Interactivity can be defined as adding quizzes, "click here to continue" flash hotspots, or html links to external sites.

In Camtasia, you can produce files to .swf (shockwave flash) format and choose the Express-Show option. This puts the video and the flash content in one

package. That file is a .swf and plays in all browsers.

The problem is that .swf is not supported as a format in YOutube, Blip.tv or any other free video site on the internet. If you upload a .swf to Youtube, it

converts it to .flv. FLv does not support interactive elements so your quizzes are lost.

So for interactivity, you still need to put your tutorial on a web server. A problem with .swf files is that they tend to be large. This affects bandwidth,
storage charges and may affect performance.

We have been testing to see if you can add quizzes to mp4's. Alas, not yet.

But, you can use interactive elements by producing your tutorial to a .mp4 and then uploading the .mp4 and the .html file to your server.
This makes for fewer files and also smaller file size.
So if you have been producing to .swf and uploading to your own server, change the output to .mp4, you will still get the interactive elements and your files will server much faster.

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Screencasting with Jing is different from using Camtasia Studio from the same company, Techsmith.
Camtasia has a large feature list, you can edit it forever...
Jing produces a flash video that does not allow editing. Jing creates embed code and stores it in your free account at screencast.com. However, you cannot edit the dimensions in a Jing video in the same way you can edit embed code from a Camtasia Studio swf.
We have started using Libguides and they have a box that runs embedded video within a box. This is ideal for very short flash videos. I am not scripting them and keeping them under 90 seconds.
A sample one is at http://camosun.ca.libguides.com/CanadianHistory under the Tab "Tips - video format"

What seems to work is to create a page for these videos.
If you toggle columns,the left and centre column is about 725 pixels wide.
If you want to keep 3 columns, the centre column can take a video 475 x 400 pixels. I have found that a video in the left column is too small to display properly in the box and I am trying to avoid having students go to full screen by default.

Resize your browser window to about 800x600.
When you start Jing, set the capture to 700 pixels wide by 400 high, although the height is less important.
Or 475 x 400 depending on your design.
I think the 2 cols could go to 720 pixels or so and still fit.

Capture a video, upload the embed code to screencast, then paste the embed code from your clipboard into the libguides embedded video box.

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How can you collaborate on a tutorial?
You can be a content expert or you can be the one with the software license.

When you are considering doing an animated tutorial, the project may seem daunting when you think of everything you need to do.
Get an idea, write a script, then record it and do the editing. Even if you are pretty good with Captivate or Camtasia or Viewlet builder, the front end takes work. The planning is just as important as the recording, even more so.

I saw in this wiki that Bill Badke had committed to do a tutorial on Research questions. I had no pressing project and am on Professional Development so can try new things. I proposed that we work together on this one.

So, we split the work.
Bill knows a lot about information literacy, I have developed my skills on Camtasia. We live 80 km apart so needed a virtual workspace.
He wrote the script in his space on PBwiki and invited me as an editor. You can see the script at
http://badke.pbwiki.com/Research-Questions

After an unrecorded run through, I added a few sentences in places where I thought I needed more narration to cover the length of time that a slide needed to be on the screen.
Slides and Camtasia were a new thing for me. I have used Camtasia as a way to capture a flow of changing computer screens. This project needed something else, so I created the visual part of the script in powerpoint, then recorded the narration as I clicked through the powerpoint show.

If you are working with faculty and they can create content in powerpoint, that is probably an easier learning curve for them than working out a script for an internet search project. You can add the voice and do the production and uploading.

The final product is at DSpace:

http://hdl.handle.net/1880/46628

From my initial proposal to the completed project was about 6 or 7 days, so you can execute your ideas very quickly.

Richard

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