Representation: Using Audio/Video

Lesson Pages

Sizing Up the Barrier

Reading skills including the ability to read fluently and with high degrees of comprehension have long been requisites for college success. Indeed, individual student scores on college readiness programs and assessments such as the ACT can be significantly predicted by reading fluency measures (Rasinsky, et al., 2016). However, Coriro (2003) underscores evidence that print-measured reading skills do not necessarily transfer to online reading.

That is, students may be skilled at reading physical text, but lack the skills or disposition for reading in digital formats, and thus perform more poorly in online reading. Other researchers (e.g. Woody, Daniel & Baker, 2010) have demonstrated that even among technologically savvy students, preference for print text still significantly outweighs digital text.

In effect, the digital environment, which may be good for many reasons, may present real barriers to students who must conduct copious and complex reading online. This is not to mention students who, because of disability or disposition, already struggle with reading in any form.

How, then, can instructors use the features of Canvas and the principles of UDL to enable students who struggle with (digital) reading to break through this barrier?

Methods

It is worthwhile to note that while the digital environment may erect some barriers when it comes to reading, the inherent flexibility of the digital environment also provides several advantages. Meyer, Rose and Gordon ( 2014 ; requires sign-in) point out major advantages to the online environment that may guide the consideration of solutions. They suggest that a digital space like Canvas, offers "a dynamic, interactive environment with options for different readers" in which information may be "presented via video, audio, and text" (p. 16). They also stress that digital content spaces (such as Canvas pages), unlike print media, are flexible and easily changed and updated. Canvas even allows students to contribute to pages (if the instructor so allows).

So how does an instructor accomplish this?

Utilize audio renditions of text

Texthelp from TorTalk
Audiocasts

Create podcast lectures/demonstrations

Using powerpoint/keynote
Using Canvas Studio for screencasts
Using Audacity for soundrecordings
Using Canvas Studio for video camera uploads

Embedding external video content

Method One: Utilize Audio Renditions of a Text

Text to speech. Uppsala University has access to a reading tool called TorTalk which can be downloaded from the employee portal. All instructors and students at UU have access to TorTalk. The program can provide text-to-speech options for documents and web pages, including Studium pages. Instructors who would like to support students using TorTalk should be encouraged to learn how R&W works and to direct their students to it. In brief, when someone has TorTalk installed on their computer, they can simply highlight text on a page and click the "play" button in the Texthelp toolbar.

Audio podcasts. A podcast is simply a fancy word for a digital voice or video recording, usually for presenting information. By presenting these on each page, participants of these modules need not download or install any additional software to access the audio of the text on each page. This option also allows the instructor to intentionally use vocal emphasis, pacing, or any other vocal feature that one may wish to include, and which would evade the automatic vocalizing offered by Read & Write. There are easy ways to record audio whether instructors use Macs (using Quicktime), PCs (using Sound Recorder), or simply wish to use Canvas's built in web audio-recording. If you choose to record audio using a computer-based application (e.g. Quicktime or Sound Recorder), simply save the resulting sound file as an MP3 and upload audio files using Canvas' rich text editor.

Pro Tip: Transcripts

When creating and sharing audio files, it is a great idea to include a transcript whenever possible. The provision of transcripts will allow students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have audio processing disorders to access the oral content, but may also benefit those students who learn best via text, are accessing the learning in a location in which using audio isn't tenable, etc. Captions for live video are also very helpful. Consider using Canvas Studio to caption videos, or YouTube.

Method Two: Utilize Video for Instruction

Sometimes, an instructor may wish to present information in video form. This doesn't, of course, necessarily mean visually instead of orally or textually (via captions). On the contrary, content presented in video form can encompass the broadest range of representations, including visual, audio, and textual simultaneously. This makes using video for instruction on Canvas an excellent option. Instructor-made video media can be used with tremendous variability. For example, instructors may choose to make a video podcast of themselves speaking/lecturing on a topic, provide video demonstrations of a physical task, provide screencasts of his or her own screen to record on-screen action, or provide a video version of a PowerPoint or Keynote complete with instructor voice-over. How does one go about developing and using these tools on Canvas?

Video podcasts. Video podcasts allow an instructor to record him or herself presenting a lecture, recording a demonstration, or otherwise using self-made video for instruction. There are several ways to record a video using a computer equipped with a camera. Perhaps the best way to make video podcasts using software available to all UU staff and students is Zoom . Zoom is primarily used as video conferencing software. Recording a meeting with just one participant is an effective way to create a podcast. Using Zoom's built-in screen sharing features, one can share a website, a PowerPoint or Keynote, and have access to an interactive digital whiteboard. The recording allows for pausing and resuming, as well. Check out this brief tutorial to get started.

Speaking of PowerPoint and Keynote, if an instructor wishes to use their PowerPoint or Keynote as the main feature of a podcast, this is easy to do directly in the applications. See these resources for exporting recorded PowerPoints and Keynotes respectively.

Whether one chooses to record using Zoom or via the built-in features of PowerPoint or Keynote, uploading video files saved to one's computer is easy using Canvas Studio (best for storage, captioning, privacy, usability, functionality). Alternatively, you may choose to upload to YouTube or Sunet Box.

Canvas also offers a simple way of using one's built-in computer camera to make video podcasts directly through Canvas. This tool is not as robust as the ones described previously, but it is fast and bypasses the need to upload the finished product.

Pro Tip: Captions

As with audio files, whenever using videos, it is a great idea to include options for captions or to offer a transcript whenever possible. The provision of captions/transcripts will allow students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have audio processing disorders to access the oral content, but may also benefit those students who learn best via text, are accessing the video in a location in which using audio isn't tenable, etc.

Method Three: Embed External Video in Canvas

Of course, instructors needn't always make their own audio or video content. There is a wealth of material already available on the web, which can be used for instructional purposes. A few (among many) excellent sources of educational videos include Khan Academy, TED (and TED-Ed ), MIT Open Courseware, Academic Earth , and YouTube EDU . Instructors may find it useful to consider if there may be media that could be used to enrich their students' understanding of topics as part of the main lesson, and may also wish to use pre-made content as optional materials for students who need additional content support or are ready for more extension learning (the topic of another lesson ).

A graphic with three logos: one for Khan Academy, a second for TED Education and a third for MIT: OCW

There are a few ways that an instructor may choose to connect external media to a lesson.

One easy-to-use strategy is to use the built-in Embed tool for videos from YouTube, TedEd, and other popular sources. To do so, one simply clicks on the icon for YouTube, the red "T" for TedEd or the drop down menu to embed Slideshare presentations, Vimeo movies, twitter feeds, Khan Academy lessons, MERLOT content, or USA Today articles. In the search field, you may type in the title of the video or content or provide a direct URL (web address) to the item/video you wish to embed.

Select an app from the Rich content editor.

A second option is to embed content from other sources using HTML code. This may sound daunting, but it isn't nearly as complicated as it was historically. Because many popular sources for online materials offer embed codes, it is a worthwhile trick to learn. Here is a simple guide for embedding HTML code. Or, if you prefer to watch, check out this (embedded) video:

A third option is to provide a link to the external source video. This is especially useful for sources that do not encourage video downloading or require log-in (like LinkedIN Learning ). Simply navigate to the web video you would like to share, copy the web address, then paste the link address where appropriate (based on whether the external video is intended to be a stand-alone part of a module or linked as a part of any Canvas text box with rich text editing ).

Finally, upload media from your computer using the rich text editor. This option is discouraged as it will take up storage space on your data cap for Canvas, so use it sparingly.

As with audio files, whenever using videos, it is a great idea to include options for captions or to offer a transcript whenever possible. The provision of captions/transcripts will allow students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have audio processing disorders to access the oral content, but may also benefit those students who learn best via text, are accessing the video in a location in which using audio isn't tenable, etc.

Pro Tip: Automatic Captions

Thanks to the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (2010), most professional video producers and curators on the internet (e.g. TED, YouTube) have captions built in. In the case of Youtube, these may be "automatically generated" captions, which are often inaccurate. One may comply with the "letter" of the law without following the "spirit" of the law. Ensuring usable and accurate captions is the goal!

Summary

Reading is recognized as an important skill for college-level students to have; however, there is evidence that print reading skills do not completely transfer to online reading and that online reading may be a barrier to some. As such, it is important to draw from the dynamic features of online learning environments to provide options for how students access content so as to provide alternatives to text. UT offers accessibility software that provides text-to-speech functionality in Read & Write. This is an excellent tool for instructors to become familiar with and to share with their students. Other options include developing audio and/or video podcasts as ways of providing information. Ideally, audio and video podcasts should accompany (or be accompanied by) text in the form of transcripts or captions in order to reach the maximum number of students and situations. Finally, while instructor-created content allows for the most customized information, it is worth noting the wealth of audio-video content already available on the web. Linking to such videos or embedding them as part of one's lesson is another way to use the skills described in this module.