After numerous tries on two different computers, I think I got the screencasting assignment complete. It is a simple how to on using World Book Online through the district’s website. I have attempted to embed it in my blog, but to no avail. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong.
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUEhXRERLRFtYRV1bW1teU15R
In addition to posting screencast IE Timesaver Tip to my blog, I uploaded it to youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkUxplIVmus
Here is a link to my screencast about doing searches in Destiny Online Catalog.
http://www.screencast.com/users/ruthmusic/folders/Jing/media/c4e69d61-91a2-4ce5-82c6-037d82db2f8d
I just set up a Jing account, captured an image, and posted it on my blog.
http://screencast.com/t/YmVhZWM1YTY
I did not create a video – I have enjoy the efforts of others and certainly appreciate the usefulness – training, education, resource sharing.
try this link
http://screencast.com/t/NmZiZmE1MzUt
I must have “deleted” something I should not have.
Hey, gang – I’m a bit late to this party, but even though the deadline has passed I wanted to post the link to my own basic screencast – I found it surprisingly easy to do with just a little practice.
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c61j2giTZ
OK–so now it’s summer and I can finish my 23 Things KS assignments! I was so pleased to learn how easy screencasting can be. I wanted to share how to request a book from interlibrary loan.
http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c61rYnigq
Here is the url for my screencast http//wwwscreencast.com/t/MzzQ3MmVkND
This was a little confusing to me. I could see this being beneficial to teachers for online training and or inservice day training. Don’t think it would be something I would use.