One of the tasks modern high-tech students may need to do is create a video. While there are many apps available for this, YouTube and TikTok come to mind, some tasks may require being at a computer—like narrating a video or recording a presentation, such as a PowerPoint.

So, where does one go to find the right software for this? My first experience was with Streamlabs OBS. If you search for streaming software in Google, this is likely what you’ll find first. It’s user-friendly and plug-and-play, but there’s one downside: it’s resource-intensive. To solve this, I switched to the open-source software on which Streamlabs OBS is based: OBS, or Open Broadcaster Software.

How might we use OBS as instructors, and how could our students use it? As instructors, we could record videos to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) about assignments. For example, if you’re a future Phys-Ed teacher, you could create videos for students who miss a class or cannot participate for any reason, offering them a video-based makeup assignment and explanation. It could also be used to create a pre-recorded syllabus that students can refer to throughout the course.

Using the SAMR Model with OBS:

1. Substitution: Instructors could use OBS to record a lecture that students would normally attend in person. The recorded video simply substitutes for the live class.
2. Augmentation: OBS can enhance this by including overlays, screen recordings, or adding live annotations during the video, improving the quality and delivery of the content compared to a traditional lecture.
3. Modification: OBS allows for significant redesign of how instructors deliver materials. For instance, instead of just recording lectures, instructors could create interactive tutorials where they answer common questions, offer multiple video lessons, and provide step-by-step visual guides.
4. Redefinition: OBS can enable tasks that weren’t possible before. For example, students could create video projects incorporating multimedia elements—such as live screen sharing, narrated presentations, and video editing—to demonstrate their learning in ways that go far beyond traditional paper-based assignments. They could also broadcast these live to a global audience or share their work with peers for collaborative feedback.

In this way, using OBS can support both instructors and students at the higher levels of the SAMR model, promoting transformative learning experiences that engage students with technology in meaningful ways.