The Visual Lounge lets you find out about TechSmith behind-the-scenes. Watch screencasts and videos from other customers, meet up with your fellow TechSmith users and staff, and get more tips and tricks!

Are you interested in screencasting, but don't know where to start? I just heard from Randy Manteufel at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He did a whole workshop on just that!

Randy's workshop covered the basics of how to screencast lectures and share them with students. He used a Tablet PC, Microsoft Journal, and Camtasia Studio, plus a microphone. He uploaded the files into a WebCT course page and linked for student access. Randy also shares his preferences and techniques.

The best part? Randy recorded the workshop with Camtasia Studio! So, even though you and I did not attend the workshop, we can still watch the event. It's just like being there! Except, I can watch the screencast at 1:00am in my pajamas on the couch at home. And, I can watch it over and over! Okay, it's almost better than being there.

Click the image below to watch the screencast:

Randy also has tips for recording lectures and presentations. Here's what he had to say:

The workshop was for faculty who are potential first-time users of Camtasia and teach quantitative courses like engineering.

Tips:

1. Use Microsoft Journal on a TabletPC (I really like the HP Compaq tc4200)
2. Produce Macromedia Flash (swf) files, 800by600, 2 frames/sec
3. Skip the QuickCam and picture-in-picture, at least for lectures
4. It is very tempting to use technology to blow through material, so I have to force myself to slow down and show each step in the derivation or solution
5. Launch onto the Internet in the middle of a lecture to show a dynamic simulation or video clip or something. It piques the interest of students when you show something with action that is beyond the textbook

Randy sent examples of other screencasts, like these from his engineering courses about statics. Thanks Randy, I was trying to forget that stuff...

http://engineering.utsa.edu/~randymanteufel/Feb9/Feb9.html
http://engineering.utsa.edu/~randymanteufel/Feb14/Feb14.html

and ME 4239 Thermodynamics II:

http://engineering.utsa.edu/~randymanteufel/Feb13/Feb13.html
http://engineering.utsa.edu/~randymanteufel/Feb15/Feb15.html

Anyone else capturing their lectures or presentations? E-mail me! I'd love to show you off! Share your tips and tricks with us.