Effective video capture techniques for educational multimedia

The introduction of digital media into educational software design is both a blessing and a challenge to designers of these programs. The effective use of video in computer based instruction provides a method of engaging the learner using moving visual images, narration, music, and sound effects. The challenge lies in effectively capturing high quality video and audio without consuming a large amount of hard drive space and valuable time. Existing video capture software provides the multimedia designer with the tools for creating effective video clips, if one knows how to use them properly. The paper presents a simple and effective process for creating digital movies suitable for educational use. Numerous parameters can serve to improve or harm the quality of the video. The paper addresses those parameters, and how to manipulate them in order to get the most out the capturing process. Most of the information presented is in reference to Mac based production. Specifically discussed are the following: optimal software compression schemes and what settings to choose for various video types; optimal hard drive configurations; capturing strategies; post capture processing to improve disk storage requirements and picture quality; and finally, a few cross platform issues. The step by step process presented will provide educators with the tools needed to create high quality digital video clips for their instructional designs.