This document provides an overview of screenr, a free screencasting tool. It explains that screenr allows users to create short videos of their computer screen to easily share instructions and demonstrations. The summary covers how to set up an account, record and share a screencast, and find and manage previously recorded videos. It also notes some limitations, such as an inability to edit recordings or zoom in on specific areas of the screen.

1. Learning Goals
When you finish this class, you will be able to:
★ Identify situations where screenr is a good communication tool
★ Understand what screenr does well and what it cannot do
★ Successfully create and post a screencast
★ Explain why you need a Twitter account to use screenr and how to avoid tweeting all your
screencasts
★ Find your screenr video, share it with others and delete it if it is no longer needed.
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2. What is it?
★ Creates screen captures, also called screencasts. These are short videos of the action on
your screen.
★ Maximum length is five minutes
★ Hosted for free on screenr.com
★ Can embed, download as an mpeg video, post to youtube (but quality isn't that great)
★ Requires a twitter account to log in
★ FREE!
What it does well
★ Allows you to experiment with screencasting
★ Nothing to install
★ Use as a quick communication tool
๏ Answer questions
๏ Quick demos of specific features
๏ Student training
★ You can easily embed screencasts in LibWorks and LibGuides
★ Creates high quality full screen movies
What it doesn't do
★ You cannot edit a screencast, only do it over
★ Will not capture a specific window and follow it around
★ Doesn't always capture toolbars
★ Doesn't zoom in and follow your mouse around or otherwise highlight (with sparkles or
arrows or yellow highlighting) what you're doing on screen
★ You canʼt add sound after or change the audio in any way
★ Canʼt change the name or description after it is posted
★ Allow you to post a private video
How do you get started?
★ Set up a twitter account or use the WULibraryMedia twitter account
★ Go to screenr.com
★ Start playing with it!
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3. Creating a screenr Screencast
1. Go to screenr.com
2. Click on
3. Follow the three step directions: Move and resize the frame, Click the red button to
record, Press DONE when finished.
4. Once you have the correct area selected, be sure that all your settings are correct.
Start button
Microphone level indicator
and microphone selection
Indicates your capture size and allows
you to choose common preset sizes
Cancels your recording
before you start
5. Once youʼve pressed the red button, youʼll see a countdown before recording begins.
6. While you are recording there is a toolbar that appears beneath your recording.
Pause Microphone level indicator
Tells you how much time has elapsed
and remains; can delete before
finishing using the trash can
Press when you have
finished recording
7. Once you press DONE you return to the original browser window and are given a
preview of your screencast. You can watch it to be sure that you are pleased with it. If
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4. youʼre ready to share it, describe your screencast in 117 characters or fewer. If you donʼt
like it, click on DELETE.
8. Decide if you want to tweet your screencast or just post it to your screenr video library.
By default, a tweet that contains the description and link to the video will be posted to
twitter in addition to posting the video to your screenr account. The actual screencast
video is posted to a page in your screenr library on screenr.com. If you donʼt want it
tweeted, you must check “Donʼt tweet this screencast. I will tweet it through Twitter
manually.” Click Tweet It! to post and/or tweet your screencast.
If you need a refresher, screenr has a one minute tour video posted on its home page. I
recommend it!
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5. Working With Your Videos and Account
★ Click on My Screencasts when logged into screenr.com in order to view all your videos
★ Each screencast has its own screenr page
★ Sharing toolbar to the right of the screencast shows
you a shortened URL (link) to the page you are
currently viewing and the Embed code. Use the
embed code to put your video in a LibGuide or
LibWorks.
★ Beneath the sharing toolbar, you can:
★ Download the video as an .mp4 file - perfect for
including in a Powerpoint.
★ Publish it to YouTube if you have an account. I
have not been impressed with the quality of these.
★ Delete the screencast.
★ Screenr bookmarklet available on this page, can make it easier to start a screenr video
recording session.
Links & Resources
★ screenr: http://www.screenr.com
★ WULibraryMedia twitter page: http://twitter.com/wulibrarymedia
★ WULibraryMedia screenr page: http://screenr.com/user/WULibraryMedia
★ Quick article on getting started with screenr: http://www.articulate.com/rapid-
elearning/how-to-use-this-free-screencasting-tool-for-e-learning/
★ screenr username and password (today only!!!)
★ username: WULibraryMedia
★ password: olin‐screenr
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6. Tips & Hints
★ Remember that you can pause your video during the recording!
★ Keystrokes
๏ When recording
๏ Pause and resume recording: ALT+D (Win) and Option+D (Mac)
๏ When playing a screencast, click on the screencast with your mouse first and then use
these keyboard shortcuts:.
๏ Spacebar - toggle play/pause
๏ Left arrow - rewind 10%
๏ Right arrow - forward 10%
๏ Up arrow - increase volume
๏ Down arrow - decrease volume
๏ Z - Zoom full screen
★ Make the capture window as small as possible.
★ I rarely sit down intending make a screenr video. Usually, I am trying to write out directions
or describe something and realize that itʼs very hard or taking a really long time. Making a
45 second video takes about three minutes total and I am done.
★ You can delete your videos later by logging into your screenr account.
★ If you delete your video from screenr, but tweeted about it when you posted it, you will
have to also log into Twitter and manually delete the tweet.
★ screenr works well when you are trying to describe something that involves a lot of
clicking on screen.
★ screenr videos do a great job reinforcing things that people have already learned.
★ All videos are public. There is no way to post a private screenr video.
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