Open AccessPause, Point, Rewind: The Use of Screen Capture Software for Media Analysis
Author(s) -
David Cooper Moore
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
recherches en communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2033-3331
pISSN - 1370-0480
DOI - 10.14428/rec.v34i34.51973
Subject(s) - software , computer science , pointer (user interface) , multimedia , set (abstract data type) , point (geometry) , psychology , artificial intelligence , geometry , mathematics , programming language
Screen capture software enables people to create simple informal commentaries about any media texts that can be displayed on a computer screen. One 13-year-old student enrolled in a media literacy enrichment program was observed and documented completing ten spontaneous analyses of commercials using screen capture software. A detailed analysis of both the student's voiceovers and interactive visual engagement with the commercials, including pausing and rewinding video and pointing out details with the mouse pointer, revealed a modest strengthening of critical thinking skills over time. These findings suggest that screen capture analysis exercises completed regularly with a set of open-ended critical questions may have value to educators as a diagnostic, analytical and assessment tool for students at many developmental levels.