BCnet Conference Apr 1707

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BCnet Conference Apr 17/07

• Podcasting lectures at SFU
• Mix of infrastructure and innovation
• Joint project (LIDC and ACS)
• Frances Atkinson
• Associate Director
• Academic Computing Services
• Simon Fraser University
• frances_at_sfu.ca

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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Old lecture recording/delivery mechanism
• Many classrooms were wired for analog recording
• Instructors requested that their scheduled
  lectures be recorded
• Instructors delivered lectures
• Lectures were recorded to tape
• Tapes were copied and sent to the Library
• Students checked out tapes from the Library

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Now recorded lectures are digitized and
  delivered via mySFU portal, e.g.

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Podcast server enhancement
• Students can subscribe to podcast.sfu.ca/podcasts/
  lectures.rss using software that can handle
  authenticated feeds (e.g. iTunes)
• Persists between semesters
• From iTunes, they can sync their lectures to
  their iPods

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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iTunes Screenshot
Podcasting lectures at SFU
BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Recording re-used and enhanced existing
  infrastructure
• Used existing recording mechanism in classrooms
• Developed software to convert recordings to MP3
  format
• Re-wrote the scheduling software
• uses class schedule data
• a single entry schedules all the lectures
  events for a course

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Distribution re-used infrastructure that already
  delivered content to students
• FTP for transmission, mySQL for storage
• mySFU for delivery
• SFU computing id for authentication
• Used class roster data to limit access to
  registered students

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Distribution added a podcast server
• Built from standard components
• Apache, Perl, htaccess, mySQL
• RSS data format for web feeds
• Web Services (SOA) interface to class roster data
• Constructed authenticated RSS feeds from
• Class roster data
• MP3 lecture files

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Overcoming limitations
• Originally limited to Burnaby classrooms wired
  for recording
• Added Surrey classrooms during a major renovation
• Now deploying in Harbour Centre using devices
  called Barix Annuncicom (www.barix.com)
• Ethernet-connected
• MP3 recorder built-in
• Can plug in a microphone or sound source
• Can be fixed or moved around
• Modified the scheduling system to start/stop them

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU

• Overcoming limitations (2)
• (Future) repository for self-serve upload of
  additional content
• iTunesU (www.sfu.ca/cgi-bin/itunesu)
• SFU has partnered with Apple
• Authenticated by SFU computing id
• Credentials are passed to iTunesU based on class
  roster
• Opens in iTunes software syncs with iPod

BCnet Conference Apr 17/07
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Podcasting lectures at SFU
BCnet Conference Apr 17/07