As my team has been doing more eLearning lately, we've been trying to get more clear about standards to follow. I held a brown bag in hopes of getting folks to share information, which some did willingly. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth, but if you can get someone to talk about their work, that is ideal because it is uninhibited.
Camtasia is the tool of choice, although some of these concepts apply to tools universally.
Best practice tips
Visual
Zoom
Consistent Zoom - recommend 115%
Maximum Zoom - 150% (do not exceed)
Aspect Ratio (Camtasia) - Capture Size
desktopwidth:i:1500
desktopheight:i:684
Frames Per Second
Lower fps means smaller file size. The default file size is 30 fps (Camtasia).
Recommendation: 15 fps for screencast
More information https://wistia.com/community/posts/t8l/frame-rates-for-screencasts.
Audio
Tool: Audacity (free, and that link will take you to the download page)
Record in Mono
Align recording device to recording software preferences (Sound input)
Align settings to device.
Your recording preferences would be set for 44.1 kHz 16 bit because that is what is supported by the device.
Save as WAV signed at 16-bit PCM, no encoding (to prevent distortion)
Other tips:
- Talk through the screencast as you move around the screen so you don't lose the flow.
- Pay close attention to sequencing steps for the learner
- Recording in small bursts is better for editing and reorganizing - particularly because it is easier to move around in Camtasia and Storyline
- Be sure you have a quiet space (no fans, phones, other distractions)
- If possible, set up a recording space in your home to do the narrations
- Speak slowly and pause appropriately
Resources
Create Software Simulations (Articulate)
Screencasts Presentation (2/9/2016 Brown Bag Lunch), Presentation has a lot of links to reliable blogs and tutorials
Tips to Creating an Engaging Screencast (PDF) - Camtasia reference
Lynda provides a Screencasting tutorial and includes overviews for Camtasia and other tools
