The Web Audio Generator

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The Web Audio Generator

• Part of the Resource Based learning on a
  Shoestring project

Mark Elsom-Cook Rebecca Osselton
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Mission Statement

• To extend the use of existing learning resources
• To make tools that are
• easy and effective to use
• require no additional skills from staff
• take little additional time over normal
  preparation
• Improve the quality of student learning experience

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Why Audio?

• Its relatively easy to use portable mini-disk
  recorders
• Its inexpensive
• Minimal preparation time
• Audio adds value to existing educational
  resources
• Sony MDS-E12 Goldwave sound editing software
  used for download

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What does WAG do?

• It re-uses existing educational materials
• It combines slides and audio recordings into a
  dynamic multi-media website
• It segments lectures into chunks for flexible
  study, allowing student to focus on any difficult
  sections

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WAG step by step

• Introductory pages give clear user instructions

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File Upload

• Select the appropriate buttons from a simple form
• Choose a PowerPoint file
• Streaming Media files are generated

Simple form
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Finished website

• Uses next, back, first and last buttons to
  control slides
• Gives audio track information
• Supplies the original ppt file

Slide count
User Instructions
PowerPoint
Audio details
Navigation buttons
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Customisable output

• Style sheet generated with website
• Generates simple html
• Allows changes to the look and feel

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Alternative Versions

• Basic format search facility
• Possible to extract RTF from ppt file
• Slide index can be created from the RTF file
• Keyword searching of the index file
• Problems with the RTF encoding of some PowerPoint
  files.

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Expert User Mode

• Optional expert mode for users
• It allows the addition of hyperlinks and extra
  files
• Using expert mode, extra resources are embedded
  in each slide page

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Pilot Study

• Distance learning students
• WAG output formed part of DL package for a module
• Approx 2 hours preparation for 1 hour of
  conventional delivery
• Delivery via CD-ROM
• Questionnaire feedback

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Student Feedback

• Generally very positive
• Enjoyed listening to the tutors voice
• Personalised the learning experience
• Liked being able to re-iterate over difficult
  concepts
• Some technical problems associated with playback

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Future work

• Address existing technical issues with the output
• Do a broader study
• Aim to automate the download process from the
  MDS-E12
• Look for a solution to the RTF encoding problem