Online learning and teaching is a new trend in education and is increasingly becoming popular among the students in high school and college. Kaplan University is no exception to the rule. With Kaplan University High School and Kaplan University, online learning plays a major role of teaching and learning.
One issue both learners and faculty struggle with in the online environment is the lack of face-to-face interaction, which may lead to ineffective communication. In addition to communication breakdown, some online learners are visual learners, so they need a systematic way to see some of the lessons or materials. On the same note, costs have to be reasonable and programs must be simple for both faculty and students to use without harming computers.
TechSmith, the makers of Camtasia and SnagIT, two very powerful screencasting and screen capturing software, developed Jing Project. The project has been running now for three years and it is still running strong. Jing allows faculty and students to do a screenshot or screencast and share Flash videos up to five minutes using online (web URL), email, and even a file. Jing is available for Windows and Macintosh computers and requires users to sign up for a free account with Screencast with 2GB of storage. Users can upgrade to Jing Pro, which allows users to export to Flash or Quicktime, brand their own videos, and use WebCam to film themselves with a nice backdrop. In addition, users can purchase more space on the Screencast.com server for up to 20GB for $9.95 a month.
Some examples of using Jing include:
- Collaborate on a design project
- Share a snapshot of a document
- Narrate vacation or field trip photos
- Show someone how to use a software like iTunes or even Kaplan KU Campus
- Share comments on a student’s homework assignment
- Access web sites
At Kaplan University, Jing can also be used to make videos of PowerPoint presentations to use in Seminar or in Announcements, making it more interactive and with more visual appeal. One faculty uses Jing to show his students how to set up various Microsoft ® Excel templates while another uses it to demonstrate how to format papers in APA.
Jing can be obtained at http://jingproject.com. Both Windows and Macintosh versions are available on that screen. In addition, you will need to sign up for the free account. The Pro account is $14.95 a year. If you want to include a webcam of yourself you need to use the Pro account. You can also change the branding and be able to save videos as a Quicktime video. It is recommended to use Flash since it is more universal than Quicktime. I do highly recommend if you are making a video that you write a script so your narration is smoother and more appealing to the viewers.
Many colleagues find using Jing very easy and fun. They engage their online learners by providing that personal touch of seeing your face or even just hearing your voice. Anyone can use it, and it only takes an hour to learn. Good luck, have fun, and be creative!
Did you know…
Eric Wilson is a theater buff? He has been involved in theater and directed over 40 productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Miracle Worker, and Oklahoma! Looks like Roger and Eric should team up! Eric is a Professor in the School of Business and Management at Kaplan University.
[This article was originally published in our September, 2009 issue.]
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment