Loom is a screen and camera recording tool that allows you to create screencasts and video tutorials. Loom is available for Mac, Windows, as a Chrome extension, and as an app for iOS and Android. Starter plan users have up to 5 minutes recording limit. Educators and users of Loom Business or Enterprise plans have unlimited time.
The way Loom works is simple. Install the the app or extension, click to open Loom and start recording. You can choose to record with your camera on or without. Once your recording is over you will be able to edit it in Loom editor the way you want. When you are satisfied with your final video you can then share it with others using a generated link.
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| Image by Jagrit Parajuli from Pixabay |
As a teacher, you can use Loom to record educational screencasts to incorporate in your lessons. You can record step by step tutorials to walk students through the process of solving a complex equation, explain how a process works, share short video assignments with students, record discussion or writing prompts, share feedback, invite students to submit video responses and engage in class discussion. When it comes to using Loom in teaching/learning, the sky's the limit.
Key Loom features
Here are some practical features that make Loom a good screen and camera recording tool:
- Add recording backgrounds to your videos to enhance their expressive potential.
- Add a virtual background to your camera bubble while recording. You can select from ready-made images, solid colours, or use blur option. You can change the background of your camera at any point during the recording.
- React to videos using emojis and in-video comments. You can also share a comment in the form of a recorded loom. You and your students can use this feature to share feedback, add more context/ information to a specific moment in a video. All reactions appear on the video's timeline. Simply hover over a comment to expand it.
- Use the Highlight mouse clicks feature to 'highlight to your viewer the particular action you're performing with your cursor' (this feature is only available on Loom for desktop).
- Use the drawing tool to guide your viewers through your Loom recording. Drawings only last for 5 seconds. Also, this feature is only available on Loom for desktop.
- Capture and share screenshots. You can capture both full size and custom size screenshots and download them to your desktop or save them to your personal library in Loom.
- Background noise suppression is a feature that is still in beta which allows you to reduce the noise of your background in case you are recording in noisy settings such as in an office or coffee shop.
- Increase engagement with your video content using call-to-action (CTA) feature.
- Use custom size recording feature to record videos of specific sections of your screen. This feature is available for Mac or Windows users on desktop.
- Create GIF animated covers to provide a preview of your video and capture your viewers attention. The way it works is simple. Enable the Animated Thumbnail from your video settings and Loom will transform the first few seconds of your recording into animated GIF cover.
- Loom provides you with detailed engagement insights showing who has viewed your videos, video completion rates, and call-to-action conversion rates, among others.
- Use the Invite Teams feature to invite team members to easily access videos. You can invite them using email addresses or import them from Slack or Google Workspace.
How to record a presentation with Loom
Loom allows you to easily record your Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, and Canva presentations. This is a great feature to use in asynchronous teaching settings or when sharing contributions to online events (e.g., conferences, meetings, ect) that you can not attend. To record your Google Slides ,you need to use Chrome extension. To record PowerPoint, Keynote, or Canva presentations you need to use the desktop app.
Watch the video to learn more.
Sharing Loom videos
Loom provides you with various sharing options. You can copy the link and share it online so that anyone with the link can view it. You can also restrict who can view your Loom recordings to only people you added using their names or email addresses. You can also share your Loom videos with members of your workspace and choose whether you want them to view or edit the videos.
Alternatively, you can share your Loom recordings directly to social media websites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Or use the embed code to share your recordings in Gmail or on your website or blog.
Loom Chrome extension
Loom is available as a Chrome extension which you can download from Chrome web store. Once installed, click on Loom icon in the top right corner and provide access to your microphone and camera. Next choose what you want to record: you can record the entire screen, a specific window, or a chrome tab. Customize the settings of your video then hit start recording.
While recording your screen and camera you can pause your recording and resume it as you like. You can even open a different tab and resume recording there. Once your recording is over you can use Loom editor to edit your recorded video.
In Loom editor you can trim your video and remove unwanted parts by dragging the handles. Or you can use the Split button to cut out middle sections. You can even trim different clips at once and if you don't like your video after trimming it you can always revert back to original recording. The editor also enables you to review the transcript of your video and edit it the way you want.
Loom pricing
As of writing these lines, Loom is free for verified teachers and educators who are using Loom in their classroom. Check this page to learn more about how to get your Loom account verified. Loom also offers Business and Enterprise plans.
"Pricing for Business and Enterprise plans is based on the number of Creators. Creator Lite accounts are always free, and Creator accounts will be charged at the $10/month rate (for Business accounts) or at a custom rate depending on volume (for Enterprise accounts). When Team Admins invite new members to their Workspace, they can choose if they'd like this member to have Creator Or Creator Lite access."
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