Like any tool, it takes some getting used to. While it has been mentioned several times that Screencast-o-Matic does not have a steep learning curve, that does not mean that there is no curve at all. Recordings can be accompanied by narration into the user's microphone (the paid versions add the feature of being able to use audio from the computer as well). This can be very helpful for instructional videos. Users can also set the program to highlight their cursor so that, when they click on something or move from one part of a page to another, the yellow ring around the cursor indicates the movements, making them more obvious. Figure 1 shows the red “Record” button at the upper left, the dotted line surrounding the frame that indicates the area to be captured, and the options for recording the screen, webcam, or both. Users can choose various options before recording, one of which is whether to capture content from the screen, webcam, or both. Making a video recording on Screencast-o-Matic is pretty much a matter of stopping and starting the process with controls that appear very similar to those on YouTube and other sites. This is important for minimizing privacy concerns, or if a user does not have administrative rights to their own computer.
SCREENOMATIC DOWNLOAD
Most importantly, however, it enables the user to get up to speed easily and quickly with a minimum of technical expertise and without needing to sign up for an account or download anything.
SCREENOMATIC SERIES
Screencast-o-Matic does what many other programs do, which is capture a series of actions and/or images on a screen. (To this list I would add, is there a steep learning curve? As noted above, in the case of Screencast-o-Matic, the majority of people find it intuitive and easy to use.) These questions can be used as a first step toward deciding whether a particular screencasting tool will work for basic video creation. The list of questions below was developed by science librarian Olivia Bautista Sparks to assist with selecting screencasting software, and it appears here with answers for Screencast-o-Matic.
It is important to evaluate why users want to use the tool and what type of product they hope to create. However, taking a step back, no tool is completely ideal for every user.
The audience for Screencast-o-Matic includes anyone with some familiarity with online tools who needs to create content such as brief tutorials of processes, demonstrations of software, visual cues to navigating websites, etc. Many users can create a usable video from scratch within half an hour of first using the tool. One of the most important features of Screencast-o-Matic is its ease of use, especially if you are familiar with the basics of programs such as YouTube and Zoom. This review will examine its features, advantages, and disadvantages. CloudApp is a well-reviewed option that has entered the scene more recently, but Screencast-o-Matic remains an excellent and user-friendly option. Some tools have come and gone: Screenr and Screentoaster are no longer available, and the very popular program Jing, while still available, has been bought by TechSmith and is now called TechSmith Capture.
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As these platforms each require a fairly substantial financial investment and a steeper learning curve (especially for individuals and small organizations), many screencasters are turning to free tools, which are evolving to add features to their basic versions. Of the latter, Camtasia (a product of TechSmith) and Captivate (a product of Adobe) are the best-known. There are many options for screencasting tools, both free platforms offering basic features and paid platforms with greater complexity and sophistication.
They can also demonstrate a reproducible path through a resource, including mouse movements, choices and locations of user options on a page, changing to other screens, etc. Screencasts of a library resource can be watched at any time, watched multiple times, and adapted to varying learning styles and needs. Since the 2020 pandemic, however, screencasting has come into its own as librarians, instructors, and others seek avenues for connecting with their users in asynchronous and hands-on modes to improve online learning while libraries are closed. Screencasting has been used mainly for library instruction and communications and has been a valuable tool for pedagogies involving microlearning (content delivered in small portions). An excellent early guide by tech guru Greg Notess, Screencasting for Libraries, was released in 2012. Screencasting, defined as creating a video recording with or without audio of real-time actions and/or content on a computer screen, has been of interest to libraries for some time now.
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