Cool Technology Tool: Jing

One of the frustrations in a distance education course is having technical problems. Sometimes it is difficult to write out in an email exactly what your problem is. It seems as if you type and you type and you type, and still the professor does not get it! It would be so much simpler to just “show” him or her what is happening on your end. Well, your wish has been answered! Jing is a FREE screenshot and video capture program that can be very useful in showing others a technical concept or problem. There are versions for both MAC and Windows. In addition, TechSmith, the parent company, offers server space to its users to store the images and movies that you have created. In this way, you can use them over and over again.

Here are some examples of how you can use Jing software.

Screen shots: Here is an example where your instructor tells you to go to the “Groups” area to answer the first question. You, however, do not have a “Groups” area in your course. This screen shot allows the instructor to see what links you have in your course.

Video Capture: This feature captures your screen for a little video that you can either save as a file or store on the TechSmith server. If the screencast is saved as a file, you can embed it in an email or post on the web. Since it can also be stored on the TechSmith server, you can paste the link to the video in emails, IMs, and on the web as I have done in the example that follows. (This allows it to play faster, too.) The video can play up to 5 minutes long and supports both audio and video. Click on this link to see a screencast that I did for a classmate on how to find our project files on GoogleDocs: http://screencast.com/t/zA5D0LyHiS5

How to get started: First download the FREE Jing software at http://www.jingproject.com/. The Jing yellow suns symbol hang on your computer screen. When you need to capture content on your computer screen, click on the yellow capture ball to the left and begin. Here are some short, handy videos to get you started: http://help.jingproject.com/get-started/get-started-with-jing-taking-y/. Enjoy your new toy!