Streaming Medical Class Lectures as Audio Files

Copyright Taeyeol Park 2004. This work is the intellectual
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Streaming Medical Class Lectures as Audio Files
Taeyeol Park, Ph.D., Ivonne Martinez
Education Service Team, Dahlgren Memorial Library, Georgetown University Medical Center
Abstract
The Dahlgren Memorial Library at Georgetown University
Medical Center has implemented a streaming audio
project to allow students to access medical class lectures
via the Web. This poster discusses the technical and
personnel issues that the Library encountered upon
implementing this technology.
Tools
Staff Workstation
Streaming Server
Digital voice recorder, SONY
ICD-MS515
Adobe Audition 1.0
QuickTime Pro 6.3
KeySite (Georgetown University
web content management system)
Problem
Since the early 1990's, the library has
reserved audio recordings of each
scheduled lecture for use by faculty and
students throughout the semester.
Library staff captured these recordings
on standard audiotapes and then
allowed library users to check out those
tapes for use in the audiotape players
available in the library. The library made
and kept 2,000-2,500 audiotapes for
more than 500 lectures per semester.
Library staff worked many hours to
record, duplicate, organize, store,
circulate, and recycle audiotapes. These
audiotapes were available only from the
library and only during the library's
operating hours. Tapes could only check
out for 24 hours, with a prohibitive
overdue fine structure. Moreover,
audiotapes are a restrictive media
because a student cannot scan the tape
quickly for content or important points.
Power Mac (667 MHz G4 processor,
512 MB RAM, 100 GB hard drive)
OS X Server (v 10.2.6)
QuickTime Streaming Server (v 4.1)
External hard drive (40GB, FireWire)
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Record
Record lecture audio with the
digital voice recorder in a classroom.
Transfer
Transfer lecture audio files from
the digital voice recorder to the
staff workstation with SONY
Memory Stick Voice Editor.
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Convert audio files (.WAV) to MP3 files (16
Kbps, 16000 Hz, Mono) in Adobe Audition. A
50-min lecture audio makes a 12 MB MP3 file.
Convert MP3 files to QuickTime
movies (.MOV) and save them
as hinted QuickTime movie files
in QuickTime Pro for streaming.
Upload hinted movie files to the
QuickTime streaming server in
SSH Secure Shell.
Embed a Streaming Movie
2. Embed the poster movie in a
class lecture audio web page to
launch a streaming movie in
QuickTime player by putting the
streaming movie's URL in the
HREF parameter of the <EMBED>
tag and targeting QuickTime
player.
Convert WAV to MP3
Convert MP3 to QuickTime Movie
Upload
1. Create a poster movie with a
still image in QuickTime.
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Active Use and Positive Responses
The lecture audio files for most of the first year and second year courses are recorded and available on the
Web. For Spring and Summer 2004, 45 GB total bytes
and 9729 connections have been served for 550 lectures
of 28 classes. Overall, students expressed positive responses to the technology used for the project.
Encouraged Faculty to Use Streaming
Audio File Work Procedures
Method
To remove these obstacles and provide the students with
a more convenient access to learning materials, the Library launched a project to deploy a QuickTime streaming
server that could deliver lecture audio files via the Web.
First, the university IT staff built the streaming server. Second, the library set up a file structure in the server and
created a web site for the lecture audio files. Third, the Library constructed a staff workstation for the audio file
work and organized and trained a library staff team.
Outcomes
Play
The class lecture site is user ID protected, and
lecture audio files (streaming movies) are
played in QuickTime player.
Since the Library launched the project as a school-wide
application of streaming audio, faculty members have
recognized streaming technology. Across the curriculum, faculty have increased the number of teaching projects that use streaming video as well as audio.
Launched a MP3 project
Upon student request, the Library
launched a project to provide MP3 files
of some of the lectures. The MP3 format
allows students to download the files for
portable players such as PDA's or iPod's.
Issues
Based on the reasonable cost of starting this project,
the Library will be able to easily increase the necessary
equipment for growing needs.
Some participating faculty expressed concerns about
the Intellectual Property issues that might arise from allowing students to download those lectures from the
Web. Those faculty have the option of making their lectures available only via streaming audio.
Staff training was the key factor to perform the project.
The project requires a different server for each audio file
format; one for streaming files and the other for MP3
downloadable files.
Further Projects
By Fall 2004, the Library will replace all the lecture audio
cassette tapes with digital audio files.
Expand the streaming server usage for delivering videos
as course materials.
Upgrade OS X server and build a stronger backup system.