Recording Videos: Alternatives to Echo360
• Our focus is on identifying simple tools that you may already be
familiar with to record and share videos!
• We will discuss tips for recording videos first, then look at
options for recording, editing, hosting, and sharing your videos.
• Pro tip: Opt for tools you are already comfortable with and/or
seem the easiest for you to use.
• We will not cover the actual technologies in depth in this
session, but we will have resources up soon to help you!
Recording Videos: Alternatives to Echo360
Types of videos:
• Lecture-based (for delivering content)
• Personal (for announcements and promoting social presence)
Shorter videos are better
• For lecture videos: try to keep them under 10 minutes in length.
• Break down your content down into subtopics
• Record several shorter videos instead of one long video.
• Easier on you to record and more likely your students will watch them!
• Personal videos: try to keep those under five minutes.
• Break them down into shorter video “chunks” if needed
• Be sure to provide all important info in text for those who can’t access the video
Recording Videos: Alternatives to Echo360
Plan ahead!
• Write out bullet points or a short script to help you stay on track during the recording process
Practice!
• Before you start recording, run through your script/speaker notes and/or slides to make sure it
flows and to get a sense of how long your video might be.
Test the system!
• Record a very short test video to get yourself comfortable with the process and to make sure your
equipment and technology are working properly before you begin recording the video(s) you want
to share with students.
• It can be very frustrating to record an entire lecture video and then find out there was an issue
with your microphone, for example. It is worth taking a few minutes to test the process first.
Options for recording videos
Tool Lecture videos Webcam (personal videos/augment PPT)
PowerPoint Record
each individual slide or record the whole slide
show, then export as an MP4,and choose internet
quality.
View this
screencast which walks through the process
of recording individual slides.
The most recent version of PPT for
Windows allow you to record your
webcam along with your PowerPoint. If
you just want to record your webcam, see
the next page.
BigBlueButton Start a conference with just yourself and record it, then
download it from the ”Concluded Conferences” area.
See our BBB guide for more info on how to use BBB.
You can record your webcam in BBB as
well along with your PowerPoint.
If you just want to record your webcam, see the
next page.
Zoom Start a Zoom meeting with just yourself, share your
PowerPoint screen, & record it. With a basic Zoom
account, the recording will save to your computer.
View this
screencast which walks through the process
of recording in Zoom.
Before you share your screen, you can
record a short segment with your webcam
to directly address your students. If you
have your webcam turned on while
sharing a screen, it will record both.
Options for recording videos
Tool Lecture videos Webcam for personal videos
Mac only
Quicktime to record your screen Quicktime or Photobooth to record your
webcam
Windows only Use
Game Bar (Windows key + G) to record
your screen
Camera app
Canvas via the
Rich Content
Editor
N/A For announcements, pages, assignments,
discussion board instructions, etc., you can
record your webcam in the
Rich Content Editor
Options for editing, hosting, & sharing videos
Editing options
(Heads up: editing can be tedious)
Hosting options
(in other words, where your video will sit in the cloud in
order to link students to it)
Sharing options
(i.e., linking them in Canvas
so students can find them)
We encourage you to practice
first and keep your videos short
so your editing tasks are as
minimal as possible – it can be
quite tedious!
Mac: use iMovie
Windows: use Photos
Both options should be included for
free with your operating system.
These tools will both allow you to do
simple trimming when necessary.
MS Stream: WSU’s ”internal YouTube” – viewers must
be logged in to Academica to see the video. This
video goes over how to upload a video to Stream.
YouTube or Vimeo: If you already have a YouTube or Vimeo
account, go with what you know! In YouTube, after you
upload a video, set the privacy control to “Unlisted” – this
means only people with the link can view it.
MS Stream & YouTube will provide automatic captions that can be up
to 90-95% accurate depending on audio and speech quality as well as
the nature of your discipline’s vocabulary. Vimeo does not provide
automatic captions.
You can also upload the file to Canvas but use this option cautiously
to avoid issues with storage.
Note: for videos you record in Canvas, you don’t need to worry about
hosting or sharing – they will automatically be stored in Canvas
In Canvas (preferred):
Use the embed code (from
MS Stream or YouTube) and
paste it into a page via the
Rich Content Editor/HTML
Editor
. You can then add
that page to a module so
your students will be able to
find it.
In email:
Share the link to the video
in an email (note: the
embed code will not work in
a typical email)
Keep it simple!
• Prioritize and be realistic.
• Identify tools and processes that are already familiar to you.
• Chunk out your content to keep videos short and sweet – easier on
you and more likely your students will watch them.
• Be sure to practice both your lecture and your technology before you
begin recording.
• Breathe – you’ve got this!
