How to use the Recorder?

Before using the recorder ensure that you have:

1. MS PowerPoint (2000/03/07/10), DirectX (9.0 or later), and Microsoft Media Player (10.0 or later) installed in your computer.
2. Your PowerPoint presentation saved in your local or mobile drive in PPT, PPTX or PPS format.
3. A Webcam driver and camera connected to your computer.

Just open your presentation and start present and everything in your presentation will be recorded, including: transitions, animation, slide timing, sound effects, mouse movement, embedded video & audio, compelling elements of live presentation, on-the-fly pen annotation, and cursor highlights.

To record your presentation run the recorder to find your webcam activated and started automatically, then:

1. Click the "Open" toolbar button to load your PowerPoint presentation into the recorder display window.
2. Adjust your camera and mike devices and video format settings from "Camera Settings" in the left-hand explorer bar.
3. Click "Options" to adjust your audio and video options (e.g., quality, hardware, and other recording options).
4. When ready, click the "Record" button to select the video format (WMV, AVI, or FLV) and destination folder and start recording.
5. Use the slide controls toolbar buttons (First, Previous, Next, Last) to navigate forward and back through the presentation.
6. Toggle (switch) between presenter's webcam, slides, text, drawing, and web browser while recording using Cam, Slides, text, Draw, and Web toolbar buttons.
7. You can also annotate on your slides by clicking on the annotation tool and then using any mouse device or graphic tablet to draw or write with.
8. Use the drawing board (similar to MS Paint) to draft out or explain an idea using the drawing tools in the Draw pane or the simple text editor in the Text pane.
9. Use the camera position control at the right-bottom of the screen to change the camera view and position. Click the active position (red color) again to hide the camera view.
10. Click "Pause" to stop recording temporarily and click again "Resume" to continue recording.
11. Click "Stop" to end recording and get your video file (e.g., video1.wmv) and video data file (.zip) saved in your destination folder.

Adjusting recording options

1. Click the "Options" toolbar gear button to open the Presentation Record Options window.
2. Adjust the video quality, video bitrate, audio channels, and audio bitrate.
3. To enhance the recording performance click "Turn on/off" button to turn on/off your Windows graphics hardware acceleration.
4. Uncheck/check "Use Recorder Hardware Acceleration" box for better recording performance.
5. Check "Record Mouse Pointer" box to record mouse pointer while recording and vice versa.
6. Change Frame Rate (frame per second) to enhance the quality of your video output.
7. Select your preferred audio device and audio inputs.

How to publish your presentation?

1. Click on "Upload" link and select the video file you need to upload.
2. Wait for the uploading process then complete the publishing form. This form requires selecting the video data file (in zip format) generated by the recorder and saved in the same video file directory. You can add a link to any quiz to assess and track your audience achievement. This quiz appears below the video window. We recommend using Testmoz to create your own quiz then copy & paste the quiz URL (e.g., testmoz.com/38123).
3. Click the "Publish" button and wait for the video presentation page link.
4. Click on the link to open the page, watch the video presentation, and share your video presentation page via email or social networks (e.g., presentationtube.net/creator/page.php?watch=RwDUT5kYmmB).
5. Click the "Embed" button to embed your video presentation in your web page, blog, or course management system (e.g, Moodle).

The Benefits of Pre-recorded Video Presentations

Students consistently rank video presentations as an essential tool, and most often use it to review concepts and revise. The majority of students still attend classes, even when video of lecture is in place. Instructors have been experimenting with many useful techniques for integrating lecture capture into their courses.

• Saving time giving face to face lectures. Video presentations replace repeat face to face lectures, this creates time for active learning in tutorials.

• Recording presentations provides an opportunity to re-organize teaching time, and to rethink content delivery.

• Students who watch an online video presentations may be better able to apply what they had learnt than students who attended the same lecture in person.

• Audio and video capture with PowerPoint slides may be particularly useful for ‘equation heavy’ disciplines.

• Some students rarely ask questions in lectures, particularly in large groups, and prefer to focus on the captured lecture.

• Students are more likely to interact in an online forum where they have more time to consider and compose their question carefully.

• Provide students with a valuable resource to complement their studies. Students can stop, start and rewind the video to address their specific needs.

• Allow students to catch up if they miss a face-to-face lecture. This also enables them to adopt a more flexible learning pattern if they wish.

• Can improve students’ learning and increase their overall level of satisfaction and confidence with the course.
   

Tips for Implementation

• Divide longer presentations into three to twelve minute segments for recording. This will make the material more accessible to students, as well as help the professor prioritize and organize the topics for the students.

• Provide presentation online before the corresponding class meeting, and hold students responsible for viewing it on their own. This frees up class time for more interactive activities and discussion.

• Record short segments for online posts outside of classroom lectures. Use a more informal tone, as if in a tutorial session, to make the listening experience more personal for students.

• Provide unabridged, recorded lectures for international students to review the material at their own pace once a classroom session is completed.

• Remind students that reviewing pre-recorded lectures are a good way to prepare for tests and exams.

• Have a student or teaching assistant take notes throughout the lecture. Post them online along with the pre-recorded video presentation so that students can fill in missing information in their own notes and have a model for note-taking in future lectures.

• Pre-designate a time for students to participate in small group and individual discussions regarding video presentation, so that other students can access them.

• To encourage students to come to class rather than rely on only the pre-recorded video presentations, an attendance policy and/or a class participation policy may be used.
  
  Please contact us if you have any question.
  
  Benefits and tips were adapted from:
  DeAngelis, K. (2009). Teaching Tip Sheet, Center for Teaching and Learning, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.