This document describes SeLCont, a software tool for creating synchronized online lectures. SeLCont allows instructors to record a lecture including video, slides, screenshots and annotations. The recording is then processed and published online. Students can access the synchronized content through a web browser on any device without plugins. SeLCont aims to provide an easy-to-use system for producing and delivering synchronized multimedia lectures online through a WordPress plugin. It was developed at the National Technical University of Athens and is available as open source software.

1. Mary Grammatikou
mary@netmode.ntua.gr
EDUCON Conference, Tenerife, April2018
SeLCont: Synchronized e-Learning Content

2. On-line Synchronized Lectures
• On-line Lectures include:
• Video
• Slides (PowerPoint/PDF)
• Internet screenshots (Browsing)
• Annotations on slides
• Benefits to the presenter:
• Use of standard equipment in most lecture halls (web camera, projector)
• Instructor laptop/tablet with pre-installed SeLCont time-stamp recorder
• Minimal video post-processing (optional)
• On-line storage: Simple pre-formatted web-page, links to video service e.g.
YouTube
• Benefit to the end-user (e.g. student):
• Retrieval as a URL link in any web browser, no need for any add-on
• Transparent adjustment to any device (smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops)

3. Synchronization Process in three Steps
1st Step:
Lecture delivery & recording
2nd Step:
Post-processing
3rd Step:
Publishing of final result

4. 1st Step: Lecture Delivery & Recording
• Video-audio recording
• Using common lecture hall equipment
• May also capture hand-written notes on a blackboard/whiteboard
• Recording of support material from presenter’s laptop/tablet
• Slides (PowerPoint/PDF)
• Internet screens and other browser screenshots
• Annotations produced on presenter laptop/tablet
• Timestamps recorded in a SeLCont file
• Synchronization of screenshots within video – audio stream
• Timestamps generated on PrtScn or Spacebar or PgUp – PgDn or arrow keys via
a light SeLCont Python script (downloaded in the presenter’s Windows laptop)

5. 2nd Step: Post-Processing
• Optional simple video editing of recorded video file (e.g. in MP4)
using off-the shelf editors (e.g. Camtasia, Wondershare, OpenShot…)
• Uploading of (edited) video in a video provider cloud (e.g. YouTube)

6. 3rd Step: Publishing of Final Result
• Development of lecture web page, preferably via a Content Management
System - CMS (e.g. WordPress)
• Data entry in pre-formatted web form of lecture-specific info:
• Lecture title, Keywords, Presenter
• Video URL (in video cloud, e.g. YouTube)
• Presentation file (PowerPoint/PDF)
• Screenshots (timestamps) to be synchronized with the video stream
• Final check & uploading of SeLCont lecture via its URL

7. SeLCont Lecture Web-page
Technical Highlights
HTML5: HTML5 video player (JWPlayer)
JavaScript: Using jQuery
Responsive: Bootstrap framework
Synchronization: Automatic or user
controlled via thumbnails associated
with screenshots below video sub-frame

8. Potential SeLCont Users
SeLCont as a product to be used by:
• Professors
• Teachers
• Presenters
• Web site owners delivering on-line synchronized multimedia content
SeLCont as a service to lecture-providing organizations:
• Schools
• Universities
• Research Institutes
• Companies organizing lectures, seminars, presentations

9. Conclusions
• SeLCont is an open source, user friendly lecture recording toolkit that
stores and reproduces synchronized multimedia content: Lecture
streams and accompanying material (slides, desktop screenshots).
• It enables end-users (students) to retrieve on demand via the
Internet pre-recorded lectures from a Web browser in her/his Laptop
or Tablet or Smartphone without any add-ons.
• It is an easy to use toolkit, which provides significant degrees of
freedom in indexing, selecting and editing of recorded lectures.
• Due to its implementation as a WordPress plugin, SeLCont can be
easily integrated to any LMS that implements the LTI standard.
• It can be used as a standalone platform or integrated within a
learning ecosystem like Up2U so that end-users can further profit
from digital advances in education.

10. The SeLCont Initiative
• Development: Network Management & Optimal Design Laboratory (NETMODE),
School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens
(NTUA): www.netmode.ntua.gr
• SeLCont S/W: Wordpress plugin & Windows screen capturing tool. Also available in
https://github.com/netmode/selcont under GNU GPL
• Partial support: Up2University H2020 Research & Innovation EU Project,
www.learn.up2university.eu
• Partial support: Institute of Communication & Computer Systems (ICCS) www.iccs.gr
• Partial support: NTUA Unit for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (ΜΟΚΕ)
www.mke.ntua.gr
• In collaboration with: NTUA Network Operations Center (NTUA NOC)
www.noc.ntua.gr
• Complementarity: NTUA Academic Open Courses (NTUA AOC) www.aoc.ntua.gr

11. Thank You!