Fuse is a stunningly simple app from TechSmith, the makers of Camtasia Relay, which enables you to use your mobile device to record videos, send them to the server for processing and then share the links either by email or on studentcentral.
This was used to great effect recently, for recording interviews that students studying Occupational Therapy were conducting as part of a formative assessment. Using an iPad to record the 20 minute interviews, the clips were ready to be sent to individual students by the end of the afternoon, enabling them to see and reflect on their own performance within the privacy of their own computer.
As a precaution, the tutor had arranged for a video camera to be set up in the 2 rooms being used for the interviews but these turned out not to be required – Fuse, wifi and the iPads handled it all with ease.
The success of this experiment has inspired others to think of other opportunities where the combination of the Fuse app on the iPad or iPhone will make things much easier. Making recordings in this way means that processing time is minimal, as opposed to waiting for video clips to be edited and produced in a useful format for sharing. The Fuse videos are sent to the Camtasia Relay server as soon as recording stops and can be accessed only by the tutor, thus ensuring confidentiality; the tutor controls who is able to view the recordings.
The technology is simple, from downloading the app to the final production of the video and, with the iPad positioned on a table or other suitable surface, is a discreet presence in the room.
Clips cannot be edited before being sent for processing on the server but this is really the only limitation. Other considerations are choosing a suitable location – a large room is likely to affect the quality of the audio – positioning of the iPad and using a suitable stand to keep the device steady during recording. You don’t have to have anything expensive, improvise instead – we used clear plastic leaflet holders, which kept the devices suitably upright, augmented with a whiteboard rubber in one (to raise the iPad’s camera above the parapet) and other miscellaneous packing items for the other. Oh yes, and test it all out beforehand to make sure everything works.
See this page for more information about Camtasia Relay and Fuse.
I am part of the Learning Team and am based at the Eastbourne campus
