Information for Teachers and Lecturers |
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I would be grateful if teachers and lectures (who adopt the videos and exercises as part of their course delivery) contacted me via the website << contact page >>. The website is a resource to help teach Python but feedback is also being used to drive research being carried out at a British University. Furthermore I would be grateful if you encouraged your pupils/students to subscribe to the YouTube channel (that this website is supporting) asking them to comment appropriately on the channel and videos (comments will form input to the research).
How the videos are made
I am frequently asked how the videos are made and what software and hardware is used. Listed below is the software and hardware used.
Software
Hardware
Software
- Camtasia Studion 8 by TechSmith (information can be located at this link >>)
- SnagIt by TechSmith (information can be located at this link >>)
- PowerPoint (information can be located at this link >>)
- GIMP (information can be located at this link >>)
Hardware
- Wacom Intuos Tablet (information can be located at this link >>)
- Samson USB C01U Studio Condensor Microphone (information can be found at this link >>)
- Samson Telescopic Boom Stand (information can be found at this link >>)
- Microphone Spider Mount (information can be located at this link >>)
- Pop Filter (information can be found at this link >>)
Camtasia Studio 8
Clearly the most important software is the screen capture software. I tried a number of products before deciding on Camtasia. I have never regretted my decision. Camtasia is an excellent reliable screen capture product. It has many features and with every new release it adds more functionality. Learning any new software product takes time but once the basics of Camtasia are mastered you will find it an extremely easy and intuitive environment to use.
I highly recommend that if you want to make teaching videos for your pupils/students you should use Camtasia (information can be located at this link >>).
When I started using Camtasia I attended a short course run by BlueOrange it was an excellent course and ideal for starting out with Camtaisa (information can be found at this link >>).
I highly recommend that if you want to make teaching videos for your pupils/students you should use Camtasia (information can be located at this link >>).
When I started using Camtasia I attended a short course run by BlueOrange it was an excellent course and ideal for starting out with Camtaisa (information can be found at this link >>).
SnagIt
This product is excellent at capturing screen shots allowing direct and efficient manipulation of the image. It greatly increases productivity. It has many more features but I only use it for screen shots so I will not comment further (information can be located at this link >>).
PowerPoint
Ignore the usual criticisms of PowerPoint (that are usually made by individuals who have no knowledge of its extensive features). PowerPoint is an excellent multimedia development environment. It is ideal for creating quick and effective schematic animations and more besides (information can be located at this link >>).
GIMP
This is a free image manipulation software product and is an excellent alternative to many expensive products. I use GIMP for my 'hand writing' tutorials (see companion website at this link >> for examples). For information on GIMP click this link>>.
Developing a Supporting Website
This website supports the delivery of video lessons and allows for other information such as PDF files to be uploaded to allow them to be downloaded by users of the website. If you are a teacher or lecturer who wishes to do something similar then I highly recommend Weebly.
Weebly is an extremely easy to use drag and drop website builder. In addition Weebly will host your websites with great efficiency with virtually no downtime. The other advantage is Weebly is free to use so you can gain experience at using the software before you decide whether you wish to purchase the pro version. Alternatively you can remain with the free version forever and have no financial outlay.
However, it is my view that you should purchase the pro version as it gives you access to some extra features but also allows you to choose a sensible URL (i.e. 'name' for your website). The free version means that your URL will have an 'odd looking name' i.e. it will have the word Weebly in the name. For example its will look like:
www.MyWebSiteName.Weebly.com
Instead of
www.MyWebsiteName.com
To help recover the cost of the pro version you can add adverts to your site and you will receive a small amount of money every time someone clicks on an advert. You share this revenue with Weebly i.e. Weebly takes 50% and you have the remaining 50%. Do not expect to make a lot of money but I suspect you would make enough to cover your costs.
Another good reason to go with Weebly is that they have a good support system in place. You can get help from their frequently asked questions section. If you cannot find what you want there you can simply email them and you usually get an answer within a working day.
Weebly also comes with a simple to use web stats section which allows you to monitor the engagement of the users of your site. For example how many views you have had of a specific page in a specified period of time. If you wish to have a more detailed stats view it is very easy to add Google analytics to your website. Weebly also have an easy to follow help page that shows you how to do this.
If you are unsure how to set up and purchase your own URL then Weebly will do this for you. However, if you already have a URL or wish to purchase one yourself (which can work out cheaper) then Weebly again have an easy to follow help page that shows you how to do this.
I have a technical background and I could develop my own website using various tools and writing code but I do not see the point as it is much more efficient to build it using Weebly. This allows me to concentrate my efforts on the website content. Of course if you are technical I should indicate that you have no access to server side coding so you will not be able to run your own software to implement a tailored requirement. However, I have never felt the need to go down this path so it has not been a problem for my requirements. If you are into writing your own HTML then Weebly supplies you with an "embed code widget" giving you flexibility to add your own creativity to your website.
It is also worth mentioning that to publish your website just involves the click of a button and within a few seconds your website is published.
So in summary if you want to build a supporting website for your course that is easy to use and will meet 99.99% of your requirements then I recommend you use Weebly.
Weebly is an extremely easy to use drag and drop website builder. In addition Weebly will host your websites with great efficiency with virtually no downtime. The other advantage is Weebly is free to use so you can gain experience at using the software before you decide whether you wish to purchase the pro version. Alternatively you can remain with the free version forever and have no financial outlay.
However, it is my view that you should purchase the pro version as it gives you access to some extra features but also allows you to choose a sensible URL (i.e. 'name' for your website). The free version means that your URL will have an 'odd looking name' i.e. it will have the word Weebly in the name. For example its will look like:
www.MyWebSiteName.Weebly.com
Instead of
www.MyWebsiteName.com
To help recover the cost of the pro version you can add adverts to your site and you will receive a small amount of money every time someone clicks on an advert. You share this revenue with Weebly i.e. Weebly takes 50% and you have the remaining 50%. Do not expect to make a lot of money but I suspect you would make enough to cover your costs.
Another good reason to go with Weebly is that they have a good support system in place. You can get help from their frequently asked questions section. If you cannot find what you want there you can simply email them and you usually get an answer within a working day.
Weebly also comes with a simple to use web stats section which allows you to monitor the engagement of the users of your site. For example how many views you have had of a specific page in a specified period of time. If you wish to have a more detailed stats view it is very easy to add Google analytics to your website. Weebly also have an easy to follow help page that shows you how to do this.
If you are unsure how to set up and purchase your own URL then Weebly will do this for you. However, if you already have a URL or wish to purchase one yourself (which can work out cheaper) then Weebly again have an easy to follow help page that shows you how to do this.
I have a technical background and I could develop my own website using various tools and writing code but I do not see the point as it is much more efficient to build it using Weebly. This allows me to concentrate my efforts on the website content. Of course if you are technical I should indicate that you have no access to server side coding so you will not be able to run your own software to implement a tailored requirement. However, I have never felt the need to go down this path so it has not been a problem for my requirements. If you are into writing your own HTML then Weebly supplies you with an "embed code widget" giving you flexibility to add your own creativity to your website.
It is also worth mentioning that to publish your website just involves the click of a button and within a few seconds your website is published.
So in summary if you want to build a supporting website for your course that is easy to use and will meet 99.99% of your requirements then I recommend you use Weebly.
Need Help?
If you are a teacher or lecturer who needs assistance with the production of videos and with the development of a supporting website then please contact me via the contact page >>. If it is feasible and practically possible then I should be able to assist you. Also contact me if you are willing to help support the research I am undertaking with a British University with respect to the effectiveness of video lessons.