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GU-Q: Jing

TechSmith Screen Capture and Video Editing Tools

Jing is part of the TechSmith suite and is a free and simple tool to capture, edit, and share screenshots and video.  

Screencast.com allows you to store and share screencasts easily. 

SnagIt is a tool to capture, edit, and share screenshots and video longer than five minutes and offers greater customization.

Best Practices

Fundamentals of screencasting and video editing can be found in LinkedIn Learning tutorial. For a quick guide, consider Techsmith's Time Saver Tuesday – 10 Tips – Before You Record tips.

​Here are some quick tips and best practices to keep in mind:

  • Keep length of screencast under 2 minutes....3 minutes is the maximum time recommended.
  • Do a practice run before creating a screencast.
  • As you are recording, type and move the mouse around the screen slowly; be sure to move the mouse pointer out of the recorded area when necessary.
  • When possible, draft a script and practice before recording your screencast.  
  • Preview your screencast after you have finished recording.  
  • If you are recording without audio, make the viewer aware so he/she does not mistakenly think the audio is not working.
  • If you are recording with audio, it is helpful to use a dedicated microphone to minimize fuzzy background noise. 
  • Know your audience.

Creative Ways for Libraries to Use Jing

  • Can be used to answer quick chat reference questions. 
  • Quick explanation as to how to locate or use a particular library resource.
  • Embed Jing tutorials in library website, Libguides, etc.
  • Instruction follow-up. Send a Jing capture or video as a remedial resource or review lesson.
  • Flipped classroom. Send a short Jing video to faculty and students in advance of class.
  • Assessment. Ask students to complete a task or explain a concept to evaluate their mastery.
  • Having trouble with your computer? Is something not working? Rather than try to explain it with text--send an email and include a Jing so they can see exactly what's going on.
  • Learning objects to support students' familiarity with library resources.
  • Digital storytelling
  • Library marketing

Featured Tutorials

Library Minute from Arizona State University Library.  Short video examples.  

5 Things to Know about the Medical Library, produced by Yale is a great example of paring down and defining what are the most important takeaways users should know about our libraries to be successful. 

Searching the Yale University Library Catalog