What is audio content?
Audio contents are usually voice recordings of a lecture, short clips of voice explanation, sound bites or music samples.
Why use audio?
Voice conveys more human personality and emotion than text. It can be interesting and inspiring to actually hear the instructor making a key point, or to know what a guest sounds like.
With minimal technological knowledge, instructors can quickly record lectures on their computers and upload them. There are also campus support units that record professional quality lectures and put them online.
When not to use it?
Consider who will be downloading the audio files, and how many. An hour of lecture is approximately 22MB in file size (48kbps mp3) and will take a little under an hour to download over a 56Kbps modem line, compared to 2 minutes over a 2Mbps DSL line. Use of streaming audio may provide an option for larger files.
When the target audiences are non-native speakers, they might find it difficult to keep pace with the lecture. One of the key benefits of online learning is that the students are able to repeat the lesson as many times as they want. However, care should be taken to enunciate and provide supplemental material, especially when introducing new terminology.
How to use it?
The typical home access to the Internet today is much better at carrying audio, or audio plus slides, than video. Technologically, audio can be saved in various formats such as mp3, Real Media, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, and Flash, to name some. Instructors can upload these files to their course space and students will need the corresponding free plugin to view the file.
- Lectures: Structuring an online course in which students sit back and listen for an hour is not how we are accustomed to using a computer. Long audio puts students into a passive learning mode. Rather than long lectures, section off each sub-topic and interleave these short segments (a maximum of 15 minutes) of the lecture with activities. Also consider that there will be some students who prefer to listen to the entire lecture away from the computer -- provide them the option to listen to the whole lecture by making some of these activities elective. In addition, printable lecture outlines also help the students follow the lectures and stay focussed.
MSU Example
In Adapted Physical Activity, Professor Gail Dummer posts an outline of her lecture notes, with embedded short audio clips elaborating the concepts in the outline.
- Interviews:
Interviews and conversations with experts conducted over phone or online telephony may be recorded with prior permission. The interviews can then be used to provide diverse perspectives on the subject matter, with the interviewees acting as role models for the students.
Sometimes conversations might become long-winded. Try to limit or edit these interviews into short and succinct clips.
- Live Classes:
Technology has improved to a point where live lectures can be conducted over various telephony technologies and even recorded.
MSU Example
Two virtual university professors, Jon Vreedvoogd and Fred Jacobs have used Netmeeting, a free Microsoft tool, to hold live interactive class lectures and office hours. They and their students have been quite satisfied with the experience. Netmeeting is a Windows-only solution.
