What is Screencasting and Why Use it?

A screencast is a digital video recording of your computer screen and usually includes audio narration. Screencasts are just one of many different types of instructional videos.

Screencasting not only saves you time answering the same questions over and over, but it has been proven that 80% of viewers can recall a video they have seen in the past 30 days.

Not unlike a screenshot, screencasts can be called a screen capture video or screen recording and is a great way to teach or share ideas.

Think about your digital life. All that time sitting at your desk. Think of your apps, websites, IMs, emails, and everything that makes up your digital world.

What if you had a camera in your pocket, ready to capture and record in full, crisp HD at a moment’s notice?

What types of videos would you create? Would you ever want to share what’s on your screen? How could it help you work better?

Common examples of screencasts are:

• Tutorials
• Training videos
• Video lessons
• Recorded presentations

A major benefit of screencasting is that the viewer can watch the screencast at a time when it’s best for them because learning doesn’t always take place in an academic setting.

Additionally, the viewer can absorb the information at their own pace by pausing and rewatching portions. Screencasts add a personal touch in ways that other methods (I’m looking at you PowerPoint decks and written proposals!) simply cannot. We understand the power of screencasting.

We make screencast software because we know that being able to record your desktop increases productivity. You may want to make a more polished screencast, but sometimes a quick-n-dirty video can get the job done, too.

Screencasting is a tool you can jump in and use today. Here are some great screencasting pointers to get you started!

Record Your Screen Today! (For Free!)

Download one of our free screen recorder trials (on Windows or Mac) to quickly and easily record your computer screen.

Download a free trial

5 Ways Screencasting Can Make You More Productive at Work Today

1. Revitalize your onboarding

Getting the new person up-to-speed can be a time-consuming process.

You’re not only trying to get your job done, but you’re also having to explain it every little step of the way. You feel like you’re on the spot (which you are) and it can be overwhelming. Take the pressure off you and record a screencast instead.

With screencasting, you don’t have to continually start and stop to answer questions. This allows you to focus on the material. The new hire can start, stop, and re-watch the screencast as many times as they need. Nobody worries about interrupting a video recording!

You’re already doing the onboarding. Screencasting allows you both refer to it again later. Screencasting allows you to train your new hires effectively and free up your time.

2. Make a basic tutorial

How many times a day do you have to answer the same question?

• “How do I reconnect to the printer?”
• “What is the best way to input the data?”
• “How do I access those Q4 files again?”

You know. It’s that type of question. It’s the question you’ve answered countless times and by now your response is totally autopilot.

Snap out of it!

And snap your co-workers out of it too by creating a screencast that leaves a lasting impression. Why not create a little library of screencasts that answer frequently asked questions?

Oh, and did we mention that it will make you look like a rockstar?

3. Use Screencasting in your classroom or school

You may be wondering why you would want to capture a screenshot or record a video of your screen. The short answer is that it can help you communicate with more clarity and impact than you can with written words alone.

Screencast ideas for your classroom:

• Record procedures and answer common questions.
• Give students audio-visual feedback (the next best thing to a 1:1 conversation).
• Record lessons that students can access anytime, anywhere.
• Make a video to help your substitute teacher if you have to miss class.

4. Make a software or product demo

There is no better way to show off your product than by actually showing off your product! The Content Marketing Institute says that consumers need numerous touchpoints before they decide to make a purchase.

Did you ever consider that explainer videos, walkthroughs, tutorials, and helpful how-to videos are all start with a solid product demo strategy? These videos also make for awesome marketing opportunities to show (and not just tell!) the value of your product.

Oftentimes potential purchasers need to feel what the experience is going to be like before they commit.

However, by viewing a screencast, they are expressing real interest in your product and possibly intent to purchase.

A product demo video is a powerful tool that keeps eyeballs on your website and interested in your product.

You can even create a YouTube video of your product demo to share it with a larger audience.

5. Provide clear feedback

Sometimes the best way to provide clear, concise feedback is to talk it out.

Yet what if the person needing feedback is in a different location? Or a different time zone?

Screencasting is a solution that helps bridge the gaps for today’s globally connected workforce. A major part of providing feedback isn’t what you say, but how you say it. Context is everything when giving constructive critique.

Recording a screencast allows the person on the other end to actually hear your voice, and provides important context to your words. So the next time a webpage, PDF, or video edit is sent to you for feedback, consider dropping the red pen and record a screencast instead!

What is the best screencast software to start with?

When you start screencasting you want to make sure you have a tool that is simple use, but flexible enough to take on larger projects down the road. Look for a screen recorder with a built-in video editor. This will allow you to easily edit video and audio.

Camtasia is built for anyone who needs to make any kind of screencast video and has a ton of help videos to get you started. We make 100% of our tutorials and other screencasts using Camtasia. And so can you.

How to create a survey using google forms

 

Create a survey

Creating a new survey is simple:

1. Visit https://surveys.google.com/your-surveys.
2. Click + NEW SURVEY.
3. In step 1 (Write questions), select the appropriate question type(s) and write your question(s). Click CONFIRM.
4. In step 2 (Pick audience), name your survey and select your target audience. Click CONTINUE.
5. In step 3 (Confirm survey), review your survey questions and purchase responses. You also have the option here to adjust the survey frequency. Click BUY NOW or START TEST* if your survey has screening questions.
6. Your survey is sent to our team for review and you receive a confirmation email once it has been started.
7. You receive another email with a link to your results once your survey is completed.

You can start seeing results once your survey is approved and data is processed, which usually happens in a matter of hours.

How to create a gradebook

 

Create a Gradebook on Microsoft Excel: Make a Weighted Points Grade Sheet

Download Article

A simple way to record your students’ grades

Written by Kyle Smith

Last Updated: January 29, 2023

• Create a New Workbook
 |
• Create the Layout
 |
• Calculate Grades with Formulas
 |
• Assign Letter Grades
 |
• Weight Assignments
 |
• Expert Q&A
 |
• Tips
 |
• Warnings
 |
• Things You'll Need

Microsoft Excel is a great program for creating simple grade books! Using a spreadsheet (and a couple formulas) will reduce the time it takes to record and calculate grades. You don’t need to be familiar with Excel to follow our quickstart guide. This wikiHow article will walkthrough how to create a point-based grade book on Microsoft Excel.

Things You Should Know

• Create columns for student names, assignment grades, total points, possible points, numeric grade, and letter grade.
• Use the SUM function to add each student’s assignment points, then use the “/” division operator to divide their total earned points by the total possible points.
• Weight assignments by assigning more or less points.

Part1

Create a New Workbook

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Start a new workbook in Excel. Select New blank workbook on the home page.

   • Alternatively, there are free templates for grade books online! Click More templates on the home page to search for “grade book” templates. You may see different templates depending on what version of Excel you’re using.
   • The web app version of Excel has two grade book templates, one for points-based grading and another for percentage-based grading.
2. 
   2
   Add general information. For the purpose of organization, name the sheet you’re creating and include general information about the class (e.g. instructor’s name, course title, meeting times). This is helpful for when you need to print the document, make copies, and share it with others.

   • For more general spreadsheet info, check out our guide on making a spreadsheet in Excel.
3. 
   3
   Name the grade book sheet.

   • Double click "Sheet1" at the bottom window. "Sheet1" should be highlighted.
   • Type a name for the sheet. For example, “Section 1.”
   • Press Enter.
4. 
   4
   Add class information to your first sheet. After typing each line of information, pressing Enter will confirm what you typed and move your selection to the next cell down.

   • Click cell A1 to select it.
   • Type the instructor’s name and press Enter. This will move your selection to A2.
   • Type the class name in A3. For example, “World Geography.”
   • Type the section number and meeting time in A4.
   • Enter the term in A5. For example, “Fall 2022”

Part2

Create the Layout

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Start creating the grade book layout. This guide will cover a points-based grade book with columns for student numbers, student names, assignment grades, total points, possible points, a percentage grade, and a letter grade.

   • This guide will cover one way to arrange your grade book. However, there are infinite ways to format an Excel spreadsheet. Try different templates and formats to find what works best for you!
2. 
   2
   Enter the numbers of the section’s students. Start in A7, below the class information. You’ll put the student numbers, first names, and last names in 3 separate columns, A through C.

   • Select A7 and type “Student Number.” Row 7 will contain the column headers for each type of information you have in your grade book.
   • Select A8 and type the number 1. Press Enter to enter the number in the cell and move down one.
   • Type the number 2 in A9.
   • Click and drag the cursor from A8 to A9. Both cells should be highlighted with a box around them.
   • Hover your cursor over the lower right corner of the box until the cursor becomes a plus +(this is called the fill handle).
   • Click and drag until you have a list of numbers for each student in your section.
3. 
   3
   Enter the names of the section’s students. Now you’ll type in the first and last names of your students.

   • Select B7 and type the column header “First Name.”
   • Select C7 and type the column header “Last Name.”
   • Type in the students’ first and last names in columns B and C.
4. 
   4
   Create assignment columns. Enter each assignment as a column header, starting in D7 and moving horizontally across row 7. Press Tab to move your selection to the right by one cell.

   • You’ll insert the students’ assignment grades under each column.
   • Note: For this guide, we’ll use a point-based grading structure, meaning each assignment is worth a certain amount of points.

Part3

Calculate Grades with Formulas

Download Article

1. 
   1
   We’ll use the SUM function to find each students’ total points. Then, we’ll divide that by the maximum possible points that can be earned to get a grade!

   • Note: Make sure to check your spreadsheet calculations by doing a few calculations by hand. This is a great way to catch any errors in your spreadsheet.
   • Read more about the SUM function in our complete guide.
2. 
   2
   Create a “total” column header. This column is where you’ll calculate a student’s total points. Place this in the column directly to the right of the rightmost assignment in your grade book.
3. 
   3
   Type “=SUM(” in the cell directly below the “total” column header. Then, click and drag your cursor to highlight all the first student’s assignment points. The range should appear in the formula. Complete the formula by typing “)” after the range.

   • Alternatively, you can type in the range instead.
   • For example, if you have 5 assignments in columns D through H and the student names start on row 8, you’ll enter D8:H8
4. 
   4
   Press Enter to confirm the formula. A summation of the first student’s points should appear. For example, if they scored 10 points on five assignments, the number 50 should appear.
5. 
   5
   Duplicate the formula. Now you can copy this formula in the “total” cell for each student. To do so:

   • Select the cell with the total summation formula. Click and drag the fill handle (the square in the bottom-right of the selection) down to the last student to automatically apply the sum formula to each row.
   • Using our earlier five-assignment example, let’s say there are 10 students. The second student summation should now have a range of D9:H9, the third student D10:H10, down to the last student with D17:H17.
6. 
   6
   Create a “possible points” column directly to the right of the “total” column. This column will contain the possible points for the course.

   • Enter the possible points in each cell below the header.
   • For example, if each assignment is out of 10 points, and there are five assignments, the possible points will be 50.
7. 
   7
   Create a “grade” column directly to the right of the “possible points” column. This will contain the percentage grade for each student.
8. 
   8
   Type “=J8/K8”. Where the numerator is the total points earned, and the denominator is the total possible points. The column and row may vary depending on how many assignments are in the grade book.

   • The “/” symbol will divide the total cell by the possible points cell, giving you the student’s grade as a value under 1.
   • For example, if a student earned 45 total points out of 50 possible points, their grade will be 0.90 (90 percent).
9. 
   9
   Duplicate this formula. Use the fill handle technique from earlier to calculate a grade for each student.

   • You can change the grades to percentages by selecting the grade values and changing the data type to “percentage.” Find this by navigating to Fields tab > Properties group > Data Type.

Part4

Assign Letter Grades

Download Article

1. 
   Create a “letter” column directly to the right of the “grade” column. This is where you’ll insert the letter grade for each student. To do so manually:

   • Compare the student’s grade to your grading structure.
   • Insert the letter associated with that student’s grade.
   • For example, if an “A” is 89 to 100 percent and a student scores a grade of 93, place an “A” in the “letter” column.

Part5

Weight Assignments

Download Article

1. 
   To weight assignments, change the possible points for each assignment. In a point-based grading system, points can be used to weight assignments.

   • For example, a 20-point assignments has double the weighting of a 10-point assignment.
   • To weight entire categories, make their points add to the percentage of the total grade you want the category to represent.
   • For example, if your course has 100 total points and you want five quizzes to represent 20 percent of the total grade, each quiz should be worth 4 points.