An Inexpensive Method for Recording Lectures Without Use of a Video Recorder
Summary
The lecture recording method described here involves background capture of screen “snapshots” coupled with microphone audio melded together into a QuickTime© movie file. It requires that the lecture material be prepared in digital format and lends itself to inclusion of annotations, in-line workshops and detailed answers to students’ questions by use of a digital tablet. A microphone input, either integral or external (USB) is needed. The critical component is software that carries out the screen capture and audio recording while running in the background. The cost of this software on both Macintosh and PC platforms is modest. The operation of such software is processor intensive, however, so the method will only produce acceptable quality recordings on a computer with substantial processing power. Once set up, the recording process is initiated by one keyboard combination, brief use of the mouse to set the capture area and terminated by another key combination, coming close to “zero-effort” on the part of the lecturer. Three 50-minute recordings a week have been made over the course of two semesters with very minimal disruption, which attests to the robust nature of the components of the system.
Acknowledgement: The authors gratefully acknowledge support of this work by an FDIP-B grant from the University of Houston Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost and resources provided by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.