Falling behind again, and it's time to catch up. I ought to be well-versed in reflective practice by now as it's something that's been emphasised on my MSc course, but I admit that I've been having trouble thinking of something to talk about! I have attended some training sessions in the past few months and especially enjoyed a session run by Phil Bradley on using web 2.0 in libraries. I'll try and apply their methods:
Recall: The training session took place in April at OUCS (Oxford Uni Computing Services). There were about a dozen people taking part from various different libraries around Oxford, some of whom were already well-versed in web 2.0, others not. Phil Bradley gave a presentation about various different resources that we could use, including tools for podcasting & screencasting, video conferencing/messaging, instant messaging, creating promotional materials for the library (posters, trading cards etc.), and then allowed us time to experiment with the programmes we were particularly interested in. I concentrated on podcasting and screencasting as I'm involved in a podcasting project at the moment.
Evaluate: I learned about some applications that I'd never heard of before, some of which will be very useful, and others that were less so but fun to have a look at. I enjoyed having the opportunity to play around with some of the screencasting software, although it was a shame that one of them (BBFlashback Express)which was highly recommended by Mr B, wouldn't work because it required an admin password to install it. I have looked at it since, though, as an alternative to Adobe Captivate, which is expensive and overly complicated to use.
Action: If management don't object, I think that it would be great to be able to make use of some of these open-source applications. In his presentation and his blog Phil Bradley champions the use of good open-source applications. It's not always the case, but a lot of the time they tend to be easier to set up and more user-friendly than their proprietary equivalents because they're designed by and for people who use that type of application regularly. Take screenr, for example. Compared to proprietary screencasting software like Adobe Captivate, it's a complete doddle to set up and use. I dislike the phrase 'idiot proof' because I think it sets you up for a fall, but in this case I think it does apply. All you need is a current email address and a computer with a mic if you want to record sound as well as images.
Right, I think I've gone on for long enough there! Good luck to anyone else who is venturing into the world of podcasting, and do let me know if you have any handy tips.
No comments:
Post a Comment