How to Create Screencasts for Teaching and Learning Using Jing

Have you ever wanted to create short “how to” video for your students to use for homework, remembering facts, and solving math problems.

How often have your students stated, “I could not complete the homework assignment, because I could not remember the steps and no one could help me.”

Well the answer is to create a screencast or video for posting on your class wiki or blog for students to view at home or anywhere else they have web access.

An Online Tool: Screencasting Made Easy

Jing is an alluringly addictive little piece of freeware that allows you to make screencasts (as well as screenshots) of whatever is appearing on your computer screen.

It is an excellent Web 2.0 tool for teaching using short five-minute-or-less “how to” videos in science or math. It is also compatible with PC and Macs.

To watch a screencast, you or your students only need a viewer capable of showing the appropriate file format. This normally means using Windows Media Player, QuickTime, or Flash.

Screencasts can be streamed over the Internet or downloaded and watched later.

Another option is to save screencasts on a digital portable device with video capability, such as a video capable iPod, MP3 Player, or smart phone (often referred to a videocasts).

Science and Math: Ideas for Use

Using Jing to create screencasts which can be used in science or math to:

• present a standalone lesson or class orientations.

• clarify complex concepts using images, videos, and audio.

• capture brainstorming ideas of entire class or groups.

• post lecture notes, concept maps, or math procedural steps on class wiki or blog.

• support rote learning of facts or “skill and drill” applications.

• create a video clip of you, or a guest speaker, talking while displaying PowerPoint slides or other visuals.

• create a how-to video for math project, science project, or laboratory investigation.

• create a lab safety video.

Educational Value: Teaching Strategies and Techniques

This educational technology tool is useful for teaching:

• content in a more engaging manner for students, rather than reading written instructions and viewing photos or illustrations.

• due to ease in sharing information in an intuitive and effective way.

• by easily publishing and distributing information via blogs, wikis, and social media services which opens the door to greater collaboration among students.

• difficult concepts which cannot be explained easily through words alone.

• different learning styles.

Creating a Screencast

Launch the program, whose icon (the Jing “sun”) will then lurk at the edge of your screen until you are ready for Jing action.

Hover over the sun and select the crosshairs, so you can set your screen capture dimensions.

Select the video icon in the toolbar that appears under your capture zone.

After the 3-second countdown, now you’re recording! Move your cursor, type, click, etc. Your video can be up to 5 minutes long.

To stop the recording, click the rectangular stop button on the toolbar.

Once you are done, you can view your video. You can save a copy (it’s in Flash) or better yet, “share it” to Screencast.com (it’s free) so you can send a link for viewing. You can determine who can and cannot view your screencasts.

Your video can also be embedded or a link provided within a wiki or blog.

Other Considerations

Other points to think about when creating a screen cast:

• You have the option to record audio along with your video.

• You can upload images from Flickr or other sources for integration in a video.

• You can also upload PowerPoint slides for conversion into a video.

Other Free Online Screencasting Tool Options

• CamStudio – an open source PC program for capturing your on-screen video and audio as AVI files.

• Copernicus – is for Macs and focuses heavily on making quick and speedy films. Program does not offer audio support.

• ScreenToaster – is compatible with PCs and Macs and used for capturing videos of onscreen action, tutorials, how-to’s, lectures and more.

A screencast will bring a new dynamic process to your science or math class. Students are more engaged in the learning process and they have access to information presented in class 24 hours a day.

No longer will students be able to complain they could not remember the steps or procedures, because they are posted on the class wiki or blog. They can also download these videos to their iPods, MP3 Players, or smart phone.

Tags: educational technology, how to create, jing, Math, online tools, Science, screencasts, videocasts, web 2.0