SCreen Capture
SOLID
What is a Screen Capture Tool?
Screen capture tools are software that allow users to take picture of whatever is on their computer screens.
Key Properties
These are the most prominent properties of this Screen Capture element:
- Takes still images of all or a portion of what appears on your computer screen
- Saves the image for use as-is or so you can manipulate it to meet your training needs
Other Common Names
Other common names for screen capture tools include:
- SnagIt
- Snipping Tools
Insights snagged from What's Your Formula?
- "Did you know that the PrtSc key on your computer’s keyboard can capture the image that’s on your monitor? It’s a neat shortcut, and there are many other ways to capture high-quality images of something on your screen if you plan to use it for training purposes. Screen capture software is just as it sounds—it enables you to take a picture of an image that’s on your screen or monitor."
- "Many operating systems come with a snipping tool already installed (you may need to search your pre-installed software to find it) and other products on the market, such as TechSmith’s Snagit, are also commonly used to capture still images. Some screen capture software allows you to make edits or superimpose things (for example, text, markers, or arrows to draw attention to a specific feature of your image), while other software will require you to save your image and then use photo-editing software to do that manipulation."
- "In some instances, screen capture images can be printed, laminated, and left as standalone job aids. I worked in one office where our office manager took a series of screen captures, superimposed a few instructions over the images, and left them in each conference room so that people didn’t have to keep asking her for assistance in connecting their devices to the projector."
Elements that Capture Some of the Essence of this Element
Microsoft Word
While I offered the example of some images being left in a conference room, oftentimes job aids require a little more context. Building user manuals or quick reference guides will rely in part on high-quality images. Embedding those images into a Word document so that you have space to write more detailed instructions or steps in a process can be important to assist people in more complex tasks.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Some medical professionals use screen capture to get imagery from microscopes or other medical equipment connected to a camera. Some training professionals embed screen capture images from software tools and databases to assist in new user orientation for those systems. Regardless of your topic, if you have real-life images of your concepts or processes to share, you can use them to break up the text on your PowerPoint slides.
Learning Boosts
Following a training session, it can be beneficial to send quick reference materials, helpful hints, or shortcuts using screen capture imagery to solidify your learners’ retention and improve their ability to apply what you’ve taught them.
Quiz Software
If you’re looking to assess your learners’ understanding of topics such as software usage and navigation, then posing a screen capture image and asking people to identify specific fields or explain the order in which a screen should be navigated can replace traditional text-based quiz questions and make the assessment more true-to-life.
Elearning
When it comes to system training, you can recreate screens or pages in a system by taking screen capture images and overlay clickable hotspots to provide learners an opportunity to practice navigating a system and give them feedback if they aren’t clicking in the right areas.
Popular Screen Capture Tools
