Pencast Videos

What is it?

A pencast is a video that focuses on a canvas that is marked-up as the video progresses. As the instructor marks the canvas, they narrate their actions. Typically, the instructor is not visible in a pencast video, but their voice can be heard.

Why should I do it?

There are three primary reasons to create a talking head video:

Instructor Presence

Instructor presence is an educator's ubiquity in a classroom via three modalities: cognitive, social, and teaching. At times, the lack of a physical space can make the online classroom feel devoid of an presence. Using a pencast can help establish your presence in the classroom because your voice can be heard by learners.

Demonstrating

Pencasting can be used as a means to demonstrate. This is valuable for reviewing and clarifying instructions, showing how to use applications, providing a walk-through of steps in a process, or demonstrating how to solve a problem.

Cognitive Load

Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort used in working memory. As students work to learn new information, we can help them manage cognitive load by adhering to the principles of multimedia learning. Learn more about Designing for Learning.

What tools do I need?

webcam/microphone
free video hosting
whiteboard application
touch screen and stylus or pen tablet

Free Whiteboard Application for Creating Pencast Videos

Microsoft OneNote

OneNote is a free application that gathers users' notes (handwritten or typed), drawings, screen clippings and audio commentaries. It is easy to create pencast videos by using Microsoft OneNote in tandem with a free screen recording application such as Screencast-O-Matic. Learn more about OneNote 2016.

Pencast Video Tutorials

Teaching in Higher Ed - How to Pencast

Bonni Stachowiak's website Teaching in Higher Ed contains a wealth of resources for college educators (including our favorite Teaching in Higher Ed podcast). Stachowiak's resources includes great information on pencasting, including a recent podcast episode on the topic.

Check out Bonni Stochowiak's How to Pencast video:

Check out Bonni Stochowiak's How to Create a Pencast page (do yourself a favor and subscribe while you are there)

Check out Teaching in Higher Ed's Episode 153: Pencasting and Other Ways to Incorporate Videos in Your Classes

Brandy Dudas's Pencast Tutorial

Brandy Dudas is an accounting professional and educator who produces popular pencasts for her accounting students. We learned about Dudas's videos on the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.

Check out Brandy Dudas's How to Make Pencasting Video:

Check out Brandy Dudas's most popular pencast on Preparing the Adjusted Trial Balance.

References

Clark, R. C., Mayer, R. E. (2011) e-Learning and the science of instruction; Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (3). Hoboken, US: Pfeiffer.

Dudas, B. (2017, May 4). Try pencasting – it’s really easy! Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://makinguniversitysmarter.com/2017/05/04/try-pencasting-its-really-easy/

Mayer, R. E. (2012). Multimedia learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mayer, R. E. (2014). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. (2nd ed). New York: University of Cambridge.

Stachowiak, B. (2017). Pencast: Use an iPad, Doceri, and Apple Pencil to create pencasts. Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://teachinginhighered.com/2017/01/24/pencast/

Are Lightboard Videos the Same as Pencasts?

Lightboard videos differ from pencasts. They feature text written in neon marker on a glass erasable board. The clear glass board is flooded with light to create a crisp and clear image allowing viewers to clearly see the text as well as the instructor. Since the instructor can face the camera as they teach, they are afforded a greater opportunity to make eye contact with the camera and create a sense of immediacy with their learners.

The downside to lightgboards is that they can be costly to construct and a full-size lightboard occupies significant space. If you are interested in experimenting with lightboard videos, Learning Glass offers a table-top travel-sized option that we have worked with and for the more industrious among us, there are sites that provide materials lists for constructing a homemade lightboard studio.

Lightboard Demonstrations

Matt Anderson's YouTube Channel

Matt Anderson is a physics professor who developed learning glass for education.

See an example of Matt Anderson's teaching with learning glass:

Check out Matt Anderson's Physics website

Michael Peshkin's Lightboard Website

Michael Peshkin is an engineering professor who developed an open source hardware system for constructing a lightboard.

See Michael Peshkin's Lightboard Introduction video:

Check out Michael Peshkin's comprehensive Lightboard website

Visual Styles