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Class Seven: July 13, 2006
 
Topics for this Week

 

Optional Front Page Session - Two

During our second optional Front Page session, we will explore additional features of FrontPage. Some of the items we will cover are described at:
http://www.coe.uh.edu/courses/cuin7330/class2/class2.html

The name of the server we will be connecting to with Front Page is:
 http://discovery.coe.uh.edu/cuin6345m/sum06

For security reasons, user IDs and passwords will be given out in class.
 

Review Assignments from Class Six

We will begin this week's class with a review of the assignments from last week.

 

Class Six Posting Assignment:

Post a message in which you comment on at least one of the items you read/explored for last week's reading assignment.
 

 

Class Six Hands-On Assignment:

Complete the digital story you began last week. You may use Microsoft Photo Story 3, or another software application, if you prefer. Since the file size of digital stories is generally quite large, it probably makes more sense to bring a copy of the final story with you to class on a Flash drive or data CD. Therefore, for this assignment,

Submit a report (as a Word document or other text file) in which you address the following issues:

  • Do you think your digital story could be improved if you added full-motion video, rather than just still images? Why or why not?
     
  • Are there any other things you can think of that might improve your digital story? If so, please briefly discuss them.
     
  • Did you have any continued or different technical problems in completing the digital story? If so, please describe them.
     
  • Do you think that the use of Photo Story or other similar software programs for creating digital stories is an appropriate topic for this course? Why or why not?
     
  • Are there any other comments you would like to add about this assignment?

 

Working with Digital Video
 

Computer-based video goes by many different names. It is sometimes referred to as digital video, desktop video, and non-linear video.

According to the Equipment Buying Guide for Desktop Video:

"Desktop Video is the term used to describe the process of shooting a video on a camcorder, pulling it into your computer, mucking around with the video files (adding music, graphics, titles, and special effects) and then showing it off to friends, family, or the entire world via the Internet. Desktop Video is different from Digital Video, where Desktop Video is a process and Digital Video is a term typically used to describe the actual format of the digital video files. People often refer to the present day as the 'Digital Video Revolution,' and because it truly is simple to make your own videos/films/movies on your PC, filmmaking is experiencing a new revitalization due to the sudden decrease in the cost to make a film."

In this course, we will discuss how desktop video is being used to support instruction as well as discuss ways that video can be used in the medical curriculum.

A Few Words about Common Video File Formats

Just as we saw with still images and sound files, there are several file types from which to choose when you are creating video clips for the computer. What program you want to use to display your video, how much space you have for storing the video, and how portable you want it to be, will help determine which file type you should choose when rendering your final video files. 

File type (format) File extension  Characteristics
Windows Video .avi older video format for PC, good quality, large files
Windows Media Video .wmv,
.asf		 newer video format for PC, significantly better compression, good quality, smaller files
QuickTime video .mov,
.qt		 older video formats for Mac, good quality, large files
MPEG .mpeg, .mpg Another Common Digital Video Format: cross-platform video format, better compression, good quality, moderate file size

 

Understanding Video Codecs

The term "Codec" stands for Compressor/Decompressor. Compression is an important component of the video digitizing process. As we have already discussed in class, to get the best quality results, video is digitized at a rate of 30 frames per second. This means that the computer must display 30 different images in one second and keep doing this for the length of the video segment. This can lead to huge files that contain many megabytes of stored information. As a way to reduce the size of video movie files, developers have written compression programs that work with the digitizing software, such as QuickTime, or use their own unique systems for dealing with video and audio information. These COmpression/DECompression programs, called codecs strip out non-essential information and store the remaining information in a more efficient manner either while it is being recorded or after it has been recorded. When the video clip is played back, the decompression component begins working to interpret the compressed data.

 

Adding Video to PowerPoint

There's nothing too complicated about the process of adding video clips to PowerPoint slides. To add a video clip you have found or created, follow these steps:

  • Select Insert Menu > Movies and Sounds > Movie from File


 

Camcorders

Camcorders come in many different varieties. Click on the following link to learn more about camcorder categories and formats:
camcorders.htm

 

Using Microsoft's Windows Movie Maker

After you have shot some video footage with a camcorder, you will want to transfer it to a computer so that you can edit it, add titles, transitions, music, narration, etc. A free program that comes with the Windows XP Operating System is a good software program  for beginners.

Windows Movie Maker is a free video editing tool for the PC that provides the ability to capture, edit, and save digital video files. The program comes as part of the Windows Operating System and has been available since it was originally created for Windows ME. Movie Maker is currently at version 2.1 and is included with Windows XP under the Accessories, as shown below:



If you cannot find Movie Maker on your PC, you can download a copy from the Microsoft website, at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx
 

You may want to download and print out the following PDF files when you get started with Movie Maker:

 

Microsoft also has several resources that you may find helpful when first beginning to use Movie Maker:

Click on the following thumbnail images to see some basic screen shots of Movie Maker's user interface.


The menu bar and toolbar in Windows Movie Maker.

 

The basic areas of the Windows Movie Maker user interface.

 

The storyboard is the default view in Windows Movie Maker.

 

The timeline displays the files that have been added to the current project.

 

A video transition controls how your movie plays from one video clip or picture to the next.

 

A video transition displayed on the storyboard of a video project.

 

The monitor is used to view individual clips or an entire video project.

 

Windows Movie Maker Resources:

Windows Movie Maker 2.1 - Besides enhanced security tools, Windows XP Service Pack 2 contains a new version of Windows Movie Maker. Movie Maker 2.1 is available for download with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). You can download SP2 and all future critical updates automatically by turning on the Automatic Updates feature in Windows XP. You can also download SP2 and Movie Maker 2.1 from Windows Update. If you cannot use Automatic Updates or download SP2 via Windows Update, order a CD.

Windows Movie Maker 2 Winter Fun Pack 2003 - Make holiday home movies like a pro with this creative collection of winter sound effects, holiday music, and seasonal video titles and animations, made exclusively for Windows Movie Maker 2. This is the second release of the free Fun Pack add-ons for Movie Maker 2.

Windows Movie Maker 2 Creativity Fun Pack - This pack contains 6 Count Down and Endings, 16 static titles slides that you can use as-is or add your own titles to, three full-length songs that you can add to your graduation movie or any kind of movie (Courtesy of SoundDogs) and choose from more than 50 new sound effects.

SoundDogs Sample Packs for Movie Maker 2 - Take your projects to the next level with professional sound effects, looped tracks, and music from the Internet's premier source, SoundDogs.com. Download the sampler pack to get you started!
 
Setting Up and Using Webcams

Click on the following link to go to a page that describes the use of Webcams and includes helpful links to other sites that you will need to get started:
webcams.htm

 
Discussion of Final Semester Projects

Final semester projects will be presented on the last day of the semester, Thursday, August 10, 2006. Each student is expected to present their project to the class using the instructor's computer which will be projected on the large screen. Each presentation should take approximately 5 minutes and presenters should be prepared to answer questions about their project from members of the audience.

Final Projects may be submitted as a an educationally-relevant website created with Pachyderm 2.0 or Microsoft FrontPage, an enhanced PowerPoint presentation, a digital story created with Microsoft Photo Story, or another format approved by the instructor. Each project should include at least SOME of the following components we covered in class:

  • Graphics retrieved from the web or created

  • At least one graphic that has been modified

  • A thumbnail image gallery

  • A screen capture

  • A digital audio segment

  • A digital video segment

  • A CD or DVD version of your project or supporting materials

In addition to presenting the final project, each student should submit a 1 to 2 page written final project paper that describes the project, and includes the following information:

  • The goals and purpose of the project;
     

  • The intended audience for the project and a brief description of where and when it will be used;
     

  • A description of the challenges you faced creating your project;
     

  • The most significant things you learned from this course and from completing the final project.

If all components of your project are not completed, you should include some descriptive information about the components that are still in development.

 

Additional Resources

 

Assignments for Next Class

Read/Explore Assignment:

 

Posting Assignment:

  • In this week's class, we briefly discussed how video technology might be used in an educational setting. For this week's posting assignment, conduct some research to see if you can find examples of useful video clips that are available for viewing on the web, or ways that educators are using video in their instruction. You may look for and discuss example videos that are included on websites, large video archives or simply articles and other web materials that discuss how video is being used to support a course, for example. Additionally, you may discuss another use of video that has not already been discussed, but you feel would be of interest to others in our course.
     
    After you have conducted your research, post a reply to the eClassroom discussion forum (http://eclassrooms.coe.uh.edu/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1), in which you describe what you found.
     

Hands-On Assignment:

  1. In this week's class, we also reviewed several facets of digital video, such as searching for video clips online, saving video, inserting it into programs such as PowerPoint, and using video editing software to add titles, transitions and effects to digital video clips to make them more interesting. For this assignment, continue working with digital video in some manner that you select. This could include such activities as:
  • finding video clips and inserting them into a PowerPoint presentation you already created;
     
  • shooting and editing video clips shot with a digital camera or camcorder;
     
  • using a program such as Windows Movie Maker (or other similar software) to edit a video clip or several clips;
     
  • adding motion video to a .wmv file you created with Photo Story;
     
  • converting a video clip in one format to another format;
     
  • or any other video-related project you choose.

    Use the online submission system at: http://eclassrooms.coe.uh.edu/assignments/ to submit a report that describes what you did for this assignment, how it worked and include any questions that arose and that you would like addressed.

    Also, please try to bring any files and video clips related to this assignment with you to the next class.


 

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