Informal Screencasting: Results of a Customer-Satisfaction Survey with a Convenience Sample

Abstract

Purpose: Informal screencasting (i.e., capturing your actions on a computer screen with the goal of showing others how to accomplish tasks on a website or in a given software environment) is defined and described. Customer-satisfaction survey results from 103 faculty, staff, and students are presented. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey revealing customer satisfaction with informal screencasts was made available in spring 2010 to faculty, staff, and students of a mid-sized public university in Arlington, Texas, USA. Results are compiled, analyzed, and presented here. Findings: Most participants’ reactions to the librarian’s informal screencasts were positive or quite positive, but many participants still noted that they would prefer to receive email instructions in answer to their questions. Research limitations/implications The survey was not distributed to a representative sample of the population; instead, the author solicited participants via email, so the participant pool was a convenience sample, which could introduce bias in the results. Originality/value: This survey is the first to assess academic library customers’ attitudes toward informal screencasting as an instructional tool, as far as the author has been able to determine after an extensive literature search.