FLIP VIDEO RECORDER

By Slava Khaitov, Instructional Technology Specialist

Video in the classroom... here and there, we see many instructors working hard to try to include video in their classes: discussing the topic, talking about best practices in video shooting, and scheduling in-class video events, only to face myriads of problems and complications due to the unavailability or prohibitive cost of the equipment, lack of appropriate skills, misunderstanding the technology, or the overall complexity of the entire process. For many faculty members, incorporating video into education has been a frustrating and disappointing experience.

However, there is a path to successful implementation of video technology in the classroom. It’s name is simplicity. Simplification of the each step of the video production workflow from equipment preparation to taking video to publishing it online allows for seamless and effortless integration of video into the learning process. But is it truly possible to make video production simple? The answer is “yes,” due to the new line of Flip Video products from Pure Digital, a company based in San Francisco, CA. The revolutionary Flip Video Recorder simplifies the entire video experience to such an extent that it finally makes video recording viable in the educational setting.

The Flip Video Recorder is a small, portable camcorder that does not require complex installations, wires, or tapes, or an experienced operator to record videos. It has one large red button to start/stop recording, which is impossible to miss. The Play button gives you instant play­back of recorded clips (no need to rewind), and the De­lete button will immediately trash unwanted videos. That’s basically it... the entire manual in two short sentences!

The Flip Video Recorder can record from 30 to 120 minutes of video (depending on the model) into its inter­nal memory. The video and sound quality is exceptional, especially in High Definition mode. The same memory stores the video editing software, which can be installed onto a computer straight from the device. This means no installation disks or web downloads. Just plug in the Flip camcorder into any available USB port of your computer, and you are ready to go. The excellent included software package called “FlipShare” makes all post-processing tasks a breeze. It lets you transfer your clips from the camera to the computer, organize them by date taken, trim the video, add basic effects and store the video lo­cally or publish it to My Space, YouTube or virtually any other social networking or video sharing Web site. Don’t like the FlipShare software? No problem... the Flip Video also integrates well with the Windows Movie Maker application. Did we forget to mention that it also charges its battery while you are transferring the material to the computer?

The Flip Video is all about portability, simplicity and efficiency. It doesn’t require any preparation. Just delete previously taken videos from its memory and make sure that it is fully charged, and you are ready for the next exciting video shooting action! The pricing for Flip Video Recorder starts at $115.00, and it drops very quickly as newer models are released.

With such a low price-point and built-in ease of use, there are numerous applications of the Flip Video Recorder in the classroom, as well as for out-of-the-classroom learning activities. Instructors can capture in-class discussions, student speeches, readings and interviews. Students can use it at home to add video to their projects. The camera is so simple and small, that it will unlikely to intimidate presenters or even be noticed most of the time.