eLearning problems; eLearning solutions
This blog post is written in collaboration with Kyle, Instructional Media Support.
Last Fall, Kyle and I tested five different instructional technology tools, and we have been eager to use these technologies to assist with eLearning team projects. In January, Tara, Lead Instructional Designer and assistant professor at Spring Arbor University (SAU), asked for help clarifying expectations for a major group presentation assignment in her History 221: Black Experience in America course. She needed to communicate the links between the expectations outlined in the syllabus and rubric to a sample presentation provided to students. With these requirements in mind, we chose OBS Studio to best support Tara and her students.
Choosing OBS Studio
In our initial conversation, Tara and I discussed the necessity of seamlessly presenting information across the assignment description, rubric, and sample presentation. OBS Studio allows you to record a split-screen of two or more files at once, and you can easily switch between multiple tabs. This would allow Tara to show how an element from the sample presentation met (or didn’t meet) expectations. In addition, OBS works well from an instructional perspective. Students can access the presentation with voiceover at any time and review specific parts as needed.
On the technological side, the software records high-quality video. It’s a more simplistic platform than other recording software—and that ease-of-use means all the difference when recording a just-in-time aid.
Prior to recording, Tara and I discussed how to prepare for working with OBS Studio. We decided three documents needed during the voice-over: the assessment rubric, a sample presentation, and the assignment description/guidelines handout. Tara took notes on how and when she wanted to discuss these documents in her recording, so that she could easily navigate between the documents while recording.
Using OBS Studio in different operating systems
After this, Kyle met with Tara via Zoom to assist her with installing and learning how to use OBS. The walkthrough process over Zoom caused some initial frustrations, especially with the differences between the Mac and Windows versions of OBS.
When you open the Windows version, the screen recording option and video sources seem intuitive and available upon opening the program. However, the process, functions, and naming conventions differ on Mac. For example, “Display Capture” shows up automatically in Windows. On a Mac, it’s named “Mac Screen Recorder,” and you need to search for it. The options menu for exporting recordings differed as well. The Windows version uses a options menu to access options and review settings; in Mac, you use the macOS top menu. Despite these differences, we figured out how to Tara needed to use OBS Studio to record her presentation.
Reflections on using OBS Studio
After publishing the recording, we asked Tara to share her thoughts about using OBS Studio. She found it helpful for her class as well as saw how instructors can create voiceover presentations with a share link so students can access for referance at any time. While Tara noted OBS can be initially challenging on a Mac interface, the tool becomes easy to use after you become more comfortable with it (especially in creating and editing high-quality visuals and sounds). Tara plans to use her recording in her future courses, and she hopes it will continue to support student understanding of course assessments.
Final Thoughts
After this implementation of new instructional technologies, we are excited to continue to serve our students and learning community by applying new eLearning technologies across academic departments at SAU. Are you using OBS in your courses? We’d love to hear what you’ve learned while using the tool!
Model eLearning 