IMGconnect

Robert French

What I want for students is the experiential real world in an academic setting.

Welcome to the family! Family.Auburn.edu, that is. One of several social media sites that students are involved with in Robert French’s public relations course, this site serves as a virtual home to Auburn students, perspective students, alumni, faculty, staff and others who carry the “War Eagle” cry in their hearts.

The P.R. Messages in Style and Design course provides students the opportunity to expand and apply their knowledge about various forms of multimedia. In this course, students’ work include public and printed material via social networking websites such as PROpen Mic.org, The Loveliest Village, and printed press such as The Corner News. Another site that the students manage is Family.Auburn.edu. Everything on this site is moderated and offers refreshing insight into Auburn University from student perspectives.

Adobe Suites software is used along with Windows Movie Maker, Snagit (Jing), and Audacity to prepare students’ projects for the main screen. Students use Windows Movie Maker or iMovie (Mac) in order to edit captivating video footage. The makers of Snagit offer a free version of their software -Jing- which may be used to capture screen shots for tutorial purposes. Making dreams a reality, students also use Dreamweaver to compile website components. According to Mr. French, although the students initially approach multimedia with hesitation, they eventually realize the value it adds to future employment possibilities.

Adobe Connect, one of the many online communication/lecture capture systems offered by Auburn, has recently been expanded for better functionality and reliability. Recent upgrades to the network and more server space have allowed us to increase the user limits. Now up to 100 users can be in a room at once (with the ability to raise the limit to 200 if needed). In addition, up to six video feeds at a time may be concurrently displayed. Connect’s policies have been updated to reflect these changes. Also, if you would like to request a Connect session, please fill out the form on the Policy webpage.

Auburn offers many online communication/lecture capture systems. Please contact IMG at 844-5181 to find the best one for your teaching needs, or you may review the overall differences online (PDF).

IMG will be closed Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. IMG will resume normal business hours on the 30th.

Also, IMG will be closing at 4PM today, Nov 06th.

Dr. Guofu Niu

This type of [multimedia], if we can use it effectively, I would say is certainly helpful.

It’s not magic. It’s Camtasia Studio! Used in conjunction with the Windows XP tablet, these two programs combine to create wonderful teaching capabilities. In Dr. Guofu Niu’s Semi Conductor Electronics and Digital Electronics courses, students have the opportunity to go online and view what they learned in class as if they were sitting back in the classroom all over again. This method of teaching is very useful for students who happen to miss a class, do not fully understand the material reviewed in class, or for students with learning accommodations.

Camtasia is a screen recording software that records graphic memory from the computer. Since it is basically recording from inside of the computer, the quality of the graphics are just as clear as if they were pulled up on the desktop. Camtasia is useful for classroom teaching as well as for tutorials. The tablet allows for the creation of continuous slides using a program called Windows Journal. After the slides have been prepared, with, say, a diagram, a special pen may be used to write additional information on the tablet which will display on the screen. And if you make a mistake, no worries; just flip the tablet pen over and it will act as an eraser on the screen. This tablet pen also serves as a mouse to move around and select various options on the computer.

Dr. Niu is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In addition to teaching classes, he has also set up an ad hoc network (an intranet for a set number of computers) for lecture purposes. This allows him to pull up students’ work from his own computer, and presenting their work on the projector using Classroom Presenter. Samples of his lectures are available to view. Click Number 5 for an example of the pen tool.

In past Tech Bits, we have shared many wonderful open source (free!) programs to enhance your teaching. However, hardware cannot be downloaded for free and often comes with a steep price tag. IMG has recently expanded our available equipment inventory and now offers many new items for instructors to check-out.

Interested in video lecture capture? Then check-out a Flip Video Camera or HD camcorder. How about narrated PowerPoint or podcasts? We have both wireless lavaliere mics and USB headsets available. Would you like more student feedback in the classroom? We have over 40 clickers available.

Call us at 844-5181 and we’ll be glad to discuss what hardware will best suit your teaching needs. And, of course, there is no charge for using our equipment.

View a complete list of hardware faculty can check out

Dr. Jennifer Adams

The students really like [multimedia] because it’s a new skill set
that they can add to their résumés.

Students at Auburn University are staying on the cutting edge of journalism. In the Multimedia Journalism course taught by Dr. Jennifer Adams, students are fully equipped at the beginning of the semester with a video package including a camera, tripod, and various other items that are relevant to their field. Using software such as SoundSlides and Audacity, these students are well equipped for future careers in the transitioning field of journalism.

With SoundSlide, students are able to create flash movies with pictures literally sliding from one side of the screen to the other. SoundSlide also allows users to apply sound to the photos to fit the function of the message, from music for an entertainment aspect to speaking for tutorials and other explanation of the material being presented. SoundSlide is much like a video which students can edit using Final Cut Express; the only difference is that still shots are used in place of a continuously streaming film. This is a feature that is becoming a highly popularized method of delivering stories on newspaper websites. However; even on a more fundamental level, such as in the classroom, SoundSlide may be an option alongside PowerPoint in giving presentations. With Audacity, users of this sound editing software can manipulate the sounds on their projects, for example, by slowing or speeding the pace of the speaker’s voice. The goal for some of the Multimedia Journalism students is to have their projects posted on the website for The Plainsman.

Dr. Jennifer Adams is an Associate Professor of Communication & Journalism at Auburn University and Faculty Advisor of The Plainsman. Her research interests include convergence and how it affects newsroom employees.

Respondus is a great tool for creating multiple quizzes and uploading them to multiple Blackboard courses. However, Respondus’s unique file management system may lead to confusion on how to backup your files. But it is possible to backup all your quizzes to a flash drive or any other location. We recommend doing this at least once a semester, just to ensure you always have your quizzes handy. And since Respondus 4.0 is now available, now is a good time to backup those quizzes!

As a final note, if you have trouble running Respondus or if all your classes do not show up in the course list, you can fix this issue by reinstalling Respondus. Uninstall the software, then delete the Respondus Projects folder (C:\Respondus Projects). Be sure to backup your quizzes before deleting! Then reinstall Respondus and it should run properly. Otherwise, give us at call at 844-5181.

Dr. Stewart Whittemore

What I like best is that you can teach students to convey
a meaning through a variety of images.

Refreshing it is when something new can be created from something old. A new perspective, idea or concept has the power to bring new life to the mundane and lifeless. This is the angle that Professor Whittemore is taking with his Document Design course. By starting out with something traditional and foundational, Professor Whittemore is challenging his students to take documents design to a higher level.

In his Document Design courses, Professor Whittemore encourages his students to upgrade traditional modes of technical writing into more innovative interfaces. For instance, he suggests that his students take an ordinary document such as a set of directions that have been typed up, and to add audio or video components using software such as iMovie and the Adobe Creative Suite so that the directions may be more accessible and easy to understand. A video component to a set of instructions would provide more clarity for the process being described since the instructional video would visually walk users through each step. The students’ finished products are then ready to be posted on YouTube or Blackboard.

Professor Whittemore also has students to design websites, and while admitting that the students are initially rather uncomfortable with the web design programs such as Dreamweaver and iMovie, it creates for an interactive and energetic learning environment that keeps him on his feet to assist students with their individual assignments. Projecting towards the future, Professor Whittemore sees multimedia becoming much more prevalent in education and gearing more towards user assistance software and material.

Dr. Stewart Whittemore is a Professor of Professional and Technical Communication in the English Department here at Auburn University. His research interests include studying how people communicate in the workplace using Wikis and Blogs for daily communication.

Over 750 podcasts are now available on Auburn’s iTunes U and all of these files can be downloaded and synced to an iPod. But this does not mean you must have an iPod to view iTunes U content. Any MP3 or MP4 player can play the podcasts (MP4 players are required for video). For example, if you recently purchased the new Zune HD (or have an older model Zune), the Zune software can automatically import all podcasts downloaded through iTunes.

If you don’t have a Zune or an iPod, the podcasts can still be added to your personal player. Copy the files from the iTunes U directory to wherever your MP3/MP4 files are saved. The iTunes U library is located at:

Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes U

Mac OS
HDD > Users > USERNAME > Music > iTunes > iTunes Music > iTunes U

And remember, you can always play a podcast on your computer directly through iTunes U.

Dr. Randy McDaniel

I want this to be a mobile program so that students, wherever they are, can access us.

Ten years ago, Dr. Randy McDaniel envisioned having class on the phone. Now, ten years later, he and his department are rapidly approaching that possibility. Since students are becoming more engrossed in technology, Dr. McDaniel is interested in incorporating cell phone text messaging into courses by allowing students to respond to survey questions from their cell phones. This would allow students to use a skill that they are comfortable and familiar with (cell phone texting) and applying it to their course material. He also has plans to have his distance learners record and upload their presentations to YouTube so that the local students will be able to visualize the distance learners while in the classroom.

Dr. McDaniel also uses Poll Everywhere to conduct surveys with students who are physically present in the classroom as well as students who are enrolled in the course from a distance. Poll Everywhere allows for the instructor to pose a multiple choice question, and students are able to respond to those questions from their computers in the classroom or at home. One fascinating aspect of about Poll Everywhere is that the class is able to watch the results come it live. Other forms of technology used in this department include Blackboard chat room, Real Media, Wimba Live Classroom, and podcasts for students to download MP3 and MP4 audio files that students can listen to while on the road.

Dr. Randy McDaniel is currently the Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor in the College of Education. His specialization is in rehabilitation and special education. Dr. McDaniel praises the technology that he uses in his courses for the interaction it provides if it is used properly.