How to Record a Video Lecture with PowerPoint

Creating video lectures is now a must-have skill for teachers, trainers, and anyone involved in online learning. However, making these videos can take a lot of time and often feels overwhelming. In today’s digital world, learners expect video lectures to be interactive and easy to access, which makes the job even more challenging for most content creators.

In this article, you’ll learn how to easily create professional video lectures using PowerPoint and iSpring Suite. We’ll show you, step by step, how to record your lecture and add interactive features to make your content more engaging.

What Is a Video Lecture?

A video lecture is an educational or training video that delivers content on a specific topic.

Video lectures are widely used in educational institutions, corporate training programs, and online courses because of their ability to engage learners effectively. They can take various forms depending on the audience and purpose:

• Talking-head lectures. These feature the instructor speaking directly to the camera, creating a personal connection with learners.
• Slide-based lectures. These combine slides with voice-overs or narration to explain concepts visually.
• Interactive lectures. These include quizzes, clickable elements, and other interactive components to engage learners in a hands-on manner.

Modern video lectures have become an essential part of a digital learning ecosystem that helps engage students. 

Normally, a digital lecture is created by using a webcam and a microphone to record yourself and a screen recorder to capture the screen. Then you can polish your videos with a video editing tool to make them look more professional.

In this article, we’ll show you how to make video lessons using 2 different approaches — right in PowerPoint.

How to Record a Video Lecture in PowerPoint 

PowerPoint is a versatile tool that goes beyond static presentations. With its built-in recording features, you can create simple yet effective video lectures without additional software. Here’s how:

1. Prepare Your Slides

Before recording your lecture, you need to ensure that your presentation slides are well prepared:

• Use clear fonts and high-quality visuals.
• Limit text on each slide — focus on key points.
• Include speaker notes as a script for your narration.

2. Record Slide Narration

PowerPoint allows you to record your voice (and webcam if needed) while presenting your slides:

1. Go to the Slide Show tab.
   
2. Click Record Slide Show, then choose whether to start from the beginning or a specific slide.
   
3. Enable your microphone (and webcam if desired).
4. Take a deep breath, imagine yourself in front of a live audience, and begin narrating your slides while advancing through them.

3. Export as Video

Ideally, you did it in a single take. Once you’ve recorded your narration:

1. Go to File > Export > Create a Video.
2. Choose the desired resolution (e.g., Full HD).
3. Save the file in MP4 format for easy sharing.

While PowerPoint is great for recording slide show lessons, it lacks advanced editing features like noise reduction or interactivity options. If you want more polished results, consider using iSpring Suite.

How to Record Video Lectures with iSpring Suite Max 

iSpring Suite can take your video lecture creation to the next level by integrating seamlessly with PowerPoint and offering advanced features like interactivity, templates, customized characters, and LMS integration. 

“What I especially love about iSpring is that it enables non-professionals in content creation, videography, graphic design, and training to build pro-quality eLearning courses and video tutorials with ease.”

Diego Vila Valero

Business Trainer and Consultant at FVM Associates

Let’s explore how you can use iSpring Suite for professional-quality video lectures.

1. Download lecture capture software

Download the free iSpring Suite trial version and install it. Open PowerPoint, and you’ll see the iSpring toolbar with all its features ready to use.

So, to create a video lecture, just open PowerPoint.

2. Use iSpring AI to write a script from scratch or polish your existing text

Click Open iSpring Cloud.

Create a new Page.

Ask the AI assistant to write a video lecture script or improve your existing one.

3. Record your narration

iSpring Suite offers two options to add narration:

a. If you already have a pre-recorded video

Import your pre-recorded video into iSpring’s Narration Editor. You can add a video recording in one of the following formats: AVI, WMV, MPG, MP4, or MKV.

To embed your original video, click on the Manage Narration icon on the iSpring Suite toolbar.

Then in the iSpring Narration Editor, click on Video to import a file from your computer.

After that, you’ll see a pop-up window where you can choose the location of the video within your presentation.

b. If you need to record a video narration from scratch

First, make sure your camera and a built-in or external microphone are turned on and ready to record. If you’re recording a webcam video for the first time, you’ll need to go through the Microphone Setup Wizard.

Click the Record Video icon located on the iSpring Suite toolbar.

To make it even easier, use the Slide Notes on the right panel to insert your script.

Click on Start Record when you’re ready to begin recording. To finish, click on OK.

The good thing about iSpring Suite is that you don’t have to record a perfect narration in a single take because you can always polish it and remove some mistakes later with the built-in audio and video editor. Check out how to record video narration in our tutorial.

4. Edit your narration

Editing is where iSpring Suite truly shines:

• Trim unnecessary parts of your narration. 
• Remove background noise or adjust audio levels. 
• Add transitions between the previous slide and the next slide to flow more smoothly.

How to edit your video

Fine-tune your work right in iSpring Suite using the built-in editor. Choose the recording on the timeline and click on the Edit Clip icon.

After doing this, you’ll see the following pop-up window:

Now that you’ve reviewed your lecture material, click on Save & Close in the upper left corner to preserve the applied changes.

How to synchronize your video and slides

Here’s how to combine your webcam recording with PowerPoint presentation slides. 

Launch the iSpring Narration Editor by clicking on Manage Narration. Select a slide on the timeline and hit the Sync button.

A Sync panel will appear above the timeline. To start the process, click on Start Sync.

The Start Sync button will be replaced with the Next Slide/Next Animation/Skip Transition buttons, depending on the upcoming element in your PowerPoint presentation. Click on them at the appropriate moments; for example, when you want the next animated slide to be inserted.

When you have finished, click on Done and then on Save & Close in the upper-left corner to close the narration editor.

Pro tip: You can also edit your work in iSpring’s advanced video studio, which is built into iSpring Suite and lets you add transitions, hotkey hints, freeze frames, captions, and more. Learn more about how to edit a video from our tutorial.

5. Add some interactivity to your lecture

Digital lectures can be captivating on their own. However, you can increase student engagement even more by adding some interactive features. Plus, it will help your learners take effective notes during the lecture.

With iSpring Suite, it’s easy to record a lecture, and equally easy to populate it with the following interactive elements like these:

Quizzes with 14 question types: multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, hotspot, and more.

Web objects (like an entire web page, Vimeo and YouTube links).

Interactive templates (Tabs, Accordion, Pyramid, Media Cards, and more).

Role-plays.

Screen recordings.

Characters, backgrounds, icons, and slide templates. 

All these content types will be available in the interactive player of your lecture.

As another satisfied user from XLsoft shared:

“I particularly like the iSpring functionality for webcam recording and screencasting. Among other things, it enabled me to create a video for one of our sales pitches quickly and easily.”

6. Change the video lecture layout 

With iSpring Suite, you can shift learners’ focus from the slide to the speaker’s narration and back. To do this, click on Player on the iSpring Suite toolbar. In the open window, you can change the player type. Click on Select Player on the ribbon to do this.

There are three types of players:

• Universal. This is a player with flexible options that allow you to combine slide content, a small presenter video, a course outline, and various panels and controls.
  
• None. This layout makes your students pay attention to the contents of the slide. Learners can study the information on the slide without being distracted by the speaker’s comments.
  
• Video lecture. Use this type of layout if using both slides and video to explain the information most effectively.

Combine different types of layouts to highlight the most important parts of your lecture content.

Pro tip: You can adjust the layout to change the proportion between the slide and video by dragging the border between them.

Click on Apply and close to save changes and return to the lecture.

iSpring Suite also allows you to fine-tune the player layout for each slide separately. To do this, click on Slide Properties on the ribbon.

A new window will open in which you can change the slide layout for each current slide to highlight the most important parts of your digital presentation:

7. Share your video lecture

After you record your lecture, you can share it with your learners online. To do this, click on the Publish button on the toolbar. You can post your recorded lectures on the website, a cloud sharing service, or a learning platform, or send them by email.

Integrating your digital lessons with a modern learning management system (LMS) creates a cohesive learning ecosystem:

• Track learner progress through detailed analytics dashboards.
• Provide personalized feedback based on quiz results or participation metrics.
• Foster collaboration through discussion boards or assignments.

Here’s how to publish a lecture to your LMS directly from iSpring Suite:

• In the publishing window, choose the LMS tab.
• Choose the desired file destination and click on Publish. Your presentation will be saved in SCORM or any other format that’s compatible with your LMS.

Your learners will be able to watch a lecture whenever and wherever they want to, from their PCs, laptops, and mobile phones.

Keep Viewers Hooked: Smart Tips for Engaging PowerPoint Lectures

Just recording a video isn’t enough for a cool learning experience. Here are a few helpful tips to make your online lessons more effective and engaging for learners.

Keep lectures bite-sized  

“Brevity is the soul of wit.” — William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Learners will find it easier to watch a short, concise lesson rather than a one-hour classroom lecture with a lot of details. So, you should divide your lecture content into a series of videos lasting up to 7 minutes each. This will allow you to support learners as they navigate through the parts of the course and help them refresh on some specific topics, if needed.

Follow a narrative structure

“Stories are the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” — Robert McKee

Start every new lesson with a brief review of what you’ve studied in the previous parts and where you are now. Summarize your ideas at the end of the video so your learners can memorize them better, process the information, and take notes. 

Communicate with your audience

“You’re not just here to learn. You’re here to have fun. You’re here to make friends and memories.” — Dead Poets Society

In online teaching, making lectures dynamic, not monotonous, is the top priority. Be open and supportive to learners, even though they’re seeing you in a recording and not in person. It’s important to maintain contact with your learners and include some humor, emotions, and a human touch in your lectures when they go digital.

Ask questions

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin

If you pose a question to the audience at the end of a video, this really feels like you’re talking to your learners, and it makes them anticipate answers. They will be eager to continue watching a lecture. It’s even better if you prepare quizzes to test how well they understand the new material.

Make your videos accessible

“We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.” — Bill Clinton

Ensure that every learner can benefit from your video lectures by following accessibility best practices. Add closed captions or subtitles for all spoken content, provide transcripts for audio, and use descriptive alt text for images. Choose high-contrast color schemes and readable fonts, so everyone — including those with hearing, visual, or motor impairments — can engage with your content.

Use mobile-first design strategies

“The world is in your hands, now use it.” — Phil Collins, “On My Way”

Today’s learners often access training on smartphones, so design your video lectures with mobile users in mind. Break content into short, digestible segments, use large, touch-friendly buttons, and ensure that visuals and texts are clear on small screens. Test your videos and interactive elements on actual devices, keep navigation simple, and optimize file sizes for fast loading — even on slower connections — to provide a great learning experience anywhere, anytime.

FAQ

Here are some common questions about digital lectures. Let’s go over them briefly.

1. Why are video lessons and online education so popular?

Video lessons became extremely popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone had to stay indoors and all educational organizations began to practice online classes. While many instructors used Zoom and other web conferencing tools to conduct lectures online, some created online courses and video content, providing their video lectures. This approach proved most effective with classes having large numbers of students: teachers simply needed to create learning content once and then share it with their learners whenever necessary. In addition, it solves some other issues, like accessibility — in the past, people with disabilities found it difficult to enroll in educational programs and attend them, but now they can study from the comfort of their homes.

2. What is the best way to record a lecture for students?

We believe that one of the great ways to make a lecture recording is by using PowerPoint itself. You can easily record, edit, and annotate any type of instructional video with iSpring Suite, which works as a PowerPoint add-in.

3. How can you record lectures during a class?

Take your phone or digital camera, put it on a tripod, and place it in front of the blackboard where you’ll be delivering a lecture. Utilize a voice recorder to capture your voice better. Or, if you don’t need to show the audience and classroom environment in your video, record yourself with a laptop webcam while presenting — directly into PowerPoint. 

4. Which app is best for recording lectures?

You can record lectures in different ways. The best solution depends on your needs, experience, and the time you have to master a new tool. And if you want a user-friendly, one-stop-shop tool, opt for iSpring Suite Max. Get started with a 14-day free trial of iSpring Suite.