Instructional Technology Conference 2008

Title: The Role of Audio Quality in Educational Facilities and Instructional Media Systems

Name: Michael Fleming & John Hill

Audience Level: All

Audience: The presentation will be designed for a general audience with respect to technical audio. Educators who rely extensively on multimedia technology and real-time distance-learning communication systems will especially benefit from the practical, tutorial nature of the presentation.

Length: We would like to propose, at minimum, a one-hour lecture/presentation. Alternatively, a two-hour interactive workshop would allow more time to demonstrate some relevant audio test and measurement techniques along with examples of various audio and acoustical phenomena.

Abstract:
Traditional quality assessments of audio communications and sound reinforcement systems focus on speech intelligibility and sufficient sound level coverage. System design principles to satisfy these criteria are well established. However, the convergence of high-resolution video and graphics with audio playback in contemporary multimedia classrooms presents new challenges and expectations for rich media experiences in educational facilities. Recommendations based on subjective audio-visual research and emerging professional media production standards will be presented.

Description:
This workshop is intended to introduce a lay audience to concepts and metrics associated with audio quality in recording, transmission and sound reproduction systems. Modern instructional methods and facilities rely increasingly on multimedia technology to create rich media experiences for students. Slideshows, films, video presentations and "podcasts"; are common formats for presenting prepared media content. Digital production and distribution technologies offer producers of content a variety of ways to capture, store, transcode and repurpose both new and existing programming. The impact of format conversion on audio (as well as video) quality can range from benign to highly deleterious. Professional production standards are intended, in part, to maximize program quality from origination to presentation and to ensure compatibility with a wide range of storage and transmission systems. Practical suggestions on the effective use of both professional and consumer-grade audio electronics will be offered, and basic acoustical and perceptual principles will be reviewed.

For educators and students using interactive and real-time distance learning technologies, there are additional factors that affect the perceptual quality and instructional effectiveness of audio. Low transmission latency is an essential requirement for natural inter-personal communication. Visual and audio congruence with respect to image size, audio level and spatial orientation is another significant criterion. These and other characteristics that distinguish high and low-quality audio systems will be surveyed, and examples of recent innovations in immersive and interactive audio-visual communication systems will be discussed.

Session Type: Lecture/Presentation or Interactive Workshop

Contact information/affiliation:
Michael Fleming
Assistant Professor
Department of Recording Industry
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
615-898-2029

Equipment: Significant value could be added to the workshop by holding it in one of the Recording Industry Department's studio facilities in the Mass Communication Building.

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