Research on Teaching, Learning & Technology

Audio on the Web

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The Best Choice...according to the experts

  1. Below are several reasons to use online audio in a Web site:
    1. Offer commentary for visuals
    2. Sometimes sound is the course content (foreign language, acoustics, music etc)
    3. Short audio sound bites may provide more "personality" than just a text quote.
    4. Provide background music to create a mood
  2. Use MP3 format since it is the one of the most widely supported.
  3. Remember that audio is a separate channel from visuals, so audio and visuals should never compete with each other.
  4. Audio accessibility may require text transcript for audio
  5. If you place an MP3 file in Penn State iTunes, also create a link on a Web page or ANGEL so students unable to use iTunes (including visually impaired users) can also view the file.

Rationale

Offer Commentary

The main benefit of audio is that it provides a separate channel, different from display (Nielsen, 1995).

Without obscuring information, audio can be used to supplement textual or visual information, allow users to use multiple communication channels. Commentary may a sense of the speaker's personality which humanizes a site.

Create a Mood

Mood-setting audio should employ very quiet background sounds in order to not compete for the user's attention to the main information.

Basic Information

Audio in the Classroom

When thinking about audio in the classroom, consider these points:

  1. Is the audio content unique versus written text? Sometimes there is no substitute!
  2. For long passages, think about providing both audio and text so students can choose their preferred format. In general reading is much faster than audio and allows for scanning. On the other hand, many students may choose audio because they can listen while doing other activities.
  3. Do you need to introduce the audio or have a pre-listening activity? Do you want to tell students what to focus on ahead of time?
  4. What activities should you include after the audio viewing experience? Are discussion questions sufficient or do you need more in-depth activities?
  5. Will students be at stage in their course where they can understand the audio?

MP3 Format

In recent years, the MP3 format has become a de facto audio standard. MP3 files can be played on most computers in iTunes, Quicktime, Media Player or Real Player as well as being played on MP3 players including the iPod.

Audacity is a freeware program in the Student Computer Labs which allows users to quickly record sound and convert them to MP3. Adudacity tutorials are available from the Penn State Studio 204

Podcast vs Other Delivery Mechanisms

Podcast

A podcast is a "subscription service" which also includes links to audio or video file. Users may need a podcast player such as iPodder (Win/Mac/Linux) or iTunes 4.9 (Win/Mac) to process the audio file.

Podcast audio can be placed in Penn State iTunes or elsewhere along with an RSS file.

Other Online Audio

A link to an MP3 file can be created in any Web page. These files are played in the users default audio player (e.g. Windows Media Player, Quicktime, iTunes, Real Player).

Copyrighted Music Files

If you wish to include copyrighted music or other audio files within your course, then you must comply with the TEACH act. The following options may be of help.

  1. Podcast or play only 30 seconds worth of audio (or 10% of the total length if the song is shorter than three minutes). Thirty seconds allows you to play key melody lines and several lines of lyrics.
  2. Use the University Libraries Audio Electronic Reserves to stream audio.
  3. World Music and Classical Music archives are available from the University Libraries Music and Media Center. Access is restricted to Penn State students.
  4. Link to a legal copy if one is available.
  5. Some music or music clips may be licensed for educational use.

Accessibility

  1. If you use audio files in a course, a text transcript may need to be provided (usually with a link to a separate page).
    Penn State Audio Accessibility
  2. Podcasts on Penn State iTunes – Visually impaired students on screen readers may have difficulty navigating iTunes (Regan 2004), so a second link outide of iTunes to an MP3 file may be needed.

References

Nielsen, Jakob. (Dec. 1995). Guidelines for multimedia on the web. Retrieved May 14, 2003, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9512.html

Regan, B. (2004) Web Accessibility and Design: A Failure of the Imagination. Retrieved Jan 16 2007 from
http://www.designfor21st.org/proceedings/proceedings/plenary_regan.html

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