FLO Staff Support

Animation is moving images that contain graphic elements but not live action – these may be animated models, diagrams or characters.

For research insights into the effectiveness of animations for learning, and tips for creating animations that work well for learners, we recommend the short article Create animations that are good for learning by Connie Malamed. 

Camtasia

Good for

• Creating basic movements and transitions with graphics you have created or sourced elsewhere
• Creating animations that include sound elements or narration

Useful features

• Able to have items move or transform with time
  
• Able to add some animated effects to video (eg zooming in). Click and drag animated effects onto timeline from library
  
• Able to add animated annotations over video
  

Limitations

• Basic movements of objects only
  
• Limited library of shapes for animation (generally you need to create or source graphic elements outside of Camtasia)
  
• Cannot create character animations

Cautions

• Can be time consuming

Tips

• Keep animations and effects minimal and limit to where they add value to your video
  
• Camtasia project files can be large. While working on your project save your files to the hard drive of your computer. Working with your project files on network storage will slow editing down and can also cause crashes. Once complete, store the files on OneDrive or S: drive (your U: drive generally won't have enough space for these large files)
  

Help resources

• How to make an animated explainer video
  
• Animations in depth
  
• Playback requirements for quizzes, hotspots, and captions (Smart Player)
• Camtasia Tutorials
  

PowerPoint

Good for

• Building relatively simple animations using the graphic elements already available within PowerPoint, or graphics sourced elsewhere
• Most suitable for animations that feature basic movements / reveals of the graphic content (ie to represent processes, systems, interactions, relational concepts)

Useful features

• Familiar environment
  
• Extensive drawing tools, shapes, icons, smart art libraries, grids, guides, grouping, alignment and layering options make diagram creation easy
  
• Built-in animation effects and animation properties which provide control of timing and sequencing
  

Limitations

• Animation of objects is fairly limited
  
• Cannot animate characters
  

Cautions

• User triggered / interactive animations will only be available when viewing in Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow. Must be provided as .pptx or .ppsx files. Users must download and open
  
• Mobile devices require Microsoft PowerPoint app
  
• Printing of a PowerPoint slide that contains animations would only show starting point of objects
  

Tips

• Use motion path animation type to move items around the slide
  
• Use a Morph transition to smoothly change an object from a starting state (size, colour position) (first slide) to a final state (second slide)
  
• Export presentation as a video to record animation (playthrough, but not interactive). Upload to Kaltura
  
• Keep animation and transition effects simple and only use when adding value
  

Help resources

• Animations and multimedia
  
• Using the Morph transition
  
• Add a motion path animation effect
  
• Trigger an animation effect: 
• Trigger an animation effect (text instructions)
• Trigger an animation effect (video)
  
• Export presentation as video
• Microsoft Office has a large amount of training and help resources and there are many third party help resources, how-to guides, videos, tutorials that can be found by searching the web
  (Note the linked Microsoft page is for windows users. The Mac PowerPoint software is so similar that these windows resources are still useful to Mac users. Mac help resources are also available)

FLO tools: Lesson Quiz Active QuizChoice  Feedback Book Page Glossary

FLO tools cannot create animations but can be used to deliver/publish animations to students.

Useful features

• Animations created in other tools can be embedded within FLO tools wherever the editor is available
  

Cautions

• Content hosted on non-Flinders servers should not be relied on as critical content
  

Help resources

• FLO HTML editor
  
• For advice and support contact your eLearning support team 

Digital Content Producer

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.