Who You Calling A Jesse?

Podcasts and accessibility is a tricky subject. Technically speaking there should be a text alternative provided to people, a discussion on the webaim list mentioned this issue about a month ago. I think that a little perspective is needed: is the podcast the primary source of the material? What is currently already done for students that are hard of hearing/deaf?

The podcast likely has no impact on current accommodations but it would have a positive impact on students with cognitive disabilities. With cognitive disabilities and different learning styles, the podcast could actually enhance the students experience and perhaps provide an accommodation that was needed.

Some questions and suggestions

First I think it is important to figure out what you are using the podcast for and why:

• Is the podcast replacing a source or just ‘value added’?

If you are just recording a lecture then the podcast is not the primary source of the information, it becomes aternate content. In this case you don’t need to have a transcript but making course notes available or even a formal transcript would be nice.

If you using the podcast as the primary source of the content then you should have a text alternative—like in the case of a lecture over distance education.

• Why if the lecture is recorded do you need to do so much more?
• Would that not deter profs from doing podcasts?

I don’t think the ideas or spirit of accessibility is to create a barrier to content. Making something accessible is about identifying and removing barriers were possible. As stated above, if you just recording a lecture that anyone can attend then the text falls under the ‘nice to have’ column. But if someone requests a text version, you should supply one.

If this deters profs from doing it then maybe a process needs to be identified so it is beneficial to connect the podcast with creating a text version.

• What if the lecture is already recorded to provide an accommodation for a student?

In this case we are so close to a podcast, lets just slap that in XML and get it out there already ;)

What steps could a prof go through to get a podcast + text online?

This leads into the next few parts of this series (that i hope to combine into one useful page when done). What I plan to look at over the next few weeks is using software to convert the audio to text and try to come up with a simple workflow for anyone to use.

Currently my thoughts are it will work like this:

1. Lecture is recorded in recording device
2. Recording is loaded onto a computer where it is translated to text
3. Audio file (mp3) is loaded to the server along with the text alternative
4. XML feed identifies the podcast and description of podcast points to text

I will look at Dragon Naturally Speaking, Human text translation, and anything else I can find. Keep posted ;)

This is pretty cool. Apple has been working with a schools in the states and developed a customized iTunes music store for course content. This is brilliant. The Chronicle has the article Apple Releases Free ‘iTunes U’ Software to Colleges for Coursecasting—and when I read it I just though, geez, this makes it easy. Go check out iTunes U and let me know what you think. This makes that whole podcasting script a bit pointless for some uses ;)

I would have loved podcasts of classes when I was student… loved it.

Update (01/26/06): There is a thread going on the uwebd mail list that is bringing up some interesting points. The first thing to note is that Apple is really busy getting in contact with schools in the US. No word on Canadian schools.

The other thing is how does this function? Does the music store have the mp3’s or is the site and its content hosted on the Universities servers, just viewed through iTunes? I will update this post if more information is made available. (or I find some links). Some links of note:

• The Stanford FAQ on iTunes U – PDF suggests that the podcasts stay in AAC.
• Learning & Innovation Blog has a post that suggests iTunes U can handle any file format, and there is a comment that backs that up.
• iTunes U. Critiques – it’s not as simple as that from a University of Calgary tech geek speaks on the subject.

Then of course there are the ethical issues of driving students to the iTunes music store as the only place to get their courses podcast. I would say it should only be one of many places to get the XML feed… I mean you just need the XML feed, once you have that you don’t need much else but something to play it on (not if its AAC only).