Re CA8.1

2 January, 03:14

Visible to all Open University users

Ok, in an attempt to create some (more) evidence to show I can use new technology, I decided to try to use Audacity and Lame to create a podcast on the XP partition of my MacBook. [Using Mac's Boot Camp I have partitioned/divided the hard drive and loaded XP on one part. Now I can use the MacBook to boot directly into Mac OS X 10.5.6 or XP professional 2002 SP3.]

Being used to the simplicity of Mac installations it seemed to take some time to set up Audacity and Lame and I was a bit confused trying to locate the files to download. Audacity itself seems quite easy to use though (the basic functions at least). I didn't expect to have to search for the Lame encoder on behalf of Audacity. After a couple of hiccoughs I successfully linked it though and created my 1st MP3 using the software which played directly on iTunes for Windows.

All the while I was muddling through the instructions and trying to keep track of the IE windows (for a more authentic experience I decided not to use the much more convenient tabs in Safari for Windows -[Update-Windows automatic update offered me IE7 which has tabs so I switched; I also installed Firefox 3]). I couldn't help thinking that it's just so much easier and elegant using iMovie on Mac OS X.

I watched an interesting 2 hour long video podcast from Stanford University ("1.Darwin's Legacy: Course Introduction"). Then I thought I should perhaps simply listen to a podcast, so I listened to the 22+ min, "A World of Change: The International Initiative at Stanford University". Then I thought I should listen to something more elearning related, so I listened to the 9:34 min, "Listening to students - Innovative responses" from JISC (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2008/11/podcast63betsywilson.aspx) found thanks to Emma and a link in her blog post "Unit8 Part 1".

I was surprised by the informality of the video podcast. I had expected studio quality delivery/presentation, and found all the ums and ahs and fumbling of a live, unrehearsed performance. The 1st speaker was especially unprofessional/unrehearsed/lacking in confidence in his delivery. Also the PP presentations seemed rather amateurish/basic and not what I had expected of acclaimed and experienced professors/lecturors.

The Stanford podcast did have studio-quality audio. It seemed professional and interesting. However, half way through I found myself wanting to look at something in order to help focus my attention. I would have liked a transcription to follow as I listened, or actually be able to watch the various speakers.

The JISC podcast had good quality sound, though it seemed to have been recorded in a cafe and the interviewer seemed unexperienced and nervous. There was again no transcription, but the shorter duration made this less necessary for me.

Now to choose something to talk about...
- Professionals Vs service providers?
- The perceived need for legitimisation in the eyes of academics?
- ????

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02-01-09

Ok, some days later now.

I've continued to watch the Stanford Darwin series. Am on to lecture 5 of 10 now. Sometimes they can be too high-brow for me but they are interesting.

Perhaps I should try to listen/watch elearning podcasts!!!

Still can't think of something "that [addresses] an aspect of this course that raises issues for elearning in general" (unit8 part1 guide, p2) that I feel confident enough about to podcast on. Interviewing Chinese teachers on their thoughts on elearning (or foriegn English teachers) is an option, but would probably take some (considerable) time to prepare a face-to-face meeting/interview/discussion. Using something like Skype is a possibility though. But again the prep work and the actual production of the podcast seems prohibitively time-cinsuming at the moment. And leaving it for later doesn't seem an option either with work for the ECA drawing ever closer.