Using pre-recorded media for content delivery has many advantages including allowing students to access the material asynchronously and to review the material multiple times. Asynchronous access to materials also provides students who may have internet and/or device limitations flexibility with regard to when they engage with your course.
There are a number of simple audio/video recording tools that you can use. Regardless of which tools you use, keep the following recommendations in mind.
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Keep your media short - no more than eight minutes in length
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Write an outline of what you want to cover and practice a few times
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Use a microphone if you have one--even using normal earbuds/headphones with a microphone will improve the quality of the audio
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Don’t be overly concerned about production value (yes, even you film & video faculty!). If you are in a Keep on Teaching situation, the main objective is to meet students’ needs to progress toward your course learning outcomes and not to create sophisticated media.
Tools that you can use to create audio/video media include the following. Media produced in any of these formats can be shared with your students in various ways including through your Canvas course.
Anchor: This free Podcasting app can be used to create audio content to share with your students.
Canvas: MICA’s LMS includes a media recorder within the Rich Text Editor in Canvas. Using this recorder, you can create audio/video directly from your computer’s webcam.
QuickTime: If you are an Apple user, you can make use of the QuickTime recording features which can be found in the Applications section of Finder on your computer.
Screencast o Matic: The free version of this software allows you to record, edit, and share audio, video, and your computer screen.
Zoom: MICA’s preferred video-conferencing tool, Zoom can be used for recording and sharing audio/video content.
Need help with incorporating technology into your teaching? Contact acadtech@mica.edu or schedule an appointment with Jamie Gillis.