Screencast-o-matic is a web application for recording a “screencast”: a recording of your computer, all the actions that you carry out on it, plus (if you so desire) your webcam. A screencast is the ideal way of “flipping the classroom”, whereby students can watch a video beforehand, in their own time. In this kick-starter we will explain how you can make your own screencast and share it on YouTube.
LESSON PREPARATION
- Create an account (optional)
- Go to screencast-o-matic.com
- Click on “Sign up”
- Enter your email address and click on “Sign Up”
- You will receive an email with a link
- Click on the link to finalise the registration process
- Consider what you want to present
- In this example, we’ll use a PowerPoint presentation and the webcam to illustrate the process
- Choose a PowerPoint presentation you want to use as lesson material
- Open the PowerPoint presentation
- Install the software for the recording
- Click “Start recording”
- Click “OK” to install the software
- If you want to use PowerPoint and your webcam, select “Both” for the webcam and the screen
- For “Size” select “Full screen”
- Get everything ready and make the recording
- To start the recording, click the “Rec” button at the bottom left-hand side. The time starts now before the recording begins
- Go to your PowerPoint presentation, start your presentation and recite the lesson
- Once you have finished, click “Pause”
- View your recording
- Click “Done” and view your recording
- Edit
- Drag the white buttons to the left and right below the video to set the beginning and the end of the video
- Click “Upload to YouTube” to put your video directly online, where it can be easily shared
- Upload to YouTube
- Screencast-o-matic will now open your browser
- Log in with a Google account
- Enter all the details of your video and click “Publish”
- Copy the link
- Select “Open upload” to view your video on YouTube
- Alternatively, select “Copy link” to copy the link to the video
- Completion
- You have now completed your recording and put it online. The link can now be shared with the students before the beginning of the lesson, used during the lesson, or given as homework after the lesson
DURING THE LESSON
1a. Screencast as preparation
- Ask the student to watch the video in advance
- Discuss the screencast with the students and get the lesson off to a flying start
1b. Screencast during the lesson
- It can be useful to let individual students run through the theory again during the lesson; refer these students to the link
1c. Screencast as homework
- You can also give the students the link to the screencast as preparation for the next lesson. As a result they will be better prepared for the lesson and you will have more time for practical aspects
RESULTS
For you:
- The one-off documentation of the best-possible explanation (namely your own…).
- Being able to offer additional explanation to individual students.
For students:
Students have the opportunity to view your explanation several times, whenever and wherever they choose to do so (at home or in the train, for example, just before a test or an exam).
LESS SUITABLE FOR
- Practically oriented material: it is mainly intended for communicating theory.
- Interactivity: while the screencast makes it easier for students to process certain topics at their own pace, it comprises mainly of watching a screencast.
GOLDEN TIPS
- The free version extends to a maximum of 15 minutes of video per recording.
- Think carefully about what you want to communicate and via which medium. In this example we use PowerPoint, but, of course, Prezi, PowToon or just a webcam can also be used.
- Keep it short! Try to explain an item of theory in a maximum of two to four minutes.
AND NOW?
- If you want to communicate your story really effectively, combine video with other tools, such as Prezi.
- Add questions to a video via www.zaption.com, so that you can see which students have watched the video and how much of it they