action....reaction.. reflection ...proaction

The general problem

My objective was to extend my knowledge about digital audio i.e.wave files, MP3 formats and other audio compression codecs was general given that I was only just starting to record audio for education at the time DIL project commenced.

Those first steps
I had already taken some steps to source a digital MP3 WAV audio recorder. Initially I offered to record the Face 2 face meeting from the introductory workshop for this DIL research project because both Bron and Merolee were absent at the round robin introduction when we each expalined our objective.

My subsequent steps
included file management; archiving; and access/confidentiality; issues around informed consent; questions about email groups;. Hence the archiving in internet archive or publishing this has not been an option.
If the individual audio recording of the introductory discussion could be made available to those taking part how could this be done so as to conform to ethical research considerations of confidentiality.
As I had no knowledge of what these were (and we had not asked anyones consent to record) although on reflection I thought that the audio was potentially a good resource for us to refer to when we come to go about the 5 week and 10 week action reflection process.

Evaluations:

The audio processing has provided another complication because to edit the files in audacity requires lame- an open source plugin. There are some features of audacity that take a bit of trial and error.

In addition to this there is no lame on the XP where I process the audio cause sound card on the win 98 died.

File management ...


I realised as this was historically a problem for me -how was I to systematically format edit reformat and archive and publish these and other recordings so these could be readily accessible, useable and reusable,

like looking for a needle in a haystack-
how I can possibly manage and organise audio (linked to image and text) across 3 different computers windows 98, 2000 (@ home) and XP ( @ work) a 4 GB USB drive and the 4 GB audio digital recording device and create online archived backups in googlegroups or internet archive.

Monitoring

With digital audio there is at the same time a steady stream of multimedia possibilites. Most recently I have been learning to combine a hyperlink to an audio file stored in internet archive with a powerpoint show that I uploaded. Noting there are more often than not three different programmes to use to achieve the same objective (movie maker, slideshare, kaltural and vegas). I chose Slideshare provides free powerpoint conversion and sync tools to create a slidecast (movie with a slide show with a sound track) so as I could link images and text embeded in slideshare and linked to audio from a free online (podcasting) server like internet archive, blip tv, youtube, and then publish the movie from my blog.

Noteing the experience
A rather large amount of data can be created over a short space of time. There is some advantage in processing this immediately to have maximum recall.

old habits die hard
I really need to get a pattern and refine this. One advantage could be to approach audio file management on a day to day basis to trail various practices, keep current, keep recording and also to share all this. Part of the system would be to develop an archive process to ensure the audio is readily identifiable and locatable reusable (something I ponder upon occassionally).

General problem Reviewed

When I bite of more than i can chew in digital literacy terms this could explain why there have been countless points of impass achieving multimedia objectives. Because of audio image text overlap, and programmes are by definition infinitely interruptable and subject to reprogramming ( be aware of beta), transformation and there is very good reason to introduce the reflective process into the mix as an investigative tool that promotes successive successes. I may have to learn not to do my editing file managment in XP and just as a matter of course make a policy of archiving everything in google docs, and publishing various of those in bliptv or internet archive. is no longer an option possible to avoid (beta) software

. .action....reaction.. reflection ...proaction

and the moral of the story is?

how to publish digital presentation - all the possible alternatives

As I reflect on the last goal to create an audiovisual presentation power point with a soundtrack and as multimedia takes a lot of time my immediate goal still stands.


Today I am free to continue with this plan,
The Alternatives are now

1. folder with both the slides and the audio files upload to blogg by getting a plugin from your blogging server so as you can embed the audio into the slideshow.

2. upload all of the audio files in the one folder to internet archive (archive.org) i.e. to one link to podcast with the slides from slide share or bliptv.

3. Upload to google docs with both the audio and the slides.

4. Do this in a wiki? Either the wikieducator or wikispaces.


5. uploaded to slideshare then link these to the audio in internet archive. Go to edit slide show in order to sync these to each of the files.

there are getting to be so many options and some of which i am not at all sure of yet.

Image: 'untitled'
www.flickr.com/photos/33852819@N00/2404205506

"Questions to respond" to prior to the session eluminate workshop

"confidence" (capability) is
-feelings of adequacy derived from previously successful experiences and outcomes and from an understanding of what is being asked for or expected and that they are realistically able to achieve this. I think it is important to determine confidence level with their present levels of mastery and familiarity with digital tools that they have already been using because this clearly determines how they evaluate the new tools and understand the immediate challenges they are facing
Can you recall a time where you had to master something that was technical, but seemingly incomprehensible ?
Yeh today and again during the last 24 hours I can think of more than one instance of this. Last night i had was on another mission to attend an eluminate session at home (which I had done 2 weeks previously and I was unable to because my PC would not recognise the jnlp plugin java software that I downloaded from Otago Polytechnic eluminiate site.
I find that unless I get a pattern and repeat this regularly ... there is an element of beginners luck over mastery using digital info/ technologies.

How did you feel while you did it? I had to get help from my partner and so I can recall feelings of frustration explaining what with my unfamiliarity with online conference software called Eluminate plus the process of downloading plugins involved eliminating some of the other factors like operating systems protocols, working in 2 different browsers, and what to make of all links involved connecting to the network i.e. jnlp etc. Very challenging (personally and professionally)
Because I had two weeks prior to this gone about exactly the very same thing without getting connected. This time I had an air of dogged determination. we did did everything humanly possible to no avail like rebooting the computer after downloading downloading the software from the help page on eluminate. At the conclusion there was no resolution because there is no explanation. By the end of the eluminate session i was experiencing feelings of inadequacy and was fed up and went off to cook a meal.

Have you considered how you will engage others in using digital info / technologies? Explain. How will you recognize / deal with resistance?
How do you think individual / community trust will influence Digital Information

I suggest we pose these questions to Randy Fisher on Wednesday

bones

Click To Play

reflective framework

DIL action research seems to me to be an application of the reflection and action cycles which are represented by 4 steps in order to sufficiently reflect in this way of one cycle leading to arriving at another solution (or problem) which is treated as a revised plan (1st step of the new cycle) ellicting an alternative action spiral.
What are the researchers questions? And is it just me who is wondering whether I could be doubling the work I have to do to by following a reflective framework the process of which that I then have to publish as well reviewing my plans. What if my process if fraught and more complicated than I anticipated so there just isn't time to do justice to both.
At the outset I already had more things on my list than I could attend, so I will have to devise a plan Contingenices.

It strikes me that most of what happens could fit this cyclic model of task specific problem solving. The story of the three pigs is one that comes to mind. The broken door handle that I could following a 4 step action and reflection I then knew at least one way to fix is another. There is so much to revise though, and only so many hours in the daytime.

Something I am interested in is to narrow the possibilities somewhat. I can recall the conversation I had yesterday that touched on the transformation that has taken place across teaching. At the same time as trends are towards experiential hands-on e.g. apprentice learning models there is at the same time students are given a rationale alongside a fact or figure. The what, how to and why.

If we are teaching with and assessing multimedia assignments, then simply provididing content and setting the assignments will not be enough.
My general problem remains with the use of digital audio image and text, as is where is but I now reflect on how effective teaching still means to present the material assess the students interaction with content and related materials, without prioritising (and measuring) digital information literacy and mastery over assimilation of the content and the experiential knowledge. Its a balancing act.

Process versus production! as proportionality which I'm now realising could be one of my evaluative measures.
action: publishing my two practictioner blogs are the mode of assessment for both
DIL and DFLP. I wish to use evaluate by monitoring how to apportion these two logs re process and publication.
I'd like to devise a way to adapt the reflective tool specifically for reflecting on the layer of so that my revised plan which is to priortise one goal ( to promote digital literacy autonomy). The goal is deliberately nonspecific to audio production and publication which was one of a number original goals.

An example use of a reflective tool -when I fail to understand why something I wanted to do didn't work, I could articulate the steps and at the point I fail off it could be instructive to right there and then embark in a reflective circuit until I can ellicit some fact or principle that once applied would solve the mystery.

here my goal posts

I've used a diagram as a structure to reflect on my goals that I set. Because my goals were things I was already doing and the researchers required that I identify goals and set about to achieve some definite outcome, I use the metaphor of a goal post to reflect on how far I have come in relation to what i set out to achieve. Secondly I realise I need to organise two agendas (mine and theirs) - clearly I need to organise these as two outputs.

Arena 1 Research
The Digital Literacy Information research design asks me to use a reflective structure to represent my individual goals and document the trial and error (practice) evaluating (softwares) digital audio/multimedia/online research and digital milestones progress toward achieving these.... then theres the other thread -publish this process in this blog. . . .

Arena 2 Training and Course Design
plan of a flexible learning design - including creating multimedia online course materials. Due on 20.06.08. The DFLP assessment schedule is very comprehensive and my plan is in a formative phase. It apparent I am undergoing an openended training reigime that is if I reflect on all the the different areas I am working on. Right now in order to post this I will need to either use a digital camera (one that I have not used before) upload some proprietry software to format this into to a jpg to upload to blogger....or redraw the diagram I have drawn on a whiteboard on paper in order to scan this, edit and embed this into this page. I am fortunate that there is often an opportunity to ask a question or three because I am working in an openplan office with Bronwyn and Leigh and Will all who have had vast experience applying these tools. Or alternatively I can muddle along muddying the waters and get a minimum amount of success for a maximim amount of time.
I used the camera and it turned out to be an ok option.

I attended a Social networking conference last week in Dunedin. I recorded some of the presentations and uploaded some audio recorded of Sarah Stewart to blip.tv we are both interested in learning how to embed this onto a slide share presentation.

Digital Information Literacy proposal

various digital processing I am doing (alongwith the DIL project)

• extend my knowledge about digital audio i.e.wave files, MP3 formats and other audio compression codecs
  
• get more (nouse) -used to processing a range (dvd) digital video compression codecs
  
• organise a file management across 3 computers a flash drive and audio digital recording device (with backup)
  
• create digitised audio files for teaching materials, sound tracks, multimedia for publishing online course content, systems and trial these over the next months as I become more familiar and more efficient with the basics.
  
• reformatting, hyperlinking, audio and videos to blip.tv (and internet archive)
  
• embedding audio/video in my blogs
  
• remember to continue to take things slowley and in managable steps
• collaborate with Leigh (EDC) and Lyn (CLC )on a blog handbook,
• collaborate with Will M (EDC) on a digital media savvy (survey).