The tools below record sound and/or dialogue (eg sound clips, podcasts).
Good practice guides and tip sheets
Good practice guides and tip sheets have been developed to support quality in both curriculum design and teaching practice. Good practice guides provide a pedagogical overview and tip sheets provide you with practical strategies and ideas for implementation.
Links to engaging content-related resources are provided below.
Camtasia is video recording and editing software that features simple drag and drop editing and libraries of effects and interactions. With Camtasia, you can record, then edit your computer screen activity, audio, and your webcam input. If you
capture video footage on mobile devices or digital recorders, you can import and edit it. Camtasia is available to all staff and can be downloaded via the IDS Support Portal. Home use licences are available (request via Service One).
Camtasia is available for both Mac and Windows.
Training is available for making educational videos in Camtasia. Refer to iEnrol for scheduled and upcoming sessions
The first time you start Camtasia, the program will open a tutorial video. You can find this video again later under Help > Open Getting Started Project within Camtasia. This built-in video will give basic instructions on how to
use Camtasia
Good for
Ideal for recording and editing voiceover narration to accompany videos for flipped lecture videos, demonstrations, presentations, explainer videos
Recording audio only – to give simple topic or assignment instructions, feedback, announcements etc a more personalised feel, or even create longer recordings to deliver topic material in a podcast-style format
Working with audio/narration that needs a 'more than basic' level of editing; Camtasia has a good tool set for chopping, splicing, moving segments of audio and useful tools for adjusting levels and sound quality
Adding audio recorded or sourced elsewhere (eg voiceover narration, sound effects or backing music) to a video
Useful features
Can record audio synchronously with screen recording or record narration during project editing
Multi-track recording ability keeps narration on a separate track to facilitate editing and alignment with video
Can extract audio from a video track to a separate track to edit independently of the video
Can export video as audio only
Zoom into timeline to view audio waveforms to finely edit
Easy-to-apply library of audio effects including noise removal, volume levelling, fade in/out, pitch adjustment
Limitations
Usually not sophisticated enough to use for producing rich, layered audio and music recordings
Tips
Upload to Kaltura (My Media) and request captions. Download transcript and provide for accessibility
Camtasia project files can be large. While working on your project save your files to the hard drive of the computer. Working with your project files on network storage will slow editing down and can also cause crashes. Once complete, store files
on OneDrive or S: drive (your U: drive generally wont have enough space for these large files)
Snagit is screen capture and basic image editing software that you can use to capture on-screen images and record short videos. It has tools you can use to easily enhance your screen-captured images with visual effects, or highlight important information
with Snagit’s mark-up tools. You can also use Snagit to resize and annotate images from other sources. Download on University computers via the IDS Support Portal. Home-use licences are available (request via Service One).
Available for both Mac and Windows.
Good for
Recording narration/voiceover as part of a quick screen capture video or 'talking head' presentation to webcam
Short 'one-take' style recordings, as there is only basic video editing functionality
Useful features
Quick and easy to capture webcam and microphone
Limitations
Audio will be part of the video. To create an audio-only file (MP3) additional software would need to be used
No function to edit the audio track separately from the video
No ability to rearrange segments of the audio on the track timeline; it will be a single, linear track. You can cut bits out at the start/end and in the middle, but cannot rearrange
Cautions
Be aware of the 'Record system audio' feature. If this is on, the recording will capture any sound played on your device, including notification sounds, sound effects etc, as well as the input from your mic. Usually it's wise to turn it off
Snagit software has two components: the recording tool (blue icon) and the editing interface (red icon). You can still start a capture from the editing interface, but you can't edit in the recording tool
Tips
Import into Camtasia and export as 'audio only'
Upload to Kaltura (My Media) and request captions. Download transcript and provide for accessibility
Kaltura is the University's streaming video platform and is integrated with FLO. Kaltura has a number of components – video storage and permissions management (My Media), publishing and embedding of media into FLO sites (Media Vault), engagement/viewing
analytics, and a screen and webcam recording app (Desktop Recorder).
Good for
Hosting and playback of all audio- and video-based learning content in your topic, regardless of which recording and editing tools you used to create the audio
Using the Kaltura Media Vault to host your audio and video content gives you access to useful analytics on how students engage with these resources
Useful features
Centralised University-supported system
Request auto-captioning (machine) of your videos, edit and download the generated transcripts
Closed captions available in player; button allows viewer choice
Publish same audio in multiple sites without duplication
Easy to embed anywhere in FLO (built-in button on FLO editor)
Students can choose playback speed
Viewing and engagement (drop off) analytics available
Editing of uploaded audio: trim ends, cut sections, fade transitions
Enhance audio with thumbnails, add chapter markers and upload slides to create interactive listening/viewing experience
Limitations
Same player is used for audio and video. Player will show black rectangle
You cannot download and use the audio outside of FLO. When you record, the file lives in Kaltura, and is directly uploaded to FLO
Kaltura Desktop Recorder (a component of the Kaltura platform) is a free tool you can use to make simple videos and upload them directly to your My Media repository in FLO. You can use it to capture screen recordings, webcam and audio. When making screen
recordings, you can also add annotations (eg drawing and highlighting) to the slides, webpages or applications on screen as you record. It also has a whiteboard mode where you can record yourself drawing basic diagrams and graphics.
Good for
Recording audio-only content that you want to upload straight to FLO (eg a short audio announcement to put in a topic as an alternative to using text; a short audio-only lecture segment or 'explainer')
Recording narration/voiceover as part of a quick screen capture video or 'talking head' presentation to webcam
Short, 'one-take' style recordings, as there is only basic editing functionality
Useful features
Easy direct recording of microphone only
Uploads directly to Kaltura (My Media) – see Kaltura My Media entry for advantages
The Multimedia Recording Studio is located at Sturt Campus and is available to all staff on a self-service basis. In it you can create video and audio recordings with the added feature of 'green screen' technology, which replaces the green wall behind
you with a backdrop of your choice (PowerPoint presentation, images, video, websites (live) or even Skype or WebEx calls). No specialist skills are required to use the room, making high-quality professional-looking videos accessible to everyone. If
you need to edit the video you create in the studio, Camtasia is the recommended tool.
Good for
Recording the voiceover elements of a video or presentation
Creating multi-presenter content (like interviews) as there are multiple microphones available
Useful features
Room has good acoustics and soundproofing
Lapel microphones available
Tips
Record using the room setup, import your video footage into Camtasia, edit and export as audio only
Record into your own device taking advantage of room acoustics and soundproofing
Upload audio file to Kaltura (My Media) and make use of auto-captioning and usage analytics
FLO tools: Lesson Quiz Active
Quiz Choice Feedback Book Page Glossary
Useful features
Able to record short snips of audio directly into FLO tools wherever there is an HTML editor*
Audio files can be embedded in FLO tools wherever there is an HTML editor. For audio stored in Kaltura, use the same process as for embedding a video
*Note: two exceptions are assignment feedback and answering an essay question in a quiz/lesson
Limitations
No editing of directly recorded audio
Cautions
Depending on use case, it may not be appropriate to include audio in Active Quiz (eg in a live class usage)
Audio files uploaded to Kaltura will have a title. When embedded in FLO, the media title shows. If used in a quiz be careful that the title does not give away the question answer.
Tips
Upload your audio files to Kaltura (My Media) and embed into your lesson pages
Audio uploaded into Kaltura can have captions and usage analytics
For accessibility, consider providing text alternative to audio recorded directly into FLO.
The Digital Content Producer is a highly talented member of the Online Learning Team in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching, who has an extensive skillset with multimedia and digital content, and can work with you on the development of
complex digital learning resources.
If your needs are not met by the existing tools or the resource you are looking to create is complex in some way, please speak with the Learning Designer in your college about your needs
as there is some capacity for digital content production for learning and teaching.
Camtasia
Snagit
Kaltura 
Kaltura Desktop Recorder
PowerPoint
Recording Studio
Lesson 
Quiz 
Active
Quiz 
Choice 
Feedback 
Book 
Page 
Glossary
Digital Content Producer