There are lots of ways you can record things for future use. And, there are just as many reasons you might want to.

For example, you can record audio or video directly into you Canvas course. This would be a great way to add a human touch to the instructions for an assignment.

Or, you could record a short screencast showing a PowerPoint slideshow on your computer while you explain the concepts the PowerPoint illustrates. This would be great if you want to create a short, self-contained video explaining a discreet concept or topic.

But what if you have a long PowerPoint slideshow and you want to add narration to each individual slide, but you can’t afford new software or don’t have time to learn how to use it?

In that case, you can record directly into PowerPoint using the built-in narration feature. 

Consider this scenario:

A student was unable to attend your lecture and you want to make materials available to her but the text contained in your slideshow isn’t enough. Without you explaining things, the lecture won’t make as much sense and she’ll likely have a tough time on the next exam.

This would be a great, simple, free way to record your lecture and it’s built right in to one of the tools you’re already using.

Here are the basic instructions to help you get started no matter what version of PowerPoint you have. You can also do this on a Mac or a PC.

And here are two short YouTube videos that will walk you through the basics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZp3jumnWUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=selYsj94RQg

 If you have any questions or you’d like to schedule a 1-on-1 training session to learn more about PowerPoint or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.