When I created my first online course I spent months researching and testing dozens of tools and methods for content creation. I tried various PowerPoint plugins and course authoring tools. In the end, I settled on something I wasn’t all that happy with but it was enough for the time.
That was 10 years ago, and today there are so many more options.
Since then I’ve re-produced my course a few times, built a full production studio, and helped hundreds of experts produce and launch their own courses. Recently I’ve really honed my workflow and come to rely on a few key tools. I want to talk about one of those today.
My favourite easy-yet-powerful way to create courses is with a screen recording tool. This lets you record what’s happening on your screen (for example: a walkthrough of an application, a PowerPoint, or a Keynote presentation) while also recording audio. For the Mac users out there, my go-to software choice is ScreenFlow. ScreenFlow allows you to quickly record your screen as well as video and audio. Once you’ve got a recording, ScreenFlow includes everything you need to edit and publish your content. You definitely do not need to have any video editing or technical skills to work this either.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of the latest version, but the reality is I’ve been recommending this tool to our instructors for ages! The newest version has some great additions, like the ability to record directly from an iPhone or iPad, and adds new “Touch Callouts” that mimic finger gestures to help guide viewers. We’ve got a few clients working on mobile and tablet training courses where this will come in handy.
I can create a complete video very quickly using this method. In addition to my recording, I often add a little video at the start or end to keep it personal and engaging and it’s ready to go!
– Greg @ Thinkific
