Digital Audio, Digital Cameras, Digital Video
On this page:
What are they?
Digital media, audio, video and the tools which are used to create these have transformed the internet from a primarily text based environment to something much richer, that engages more of the senses. Most digital audio on the web is shared in the form of Podcasts Creating digital media is becoming easier, with mobile phones and other tools that can take pictures, and record audio and video increasingly commonplace. Distributing the material is also becoming simpler using such services as Flikr, You Tube and iTunes. In addition to this many students have digital music players and broadband connection which make access this form of learning material relatively efficient and easy. Many large institutions are distributing content in the form of adios and video over the web. For example the BBC is increasing its podcast output of a range of programmes which is helping to drive the format see http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/directory/
How can I use them with my students?
At its most basic digital audio, video and images can be used to communicate with students as an alternative to text, either for accessibility reasons or to accommodate learning styles or preferences. Audio or Video of lectures can free up face-to-face time with students for discussion or problem solving. More specifically:
- The use of different media can enliven topics that might seem dry such as prefacing a lecture course in medical psychology with clips from popular films that relate to the topic to be discussed
- Students can use these tools to record and share visual work such as art projects or time based activities such as dance or beauty techniques.
- These tools also allow students to view materials in a variety of languages, which they can be asked to subtitle.
Examples
- Classic television clips of events or intellectually debates can frequently be found on tools such as YouTube. In addition certain universities such as Berkeley have their own branded You Tube areas.
http://www.teachers.tv/ and http://www.teachertube.com/ whilst aimed more at schools also have large numbers of resources.
- Sheffield Hallam learning resources and activities case study on the integration of video texts into content and delivery.
- A case study from the eLIDA CAMEL project gives an overview of a learning design which uses audio and video materials to teach First Aid.
Where can I get them?
Tools to take digital pictures and record digital videos are commonplace.
Creating Images: Most contemporary digital cameras work well for online images as do some of the better camera phones. Editing software includes
- Piccasa - http://picasa.google.co.uk/ (free)
- GIMP - http://www.gimp.org/ (free)
- Photoshop - http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/family/
Creating Video: Any video camera will do to capture the material but remember that the final version may be quite small on screen and of a low quality so be careful to make sure that when videoing text that it’s very legible. Recent ‘Hard Drive’ cameras are a good, efficient way to create videos that will reside online.
Sofware review and overview: http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
Creating audio: There are a huge range of audio capture devices. When considering which one to use/buy make sure it has a good microphone and that it records in the ‘mp3’ format that most podcasts use. Places to easily host material:
- You Tube (video) http://www.youtube.com/
- Google Video: http://video.google.co.uk/
- Flikr (images) http://www.flickr.com/
What else do I need to know?
It is worth noting that these technologies do require higher bandwidth to work well so may not currently be accessible to all students. Because of this when dealing with video it’s best to use the Adobe Flash format which sites like You Tube use. You Tube and others convert your video into this format automatically. All these sites are open to everyone, so be aware that any materials posted in these contexts may have a larger audience then just your students.
