Recording presentations can be done in several ways. Each has its pros and cons. Note that both Camtasia and Zoom use your webcam and microphone for recording video and audio, so the quality will be similar. Smartphones often offer superior video and audio quality to webcams, but they are only for video and audio – not screen capture. In all cases, the video you produce can be uploaded to myCourses for student viewing. See more information here. Here is a brief summary:
Camtasia
Pros | Cons |
|---|
Excellent for recording PowerPoint and video via webcam Easy to trim out mistakes Advanced editing, including annotations and multiple tracks Optimized for recording and editing PowerPoint presentations Can record video and screen at same time Good for pre-recorded presentations
| Requires some effort to learn Not for live presentations Video files must be manually exported and uploaded to myCourses
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Summary: Camtasia is good for instructors who want to pre-record PowerPoint presentation and are willing to put some time into learning new software. Camtasia offers good tutorials. The first one gets you started in about 5 minutes. If you have never used Camtasia before, expect to spend about an hour familiarizing yourself with it.
Zoom
Pros | Cons |
|---|
Familiar software for live presentations can also record the screen Uploads to the Zoom cloud for security and then instructors make links in myCourses Can record video and screen at same time No editing required
| No editing available after you finish the recording. If you make a mistake or want to trim the beginning or ending, you will need editing software, like Camtasia. |
Summary: If you are doing a live lecture with Zoom, it makes sense to use Zoom to record the lecture. It’s as simple as pressing record. However, the lack of editing options may limit instructors wishing to modify their presentations after recording.
Smartphone/Tablet
Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Need to keep the phone steady Need to export the video from the phone and get it to myCourses Only limited memory available on phones Cannot record the screen
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Summary: If instructors need to record short videos outside or in the field, the Smartphone is a good choice. However, for traditional lectures with PowerPoint, it isn’t an option.
Quicktime
On Macs, there is a feature in QuickTime that allows you to do a quick screen, audio, or video recording. It’s simple. It uses the same microphone and webcam as Camtasia and Zoom. You will need to save and upload the video afterward. You can do recordings like this without the internet and then upload them afterward.
