Video Submission Guide

This guide provides the tools needed to succesfully submit a video for boot camp assignments. It includes information about video content and length, hosting platforms, recording instructions, and acceptable file types.

Getting Ready

Before recording a video, you must install Google Chrome and the Screencastify extension.

Using Screencastify to Record a Video

Screencastify is an easy-to-use Google Chrome extension that allows you to capture actions on your screen and save it as a video to Google Drive.

Start a Recording with Screencastify

To start recording a video using Screencastify, follow these steps:

1. In the toolbar, click the Screencastify extension icon. If you do not seen an icon for Screencastify, click the three dots, and then select "More Tools" from the menu. On the "More Tools" menu, select "Extensions" and "Screencastify".

2. Once Screencastify is open, choose what you want to record: your browser tab or your entire desktop.

3. Toggle the webcam to off.

4. Click Record. You will see and hear a countdown, and then your recording will begin.

Note: When Screencastify is recording, a red dot will appear in your extension icon.

End a Recording with Screencastify

To end a Screencastify recording, follow these steps:

1. Click the extension icon again and then click "End Recording".

2. You will automatically be taken to the recording's Video Page, where you can edit, save, and share your recording.

Note: Screencastify will still be recording when you move to turn it off. It is acceptable to turn in a video that shows this action, but if you would like to remove it, you can trim it in the "Your Recordings" window, which is accessible by clicking the menu icon on the top-right of Screencastify.

Troubleshooting

If you have an issue during recording or your webcam is not being detected, Screencastify has a number of resources that can help. Refer to Screencastify Documentation on Recording Troubleshooting for more information.

Video Content Tips

For some assignments submitted during the boot camp, you will need to submit a video to accompany your work to showcase an app's functionality. This video should be concise and clearly demonstrate the full functionality of the app.

Acceptance Criteria

To determine what functionality should be included in your video, a great place to start is the Acceptance Criteria section of the assignment. Acceptance criteria are a set of predefined requirements that must be met in order for the app to be complete. Read through these criteria carefully and make a note of each requirement, then plan a way to include these requirements in your demonstration so they are shown one at a time.

Note: Because some acceptance criteria cannot be easily demonstrated visually, it is okay to leave those out, but make sure that you include all the things that your app can do, such as button clicks, retrieving data, and responding to user input. In addition, it is important to double-check the assignment for specific requirements on what the video you must include.

Recording the Demo

When you record the demo, use Screencastify to show the application in full-screen in a browser window; only the app should be visible on the screen. If you are demonstrating a command-line application, make sure the terminal is displayed.

The following video is an example of an app in full-screen demonstrating button-click functionality:

The following video is an example of an app demonstrating command-line functionality:

Note: For videos that are submitted as part of an assignment, please do not include any voiceover or sound.

What To Do About Bugs

It would be great if apps functioned perfectly all the time, but sometimes when you submit an assignment, you encounter a bug that you just can't fix. In these cases, showcase all the functionality that is working and then show the broken code as the error that you are receiving. In this case, it is also helpful to leave a note for the grader indicating the bug you encountered.

What Not to Demonstrate

While it is important to demonstrate all the required functionality, you do not need to walkthrough each file in your code editor, especially the .gitignore, node_modules, and package.json files. Instead, focus on the app's functionality and be sure to submit your GitHub repo so that the grader can review your code on their own.

Video Length

The video should be concise. Limit videos to 30 seconds to 2 minutes, maximum. Trim down the video to only its essential parts, if possible. Do not include any extra graphics, transitions, or video effects. The video is meant to demonstrate the functionality only, unless explicitly requested otherwise.

Video File Type

Videos must be in the correct format to be viewed.

The following file types are acceptable:

• .MOV
• .MPEG-1
• .MPEG-2
• .MPEG4
• .MP4
• .MPG
• .AVI
• .WMV
• .WEBM

Please note that file types like .gif are not an accepted file type for walkthrough videos and may result in your submission not being accepted or in a lower grade.

Video Hosting Platform

Once the video has been created, host the video on either Google Drive or YouTube. We recommend using Google Drive.

Hosting Your Video on Google Drive

Because Screencastify is a Google extension, it is easy to share your video using Google Drive.

Note: If you delete a recording in Screencastify, it will also be deleted from your Drive. If you move a video out of the Screencastify folder in your Drive, you will no longer see it in "Your Recordings" in Screencastify.

View Your Recording in Google Drive

To view your recording in Google Drive, follow these steps:

1. Click the menu on the right of the Screencastify screen and select "My Recordings" from the dropdown menu.

2. On the "My Recordings: screen, click the three dots on top left.

3. Click "Open in Drive".

Note: Your recording may appear blurry in your Google Drive immediately after uploading, because Google processes the low-resolution version first. The full-resolution version of your video will be available within 15 minutes.

Share a Recording Using a Google Drive Link

To share a recording using a Google Drive link, follow these steps:

1. In the Google Drive that stores your videos, right-click on the video you want to share.

2. Click "Share".

3. Under "Get Link", adjust your settings so that anyone with the link can view your video.

4. Click "Copy Link" to copy the link to your clipboard.

5. Share the link.

YouTube

While we recommend sharing your video using Google Drive, you can also use YouTube.

To share a video link on YouTube, you must first download the video via Google Drive and then upload it to YouTube. Visit the YouTube help page on sharing created videos.

Resources

The following additional resources can help you create a video for your assignments:

• Sharing a file with Google Drive

• Upload videos to YouTube

• Recording with Screencastify

This page was updated 4 months ago
© 2022 edX Boot Camps LLC. Confidential and Proprietary. All Rights Reserved.

Category: computer literacy

Tagged under: video submissions, video content, video formats, video hosting, video requirements, homework, guide,