Multimedia Resources: Extensions For Collaborative Classroom

Index

Introduction

Vodcast

Podcast

Creating Podcasts

Web Radio

Videoblog

FACOL - The Case Study

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

References

“ The purpose of life is a life of purpose”

Robert Byrne

Introduction

The tools of Web 2.0 made easier the access to communication by increasing news storage capacity and by processing information speed in real time, promoting their educational use inside and outside classrooms, with the possibility of sharing and storing audiovisual contents. Now, more than ever, the institutions are intensively using technological resources in virtual learning environments based on a new communicative paradigm. Thereby, the global interaction based on information sharing, knowledge and advances in communication technologies has changed the concept of economy and society - consumers become producers, and producers become consumers of content, goods and services in a new global economic model, without restrictions or barriers, influenced by a process of massive collaboration (TAPSCOTT & WILLIAMS, 2010). Communication technologies lead to distance annihilation and to globalization; the potential for rapid, synchronous and asynchronous communication also changes the relationship to time. This happens because communication technologies, such as the Internet (CASTELLS, 2000a), allow for operations decentralization and control focusing, thus increasing the effectiveness of networks (CASTELLS, 2000b) related to hierarchical structures.

In this sense, the concept of glocalization emerges as one of the main aspects of media convergence (mass media to net media). Mendis (2007) says “glocalization is essentially a hybrid of globalization and localization. Glocalization is likely to empower local communities through strategic linking of global resources to address local issues for positive social change and to balance changing cultural interests and community needs”. However, it was the ability to bring these technologies together, giving rise to such networks, which expanded and integrated the individuals and groups into a wider setting and new standards of globalization. Regarding education, it is considered that this new configuration allows communication to expand through the territory of the local school to deterritorialized areas of knowledge, thus enabling understanding school as a true learning community (SILVA, 2002).

Therefore, the societies have gone through major changes over the years caused by the influence of technological advances in all social spheres and knowledge areas. Live to the online era, where new understandings of time / space confer a new status for education, mainly through the phenomenon of knowledge socialization that occurs at a global scale in an environment of sharing experiences and information and of learning distance. In its turn, the “Information Society” has become a natural stage in the evolutionary and social development of people, in a world increasingly interconnected by new technologies. This process belongs to a cycle that is based on the assumption that new technologies applied to education would solve all time, distance and transport issues, though they would never be dissociated from traditional teaching methods (TEIXEIRA & SILVA, 2009).

That is the case of Vodcast, which represents a valuable space for the popularization of information and education and for the cultural socialization. On the other hand, it can also be accessed at anytime and anywhere in the world. Vodcast is no longer seen as a mere informative interface, but as a pedagogical and methodological component to be used in teaching and learning. The recent development of the digital era has spawned interest in what has become the so called virtual reality and in defining its importance to the learning process and the creation of virtual learning environments. The present book aims at a conceptual approach concerning the basics of Vodcast, Podcast, Web Radio and Videoblog, presenting the main theoretical and technical differences between the concepts and their educational potentialities in cyberspace.

Vodcast

The Vodcast concept can be understood as the whole process of digital material production (audio, video or image), including the publication and distribution on the Internet, and the possibility of subscription for downloading. A technology that provides the practice of this concept is the RSS (Real Simple Syndication), an XML dialect (Extensible Markup Language - Extensible Markup Language), responsible for the updates within Internet sites. Meng (2005) extends the concept: The word “Podcasting” is an amalgam of the word broadcasting and the name of the popular MP3 player from Apple Computer called the “iPod”. It’s a bit of a misnomer in that it implies that an iPod is required to podcast. In fact, podcasts can be used with a variety of digital audio formats and played on almost any MP3 player or portable digital audio device - as well as any brand of desktop computer or laptop. To define it: Podcasting is the process of capturing an audio event, song, speech, or mix of sounds and then posting that digital sound object to a Web site or “blog” in a data structure called an RSS 2.0 envelope (or “feed”). RSS is an agreed specification of XML tags used to define objects which can be subscribed to through an “RSS news reader”. Using specialized news readers like iPodder or iPodderX, users can subscribe to a Web page containing RSS 2.0 tagged audio files on designated web pages and automatically download these files directly into an audio management program on their personal computer, like iTunes, Windows Media Player or Music Match. When a user synchronizes their portable audio device with their personal computer podcasts are automatically transferred to that device to be listened to at the most convenient time and location for the user, contextualizing the researcher.

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Figure 1. Architecture of Vodcast^[1]

However, given the similarity of some characteristics, some authors claim that the Web Radio, Podcast and Vodcast are the same interface. In fact, Vodcast is a method of distributing video over the Internet or a computer network that uses the tools developed in the podcast to create a list in the form of streaming videos and automatically updates as new videos are embedded in a Web page. The method was developed by Jet-Stream, in 2005, but the technology behind Vodcast is the same as the one used in Podcasts, since 2004.

According Schnackenberg, Vega and Relation (2009), Vodcasts follow much the same genres as Podcasts in terms of types and fee/free options, with the additional option of movies and television programs being more popular than music for downloading (of course, music videos are available for download as well). Some of the more sophisticated Vodcast producers add subtitles to the video and present the video in multiple, short clips to take better advantage of the medium. Video podcast production is particularly easy, using Apple’s multimedia production software such as Garage Band, iPhoto, and iMovie HD (BROWN & GREEN, 2011), even for relatively unsophisticated media producers, as represented in Figure below:

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Figure 2. Architecture of Vodcast^[2]

On the cutting edge of current technologies are portable media, where users can download information and take it with them to digest it anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Some of the newest ways of sharing portable information using the Internet are Podcast and Vodcast (SCHNACKENBERG, VEGA & WARNER, 2008). Podcasts are a distribution of audio files such as radio programs or music videos, over the web. A derivative of the term (and idea) of Podcast is “Vodcast” also commonly referred to as a video podcast. The Vodcast functions in much the same way as a podcast, except that instead of users downloading only audio files, they also download corresponding video files to their portable media players. While one might think that Podcasting and Vodcasting have the ability to revolutionize education and training, these advances are not stand-alone panaceas. However they do offer an incredible educational advantage in that their multimedia aspects attend to a variety of learning needs (ibidem).

Podcast

As commented, the term Podcast results from the junction between iPod (equipment developed by Apple that plays MP3) and Broadcast (Radio). When the multimedia content has a large volume of information, the podcast files are generally compressed for both storage and streaming of audio and video on the web, to be accessed using any computer, operating in different systems (Microsoft, Linux or Macintosh). Anyone can create a Podcast. All over the world, people are creating Podcasts on subjects ranging from movies to technology, music, politics and whatever else you can think of. This is new original content made by passionate people who want to share their creativity with the world. The cost to start podcasting is so low that anyone can do it. Most podcasters are ordinary people like you and me. They could be talking to you driving in their car, sitting in their living room or speaking at a conference. You get to glimpse into their life and into their interests. Podcasters are creating raw and real content and listeners are responding. Free from corporate radio and broadcast regulations, you can create whatever kind of show you imagine (TEIXEIRA & SILVA, 2010).

As a result of these characteristic, Brookers (2010 p.54) advised that podcasts can help to personalize students’ learning environments and experiences. “Podcasts have become an accepted one-way channel of communication between teacher and student within higher education and academics continue to explore how they can be used to enhance student learning experiences”. The author understand that Podcasts have become an accepted one-way channel of communication between teacher and student within higher education and academics continue to explore how they can be used to enhance student learning experiences. Let´s see the next figure:

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Figure 3. Podcast Process^[3]

[...]

^[1] Retrieved on January 2012 from «http://time2learn.wikispaces.com/Podcasting+across+WSI»

^[2] Retrieved on January 2012 from «http://time2learn.wikispaces.com/Podcasting+across+WSI»

^[3] Unlike Web Radio or streaming media (Videoblog, Vodcast…), Podcasts are time-shifted, meaning that listeners have control over when they hear the recording. Still, Podcasts cannot have live participation or reach large audiences as quickly as radio can. Retrieved on February 2012 from «http://treehouseconcerts.org/podcasts/lecture/»