We looked at images in week 3, but this week we’re going further and looking at a range of multimedia.
The early days of the web were much more text based, and images could take a long while to load. We’ve come a long way from the days of the Cambridge Coffee Pot when people logged in from across the globe to see a scratchy black and white live image of … yes you’ve guessed it, a coffee pot!
Today you can view videos from round the world, create videos and listen to Podcasts from all sorts of media outlets.
A lot of people find it easier to learn how something is done by watching so video can be a great way of doing this when you are trying to show people who are not with you how to do something. I have used them professionally for how to videos but also personally when friends or family have asked how something is done.
Screen capture tools record your mouse as well as everything you click on and show on your screen. Screen capture is a great way for showing students, colleagues or a wider audience how to use an online tool.
There are a number of screencasting tools available, both free and for purchase. Often short videos convey as much information as needed without the need for fancy editing.
Some general tips:
If doing a voiceover speak slowly and clearly
Write a script if talking
Run through what you’ll be demonstrating in advance
Screencast-o-matic Screencast-o-matic is fairly intuitive, so you can get started right away. You may want to create an account (so that you can store and keep track of your videos), and you can also watch a short demo that walks you through the recording steps.
1. Press ‘Start recording’ in the top right hand corner.
2. A frame will appear (make sure Java is enabled); you can drag and resize this frame to suit your needs, and you’ll also see some options for size, etc.
3. press the red button and go. If you don’t want to record anything, make sure you mute your computer’s microphone (otherwise you’ll get a lot of white noise).
When you’ve finished, press the ‘done’ button and choose where to upload your video.
You can upload direct to YouTube.
Here is one I did earlier on Finding Exam Papers:
Thing 17
Why not record a short video? You can use the Library’s Screencast-o-matic account (details to be given in sessions or email Helen) if it is library related!
If you don’t want to do that take a look at some screencapture videos on these YouTube accounts:
23 things RHUL 