[SpeedGrader] Screen Capture with Audio as a Comment Option

I grade a lot of essays, but I believe this feature might be valuable for other disciplines as well.

 

Canvas currently has the ability to post comments in video (webcam) or audio form--though, the flash programs for these seem to be hit or miss for me.

 

For essay feedback, I want to be able to communicate what I'm seeing in a student's essay, but I don't necessarily need them to see my face. Far more valuable to me is to be able to point to aspects of the essay or assignment while I'm talking and to have the student see those specific aspects while they are hearing my comments.

 

I do this now using Camtasia. I open speedgrader and begin recording a screen capture with audio. I then have to save the file and upload it to Canvas using the media comment video upload option.

 

This works, but it is a bit clunky. My speed at grading would be greatly increased if I could press a button and simply begin recording the screen.

 

Again, I know the benefit of this with essays, but my guess is that it could be of benefit to almost any discipline. If an instructor is taking the time to record a comment of any sort, it is probably a comment that has something to do with the digital object that is right on the screen. The added benefit would be that if the recorder is capturing the screen and not just the current window, an instructor could use the video as a digital whiteboard. I can imagine a math instructor giving a just in time KhanAcademy style explanation for a problem on which a particular student seems to be having difficulties.

 

Since I have an android tablet with a stylus, if this could be incorporated into the android speedgrader app, that would be some wicked awesome future s%&t!!!

73 Comments
svanantwerp
Community Novice

I would also like to allow students to create a drawing, solve a problem, etc. as a video on their screens so that there is a voiceover, like what is used in Kahn Academy. This allows them to, for instance, solve 2x2 digit multiplication problems, explain their strategies, post in discussions or as homework, and students can respond. This is what is utilized on Seesaw (see attached picture) and is great for high order thinking and strategy sharing. I was just hoping for some sort of action that is similar to that used in the Seesaw app. I would like to do be able to record a drawing in a section similar to the one where we can record a video, just as mentioned above!

915085611
Community Explorer

I agree. Right now, SpeedGraderincludes a video and audio upload tool in comments, and it looks like this is the same tool that is available throughout Canvas in the media editor. If a built in screen recorder were included, I think it could be useful in the media editor as well as SpeedGrader.

915085611
Community Explorer

That is potentially great news. I currently have an AMD video card in my computer, so I've been getting around the lack of this feature using the screen recorder that comes bundled with it--ReLive--I think it was designed for video game streaming, but it works nicely for screen capture of comments. It is still an extra step, though, to then find and upload the file that has been created.

carla_castellaw
Community Novice

My center currently uses Screencast-o-matic to provide feedback on English activities. We are always looking for ways to save steps, so including screencasts as a way to make media comments on Canvas would be great! I hope you'll be adding that feature soon.

fvansaun
Community Participant

We are a small design school and for us this would be such an important tool for giving feedback on any kind of design project! Currently our instructors in design courses have to use third party tools (Jing etc), trying to support that is problematic for me, and using them to make comments on 20-40 drawings a week can be maddening for faculty (all the switching back and forth as well as copying and pasting).

I have been looking at products that do screen capture and integrate with Canvas, but they seem to only be able link into the rich content editor tool bar, not the speedgrader. So, even for a price we can't have this, sadly. Certainly hope this is introduced soon.

rachelkrist
Community Novice

I came to the community to suggest this, but found this was already here! I would really, really like to see this option made available.

Jeff_F
Community Champion

Good news ahead!

This screen recording Speedgrader idea is slated to be implemented after the July Instructurecon event.  No firm date as yet, but Mitch mentions it here on this blog post.  Enjoy.

https://community.canvaslms.com/community/ideas/blog/2018/03/23/khaki-2018-update 

thompsli
Community Champion

Please include an option to caption the videos when developing this feature. I've run into this as an issue with other screencasting options, where people send me videos with no captions and have no way to add captions to their videos after I request them because jing (or whoever) doesn't even provide that as an option. 

It may not make sense to caption all videos intended for specific individual student feedback, since not all students would use them and it would take extra time, but I would certainly include captions when making videos for students that requested them or had such a need documented in an accommodation plan of some kind. 

Renee_Carney
Community Team
Community Team

The Radar idea stage has been removed from the Feature Idea Process.  You can read more about why in the blog post Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes.

 

This change will only impact the stage sort of this idea and will not change how it is voted on or how it is considered during prioritization activities.  This change will streamline the list of ideas 'open for voting', making it easier for you to see the true top voted ideas in one sort, here.

gloria_minnihan
Community Novice

I think this is a great idea and I think it would also be useful if this feature was available to students as well in the Rich Text Editor. If students had this capability, narrating a PowerPoint presentation would be much easier. I've submitted this as a separate idea, but it is very much related. https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/11864-adding-screen-capture-to-video-recording-for-presentatio...