Online Mind Mapping Software: Getting going with Mind Mapping Software

We have had a few requests about straight forward mind mapping software for individuals or groups. One we've started to use within the Elevate Team is MindMup (http://www.mindmup.com). This tool offers a few exciting features. Although it is not A "Mind Map Enterprise Solution".

The features I like, include:

1. Very simple to use, no learning curve
2. Creation of unlimited private Mind Maps
3. Free, it is an extension in Google Chrome
4. Integrates with Google Drive, to allow storage and sharing
5. Some very nice collaboration tools, It looks like very exciting opportunities for online, real time collaboration, which can be enhanced with Google Hangouts

This suits my workflow, as I log into Google Chrome for a number of extensions (screencastify, chromecast, and Diigo). So including with the extensions is really useful. It also works fine on our UCS Domain Machines.

It does open up an obvious classroom based learning opportunity for small groups and tutorials. The lecturer will be able to easily collect ideas through the Mind Map from the group, and post session include a link to the map within their LearnUCS Module.

So, if you are interested in exploring the potential of mindmaps, and you have a Google Account ... MindMups might be perfect for you :-)

If you have any questions, please email elevate@ucs.ac.uk

Screencastify Update

A few weeks back we blogged about an excellent extension to the Chrome browser which allowed you to capture what was happening in your browser tab or on your desktop. You can read that blog post here -> http://ucselevate.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/screencastify-google-chrome-screen.html

However there have been some important developments we would like to share since our last post.

Firstly, we felt after a bit of use that the storage options were a bit limiting, you could only upload to YouTube for instance. So we decided to head over to the developers support page and we requested that an option to upload to Google Drive would be handy, as we all use Google Drive as our main tool for storage. Low and behold a week later we received an email saying this had been implemented!

Secondly, there has been a new feature that has recently cropped up, one that we were eager to see implemented. Picture in picture webcam mode. This basically, if selected, will record your webcam and put it in the bottom right hand corner of what you are recording.

This is an amazing addition to Screencastify, this will help us promote it's use as a 'voice over presentation' capturing tool.

And thirdly, but more importantly. Screencastify works on the UCS networked machines! You will need to find one with Google Chrome installed then install the extension from the web store
--> Screencastify on Chrome Web Store

Screencastify - A Google Chrome Screen Capture Extension.

For those of us who use Google Chrome and make use of the plethora of extensions that are available I'd like to raise your awareness of one that we have come across which you might find useful.

Screencastify is an extension to the Google Chrome browser that lets you very quickly and simply record what's going on in either a single 'Tab' or your complete desktop, including audio.

The extension itself is very easy to use and there aren't a lot of options to configure. Once installed you simply click the extension icon and click record. Once you have finished you can click stop.

Once you have recorded your video it stores the video locally within the extension, here you can choose to download it for further editing or, and this is a major bonus, upload directly into your YouTube.

We have tested a few screencasts with this and are happy with the results. You can even present from Google Slides or PowerPoint and as long as your record the 'Desktop' you will record the presentation and of course any audio voice over that accompanies it. This has the potential to replace the use of Debut here at UCS as the primary method of recording the screen, we will be in discussions with IT Services here to investigate the options.

If you use Google Chrome and would like to use Screencastify you can install the extension from Chrome's Web Store - Screencastify on Google Web Store