Multi-track Audio Project

This week, I've assembled a multi-track audio file using Audacity. I found it pretty easy to use, since I have produced audio clips with Audacity before.

 


While I usually use my video editor to add effects and to merge audio for my fun projects, I have used Audacity before. Usually I've used it to clip sound files that I was planning to embed into a simple Powerpoint or small video project. I’ve always liked it and, much like the others who’ve already commented, I find it to be extremely user friendly. I didn’t really need the tutorials this time, but have used several in the past.

Overall, I enjoyed this assignment. For my audio file, which I’ve placed in my latest blog post, I created this multi-track audio project, which I exported as an mp3. While I tried to keep it short (less than 1:30), it’s a little over 2 minutes.

I stayed away from using my own recorded voice. So, the project consisted of trimming, clipping, and merging 2 mp3 songs and some various mp3 sound effects that I had on hand with 4 pieces of public speech audio, which I easily stripped from Youtube videos as mp3 also. While I spent some time trying to keep a steady bassline beat throughout for consistency, admittedly, it’s still a little rough and could definitely use some more fine-tuned editing.

I toyed around with the fade in and fade out effects trying to improve the blending of the unrelated audio files into a final project, which has 13 separate tracks to complete the message. I’m happy with it and am willing to call it good enough at this point.To upload the file here I chose to use PodOmatic’s publish html function, much like the last assignment.

Files used in my project:

Song Excerpts

Wild International—One Day as a Lion

Take the Power Back—Rage Against the Machine

Public Statement Excerpts

State of the Union, Jan 2002—President Bush

Speech VFW National Convention, Aug 2002—Vice President Cheney

Interview on Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Sep 2002—Sec State Rice

Speech from the Oval Office, Mar 2003—President Bush

Sound effects

Various explosions and bomb sounds


In my opinion, a good podcast consists of at least these four things:

1. Unscripted, yet organized content presentation and a clear message

2. An element of entertainment

3. Good audio quality

4. Consideration of the audience's point of view

Mic Check 1-2, 1-2

In this brief audio post, I provide a reading of a previous posting to meet the objectives of this week's assignment.

After playing around with podcasting methods this week, I've realized that these can be quite useful in an online classroom. I think audio helps personalize course presentation. I think they are quite effective for providing course announcements, feedback, and other short messages, but I would hesitate using this method to deliver longer messages. Therefore, I think keeping these audio messages under 3 minutes is a good idea in online courses.

Podcast Test

For today's post, I'm testing embedding a music in this blog.

So here you go...enjoy a good song!

Charting a Course Using Mind Maps

I saw an intriguing presentation yesterday that led me to reevaluate how I use mind maps. I had played around with the MindMeister app on my android phone before—using it to organize my thoughts for a paper, but never really considered using this organizational tool as a way to present a concept to an audience.

Much like using argument mapping techniques which help visually represent and analyze vital parts of an argument to enhance critical thinking in e-Learning, a Mind Map helps visually organize thoughts around a concept by showing the connections among various supporting elements and ideas.

In much the same way, storyboarding helps organize the creative process through visualizations as well. My wife, who is a screenwriter, uses storyboarding techniques to connect plot points and character introductions in her work. It really seems to help her stay on track and lay out the story before putting fingers to keyboard. She uses a corkboard, push pins, and index cards—it works well for her.

In the Distance Learning course development business, Instructional Systems Designers (ISDs) use similar storyboarding techniques to organize and display conceptual, textual, and multimedia aspects of a course in the early development stages. The storyboard is not only used to pitch the course concept to program managers and prospective clients, it becomes the roadmap for the course production team—helping to keep the project on track toward their ultimate goal. While software solutions exist, many developers seem to favor using Powerpoint or Word to storyboard their course concept in the design phases. Still others choose the old-fashioned white board or corkboard method. While these older techniques get the job done when the team is co-located, they are useless when working in a virtual team. Unless you enjoy sending pictures of whiteboards and corkboards to distant colleagues.

Click here for an example of Storyboarding in ISD at Lynda.com

So I had a thought…

Since these techniques are so similar, why can’t simple Mind Mapping apps and websites be used for e-Learning course development storyboarding? So I did a quick search…and lo and behold... As usual I was not having an original thought. Apparently, Storyboarding with Mind Maps is quite popular among e-Learning course designers.

I think I’ll give it a try next time. I’ll probably use either MindMeister or The Brain, since they are free and are pretty easy to navigate. If you have used this technique or decide to give it a try, please share your thoughts here in the comments.

Does the Endgame Justify the Meantime?

Ender’s Game is a dark and fantastic novel by Orson Scott Card—published in 1985. Like many great books, it was turned into an entertaining, yet mediocre movie—released in 2013. While Card provides a futuristic glimpse into technology (internet influence, tablets, etc.) that we’ve become quite used to today, the story is essentially a classic hero’s journey—articulating the complicated duality of man.

In the story, the child protagonist, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, is a prodigy with a superior, strategic thinking mind—capable of visualizing decisive, often merciless, victory schemes. Ender is specifically recruited and trained to enhance his instinctual abilities. Eventually, following challenging trials, he’s promoted to a position where he is empowered to lead a final, decisive command school game against the interstellar enemy, “The Buggers.”

As he maneuvers to gain competitive advantage, Ender realizes, to be victorious, he must commit genocidal atrocity on the alien enemy planet. During this climactic battle, Ender is unaware of the reality of his actions; he believes he is involved in a training scenario—a game. Instead, the truth becomes clear through the post-victory celebration of his adult overseers as Ender destroys all alien life on the planet. During the conflict, Ender takes extreme risk, accepting the loss of thousands of human forces to achieve his goal—embodying the Machiavellian precept: The ends justify the means.

However, when Ender understands the battle was real and not a final exam/training scenario required for graduation from the command school, he is deeply disturbed—feeling duped by the ruse of the game. But, in a consummately redemptive act, Ender takes action to save a “Bugger” queen, which has alluded detection and destruction. Through this just act, he singularly resolves his inner conflict and reconciles his guilt—culminating his internal journey. To complete the story and set up follow-on books, Ender determines the war was based on miscommunication, not savage alien aggression. Therefore, we see Ender's actions temporarily resolve the cognitive dissonance.


Overall, Card builds a brilliant story. Read the book! Then, if you have some spare time, watch the movie.



Final movie scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXdbCU3Mt_c 

Orson Scott Card: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs1Mhu7Fx9w 

Not only is this a good example of how to use Prezi, it strikes the essential elements of the hero’s journey as it tells the story of Ender’s rise: https://prezi.com/cwspicoywll4/enders-game-the-heros-journey/ 

Also, here’s a good podcast on the philosophical elements of the book (it’s long, but it’s pretty good): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUe5-LzTv7M

An entertaining/thought-provoking review and comparison of the book and movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UT6NcRSv70

Rapid e-learning

Tom Kuhlman has a really good blog. Check it out: http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

Down the rabbit hole: The journey begins...

I created this new Blog as a place to keep my journal as I proceed through the Advanced Technologies for Distance Education course.

So far the course is interesting. The assignments this first week have already expanded my horizons. For instance, I've never had a Blog before.

When I created my first one (http://bellatorpacificus.blogspot.com/) earlier this week, I intended to use it as my course journal space. But, after a couple of days, I decided I'd create this new one (http://dltechnovice.blogspot.com/) for the course, so I could use my first one as a personal blog space.

Only one week and this course is already changing my online habits.