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Common Methods for Viewing, Using and Producing Digital Media Resources

Last updated: 29 September 2010
Published in: Managing your digital resources |
Tags: e-learning |

We look at some of the tools and processes for creating, using, managing and delivering digital media resources.

Introduction

The e-learning practitioner, whose role will necessarily involve working with digital media in various forms - be it fleetingly or fully integrated into a course - will at various stages need therefore to find suitable tools to achieve their objectives.

We group the various stages of digital media activity into a lifecycle, of which there are four distinct stages: creation, use, management and delivery. Each stage is explained below, and each will require different tools and processes.

Each stage is distinct but all four stages may need to be considered together to produce the best outcomes. Understanding the uses of the resources created, will inform how they are to be delivered to learners and how they can be used to support teaching objectives.

Creating digital media

This is the stage where you create new learning objects and resources. The act of creation may be small task e.g. such as taking a digital photo, or may involve creating masses of content which lays the foundation for all four stages of the lifecycle.

Creating images

You will need a camera to capture your images and our advice document on which digital camera to choose will help you to get started.

Tip: Read the reviews of cameras on sites such as Amazon to get a picture of how a camera performs with real users.

Creating video

Despite the perceived difficulty of creating, using, delivering and managing video-based learning resources, there is still a great desire to use it. Chances are that you have access to a still digital camera that has the ability to capture digital video – albeit at sometimes rudimentary quality – and this can be an excellent stepping stone into the video realm.

You may wish to start with these advice documents:

Creating audio

Assuming you have the hardware to record audio/sounds (microphone and recording devices) you will probably need to choose an audio software tool for recording straight to a computer.

Our advice document Choosing your Digital Audio Software will get you started.

Using digital media

A resource is built to be used and interacted with by both you and by the learner. This interaction may be the viewing, download, or use of a resource for an activity such as discussion, or it may involve the repurposing of an existing resource for a use for which it wasn’t originally intended or built.

Practitioners should consider what skills, software and prior knowledge will be required to use their newly created resources, and how best to support the learner in acquiring these skills and tools. For example, if you expect learners to listen to an audio podcast episode, then it is important to provide them with context for the episode, and ensure that they have access to headphones, speakers, and other appropriate equipment and software needed to playback the episode at the quality required.

Using digital images

Start with these advice documents:

Using video

Start with these advice documents:

Managing digital media

Resources are typically built from multiple learning objects and delivered to the learner via various channels. An important part of your toolkit should include a series of ‘lifecycle’ workflows which will help you gain an overview of the many overlapping processes involved and assist in their development.

Typically, at least three sets of each resource exist: the source/raw files, the final output resources - probably both stored on your computer - and then the resources made available elsewhere such as a VLE. For example, the production of an audio podcast episode would generate the original audio recording (on a device such a dictaphone or a sound file such as WAV file format) which is then typically edited, optimised, mastered at full quality, and then converted into a delivery format such as MP3. This MP3 master is then copied and made available to the learner, leaving you with multiple versions of the same recording, of which the learner will have access to at least one.

Version control (having multiple copies of one resource) and organisation of your files are ways of managing digital media. A good file organisation system is as important as the creation of the resources themselves - particularly if the production lifecycle involves more than one person, which it very often will. Many of us have no doubt experienced wishing to amend resources, but not been able to because we haven't had access to the relevant source files (if the staff member who produced the original version has left, for example), or through not being able to locate them in the mess that constitutes the typical filing system.

Our service can advise on how to best approach this including our advice document Systems for Managing Digital Media Collections.

Managing images

Once you start to use or provide images regularly you will need to consider how you store and manage them. Our advice document on Choosing a System for Managing your Image Collection will help you evaluate how to best manage your image collection.

Once you have created your images you then will use an image editor to change the look, sizing and much more.

Managing video

Metadata and Digital Video our advice document on metadata, explains the importance of using appropriate cataloguing and descriptive information to find and use video files.

Managing audio

Our advice document on Systems for Managing Digital Media Collections has lots of practical advice on good practice for managing your collection.

Delivering digital media

File format(s)
Device(s) that will be used to access the resource, and finally
Which delivery channels are to be used.

The delivery channel(s) will vary depending on a range of factors, including:

The institutions choice of web services including the VLE
Software supplied for playback/interaction
The learner’s choice of device

These factors will inform the creation stage and will be helpful in focusing on design choice, whilst recognising that some will act as constraints for design. It is common to assume that if it works on your computer, that it will work for the learner. This is unfortunately not always the case.

Consider the following scenario: providing an audio MP3 podcast episode in your VLE will require that the learner has the ability to subscribe to episodes, meaning that when the new episodes are made available they are notified, and can listen through the VLE or download of the episode.

Understanding what we expect to happen is an example of considering how the final resource will be delivered and managing the process.

Delivering images

It is important to choose a delivery file format that will be suitable for most learners. The JPEG, PNG and GIF file formats are the most commonly used for web delivery.

Our advice document Choosing a File Format for Digital Still Images will give you the full details that will help you decide which file formats will be appropriate.

Delivering video

One method of helping to choose a file format is to see what video file formats work on the institution provided computers so that you have one set of choices. If learners are using their own devices it could be worth asking them what operating system and video players they have to see if you can meet the needs of most learners.

Video can be delivered as: embedded video, downloadable video, streaming video or made available as a progressive download which is often mistakenly referred to as streaming.

Our advice document on Online Delivery Options for Digital Video will also give you sound advice.

Web services such as YouTube or Vimeo can be used to delivery video that can then be linked to or embedded within the VLE.

Making video available as podcast episodes and then using RSS to push and pull content into services is a good way to provide resources to multiple locations including the VLE. Our advice document on Using Web-based Services for Finding and Hosting Videos for Academic Purposes will assist you with finding educational video.

Common complaints will be that the viewer can only hear the audio or sees only a very 'blocky' picture. These are tell-tale signs that the playback machine does not currently support the type of file format used.

For these reasons, many of us who use video regularly opt to install additional video players and/or plugins such as the Flash player, QuickTime or another popular player such as the VLC player. Between these you should have a good chance of viewing most video formats.

Delivering audio

The most common method for audio delivery is via your institutional VLE and is covered in our advice document Use of VLEs with Digital Media and Audio via Blackboard. All computers come bundled with at least one media player to playback audio so it is essential that you find out what your institution supports and what learners use to playback audio outside of the institution.

Conclusion

We hope that this document has highlighted some of the key considerations around using tools for creating, using and managing digital media. There are always a number of solutions to any one task or problem, defining your objectives will help you narrow the focus and choose appropriate tools. As ever, you can contact us directly for advice on any digital media topic.

Last updated: 29 September 2010
Published in: Managing your digital resources |
Tags: e-learning |

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