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The landscape of education has undergone a transformative shift driven by the integration of technology and an abundance of innovative teaching methods. Screencasting, or creating watchable video content from the content on your screen, is quickly becoming an indispensable tool in modern classrooms and online learning environments.
As educators seek ways to engage digitally native students effectively, screencasting has risen to the top as a solution that allows instructors to visually demonstrate complex concepts, applications, and processes, making learning not only more engaging but also more comprehensible for students, with the ability to address diverse learning styles and abilities within one classroom.
Two popular apps for creating video are WeVideo and Screencastify. Both enable educators like you to do similar things, but there are some major differences in approach between the two technologies. Screencastify is for screencasting/screen recording and video instruction, while WeVideo is primarily for more complex multimedia projects. Let’s take a look at these two apps, and which one provides more benefits for teachers and educators, particularly in the K-12 space.
An overview of Screencastify
Screencastify is an easy-to-use screencasting tool that exists as an extension in your Google Chrome browser. That means there’s no separate app to install or compatibility issues to worry about: If your computer or mobile device laptop can run Google Chrome, it can run Screencastify. It doesn’t matter if you’re on Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS — Screencastify works.
Screencastify is made by educators with the needs of both teachers and students in mind. The team behind Screencastify (that’s us! 🙋) built it with a focus on simplicity and ease of use: Anyone who can use a computer, tablet, or smartphone can start using Screencastify’s screen recording tool in seconds, no complicated setup or tutorials needed.
An overview of WeVideo
WeVideo is designed primarily for the education space, and offers some capabilities that differ from Screencastify, like a green screen, video templates and stock media. It also offers course creation software that teachers and educators can use to build and monitor different courses.
Like Screencastify, WeVideo allows users to create and edit anywhere you like, and you can add interactive elements and broadcast videos with the capability of viewers responding in real-time. Creators can add multiple video, text and audio as needed, employ audio and visual effects, and WeVideo offers a Brand kit where you can upload logos and create branded templates for you or your colleagues to use to create consistency across your organization.
These features can be helpful, but they can also take the ease out of creating videos that will resonate with students, and make the process a hindrance rather than a help. When presented with too many features to add into your video, it can quickly move to an overwhelming experience to record and screencast your content.
What’s more, the more tools you use, the more pricing for WeVideo can become confusing. When it comes to price, WeVideo can result in paying more for the tools you want to use in video creation.
Screencastify vs. WeVideo: Comparing the features that teachers and students need
We know features are crucial to making a decision on which to use. So let’s get into the weeds and explore the features that matter most to teachers and students.
Video quality 🎥, features, and user-friendliness
In terms of video quality, features, and user-friendliness, you’ll find a lot of similarities between the two tools. The user experience is comparable, though Screencastify is more user-friendly for most teachers and students because it’s a Chrome extension (like we mentioned before).
Screencastify and WeVideo can record full HD video of both the user’s screen and webcam content. Both include the ability to annotate videos using drawing tools and annotation tools and support for green screens.
Another shared feature is the ability to embed interactive questions into videos. Interactive questions are a great way to increase student engagement and gauge understanding.
Video editing options
Capturing your content with screen recording software is just the start. Once you have the content, the next step is to shape it into a final product. And that happens in editing.
While WeVideo does offer additional features like green screens and video templates, Screencastify and WeVideo offer a lot of the same editing features—particularly those features that most teachers would look for in a screencasting software—including:
- Trimming video
- Cutting and rearranging video clips
- Adding text, music, or voice-overs
- Including interactive elements in videos
- Ability to measure engagement
- Creating and editing content from anywhere at any time
The ability to rearrange video or clips within your screen recording is essential for educators, as it ensures your ability to present content that engages and resonates with your audience. Reviewing and editing your video and cut and trim portions are a big help in getting to the heart of the content you’re presenting.
Video sharing, exporting, and integrations
Screencastify integrates with the education-focused services and platforms teachers need, including a Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Google Classroom. And teachers can enable a wide range of integrations from the Video Management Page or via URL.
WeVideo integrates with LMS platforms including Blackboard, Canvas, EdModo, Moodle, Sakai, Google Classroom, and more. It also allows for hosting of content on different platforms like TEDEd, Vimeo, YouTube, Zoom, and others.
Screencastify allows 1080p recording as mp4 files (it’s unclear as of this writing if WeVideo allows this) and both allow you to export quality videos to a variety of platforms and locations.
Screencastify allows you to:
- Export directly to YouTube
- Share with Google Classroom
- Upload to Edpuzzle
- Export files as GIFs
- Export audio only
- Create shareable links to easily share recordings
Screencastify has easy, simple recording for teachers and students alike
With one-click recording, cohesive experience and simplified workflow, teachers and educators can easily adopt Screencastify. It’s “dead simple” screen casting (not our words, our happy clients!) is even easier to use than you think. Maintaining that ease of use for the screen recorder is a priority for us, with the ability to easily employ our editing tools following closely behind. Our features can all be found in the same platform, rather than on different landing spots for different products or features as WeVideo offers.
Top-tier support from edtech experts
WeVideo does auto-renewals for districts, and that can be helpful during busy and budget seasons, but it can also be a drain on said budgets, if you’re overpaying for tools you don’t need. Screencastify partners with you to make sure you’re getting the right value out of the platform before deciding what makes sense for the coming year. We offer access to our customer success team or a dedicated customer success manager to help support your team and the implementation of Screencastify every step of the way. What’s more, we also offer professional development and training resources, which can be customized to meet your particular needs.
Video analytics
Both Screencastify and WeVideo offer some video analytics capabilities.
Screencastify’s analytics tools are light weight by design and are once again focused on the real-world needs of teachers. Most of the analytics you’ll find in Screencastify center on embedded interactive questions and assignment-related information. Bottom line, we provide the data you need in a streamlined way.
Video security and privacy
We know that security and privacy are of the utmost importance for today’s educators, so Screencastify has taken the time to get appropriate education-related certifications, including FERPA, COPPA, and CSPC.
WeVideo states that it is compliant with FERPA and COPPA requirements.
In terms of data collection, Screencastify attempts to collect the least amount of data possible. Screencastify also allows you to own your videos within your Google Drive account. Bottom line: you keep what you create.
Education-focused resources
Having the right tool for screencasting is important, but you’ll also need inspiration and instruction on making the most of the tool in your teaching.
Screencastify actively produces great content around the educational uses of videos in classrooms. On the Educational Resources page, you’ll find many videos, podcasts, webinars, blog posts, and more.
Screencastify also has more formal resources cataloged within Screencastify University, a place to deepen your knowledge and even gain certifications in using the tools within Screencastify.
Which tool is right for you? Screencastify or WeVideo?
So, if you’re an educator looking for the perfect screencasting tool, the one that meets your needs and has the right price to performance ratio, which one should you choose? Is Screencastify or WeVideo better for your needs?
In general industry use, this one is a neck and neck comparison. But when it comes to education and the specific needs students and teachers have, Screencastify pulls away as a leader. It’s incredibly easy for students and teachers to use and offers a unique solution in Submit, making Screencastify the tool of choice for educators.
Find out why school districts love using Screencastify
Screencastify is the clear choice, both for individual teachers and school districts as a whole. With its superior ease of use, school districts will enjoy quick adoption with minimal needs for instruction or support.
But don’t just take our word for it. Find out for yourself what real teachers and districts have to say about using Screencastify for themselves. Read about Screencastify for Teachers and Screencastify for Districts.
