ScreenPal
Use ScreenPal to create and edit course videos by recording your screen, webcam or both with narration and computer audio. Edit recordings to remove mistakes, combine clips or add simple visual elements. Upload finished course videos to MediaPlus for captioning, hosting and sharing in Canvas.
Cost
No costAudience
Students, faculty & staffPurpose
Media creationCanvas integration
NoneGetting started
Choose the starting point that fits what you want to create.
- New to ScreenPal?
Visit asu.edu/som and sign in with your ASURITE to access ScreenPal. Check out ScreenPal’s tutorials to become familiar with the recorder and editor. - Recording your screen or a presentation?
Open the recorder and choose Screen. Select the portion of your screen you want to capture, choose your microphone and computer-audio settings, and complete a short test recording before beginning. - Recording yourself and your screen?
Choose Both to create a picture-in-picture recording that includes your screen and webcam. Position the webcam image where it will not cover important information. - Making edits?
Open the recording in the ScreenPal Video Editor to trim the beginning or end, remove mistakes, combine clips, adjust audio or add text, shapes and highlights. - Adding the finished video to Canvas?
Save the completed recording as an MP4 file, upload it to MediaPlus, review the automatically generated captions and transcript, and embed the MediaPlus video in your Canvas course.
ScreenPal projects are stored locally on the computer where they were created. Keep the editable project until you have finished revising and publishing the video.
Activity examples
- Create a narrated presentation: Record a slide presentation with voice narration while displaying your webcam when instructor presence would support the lesson.
- Demonstrate a digital process: Record your screen while showing students how to navigate a website, use software, complete an online task or locate course resources.
- Explain a worked example: Record yourself solving a math problem, interpreting a graph, analyzing a passage or working through another multistep process.
- Introduce a course or module: Create a short webcam or picture-in-picture video that welcomes students, explains what they will learn and highlights upcoming activities.
- Create a short concept explanation: Record a focused explanation that students can pause, replay or revisit when preparing for an activity or assessment.
- Clean up an existing recording: Import a compatible video file to remove unnecessary sections, combine clips or add simple visual cues before publishing it.
Compare your options
| Tool | Best used for | What it can do |
|---|---|---|
| ScreenPal | Creating and lightly editing instructional videos | Records your screen, webcam or both. Use it to trim or cut sections, combine clips, adjust audio and add text, shapes, highlights or other simple visual elements. |
| Zoom | Live classes, meetings, interviews and conversations | Records a live Zoom session with participants, shared screens and audio. Editing options are limited. |
| MediaPlus | Hosting and sharing finished course videos | Stores and streams video, generates captions and transcripts, and allows instructors to embed media in Canvas. It is not primarily a screen-recording or video-editing tool. |
FAQ
Yes. Screencast-O-Matic changed its name to ScreenPal. Older ASU resources, links or project folders may still use the Screencast-O-Matic name.
You can record your screen, your webcam or both at the same time. You can also capture microphone narration and, when enabled in your recording settings, audio playing from your computer.
ScreenPal offers browser-based recording options, but its desktop application provides access to the complete recording, project-management and editing workflow. The first time you use ScreenPal, you may be prompted to download or launch the application.
Projects created with the desktop application are stored locally on the computer where you created them and appear in the ScreenPal Project Manager. Saving an MP4 creates a separate finished video file; it does not replace the editable project.
Save the finished recording as an MP4 and upload it to MediaPlus. MediaPlus is ASU’s supported platform for captioning, managing and sharing course media in Canvas.
Upload the finished video to MediaPlus, review its captions and transcript, and use the MediaPlus option in the Canvas Rich Content Editor to embed it in a page, assignment, announcement or other course content.
Yes. You can import compatible video files, including many MP4 recordings, into the desktop Video Editor. ScreenPal works well for trimming, cutting, combining clips and adding simple overlays. More complex production may require a full video-editing application.
Use ScreenPal for a planned instructional video that you will share later with students. Use Zoom when you are recording a live class, meeting, interview or discussion involving other participants.
Accessibility, privacy and other considerations
Accessible recordings
- Plan recordings so important visual information is also explained through narration, and avoid placing the webcam image over content students need to see.
Add the finished video to MediaPlus and review the automatically generated captions and transcript for accuracy before publishing it to students.
Recording and privacy
- Before recording your screen, close unrelated browser tabs, email, messages and notifications that could reveal personal, student or confidential information.
- Obtain appropriate permission before recording other people or sharing a recording containing their image, voice or personal information.
- Consider what students are being asked to record and share when ScreenPal is used for student-created media, particularly when an activity requires students to appear on camera, record their voice or capture their surroundings.
Resources
Explore ASU and ScreenPal resources to learn how to plan, record, edit and publish course videos.
ASU resources
- Access ScreenPal at ASU: Sign in with your ASURITE to access ASU's ScreenPal license.
- Upload Media to MediaPlus: Learn how to upload completed ScreenPal recordings to MediaPlus for captioning, sharing and use in Canvas.
- Video and Audio Content for Accessibility: Review ASU guidance for creating accessible video and audio content.
ScreenPal resources
- ScreenPal accessibility resources: Learn about ScreenPal accessibility features, including keyboard navigation and screen-reader support.
- ScreenPal tutorials: Explore tutorials for recording, editing and working with ScreenPal.
- Get Started with the Screen Recorder: Learn the basics of recording your screen, webcam and audio.
- Record Your Screen and Webcam: Learn how to create recordings that combine screen content and webcam video.
- ScreenPal Video Editor: Learn how to edit recordings, remove unwanted content and add visual or audio elements.
Get support
Need technical help?
Contact the ASU Experience Center for general technical support or problems accessing ScreenPal with your ASURITE.
Want to explore ways to use this tool in your course?
Learning Experience (LX) offers workshops and consultations where you can explore how ScreenPal or other enterprise technologies might support your teaching goals.
Looking for detailed ScreenPal guidance?
Visit the ScreenPal Help Center for help with specific recording, editing and exporting features.