Campers Learn Photoshop and Flash with Camtasia Studio Screen Recordings
Benefits realized:
- Successfully taught young learners to use professional software tools
- Avoided expensive training materials
- Tailored course content to students' emerging needs
- Provided more one-on-one instruction
- Promoted self-paced, self-directed learning
Primary and secondary school students who attend Youth Tech computer camp successfully learn professional applications such as Adobe Photoshop at their own pace and get more one-on-one time with instructors thanks to Camtasia Studio.
Youth Tech offers week-long courses in web design, animation, video design, digital imaging, and (ever popular with students) video game design.
Over 100 young people attend the camp each summer, ranging from third grade through high school seniors. Youth Tech instructors are certified teachers with experience at various levels from elementary school to college.
"I can easily say students learn better because of Camtasia Studio. I constantly find myself raising my expectation levels of the students. And the kids meet them every time. –Kevin Suhr, director, Youth Tech
Teaching Professional Applications to Young Students
One unique feature of Youth Tech camp is that students learn to use the same applications that a professional would use, such as Adobe PhotoShop, ImageReady, Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and Freehand. Many of these applications are extremely complex and require intricate knowledge for effective use.
Instead of a traditional lecture format, Youth Tech offers a hands-on, self-paced learning experience. Students deliver a final project demonstrating what they have learned using the Web and graphic design applications.
The challenge for camp instructors was how to provide affordable, flexible, age-appropriate instruction to campers.
Existing third-party training materials were rejected as being prohibitively expensive and not well-suited to the course outline. Additionally, the age and skill level in each session vary greatly, so a one-size-fits-all approach wasn’t practical.
Instructors needed a tool that would enable them to easily and inexpensively create custom video tutorials for each application, broken down by feature and function as well as common problems experienced in prior camps.
Instructors Capture Screen Video to Create Custom E-Learning Content
After trying various build-your-own animation products, the Youth Tech team selected Camtasia Studio from TechSmith. Instructors could easily record narration plus all screen activity, including mouse movement, clicks, application dialog boxes, and animation. They saved screen recordings as Flash video for on-demand viewing by students.
In the tutorial videos, students hear the terminology and associate it with a visual learning element. In other words, they literally see and hear what the instructor is talking about without the instructor having to be physically present.
Videos Teach Student Initiative and Problem-Solving Skills
In order to encourage self-directed learning, camp director Kevin Suhr invokes a rule he calls “Three-Before-Me.”
"Students are encouraged to seek help from the on-demand Camtasia videos first," said Suhr. "If that isn’t sufficient, they may ask the person to their right for help. Then the person to their left. Finally, they can ask an instructor for help. In the process, students learn problem-solving and collaboration skills."
This approach helps students work at their own pace and take initiative to avoid falling behind. It also frees up time for instructors to provide one-on-one help to students who need extra attention. Without Camtasia, this wouldn’t be possible.
Custom-Created Flash Videos Address Emergent Needs
As students work with each design application, camp instructors identify particular hurdles they face. That same day, in a matter of minutes, instructors can create additional Camtasia videos to address these common problems.
"Camtasia is probably the one piece of software that has changed my classroom the most and for the better, allowing me to provide individualized instruction for each student that comes through the door," said Suhr.
Youth Tech camp is growing their program thanks to word of mouth. Already, the program has doubled its capacity and added additional locations as students have told their friends how much fun the camp is—something their parents are equally excited about.
Sample Youth Tech Tutorial Videos
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