Instructors are always looking for innovative ways to connect and teach their students. Whether the class is online or on-ground, Camtasia Studio is a perfect tool for making content more engaging. Finding a single tool that can help with lectures, grading, and incorporating videos is very difficult. So let’s take a look at Camtasia Studio and see if it can help you.

What exactly is Camtasia?

TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio is a screen capture and video production tool all in one. With Camtasia Studio you can record your screen activity as videos with narration and produce them into multiple file formats. You can choose to capture the entire screen or any section of the screen. Once you have a series of capture shots it’s just a click to start producing your final video!

Before we get into the functionality of Camtasia, let’s think about some of the reasons you might create your own screencast.  Screencasts can disseminate information more clearly in your online courses. They can provide students detailed information about:

• Your syllabus
• Course navigation and instructions
• Specific lecture points and examples
• Assignment instructions
• Assignment feedback and grading

What can Camtasia Studio do for me?

Record screencast videos for tutorials, presentations, or demonstrations. These videos can capture students attention and they look fantastic. Camtasia Studio software is smart, powerful, and makes you look like a pro. You can easily record PowerPoint presentations, webcam video, and audio. You can also produce and share high-quality videos at any screen size instantly to:

• YouTube
• Screencast.com
• Portable devices like the iPhone and iPad.

You can also export video to specific file formats such as wmv, mp4, and flv.  There is also an option to publish files that can be hosted on the Quinnipiac Adobe Connect (Breeze) server.

Is it hard to learn?

The feature-packed screencast application which includes HD production settings does have a learning curve. Experience with iMovie or Windows Movie Maker will certainly help-but isn’t necessary. Camtasia has a user-friendly interface and a useful online help center with video tutorials that do a nice job walking users through the main functionality of the software.

Recently Updated Features for Studio 7.1

Camtasia now includes the ability to record system audio, as well as automatically re-size windows during recording. Plus, you get the option to “smartfocus” or zoom in on key frames and add close captions to your presentation. There is also a very nice option of Picture in Picture that will allow you to integrate a web cam (or other video) onto your screen while you are recording.

Summary

Camtasia Studio is a worthwhile investment for the professional screencast producer requiring advanced features as well as beginners looking to get started with screencasts. Camtasia Studio is available for a free 30 day trial and those interested in learning more should contact their instructional designer at QU Online.  If you would like to get started with Camtasia on your own, TechSmith has a very helpful ‘Camtasia Studio Learning Center’ set up online at: http://www.techsmith.com/learn/camtasia/7/.

References:
TechSMith.com. (2011). Camtasia Studio Products. [On-line],
Available at: http://www.techsmith.com/

cnetDownload.com. (2011) TechSmith.[Online],
Available at:
http://download.cnet.com/windows/techsmith/3260-20_4- 61440.html?tag=rb_content;contentMain

France, Jasmine.(2010)cnet Editors Review. [Online],
Available at: http://download.cnet.com/Camtasia-Studio/3000-13633_4-10665109.html