Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal October 2007 Volume 5(5)

Innovation funding

Content on the go

Cumbernauld College grasped the potential of MP3/MP4 technology to create ‘learncasts’. Barbara Grigor describes the Innovation and Development-funded project.

We consider our Learning Centre and Library at Cumbernauld College to be a relaxed, learner-focused environment in which we continually identify opportunities for improvement. In the past few years we have developed the service to include laptop lending, laptop touchdown zones, short-stay zones, buddy stations and adjustable workstations. In March 2006 the College converted newly available space in the Learning Centre into a student group workroom. Innovation and Development Funding from SLIC (Scottish Library and Information Council) enabled us to develop the space further and to research the use of PDA/MP3 equipment by students for audio/visual podcast, or learncast, content.

To enhance interest in the project, the iPod was the preferred MP3/MP4 player and the student space was launched as the ‘SLiCpod’ in August 2006. The SLiCpod project was very exciting as it prompted greater footfall from students, staff development opportunities and excellent potential for further development in utilising new technologies to meet learner expectations.

The SLiCpod is available to all students as a group study space and is kitted out with WipeWall, SmartBoard/PC, Microphone/popshield, Podcast software, Teleprompt software, Wireless keyboard/mouse, Surround sound speaker and MP3/MP4 docking stations.

Dell Wireless PDAs, Apple iPod Video and Apple iPod Shuffles were issued to participating pilot group students and staff for the 2006-07 academic session. There was recognition at the outset of this project that some learners may not have access to the Internet or a PC at home and a key role of the SLiCpod was to allow those learners to dock, recharge and download. Adapters were also issued to students to allow recharging at home. When the project finished the mobile equipment was made available as short-term lending stock for students from the 2007-08 session.

A key aspect of this project was to inform purchasing decisions on moving away from the traditional lending DVD/video/audio materials to mobile-ready content delivered from or via the College network. We learnt a lot about the ease of access to suitable, sustainable mobile-ready content for learning. We believe we can develop content further, and give students the choice of whether they watch it, read it or listen to it, facilitating study on the move or while undertaking other tasks.

Initially we thought we could buy or subscribe to audiovisual content. However, although there is a wealth of learning podcasts, or learncasts, available, there are a number of potential barriers and likely sources of frustration.

We were fortunate that the start of the SLiCpod project coincided with the conclusion of COLEG IDI (Instructional Design Initiative) where we investigated avatar and text to speech (TTS) software.

TTS enables the conversion of documents to MP3 in a natural-sounding computer voice in a matter of minutes. For colleges to convert documents and circulate or broadcast to students, a voice distribution licence is required and, depending on the supplier, can be fairly expensive for each voice type purchased.

The alternative – enabling the student to use TTS software to convert materials to MP3 for their personal use – has several advantages:

We installed TextAloud to the SLiCpod PC and Natural Reade to a number of Learning Centre PCs. The range of voices and accents with these products offered more options for students. The avatar animation software enables very quick production of visual content to which the TTS MP3 file can be very easily attached and in cases of use with human faces, lip-synching is effortless.

Another option for mobile-ready content is the e-book. This gives a greater range of products available for single installations to the MP3 lending kit and accessed on the move or from any PC, for example iSpeak Spanish for the iPod Video.

The mobile equipment was also very useful in promoting the Learning Centre and Library, SLIC and the SLiCpod project and the long-term loan to students participating has been very worthwhile. Retention for the HN Music students involved in the Pilot has been excellent. Of 25 students initially enrolled in the programme only two have been withdrawn. This represents 92% retention compared to 75% at a similar point in the last academic session.

The pilot group staff participants’ knowledge of MP3 technology ranged from very basic to advanced. However, no-one had used the technology to facilitate learning either for themselves or for students. The pilot therefore re-dressed a balance of knowledge in podcasting mobile content and MP3 equipment. It also prompted innovative ways in which the equipment could be used by students.

We anticipate that this fast-changing MP3/MP4 and PDA technology will present further new opportunities and we will seek further funding opportunities to enhance the SLiCpod facility and content development.

Barbara Grigor is Learning Centre Co-ordinator at Cumbernauld College.

Information Scotland Vol. 5(5) October 2007

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