Personalizing Online Learning With Voice and Audio Rebecca Petersen Director, eLearning Resources & Professional Development Lesley University

Agenda Why Voice & Audio? Two Approaches: Getting the most out of existing sources and DIY DIY Tools & Techniques Podcasts/Vodcasts LMS Tools: NanoGongs in Moodle Audacity & Myna/Aviary Suite Jaycut (video) Voicethreads Q&A

Why Voice? Speaking and listening is a natural part of the learning process. Voice allows for inclusion of tone and meaning in both teacher and student responses. Gives a nice break to text-based discussion board fatigue. Audio is portable and this allows for playback flexibility on multiple devices.

Many Ways To Start….. Bringing in audio can be as simple as linking to existing resources. You can also create custom greetings and podcasts using a variety of free tools and upload these into your course sites and web pages.

Linking to Existing Sources

Creating Audio Messages Students and instructors can embed audio into discussions and as content within the course. LMS Tools: Moodle: NanoGong Blackboard Collaborate Voiceboard Free 3 rd Party Tools Using audio editors, such as Audacity and Aviary, allows you to create and edit files that can be embedded or attached into the course. These can also be downloaded for students to listen to through a portable device. Downloadable Audio file Embedded File

Audio Creation Tools Audacity- Free downloadable Win/Mac audio editor Garage Band (Apple) Aviary Record directly into Aviary to create mp3, wav files.. Import existing to files to continue editing, adding sound tracks etc. File types accepted:.ogg, m4a, wma, mp3, aif, wav NEW- Education-only Beta site available! Aviary Myna Editor

Recording on-the-go Many apps available for iPhone and Android Market Record your audio file by speaking into your phone Upload via built in export features. Many support Dropbox, , and uploading directly to websites App Examples: iTalk (iPhone) iRecorder (Iphone and Android) Tape and Talk (Android)

Vodcasts & Video Announcements A vodcast is a quick video announcement that is a nice way to add personalization into the course, especially when trying to convey a complicated set of directions or concepts. Creation Tools: iMovie, QuickTime Pro, Windows Movie Maker Jaycut

Voicethread Voicethread provides a audio & visual discussion board. Participants can record their responses using text, audio recording, or video via webcam. Voicethreads are also ideal ways for faculty to present recorded PowerPoint lectures that will engage students directly in conversations. Voicethreads are great ways for students to present their own work too. Examples: Colour Poetry Measuring Angles

Voicethread Tips Voicethread provides a space for commenting and discussion, but it is not a content creation tool itself. Most of your preparation will take place outside of Voicethread. Voicethreads do not need to be long to be effective. Some of the best discussions are one or two slides.

A Note About Accessibility Always provide the script of your podcast or vodcast. Voicethread just launched Voicethread Universal sal/ An accessible version of Voicethread sal/ Voicethread Universal Guide: /guide/ /guide/

Resources to get started Tutorial: Getting Started with Aviary Myna rial?tutorial=getting_started_ with_myna rial?tutorial=getting_started_ with_myna Using Voicethread for Digital Conversations orks.com/w/page/ /Voicethread orks.com/w/page/ /Voicethread Podcasts for Learning m/elearning2-0/podcasts-for- elearning/ m/elearning2-0/podcasts-for- elearning/ Recording tips for bring media into your courses: /articles/asynchronous- learning-and-trends/five- quick-tips-for-using-streaming- audio-or-video-in-your- blended-or-online-courses/ /articles/asynchronous- learning-and-trends/five- quick-tips-for-using-streaming- audio-or-video-in-your- blended-or-online-courses/

In Closing….. There are easy ways to bring audio into the online classroom and workshop Consider using existing audio and media sources as core content items or supplements. Developing your own media content is easy; the hardest work is likely to be scripting and recording. Invite learners into the process by having them create their own voice presentations.

Thank You! Rebecca Petersen