Adding Classroom Richness to the OnLine Experience

1
Adding Classroom Richness to the On-Line
Experience

• Judith F. Bennett Peter A. Cooper
• Sam Houston State University

2
Distance Education Suffers

• Administrative Perceptions as a cost saver
• Lack of pedagogical underpinning
• Lack of richness of media used to offset the
  missing classroom experience

3
Podcasts Used as Supplements

• Frees instructor from time and geography
  constraints of the classroom
• Frees students from time and cable constraints of
  computer based on-line instruction

4
New Trends

• Computer literacy being driven in two directions
• The speed at which software, particularly office
  applications are evolving
• Frequency of new applications
• Forcing computer literacy courses to reevaluate
  importance and value of developing purely
  functional literacy elements.

5
Toffler and Toffler

• Whatever gulf separates the rich from the poor,
  an even greater chasm separates the armed from
  the unarmed and the ignorant from the educated.
  Today, in the fast-changing, affluent nations,
  despite all inequities of income and wealth, the
  coming struggle for power will increasingly turn
  into a struggle over the distribution of and
  access to knowledge. (Toffler and Toffler, 1990)

6
Podcasting

• Wikipedia defines podcasting as the method of
  distributing multimedia files, such as audio or
  video programs, over the Internet using
  syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices
  and personal computers. The term, coined in
  2004, combines iPod, a popular portable audio
  device, and broadcasting.

7
Podcast Availability

• Thought of as a program
• Available on Macintosh and PC platforms iTunes
  supports both
• Software is available on both PC and Mac
  platforms
• Audacity on PC
• GarageBand on the Mac

8
Provide Educational Context

• 4 Significant opportunities
• Pressure on classroom time can be alleviated.
• Repeatedly review material normally experienced
  only once in the classroom
• Changes students notion of what is possible
• Frees students from time constraints

9
Methodology

• GarageBand
• Its free with the Apple OSX operating system.
• Mix sounds and associate them with images or
  video
• Large collection of built-in sounds (loops)
• Record sound from a microphone or a device such
  as an electric guitar or CD player

10
3 Main Components in GarageBand

• Timeline which is split into tracks
• Loop browser which allows predefined music to be
  added to the timeline
• Media browser which allows other sounds, photos
  or video to be added

11
GarageBand Interface
12
Audacity

• Free download from the Internet
• Create MP3 files
• Record using a microphone
• Write over existing tracks to create multi-track
  recordings
• Record up to 16 channels
• Import sound files which can be edited and
  combined
• Export in WAV, AIFF, AU, MP3

13
Audacity continued

• Use cut, copy, paste and delete
• Edit and mix an unlimited number of tracks.
• Pitch can be changed and static, and other
  background noised eliminated
• Sound quality is excellent and can be recorded up
  to 96 KHz. MAC OSX, Windows and GNU Linux
  compatible

14
Audacity Running on Different Systems
15
Audacity Preferences
Check the MP3 export settings.
16
MP3 Export Settings

• Use the same MP3 export
• Check MP3 export setting and set the ID3 tags.
• ID3 tags provide information about the podcast
  such as title and other information.
• All the tags will not be used designed for CDs,
  not podcasts.

17
Bit Rate Adjustment

• Controls the quality of the audio and the size of
  the file.
• Lower the bit rate, the smaller the file.
• Use lowest bit rate that still gives adequate
  quality.
• Bit rates range from 48K 128K
• After adjustments, export to web server

18
Videos

• Show examples that would be used in classroom
• Requires a digital camcorder
• Download to video producing software program
• FTP to web server
• Include link in RSS file

19
Podcast Distribution

• Method of distribution is dependent on the nature
  of the materials.
• Course materials can be done through embedding
  the .rss file on a faculty or course web page.
• Blackboard or WebCT could also be used.

20
RSS Files

• Not an acronym
• Does not stand for anything
• Are in XML format and provide an open format for
  all types of content.
• Creates the newsfeed so others can subscribe or
  incorporate the content of the newsfeed into
  their site.

21
RSS File Elements

• Channel metadata that describes what the
  channel is and who created it. Required.
• Image logo of the channel provider if used.
  Optional.
• Items contain the content of the channel and
  are required.
• Text used to query or respond. Used
  infrequently.
• Must close RSS file

22
l Podcasting Assignment
http//www.shsu.edu/csc_jfb
My First Podcast uageen-us My Video
Podcast http//www.shsu.edu/csc_jfb
/podcastassignment/MyAudioPodcast.html criptionPodcasting Assignment that was
fun edu/csc_jfb/podcastassignment/podcast1.mov"
length"5258166" type"video/mov"/ nel
23
Validation of RSS File

• Validate to assure there are no typing errors or
  that something has been left out that is critical
• Website http//www.feedvalidator.org
• Locates errors and gives line number and type of
  error along with instructions on how to correct
  the file.

24
Packaged RSS Files

• Low cost packages that include
• Manual
• Recording software
• Ready to use sounds
• Web sources that produce the RSS newsfeed
• Podcast Blaster is less than 20.00
• Others are available on the Internet

25
Distribution on Website

• Podcast directory may be desirable
• Publish it on the schools server
• For student podcasts, publishing to iTunes should
  best be left to the discretion of the student

26
Instructions for Publishing Podcast

• Create folder inside public_html folder on server
• Label folder Podcasting or something similar
• FTP the RSS file, audio files, etc to the folder
• Only 1 RSS file is needed for unlimited items and
  can contain both audio and video files

27
iTunes Podcast Service

• Wider distribution may be desired through iTunes
• Service allows submission of information
  concerning podcast and a link to the .rss file
• Service does not store files, stored and managed
  by the institution
• iTunes periodically updates information from the
  .rss file

28
Podcasting to Support Instruction Trials

• 2 podcasting trials
• 1st trial podcast materials were provided as a
  set of A/V resources via Blackboard to support a
  Java programming course.
• Podcasts detailed procedures, particularly for
  the setup of application development environments
  and complex compilation protocols that require
  review by the students but take time to answer.

29
Podcasting to Support Instruction

• Students comments positive.
• 1. Ability to repeat, stop and review
  instructions.
• 2. Comments were also made on the removal of
  repetitive components leaving more time for
  concepts and examples

30
Podcasting as a Digital Lifeskill

• 2nd trial consisted of providing opportunities
  for students to develop audiovisual podcasts as
  part of their course materials. Response was
  positive
• I really enjoyed the podcast assignment as Ive
  been wanting to learn how to do this for over a
  year.
• What I liked most was that we got the chance to
  put our own ideas and thoughts into something
  that we really care about.

31
Podcasting as a Digital Lifeskill

• Student concerns
• Students would not willingly accept podcasts as a
  substitute for a live instructor, No, I enjoy
  interaction with the professor. If I get
  confused I can ask questions.
• Quality control issues were also a concern for
  the students

32
Value in Podcasting

• Significant group felt they had no desire to
  podcast, that they had nothing of value to say
• Concern over the lack of censorship of podcast
  materials
• Value as a means of communicating to a widely
  dispersed family group, to leave a legacy to
  grandchildren.

33
Conclusion

• How much material can be thrown at students in a
  one semester course?
• Need time to assimilate the information.
• Students have advanced so they no longer need the
  open file and close file instructions.
• Need to learn to use technology to enhance their
  lives and careers.

34
Conclusion continued

• Students scratch their heads at the volume of
  information Podcasts are a tool that can
  supplement learning.
• Podcasts can be used to explain difficult
  concepts over and over again to help students
  comprehend difficult information

35
Time and Effort

• Takes time and effort to make a
• An invaluable tool in terms of learning for the
  student.
• Conceivable that an entire course could be done
• Makes learning convenient for the student in an
  anywhere, anytime environment.