Video Streaming Sabbatical Report
The purpose of my sabbatical project during the fall 2008 semester was to develop and expand online instructional support by creating how-to and mini library instruction video clips on library resources as well as video clips on how to use these resources more effectively. It will require thorough training on the Camtasia Studio software as well as time to design, organize and create the online library instruction lessons. The following is my report of my sabbatical project.I kept a blog on my sabbatical (http://videostreamingsabbatical.blogspot.com/), which is posted on my home page. (http://www.cuyamaca.net/angela.nesta/default.asp) All the video clips I created are posted on my home page.
The video clips created touched on a variety of resources and services in the library for both students and faculty. As such they are linked in several web locations. These library and web locations are given below:
Media Services page (http://www.cuyamaca.edu/libserv/mediaserv/mediaserv.asp)The Media Consortium video clips and the Video and DVD video clips are posted on the Media Services page, as well as Survey video clips on the Media Consortium and Video and DVD video clips.
I discovered that Camtasia has a quiz/survey feature. These survey video clips can be inserted in a larger video clip or stand-alone. The quiz/study feature in Camtasia can used in Blackboard or uses Outlook e-mail (but not other types of e-mail applications)
The two surveys on the Media Services page are intended for faculty to complete and to send the answers using their Outlook e-mail.
Community College Media Consortium (CCMC) wiki
The video clips on how to search and book the Media Consortium media collection are also posted on the Community College Media Consortium (CCMC) wiki.
Library Tutorials (http://www.cuyamaca.edu/library/research/tutorials.asp) The following video tutorials are listed:
· I-Link My Account - Learn how to look up your own library account.
· Interlibrary Loan Tutorial - Learn how to place an item on interlibrary loan through the Cuyamaca College Library.
· Off-Campus Access to Databases - Learn how to login to Cuyamaca's databases from home.
· Searching for Videos and DVDs in the Online Catalog - Learn how to find videos and DVDs in the library’s collection using I-Link (the library’s online catalog); and how to find videos and DVDs in the County Media Consortium media collection.
Career Service website (http://www.cuyamaca.edu/careerserv/career_research.asp) The Career eBooks video clip on their Career Research page.
Library eResources by Discipline pathfinders (http://www.cuyamaca.net/library/moresources/subjects/default.asp)The Career eBooks video clip is also link the library’s eResources by Discipline.
Library Home Page (http://www.cuyamaca.net/library/default.asp)
The I-Link My Account video is posted on the library home page under “general information”.
What I learned in creating video clips in Camtasia 5
• Scripts are necessary, of course, but keep them as short as possible, and expect to rewrite them continuously.
• Scripts are very helpful when adding the closed captioned because it is easy to just to copy and paste the script.
• It is less boring and shortens the video clip by pausing the recording, type in the needed information, then resume the recording. Recording the actual typing is not necessary.
• Produce the video clips where one can turn closed captioning on and off
• The dimensions used to record video clips must coordinate with the dimensions used to produce the video clip to get the best picture quality.
• The quiz/study feature in Camtasia is useful only if one is using Blackboard or uses Outlook for their e-mail.
• Theater feature in Camtasia allows one to arrange a set of video clips in a table of contents (TOC). One can also insert images in the TOC and set the colors of the theater, but I encounter problems using it.
1. I found it moved from video to video to fast and had to manipulate a “transition pause” between video clips.
2. I also had to insert a pause at the beginning of theater because the first video clip would start about five seconds in the narration.
3. In one set of video clips in a theater production (e-book video), the cascading to the next video clip is stuck, and I could not figure out how to correct it.
Epilogue
I recently used the newer version 6 of Camtasia to create a library module for ESL 105. (http://www.cuyamaca.edu/libserv/lib-esl105/lib-esl105.html). As with the other video clips I created, this one is also posted on my home page, in addition it is posted in Cuyamaca’s ITunes University page. I discovered some improvements from the previous version.
· Camtasia 5 had problems with the Realtek sound system that come with computer. I had to go into the ‘device manager’ in ‘My Computer’ to disable the Realtek Audio device so I could make recordings. (See blog posting: http://videostreamingsabbatical.blogspot.com/2008/09/realtek-hd-audio-and-camtasia.html) It is not necessary to do this in Camtasia 6.
· In Camtasia 5, I found that if you started talking as soon as you clicked the record button, it would cut off your first few words. I had to quietly count to five in my head then begin speaking so all my narration would record. Camtasia 6 remedied this by including a count down screen when you click the record button.
