Creating Videos

Create Videos and/or Screencasts for Introductions, Lectures, Demonstrations, and more

If you can't find the video you need, consider making your own. You can record yourself with a computer/webcam, tablet, or phone or make a screencast that records what's happening on your screen along with your narration. It's helpful to have a microphone - here's a pretty good $12 microphone. Links to an external site.

Keep Videos Short!

Microlectures are short (6 minutes or less), instructor-produced videos that are designed using a structured format to provide effective explanations of a single key concept or specific skill set. Use this format to help maintain student attention and allow students to reengage with the content when and if needed. This AWESOME short video explains it: Recording effective microlectures . Links to an external site.
It's not enough to just ask students to watch a video. Get some ideas from this great short video: Engaging students in readings and microlectures.
Links to an external site.
- Create engaging assignments with accountability.
- Provide skeletal outlines. Provide students with a skeletal outline to support their learning and help them track the most important concepts and issues.

Some Ways to Create Videos

Here are some quick ways to get started. If you would like in-depth video training, see Jodi's Video Playlist in the Vision Resource Center Links to an external site. (note that completing video classes in the playlist will go into your learner transcript for Professional Development credit).

We strongly recommend Canvas Studio for making your own videos and screencasts. It's built in to Canvas, making it easy to create or upload your own videos from your phone or webcam and embed them on your Canvas pages. You can capture your webcam and/or what's on your screen, so this is a nice way to narrate slideshows. Students can also make and share videos, which is a nice way to make discussions more interesting. Studio does a really good job with automated transcripts. Finally, Canvas Studio lets you add questions to your videos to make them more effective (scores go right into Canvas Grades).
You can also save Zoom recordings to record your voice and screen. Zoom can upload your video to a place where students can view it in Canvas. The recording will capture whatever you do, including Whiteboard and shared documents. Zoom cloud recordings can produce automatic transcriptions that are searchable.
Other screencasting tools:
- Use Screencast-O-Matic Links to an external site. for preparing short screencasts (up to 15 minutes with a free account). This is easy to learn and use. You can save your recordings to your desktop or store them online. You can use this to transform PowerPoint presentations into videos Links to an external site..
- If your primary computer is a Chromebook, Screencastify Links to an external site. is probably the best screencasting tool for you. With just one click you can record anything in your browser or anywhere else on your Chromebook's screen. With the free version of Screencastify you can record for up to five minutes. That recording will then automatically save to your Google Drive. Screencastify provides some simple drawing tools that you can use to highlight and draw on your screen while recording.
- Loom Links to an external site. is a screencasting tool that you can use to record on your Windows, Mac, or Chromebook. You can include your webcam in the screencast. Loom has a free Chrome extension that lets you launch the recorder from your Gmail inbox and insert videos directly into messages.
- Camtasia is a more sophisticated tool for recording and editing Screencasts and videos. We may have licensing available. Contact the Help Desk Links to an external site. if you are interested in getting a license for Camtasia.
Use your iPad to make videos. This is especially nice if you want to write out math equations. Here's a short overview from our own Miriam Simpson, Physics teacher:
How to Screen Record on an iPad Links to an external site.

Accessibility

Captioned videos make your content accessible for hard-of-hearing students and also help a lot of other learners. For ways to caption, see Finding and Creating Content .

Examples:

OK, these are just funny.