When to use audio, video and images
It is possible to support your online delivery by using an audio piece, a video clip, an image or a combination of all three, as well as text, whenever the NOW HTML Editor is available. The NOW editor can be found in many places throughout NOW, for example, in the Content area, News items, Discussion forums and Dropbox. In many ways the NOW HTML Editor is very similar to other online content editors, such as those that are found in blogs, wikis or discussion forums. Writing online content provides guidance on writing for online delivery, while Presenting online content
covers presenting and organising your online content in more detail.
The table below gives some examples of when it is applicable and when it is appropriate to use audio, video and images in your NOW learning and teaching material and wider in your practice. It gives some examples of when to use audio, video or images and to which area of NOW these may be appropriate. Some of the main considerations and recommendations are also summarised:
Table: When it is applicable to use audio, video and images in NOW
| When is it appropriate to use audio, video, images or a combination of all three | Area of practice/ Learning Room applicable to | Considerations | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using audio or video for providing feedback | Dropbox Discussion forum posting General feedback using units and topics in the Content area e.g. a web page topic or a word document topic |
Long videos will suffer with longer download times. See How to use video
See accessibility section below |
Provide a downloadable version, see How to use audio, video and images Try to use a short audio or video recording, see Video specific recommendations If using audio, video or images for summative assessments, use a naming convention to retain the link between the feedback in NOW and any written feedback slips |
| To stimulate students motivation and engagement in lectures by using audio, video and images | Face-to-face lectures or seminars Units and topics in the Content area of NOW e.g. a web page topic or a word document topic |
Will the audio or video format playback correctly in the lecture room? Will the sound work in the lecture room? |
Test if format for audio and video plays back correctly Use audio, video and images from within NOW see When to use audio, video and images section for further details Plan contingencies in case the technology does not work as expected |
| Address accessibility issues of your online material by thinking about the level of inclusivity of your material | All areas of your practice | When producing media for learning and teaching purposes it is essential to ensure that you try to be as inclusive as possible. The approach follows universal design principles which are based on inclusivity, the aim is to "provide for diversity through design rather than accommodation", Horton (2006) Keeping these principles in mind while using audio, video and images can help you approach accessibility in a way which is in keeping with the Equality Duty Act Oct 2010 |
Add alternative text or 'ALT text' to audio players, video players or images when the option is available. Upload a transcript of any audio or video online, especially important if the material is core material and not available in any other format Split audio and video files into small pieces helping students get to the parts of the content they need to and also helps with download times. More information on creating accessible content can be found on the JISC Techdis site  .General guidance around accessibility can be found in Quality assuring online content  |
| Providing guidance and support material around assessments, exams and specific learning activities | NOW news item (e.g. a welcome message) Units and topics in the content area e.g. a web page topic or a word document topic Discussion forum posting NOW home page widgets/ custom widgets Learning repository |
Ensure students are supported if they are expected to use audio, video or images in learning activities Ensure sufficient equipment available for learning activities based on audio, video and images |
Use audio, video and images at regular intervals throughout the delivery of your module or programme |
| Detailing a process using an image or sequence of images, a recorded video tutorial (screencast or screen capture) or a live video demonstration of some lab or field work | NOW news item Units and topics in the content area e.g. a web page topic or a word document topic |
Will need to request administration rights from IS to install any necessary software The steep "learning curve" associated with screencast/ screen capture software may require some investment of your time, but once practiced is a useful skill to possess. |
Try using PowerPoint with audio narration online if more extensive software is unavailable or is unusable Try using a screen capture software such as Jing  and experiment at how useful recordings of your screen can be |
| Adding your recorded lecture (or seminar) online | Units and topics in the content area e.g. a web page topic or a word document topic | A recorded lecture to go online is different from a live audience lecture Use appropriate language |
Try using PowerPoint with audio narration online if more extensive software is unavailable or is unusable |
| The source of your material is known or you have gained permission from the copyright holder | Applicable to all areas of your practice | You are responsible for the quality assurance of any learning resources that you create or use, particularly with respect to copyright and acknowledging your sources, further guidance may be found in Quality assuring online content . |
If you are unsure about the copyright status of your material, please contact your liaison librarian. |