screencasting 101

There are several options for screencasting / lecture capture available for your use personally or in the classroom.  Like most software, each has its advantages and disadvantages.  Here are some of the programs you might want to check out followed by a short review of my thoughts regarding their usability and applicability for teachers.

tegrity

My screencast (below) will introduce you to using tegrity in conjunction with blackboard.  Before you get started you may also want to view the tutorials here.  In addition, MU has several great tutorials, as well as access to other resources here.

screenr

Screenr is my favorite screencasting tool for a number of reasons.

1. You don't have to be in blackboard to use it
2. It is free!
3. If you have a twitter account, there is nothing else to download locally to your computer - so you can screencast anywhere
4. Its interface is intuitive, easy, and fun to use

The tutorial below will help you get started.

There are a number of additional screencasting tools out there you may want to explore.  Here are my choices for the three "runners up" to tegrity and screenr.

freescreencast.com - also easy to use, but seems to be PC only
screencast-o-matic - user friendly, some limitations on free accounts
jing.com - fairly easy to use interface, subscription-based up to a particular point via screencast.com