Comment on Process of Podcasting
These comments are based on students using the Open Source application Audacity to record their project essay. Having made the recording, they export it as MP3 and upload into a Wiki in the Moodle course. I assemble the files and create the podcast and make it available in this blog.
There are three main sets of issues here:
- Technical (headset, sound input levels)
- Environment (quiet, time required)
- Integrate into course (listen to podcasts, do assignments with them, personalise the process)
Comments on the process of podcasting in a public Lab
- Attention to Technical Issues
- Use noise cancelling microphones
- Glitches with USB headsets and Audacity. In the program the microphone volume control mutes microphone. Problems with adjusting sound levels — levels are changeable on the headset, in XP, and in Audacity. It might be worth trying out the recording process on the Mac to see whether it’s more tractable.
- Jack inputs may be better than USB but entail grovelling around back of computer.
- Plenty of disc space needed. Some students ran out of disc space and the recording screwed up. The only solution was to set the Audcaity temp folder to C: and rerecord.
- Options for editing on personal computer having recorded the original in a Lab. This is not straightforward — can set Audacity temp folder to network drive but then you run the risk of running out of space, plus you need to save the .au file to the network drive. One possible workaround might be to use a high capacity thumb drive (but the host PC will need USB 2).
- One student had problems with the number of tracks she ended up with (every STOP & Start recording generates a new track) and Audacity crashed whenevery she tried to play the recording.
- Generating the MP3 export can take some time so this is a job for a reasonably powerful machine.
- Environment issues:
- quiet environment for reading aloud and recording may not always be attainable in public lab situation. Finding a Lab where all students can record and not be interrupted is difficult.
- A single class period (50 mins) is the minimum required — with no technical hitches. If there are glitches then longer time will be needed. I have used 2 Lab classes to complete a single recording.
- At the least the initial recording needs to be in class time to smooth over the glitches with sound input & levels.
- recording and environment issues may be ameliorated if students record using a digital recorder in their own time and then play back into Audacity and use that to edit.
- Integrate into course:
- Have students listen to podcasts with relevant subject material. An assignment could be listening and make notes.
- Possibly listen to prof podcast and make notes from this.
- Podcasting integrates well with blogging.
- Teacher makes class podcast with all student’s recordings and
- Each student uploads recording into their own blog to make personal podcast
Posted by markp at November 20, 2005 03:25 PM