Pause, Point, Rewind: The Use of Screen Capture Software for Media Analysis

Résumé

Screen capture software enables people to create simple informal commentaries about any media texts that can be displayed on a computer screen. One 13-year-old student enrolled in a media literacy enrichment program was observed and documented completing ten spontaneous analyses of commercials using screen capture software. A detailed analysis of both the student's voiceovers and interactive visual engagement with the commercials, including pausing and rewinding video and pointing out details with the mouse pointer, revealed a modest strengthening of critical thinking skills over time. These findings suggest that screen capture analysis exercises completed regularly with a set of open-ended critical questions may have value to educators as a diagnostic, analytical and assessment tool for students at many developmental levels.