When faculty assign multimedia projects, students can use campus and online resources to create, edit, and publish projects.
Macs at Pace
All Mac workstations in ITS computer labs (NYC: W200A, W200B, W202 open-access lab, BK805, BK906, BK1009) have the full Adobe Suite. Students should have a storage option (e.g., drive or cloud space) as lab computers allow only temporary workspace.
The CMS Podcast Lab in 512 Park Row is hosted by the department and available to all Pace students. Two Mac + RodeCasterPro recording stations are available for booking ahead.
Online
Canva and CapCut are two web-based applications that offer powerful free options.
Image: Canva and CapCut can both be used for adding rich graphics and animations. CapCut is better suited for video editing.
Multimedia tip: If you’re starting with video, use CapCut. If you want to build a video out of presentation materials, start with Canva.
Uploading Your Media to Classes
Compression makes video files smaller by reducing the visual and audio quality. While this isn’t idea for movie night, it’s essential for moving files around quickly. The MP4 (“.mp4”) file format is the best one to use (M4V is an equivalent Apple-born variant). But even MP4 files can be large, especially “4K” (3840 x 2160 pixels) or “full HD” (1920 x 1080 pixels). Try a “720p” setting (1280 x 720 pixels) for reduced file size.
With standard export settings (aka compression settings), your file will be about 100MB per minute. 2GB is the limit on Classes, which is a 20 minute video. This will take a long time to upload, and even more energy to store and stream. A 20 minute video at 720p can be compressed down to ~200MB… Look for a setting to reduce the megabits-per-second (“Mbps”) to around 2 Mbps.
Finally, always review your MP4 file to make sure the quality is appropriate and the audio is correct.
In today’s digital age, integrating technology into the classroom is essential for enhancing the learning experience. The right tools can engage students while making lessons more interactive and enjoyable. Below are four digital tools—Canva, Quizizz, CapCut, and iMovie, that can help elevate your teaching.
1. Canva: Creating Stunning Visuals for Lessons
Canva is an easy-to-use design tool that allows educators to create visually appealing presentations, infographics, posters, and worksheets. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it perfect for teachers and students alike. In the classroom, Canva can be used to create engaging presentations, visually summarize complex topics with infographics, or even allow students to design their own posters for projects. Canva offers customizable templates, making it easy to create professional designs quickly, even for those with no graphic design experience. Canva’s free version is packed with features, and its interface makes it suitable for both educators and students.
2. Quizizz: Making Quizzes Fun and Interactive
Quizizz is a gamified quiz platform that adds excitement to classroom learning. Educators can create quizzes or use existing ones from the extensive Quizizz library to engage students in real-time. This tool is excellent for formative assessments, providing instant feedback on student performance, making it easy to identify areas that need improvement. Quizizz can also be used for homework, with automatic grading saving teachers time, or for review games to prepare students for exams. The platform’s game-like design keeps students engaged, while the ability to access quizzes on various devices makes it ideal for online classes as well.
3. CapCut: Empowering Video Creation for Projects
CapCut is a powerful, yet user-friendly, video editing app that allows students and teachers to create polished video content or lectures. Educators can also use it to edit or create the recap of the lectures : both online & offline. Its ease of use and powerful editing features, combined with the fact that it’s free, make CapCut a great tool for video editing.
iMovie is a well-known video editing software available for macOS and iOS, offering powerful tools to create professional-looking videos. Educators can use iMovie to craft lesson recaps, instructional videos, or explainer content for students. iMovie’s features, such as transitions, voiceovers, and green screen effects, allow for creative and dynamic video projects, making learning more engaging. The seamless integration with other Apple products makes iMovie an ideal tool for Apple-based classrooms, empowering both educators and students to produce professional-grade content.
Incorporating digital tools like Canva, Quizizz, CapCut, and iMovie into your classroom can enhance learning by fostering creativity, collaboration, and engagement. Whether you want to create visually appealing lessons, make quizzes fun, or give students the opportunity to develop multimedia skills, these tools provide the versatility needed to enrich the learning experience.
Contact OLC staff to reserve studio time or learn more about these digital tools’ integration.
Think of OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) as your personal recording studio, giving you full control over how your lecture looks and sounds. With OBS, you can mix and match different video sources, like your webcam, a presentation slide, or even a video clip, just like a TV producer. You can tweak the video and audio settings to get the best quality, ensuring your lectures are clear and professional. Plus, you can record as long as you want without any restrictions or watermarks, and you don’t need an internet connection to do it.
On the other hand, Zoom is more like a ready-made tool that’s fantastic for live meetings but not as versatile for recording. It’s easy to use but doesn’t offer much room for customization or high-quality recording. You also need a good internet connection to record with Zoom, and there are often time limits and potential interruptions, especially with the free version. In a nutshell, if you want polished, high-quality lecture recordings with lots of creative freedom, OBS is your go-to choice.
Also checkout the tutorial video by our student assistant on OBS here.
A teleprompter is a device that help users to read texts on screen while recording and looking at the camera simultaneously. This not only help to maintain eye contact with the camera but also helps to keep a steady pace while recording a lecture. The Teleprompter can also help you with the entire script of notes, ensuring the lecturer speaks effortlessly and without having them to memorize or look away to check their notes. The text scrolls automatically at a very minimal speed, which helps the lecturer maintain their flow, making the lecture more engaging and professional.
Key benefits of Teleprompter :A) Structured Delivery : Having the entire script of notes ready helps with the overall structure of the lecture. This reduces any errors of forgetting or missing out on any key points.B) Engaging and Interactive : Teleprompter can also provide cues in between to help you insert questions and quizzes in the lecture, making it more engaging and interactive for students.
C) Reducing errors and retakes : The Teleprompter is programmed beforehand with the entire script, which gives lecturers a very small window for error and thus reduces the need for multiple retakes.
Pace Online Learning Center is equipped with the state of the art tech and support to help you with any assistance for your online lectures. Reach out to Pace staff at OLC@pace.edu. We’re happy to help!
We are asking speakers to record their speeches for broadcast during the Pace Online graduation event on May 16th. Here are the details you need:
Please record your speech in Zoom with our background (link below). Please review these Zoom settings before you hit record:
– Video > select “HD”
– Background & Filters > add and select the background file (download here)
– Recording > use “Local Recording” so you can easily upload the file to our Dropbox or Google Drive (paceolc@gmail.com).
Here are a few more items to consider before you record:
– Lighting: If you have a ring light or desk lamp, use it in addition to other room lighting. Face toward a window, if you can, but definitely don’t turn your back to one!
– Sound: Try your best to eliminate background noise.
– Framing: To eliminate distortion, your camera should be at the same height as your nose. If you have a laptop, try resting it on a box.
– Edits: No editing necessary! We will broadcast your speech as if you are delivering it live. However, Pace staff will trim the beginning and end of your file. Don’t worry about an awkward start or finish!
– Questions? Or would you like remote assistance? Reach out to Pace staff at OLC@pace.edu. We’re happy to help!
This is an example of what your video will look like.
Delivery
When you have finished your recording, please share your file with the Pace Online team with either Google Drive (paceolc@gmail.com) or Dropbox (paceolc@gmail.com). Thank you!
Please reach out to Online Learning Center staff at OLC@pace.edu if you have any questions. Good luck!
Podcasting is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to express themselves and share their ideas with a wider audience. In order to produce a high-quality podcast, it is important to have the right tools at your disposal. One of the most important tools for podcasting is audio editing software, and Audacity is one of the most popular choices for both novice and professional podcasters.
Audacity is a free and open-source audio editing software that is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. It is a powerful tool that can be used for recording, editing, and mixing audio files. In this blog post, we will explore the basics of podcasting using Audacity.
Recording
Before you start recording your podcast, it is important to make sure that you have the right equipment. You will need a microphone, headphones, and a quiet room to record. Once you have everything set up, you can start recording.
To start recording in Audacity, click the red “Record” button. Make sure that your microphone is properly connected and that you are speaking into it clearly. You can monitor the recording levels by looking at the “Input Level Meter” at the top of the screen. If the levels are too high, you can adjust the input volume to avoid distortion.
Once you have finished recording, click on the “Stop” button. Audacity will automatically save the recording as an audio file.
Editing
Now that you have your recording, it is time to edit it. Editing is an important step in the podcasting process because it allows you to remove any mistakes or unwanted noise from the recording.
In Audacity, you can use the selection tool to highlight the part of the recording that you want to edit. You can then cut, copy, or paste the selection as needed. You can also use the “Effect” menu to apply various effects to the recording, such as noise reduction, equalization, and compression.
Exporting
Once you have finished editing your recording, it is time to export it as a final audio file. To do this, click on the “Export” button and choose the format you want to save the file in. MP3 is the most popular format for podcasting because it is widely supported by podcast hosting platforms.
Conclusion
Audacity is a powerful and easy-to-use tool for podcasting. Whether you are just starting out or you are a seasoned podcaster, Audacity has everything you need to create high-quality podcasts. With its intuitive interface and wide range of features, Audacity is the perfect choice for anyone looking to produce professional-level podcasts.
I often waste my time scrolling my project timeline while editing my videos.
Let me share some quick tips and tricks for staying organized while video editing.
1. Choose the best software:
The first step toward enhancing your video editing process is to pick the best software for you and your work. They usually include everything you need to make standard video edits, but you may prefer one over another due to its usability, digital interface, and features. The key here is to select what works best for you and your editing style rather than the most advanced video editing program available.
2. Follow the 3-2-1 Rule:
Video editors using any program should obey the 3-2-1 rule. Keep three copies of everything you create in at least two different locations, one of which is physically separated from the others.
3. Edit for a story:
Go beyond the basics of removing unnecessary footage and rearranging clips to make your film aesthetically pleasing and dramatically compelling in order to generate the appropriate emotions and effectively convey your intended message. Instead of just adding a bunch of effects to impress your viewers, use your practical and technical knowledge to accomplish this.
4. Managing an efficient work flow:
Organizing your projects and files in folders that you can reuse is one way to improve your workflow. Make a home for your projects, footage, audio files, images, and graphics, and add more subsections and folders as needed.
5. Use keyboard shortcuts:
Speaking of buttons, keep in mind that most editing programs allow you to perform a variety of in-app editing functions using keyboard shortcuts.
6. Color correct your clip:
Most editors do two things: color correction (to ensure that your footage’s colors are consistent in each scene) and color grading (to give your film a different look). Both are required if you want the majority of your scenes to look as realistic as possible, or if you want to distinguish certain scenes from others, such as when using presets like sepia and monochrome on “flashback” scenes.
7. Add texts and graphics:
Adding text and graphics to a video can help to improve its overall appearance and draw attention to important information. Texts and graphics can help to convey a message, set the tone, or add context. They can also be used to emphasize critical things, introduce new topics, or provide useful visual aids. Text and graphics can also help to make a video more engaging and entertaining.
So, you’re making an instructional video, and you want to make it more visually interesting. A great way to add information and visual appeal to your video starts with using a green screen. In this post, I walk through a couple different ways to think about using one.
Creating Compositions
A great way to approach any instructional video is by thinking about the ways a student may watch and re-watch a video. How big will their screen be? Will they be on a laptop or a phone? Will they be willing to spend 20 straight minutes watching your video, or will they watch it 5 minutes at a time?
Like a traditional movie or show, instructional video should be clear and compelling. Even with lower production values (e.g., fewer explosions, chase scenes, or comedic mishaps), a lecture can be exciting when delivered with enthusiasm. But no amount of enthusiasm will help if the details are confusing.
Consider the design elements that impact your communication, and create a visual composition that orients your audience to your message.
Pace Professor David Dorfman discusses the work of paralegals. In this video, the composition includes a simple (blue) background, the Pace logo, presentation slides, and the speaker.
Take-aways:
• Branding and titling your content reinforces the purpose and intention of a student’s learning goals. While it may seem boring, it does more work than you think!
• Presentation slides should be clear. If you are putting content on your slide, take time to address it. If your slides are wordy, unpack them.
• Page numbers are less important for videos, as you may refer to video timecode later on. But if you want students to refer back to the presentation, – especially if it’s longer than 5 minutes – use page numbers.
Once you’ve established this “master” composition, you can certainly switch to other “scenes” (e.g., presentation-only, speaker-only, or related media). But while editing with cuts can help hold a viewer’s attention, it can be disorienting. I suggest using cuts much more judiciously with instructional video, if at all.
No cuts!? Just one long video?? While it seems counterintuitive to what we often hear about video (i.e, “make it shorter” “no one watches onion video for very long”), students have many tools to watch a long video in a way that works for them. For example, some students may change the playback speed to better match their needs, or have turned on closed captioning. Other students might watch your video a few minutes at a time, and bookmark points to come back to later. These software-driven playback options mean that a simple, great composition can be the best creative option.
Plates and Lighting Effects
Another approach to using a green screen is by using a meaningful background. While one-color backgrounds are easy, they can also be unmemorable. What background sets the scene for your topic? What background would be more memorable or meaningful to your students?
This approach takes a little more planning. Creating a background for a “keyed” shot (i.e., a shot with the green screen successfully removed with software) offers a lot of creative flexibility. In addition to a high-quality image, you want to create a background that works well for your composition. But pay attention to your lighting! Importantly, you will need to light the speaker in the studio in a way that approximates the look of the plate (in this context, the background image is called a “plate”).
Pace Professor Sophie Kaufman created a series of videos on mindfulness. While it was more convenient to shoot her script in the OLC studio, she wanted the video to look like it was shot in her home studio. She used her iPhone to take multiple photographs of her space with different lighting, and OLC staff selected and manipulated an image to create this plate.
Proper lighting in the studio will give you the image you need to composite your plate with your speaker video in postproduction. While it requires some tweaking (and attention to detail), the process is fairly easy to learn and execute.
Whether you’re teaching a course for the first time or the twentieth, it’s a great idea to create fresh videos that support your learning goals. And with the support of the Online Learning Center, it’s easy!
Short videos keep students engaged, both online and in person. Here are some common approaches to creating video for courses:
• Introducing topics
• Capturing multimedia presentations
• Live demonstrations (with a screen, whiteboard, or software)
• Editing existing videos
Professor Cohen introduces a chapter on international management for his Summer 2022 course.
An example of our work: OLC staff worked with Professor Marty Cohen to create 15 short videos (5-10 minutes each) for his asynchronous summer course. To accomplish this, Professor Cohen prepared by creating notes on each “chapter” module of his course, and spoke extemporaneously to introduce each chapter in an informal and engaging way. In total, recording these videos took 3 hours in the studio, and then the files were uploaded to his course.
Ready to plan your project? Book studio time or request a studio tour by emailing OLC staff at olc@pace.edu. Use our online calendar to check availability for upcoming dates.
