The E-Learning Curve Blog now lives at my domain michaelhanley.ie. Click here to access the blog.

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I look forward to welcoming you to my new home.

Michael Hanley,

September 2009

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Enter Packt Publishing’s Moodle 1.9 Multimedia by João Pedro Soares Fernandes.

I opened my copy of the text with a high expectation that it would be an informative and practical reference text. Why? Packt Publishing have been providing Moodle reference books for some time now, and their texts are usually either very good or excellent.

Now read on…

Using open source software can be a daunting experience, regardless of your technical or business experience, and this text’s purpose is to shorten Moodle users’ path to competency in designing, developing and delivering multimedia on the platform. Broadly speaking, the text covers seven Moodle-related media-based activities:

1. Evolution of Multimedia
2. Using Images
3. Sound and Music
4. Video
5. Web 2.0 and other multimedia forms
6. Multimedia and Assessments
7. Synchronous Communication and Interaction

The author assumes previous knowledge of Moodle, but not prior experience of multimedia development. Appropriately for a book about Moodle , Fernandes uses an Constructivist approach to instruction, and the content is structured so that the reader learns experientially – you learn by doing. This is a very good idea indeed: for newcomers this goes some way to providing an understanding of why multimedia in Moodle 1.9 looks and works the way it does, it acts as a pertinent reminder for experienced Moodlers, and sets the context for the content creation chapters in the book.

The book is designed in a logical and linear fashion: the author aims to guide you through the basics of content creation in each featured media type. For example, in Chapter 2: Picture This you find out about using the open source image editing called GIMP to capture and enhance images, integrate images into Moodle, create comic strips using the free-to-use Strip Generator, export PowerPoint create slideshows, and use online resources like SlideShare.

Given the assumption of little or no technical background in multimedia development, the author spends a goodly proportion of his time – in detail and very effectively – spelling out the advantages, and disadvantages of various media types, as well a processes, “how-to’s” and “gotchas” of using digital media in Moodle. With nearly 12 years experience as an learning professional specializing in e-learning, I would consider that I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of digital media tools, technologies, and services. I’m delighted to say that Moodle 1.9 Multimedia introduced me to a range of resources that I had not encountered before. This is great: any resource that enables me to deliver content to learners in a more engaging and immersive fashion is a winner with me, and this book fits comfortably into that category.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I think that Moodle 1.9 Multimedia would be an invaluable companion for those new to using media on the Moodle platform. As an experienced Moodle user (and media expert), I will use the book very much as a “just enough, just in time” resource rather than as an end-to-end guide through image, sound, and video development, though I would suggest that the text would work very well if used in this fashion.

Some other positive aspects of my “user experience” of the text included the author’s accessible and direct writing style, and the availability of a sample Moodle course for learners to access and “have a play with.” In my view this text is a straightforward and reliable companion for those who seek to find out more about – and use – multimedia in Moodle 1.9.

Click here to navigate to Packt Publishing’s Moodle 1.9 Multimedia web page.

Click here to download a sample chapter of the text (2MB PDF).
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Digital audio is the study of discrete values.

This allows us to manage audio information very efficiently. Using digital techniques, the capability to process information is greatly enhanced.

In a previous post, I discussed a little about the basics of digital audio. Today, I want to talk about how digital audio technology benefits podcasters. What are its advantages over an analog system of recording?

Here are a few specifics:

1. Less noise than an analog recording system.
   In an analog recording system, magnetic particles are oriented by the tape head in a manner that is analogous with the audio signal that is driving the tape head. The tape itself has billions of little magnets on it, and it is physically impossible to orient every single one correctly. These remaining magnetic particles are randomly oriented, which shows up on playback as what is called tape hiss. With a high enough sample rate and resolution, digital audio produces recordings that have significantly less noise than analog.

   The noise in an analog recording system is usually expressed as a “signal to noise ratio”. The signal to noise ratio tells you how much more signal there is on the tape recorder outputs compared to the noise in a audio signal. For example, a digital audio system using a resolution of 16 bits will often yield a signal to noise ratio of more than -90dB (in EMG’s in-house studio the noise threshold is, for example) for decibel, a unit of measurement in the audio world. -90dB means that the noise floor is 90dB below the signal level.

   It would take a very high-end and expensive analog recording system to produce even a signal to noise ratio of -60db. This difference of 30dB is dramatic: the noise floor in the analog recording system will be 1000 times louder than the noise floor in a digital system. The reason for this is quite simple: a digital recording system records only the binary numbers, not analog signals which accumulate noise from the imperfect recording process. Since a digital system only records numbers (zeroes and ones, or bits, to be specific), as long as the bits can be recorded and read by the digital tape or digital disk system, then the only thing that matters is the theoretical 6dB per bit of dynamic range that is determined by the resolution of the digital recording system.

2. Ability to make copies without signal loss.
   Another advantage of digital audio over analog is the ability to make as many copies of the original as you want without degrading the signal quality. Every time you duplicate an analog recording, you lose audio quality and add even more noise. Remember that digital audio is just a group of digital samples, made up of zeros and ones that represent the audio.These numbers can be “copied” to another device or medium in a way that ensures that the result is the same as the original. This means that the copy is a “clone” of the original and sounds the same. This is true for the first copy or the seventy-first. Each time you copy an analog recording, you introduce between 3 and 6dB of noise, which further reduces the signal to noise ratio. Clearly, for pristine back-up want to use multiple copies of material during production, digital has the advantage.
3. Better audio quality for a lower cost.
   Digital audio used to be much more expensive than analog. This was because the early digital tape recorders used expensive and precise reel-to-reel mechanisms and early digital technology which was inherently more expensive. As recently as five years ago, the cheapest digital multi-track on the market was over $10,000 – analog reel-to-reel machines could be had for a fraction of that price. Now, digital technology has advanced to the point that this is no longer true.This is much in part to the advancements made in digital technology due to computers as well as cost reduction of other technologies important to digital recording like video cassette mechanisms and hard disk drives. Since digital audio technology uses similar components as the computer and multimedia industries, digital audio devices can take advantage of the lower cost of components due to their high manufacturing volumes. The result? Today’s digital audio multi-tracks not only out-perform analog machines, costs less to manufacture, and is quite easily integrated into a multimedia production environment.

More…

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New E-Learning Curve’s Other Podcast episode release:

Part 7 of Transatlantic: The Flying Boats of Foynes

In Part 7: End of an Era

The War in Europe ended on May 25th, 1945. As normal life re-established itself, times also began to change for Foynes. Larger and more powerful airplanes had been built and operated successfully. A new land-based airport was established at the far side of the river. It was called Shannon International.

In this final episode of Transatlantic: The Flying Boats of Foynes, Chief Operator of Launch Operations Frank Buckley describes the end of the flying boat service in Foynes, Ireland, and the emergence of Shannon airport as the new home for transatlantic aircraft in the Post-War years.

Click here to listen to the podcast (MP3, 8.5MB).

Click here to view the transcript of this podcast (PDF, 24K).

Even though this is an e-learning blog, the observant among you will notice that the podcast isn’t about e-learning. That’s OK – the point of e-learning is to provide training professionals with a means of creating and distributing content that enables people to acquire information, knowledge, skills, and expertise on a diverse range of subjects: as e-learning practitioners, it’s our job to facilitate this process.

Now read on…

Let’s pretend for a moment that you’ve followed all my advice, tips, and suggestions about creating, authoring, recording and producing podcasts with alacrity. Your content needs to be stored somewhere to be distributed to your audience. In the e-learning world we use learning management systems (LMS) to manage this task.

An LMS (or the related Learning Content Management System) is software for delivering, tracking and managing training/education. LMSs range from systems for managing training/educational records to software for distributing courses over the Internet and offering features for online collaboration. LMSs can also automate record-keeping, as well as for:

• Registration of learners for classroom and online courses
• Student self-service (e.g., self-registration on instructor-led training), training workflow (e.g., user notification, manager approval, wait-list management)
• The provision of on-line learning (e.g., Web-Based Training, podcasts)
• On-line assessment
• Management of continuous professional education (CPE)
• Collaborative learning (e.g., application sharing, discussion threads)
• Training resource management (e.g., instructors, facilities, equipment)

One of the most popular, effective, and easy-to-use LMSs is Moodle. Moodle has been taking part in the Google Summer of Code, and it looks like some interesting new plugins have emerged from the project. Among them are the Nanogong and the Riffly plugins for Moodle 2.0.

The Nanogong plugin allows audio-only recording inside the Moodle repositories. The wav files are stored into Moodle using ImaACPCM or Speex codecs. Recorded files and the recording applet are available in all places where the repository is used to select files.

The Riffly plugin allows audio-only or audio-video recording inside the Moodle repositories. The flv files can be stored on riffly.com servers or downloaded into Moodle. Recorded files and the recording flash object is available in all places where the repository is used to select files.

Note that Moodle 2.0 is under development version, and is UNSTABLE. It should NOT be used for production sites. For developers, testers and any other people who helping create the next generation of Moodle. The latest stable release of Moodle is 1.9.5. I recommend that your download, install and have a play with the platform if you haven’t done so already.

Next time: Back to podcasting

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Now, it’s time to spend a little time understanding the technical aspects of podcasting. Don’t worry if you’ve never so much as looked at a sound file before. Recording and producing your own content is great fun, and I hope you’ll find that there’s tremendous satisfaction to be had creating and crafting your own little corner of the internet.

As you begin to hone your podcasting skills, you’ll find that you’re also taking a remarkable learning journey. It’s one that I think will enhance the way to sense and think about the medium of sound. If you are a musician, you’ll already know what I mean. Those of you who can play (even if it’s only a few chords on the guitar) know that you listen to music in a qualitatively different way to those don’t play. The very act of learning an instrument teaches you to become an active listener and a critical analyst of sound. How is that musical piece orchestrated? How are the harmonies arranged, what technique is that soloist using? What melodic elements hold your attention? As well as just enjoying a musical number on its own merits, you can apply a critical ear to the music, and I would suggest appreciate a work in a much more profound way than the casual listener. The same principles apply when you begin to podcast.

Jack Herrington (2005) agrees with this interpretation. In his text Podcasting hacks: tips & tools for blogging out loud, he considers that there are four elements you should critically examine:

Podcast Structure: Analyze content for recurring or format elements used to keep the listener engaged with the podcast, and to motivate the listener to return for future elements. Is the “interesting stuff” (p.51) at the beginning, the middle, the conclusion, or distributed throughout the pod cast presentation.

Technical Elements: Podcast should take advantage of appropriate Web 2.0 and multimedia components to be effective. In some instances, this can mean a voice-over narrating a story very simply. In other contexts, a podcast may take advantage of music, wildtrack, multiple voices, and sound effects.

Content: Try to understand what holds your attention. This is especially vital: according to Herrington, it’s what “primarily keeps people coming back” to listen again. The author suggests that

“When something moves you, listen to it over and over to figure out what is keeping you engaged.”

(p.52)

Next time: Fundamentals of Digital Audio Editing

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New E-Learning Curve’s Other Podcast episode release:

In Part 6: The Flying Boats at War

During World War II, the civilian airlines of the Allies continued to fly, though perhaps the nature of the passengers had changed. As the US, Britain, and their allies prepared for the invasion of Europe,

In this episode, Chief Operator of Launch Operations Frank Buckley describes working on the flying boats during the War, the hazards that the aircraft encountered, searching for the German battleship Bismarck, and the excitement of the night-time take-offs and landings.

Click here to listen to the podcast (MP3, 11MB).

Click here to view the transcript of this podcast (PDF, 24K).

Even though this is an e-learning blog, the observant among you will notice that the podcast isn’t about e-learning. That’s OK – the point of e-learning is to provide training professionals with a means of creating and distributing content that enables people to acquire information, knowledge, skills, and expertise on a diverse range of subjects: as e-learning practitioners, it’s our job to facilitate this process.

___________

References:

Herrington, J. D. (2005). Podcasting hacks: tips & tools for blogging out loud. O’Reilly Media, Inc.

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Well-designed, planned, narrated and produced audio content has the facility to engage the audience and transport the listener, providing the right cognitive environment for learning or entertainment or whatever goal the podcast seeks to achieve. As the old story goes, “there are better pictures on the radio.” Denis Nowlan, Deputy to the Controller for BBC Radio 4 describes this as

the wonder of radio [and sound] …the conjuring of magical sounds, Prospero-like, out of the silently teeming air. And the sense of joining, instantly, with a vast community of listeners.

(2005)

Of course, this cognitively experienced sense of “being there” is a completely artificial construct, none more so when you consider audio podcasting. The journey the podcaster takes us on is based on nothing in nature; that is, a narrative transmitted as binary data: electronically-mediated zeros and ones.

I will discuss this phenomenon in detail next time, but for now, read on…

Digital audio is actually very similar in concept to motion film, where a rapid series of still photographs make up a “motion picture.” Digital recording reproduces audio signals by taking many still “pictures” – or samples – of an audio waveform and then reconstructing the waveform for playback digitally (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Digital Sampling of Audio Waveform
[Click to Enlarge]

In film, the number of still images (frames) we move through the projector per second improves the smoothness and quality of picture we see. Similarly, the size of the film’s light-sensitive crystals in each frame determines the visual resolution of the image – and we all know movies look better in 70mm as opposed to the 35mm or 16mm film.

In digital audio, an analog signal is typically sampled 16 or 24 times a second – that is, 16 or 24 bits of data. A sample is created by taking a “snapshot” of the amplitude (or strength) of an analog audio signal at a particular moment in time. and converting that amplitude into a binary number.

The number of samples contained in each second of audio is called the sample rate. The greater the number of samples per second, the greater the resolution of the audio signal.

Let’s return to the film analogy: the faster the film rate through the camera, the better the ability of the film to pick up motion. For example, if you crank a film camera too slowly, then motion past a camera is not smooth since the frame rate does not capture enough frames in a given amount of time to stop the motion from appearing to jump or jerk – too much action happens in front of the camera “between frames” for the motion to appear natural.

Time for an example: The resolution of an audio CD is 16 bits and the sample rate is 44.1KHz. This means that the audio is sampled 44,100 times a second and a series of 16 zeros and ones is used to define the amplitude of the waveform at each of those 44,100 points.

This resolution – commonly called “CD Quality” and should be your baseline for recording a podcast. When recording voice-over narration, capture all of your audio at 16 bit, 44.1KHz, in mono using the WAV format in Windows, Au format for Unix-based systems (like Linux), and AIFF for Apple Mac.

More…

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References:

Nowlan, D. (2005). Radio: where the pictures are better: Denis Nowlan speaks for the medium which leads you by the ear. [Internet] Available from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KZH/is_1_19/ai_n15928065/ Accessed 12 August 2009.

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Today, I’m going to talk about digital audio, and the basic hardware and software you’ll need to begin creating your own podcasts. As I indicated yesterday, the principles of multimedia have been understood for over 80 years, but wide usage of digitally factored technology did not begin in earnest until the 1970’s, because theory had to wait for hardware and software to catch up.

Until recently, recording audio cost many thousands of dollars, used specialized and sophisticated equipment, took up lots of space (in the form of a dedicated recording studio), and required years of specialized training, followed by years acquiring hard-earned OTJ experience to make even the most basic recordings.

In the last five years however, the price of recording audio has gone down, while the quality of consumer recording devices has increased exponentially. Now, it’s even possible to create and deliver reasonable quality audio via your cell phone with a Edge connection to the internet. But we’re not going to do that today. Today, I will describe the essential hardware and software you’ll need to begin recording and producing good quality audio for integration for podcasting and e-learning.

You will need…

And this is the audio production process (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. The Audio Production Process
[Click to Enlarge, 145k]

More…

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In Western culture, for example, the oral tradition – story telling – was the primary means of passing on the learned, shared values of culture, encoded in legends, myths, and fables until the invention of writing. We still have these stories today – Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are two examples well-known examples. Significantly, these texts begin with the words “Tell us…” and “Sing to me…” respectively, demonstrating their origins as stories told to audiences.

Half a millennium later the philosopher Plato, founder of the Academy in Athens – the first institution of higher learning in the Western world – chose to render the teachings of his mentor Socrates as a series of dialogs.

We can all think of great orators. Consider Winston Churchill’s speeches in WW2

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

In this 40th anniversary year of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, think too of JFK’s 1962 speech:

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…

A few years later, Martin Luther King inspired a nation with his immortal phrase:

I have a dream.

Only a few months ago, Barak Obama popularized the slogan “Yes we can” during his 2008 US presidential campaign.

We can say then, that audio has be a core component of teaching for at least 3000 years. The problem with sound though, that it is ephemeral – it is not permanent – once spoken, the words are gone forever. Until the later 19th Century, the transcription was the only way to capture spoken words permanently.

This all changed in the late 19th Century, when the basic components of what we know today as multimedia were invented.

In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone One year later, Thomas Edison’s invented the phonograph. These devices enabled the mechanical recording and reproduction of audio, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects for the first time in history. In 1878, the first motion-based pictures were filmed in England.

So within three years of each other, mechanically recorded audio and video, supported by an electronic transmission infrastructure were invented, and elements are still the core elements of recording, reproducing, and distributing media content.

Next time: Digital audio and podcasting for e-learning

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New E-Learning Curve’s Other Podcast episode release:

In Part 5 of Transatlantic: The Flying Boats of Foynes

Part 5: Foynes goes to War

Appeasement has failed. On September 3rd 1939 Britain and her allies declare war on Germany after the Invasion of Poland. In neutral Ireland, the government initiates a state of emergency, an official euphemism used by the Irish Government during the 1940s to refer to its position during World War II. The flying boat service In the west coast town of Foynes in County Limerick. Rationing is introduced, but the influx of passengers and cargo ensures that this town on the River Shannon has it a little easier than the rest of the country…

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Click here to view the transcript of this podcast (PDF, 24K).

Even though this is an e-learning blog, the observant among you will notice that the podcast isn’t about e-learning. That’s OK – the point of e-learning is to provide training professionals with a means of creating and distributing content that enables people to acquire information, knowledge, skills, and expertise on a diverse range of subjects: as e-learning practitioners, it’s our job to facilitate this process.

–

• Pace
• Pitch
• Projection

Today, I will talk investigate the art of the Pause.

In my view, narrators are afraid to take advantage of a dramatic pause. Anyone who has worked in media (particularly radio) will tell you that they constantly worry about ‘dead air’ – silence. Perhaps counter-intuitively, a stop or pause in a narrative causes your listeners to unconsciously anticipate the next word – after all it must be important if you’ve paused – rather than causing the listener to switch off. Used correctly and in concert with the other ‘P’s,’ pauses or caesuras will direct listeners’ attention as you choose, creating the appropriate amount of expectation or to emphasize the key points and messages that you want to convey.

However, if your speech is too staccato – stopping and starting, leading your audience to multiple points of anticipation, without any special meaning or pay-off, any pauses will serve only to irritate and frustrate your listeners.

This speech pattern is most apparent when a podcast has not been designed, planned and scripted properly. I can best illustrate how to do it, and how not to do it by example.

Here are two excerpts from podcasts about archeology from iTunes U.

The bad news first: Sample 1 (MP3, 1.3MB click to play in your browser | right click to download) is from UC Berkley’s History 4a course, The Mediterranean World (2009). In this excerpt, the speaker introduces the course, before going off-topic

As usual one page of my lectures is sitting in my office…

Sooner after the speaker digresses again:

So that [pause] actually, ehh, [pause] I’ve got a couple of good quotes for you and I wanted to discuss that with you. So eh, we’re going to be [pause] [sigh] finishing up here, right?

The lecturer then digresses yet again by discussing a final exam, but has “no idea where it is” (the location is “apparently…online”). I have edited this piece down a little but in the unedited version of this podcast, the lecture proper does not begin until nearly two minutes into the podcast.

Contrast this with Sample 2 (MP3, 1.0MB click to play in your browser | right click to download) from Archaeology: Pompeii and the Roman World (Open University, 2009). Here, the speaker Phil Perkins defines an empire, before expanding in the theme of statehood and polities. He then discusses interaction, rivalry, competition, power, and war, before asking the question

Is dominance enough to create an empire?

…all in under a minute, and in less than 150 words.

Which podcast did you find more engaging and informative? Which kind of podcast would you prefer to deliver? Which podcast has more value for your audience?

___________

References:

Pafford, I. (2009). Twilight in the West. History 4a: The Mediterranean World. UC Berkley [Internet] Available from: http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/berkeley.edu.1625336377.01625336380.1623195422?i=1284407406 Accessed 3 August 2009

Perkins, P. (2009) Archaeology: Pompeii and the Roman World. World archaeology. Open University. [Internet] Available from: http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/itunes.open.ac.uk.1544964539.01556024330.1827251501?i=1680120285 Accessed 3 August 2009

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Allow enough time to each learning point for it to be well understood. Then move on.

Anticipate how your audience could interpret a word and understand how it might affect interpretation of your meaning.

Now read on…

At the conclusion of yesterday’s article I considered single word or syllable emphasis as a useful way to counteract a monotone delivery of content. This techniques is called ‘projection,’ and it’s the third of the Four ‘P’s’ of great podcast narration.

Our vocal range naturally becomes more dynamic in certain circumstances: we tend to speak more loudly when we’re interested, passionate, or excited about something, and we tend to add more emphasis to key words or phrases when we’re attempting to persuade a listener to understand our point of view; we speak softly when we want to create a sense of reflection.

Try this exercise: say the following phrase loudly:

LISTEN TO THIS!

Now, more softly:

Listen to this.

The mood changes instantly. The amount of projection you employ triggers very different reactions in anyone involved in a dialog with the speaker, and you can use the full dynamic range of the human voice when recording a podcast.

One thing to avoid at all costs is projection in the theatrical sense – actors on stage project to ensure the whole audience right to the back row, and up to the gods can hear what they’re saying. Modern microphones can pick up and transmit the loudest and softest of sounds, and if you try to declaim your narrative in the mode of a stage thespian, you’ll just sound shouty (if you’re lucky) and even aggressive – either way, you’re audience will hit the Stop button, regardless of the quality of your content.

Using the full dynamic range of your voice in concert with appropriate inflection and delivered at a good pace will really add meaning to your narrative.

‘Michael Hanley learning consultant and blogger’ tells you who I am and what I do. I can influence how I want someone to perceive me by modifying I phrase those three pieces of information, by changing the pace, pitch, and projection of the text.

So:

Michael Hanley/pause one beat/learning consultant and blogger emphasizes my profession

Michael Hanley/pause one beat/learning consultant and blogger tells you who I am

Michael Hanley learning consultant and blogger equally weighted, describes who I am and what I do.

Did you see the script direction /pause one beat/? A ‘beat’ is the duration of a pause in a narration. More properly called a caesura, it denotes an audible pause that breaks up a line of text. In most cases, a caesura is indicated by punctuation marks which cause a pause in speech:

• a comma
• a semicolon
• a full stop or period
• a dash

Punctuation, however, is not necessary for a caesura to occur.

How long should a beat be? Good question. In my part of the world, we usually tell people that it’s the length of time it takes you to say “a thousand and one” (in your head of course). An American voice-over artist of my acquaintance assures me that where he’s from (San Francisco), they say “one banana” to measure a beat. Use whatever works for you: the key thing to remember is to take you time, and concentrate on how you can elicit the maximum amount of meaning from your content.

More…
___________

References:

Ahern, S. (2006). Making Radio: A Practical Guide to Working in Radio. Allen & Unwin

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