Screencasts VS Written Instructions

Blog #2: Reflection Post - My Take on Screencasts - Module 6

WHY I FEEL SCREENCASTS ARE BETTER THAN WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

     Ever since I was a young student in elementary school, I have always struggled with written instructions. I remember dreading the days that I had science class, simply because I found that the written instructions for completing experiments were too difficult to follow. While this may be different for others, I find that written instructions can be EXTREMELY ambiguous for one major reason:

1. There is no VISUAL demonstration to follow along...

     BECAUSE there was no visual process for me to see during elementary science experiments, I found myself extremely confused and worried that I could potentially blow the classroom up by mixing the wrong chemicals. (Seems silly, but hey, you never know what can happen). No visual demonstration meant that I would learn how to do a task the WRONG way, which is the exact opposite outcome that instructions should give.

     With this being said, SCREENCASTS became my go-to in teaching myself how to perform any certain task efficiently. There was no confusion because I could physically see the execution of each step... not only what to do in each step but HOW to do it. 

     After watching a tutorial, I always feel much more confident than reading instructions from a paper. I fully understand how the process is supposed to be completed and therefore, I can complete the process with little to no error. 

Screencasts: Good, Better, and Best

What makes a  G R E A T screencast?

     In any instructional/learning setting a screencast is a wonderful tool to use to help engage learners in a timely and efficient manner. But, how does one create an effective screencast?

     Well, from what I have gathered, an effective screencast includes:

1. VISUAL AND AUDIO CLARITY: An effective screencast has clear digital images or videos and the sound quality is excellent with little fuzziness.
2. THOUROUGH EXPLANATION OF INSTRUCTIONS: Effective screencasts will ensure that the audience completely understands the process being demonstrated and how to execute the demonstration on their own. Each step is thoroughly explained, therefore, there is no room for ambiguity. The audience should be able to successfully complete the process being shown on their own after viewing the screencast with little to no trouble.
3. TIME EFFICIENT: Effective screencasts MUST be engaging. In order to keep the audience engaged, the screencast cannot be too lengthy (unless the audience is learning something that requires a lot of time). The screencast must be able to thoroughly explain each step to the necessary extent. The mission of an effective screencast: To deliver instructional information to the audience as thouroughly as possible in a timely fashion.
4. ENGAGING: Great screencasts are ENGAGING. If voice is used for instructional purpose, the speaker should be excited to teach. The learners will reciprocate and feel equally excited to learn material. It will be easier for the audience to learn material that is not only interesting to them, but presented in an interesting manner. In addition to this, the use of different texts, digital images, color, and sound, make the tutorial all the more intriguing. 
5. REITERATION OF PROCESS BEING TAUGHT: Great screencasts can also reinforce the instructions at a natural pace, at the end of the video. This element is not ESSENTIAL but I think it makes a strong screencast. By reinforcing the directions, the process will be further engraved in the mind of the audience. This way, the screencast is clear and fully explained t ensure that the audience has a good grasp on how to perform a certain task.

     These five elements can be noted in the screencast I found below. This is the BEST screencast. While this video is not necessarily short, the time length is necessary to fully explain figurative language to a fifth grade class. The teacher is engaging, explains the types of figurative language thoroughly, and uses examples of the different figurative language types to help her class understand the concept. The teacher speaks clearly, the transitions are not choppy, and the text/coloring used invited learners to pay attention to the material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs_F-XR5xGA

     Here, is an example of a BETTER screencast. The audio quality is OK. There was a fuzziness in the background. The time between each instruction was too long. Additionally, for some people, it could be hard to understand someone with an accent. Instructions were clear, the speaker was personable, and the screencast was short, sweet, and to the point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyMHUb0lFco

     Finally, below I have pasted the link to an example of a GOOD screencast. In this tutorial, the speaker has an engaging voice that is not monotonous. However, his instructions lack fluidity and clarity. The video is also over a half hour long. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr2VBRdRYak

The Importance of Screencasting in the Classroom

Blog #1: An Analytical Response to the Reading, "Screencasting to Engage Learning" by Michael F. Ruffini - Module 6

"As computer technology continues to evolve and advance, many teachers from K–12 and higher education use screencasting as an online or stand-alone teaching tool with traditional teaching approaches to enhance and engage the learning experience of their students. Sugar, Brown, and Luterbach noted that screencasting as an instructional strategy may be viewed as a modern descendent of instructional film and video."

- Michael F. Ruffini

     Michael Ruffini, a professor of educational technology, describes in his captivating piece, Screencasting to Engage Learning, what screencasting is and how the process can be used as an advantageous method in an educational environment. 

           The overall elemental outlook of screencasting appears more appealing than other instructional strategies. In terms of multimedia elements, screencasting offers music, audio, sound effects, and digital images in addition to text. Contrary to screencasting, other instructional strategies implemented in the classroom solely use text, which are not alluring to students. Similar to the ignite talks we presented in class, screencasts have a commanding presence. In both presentations, the attention of the classroom is at full capacity because students feel interested in the manner that which learning materials are being presented. 

          Michael Ruffini additionally listed the applications of screencasts, including:   

• Training — such as learning new software and orientations to new products.
• Teaching — a lesson on a particular topic or showing a step-by-step process, in which students can learn material at their own pace or catch up on missed sessions.
• Selling — a product.
• Blogging and YouTube — communicating opinions, facts, and ideas, etc.
  
  
     It is evident that various learning activities can be incorporated with the use of screencasting. Needless to say, it is most likely more beneficial for a student to visually learn how to perform a certain task rather than reading a list of instructions. Visual demonstrations create little room for ambiguities. Therefore, a student will not be uncertain or confused about a step or how to execute a step if the student initially views the demonstration.
  
       Especially with younger learners, aural, audio, and visual learning are key methods, specifically because the human brain is more maleable