AUDIO MEDIA RESOURCES

Audio

Audio is a sound that lies within the range of sensitivity of the human ear. It has a frequency of approximately 20- 20 000 hertz.

Physical Properties of Audio

1. Loudness

-physiological sensation sensed in the brain

2. Pitch

-subjective impression about the frequency of sound

3. Duration

 

Hearing vs Listening

Hearing is a physiological process in which sound waves entering the outer ear is transmitted to the eardrum, converted in the middle ear, and changed in the inner ear into electrical impulses to the brain.

Hearing vs Listening

Listening on the other hand, is a psychological process that

begins with receiving the sound, then, identification and recognition of specific auditory signals and ends in comprehension

 

AUDIO MEDIA RESOURCES

AUDIO FORMATS

Audio Tapes

Advantages of Using Cassette Tapes

1. Durable

2. Economical

3. Easy to use

4. Requires little storage space

Audio TapesDisadvantages of Using Cassette Tapes

1. Prone to noise

2. Tape sometimes sticks or tangles

3. Poor Frequency response and over-all quality vs. CD’s

Advantages of Using Compact Discs

1. Random search

2. Very durable

3. No background noise

4. High fidelity

Compact Discs

Disadvantages of Using Compact Discs

1. Initial expense of equipment

2. Impractical to prepare locally

3. sensitive to movements

Compact Discs

MPEG/ WAVE

MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer 3)

audio compression file format that makes large audio files available by shrinking them into smaller files. It is an “open” standards, which means it is available to anyone who has access to the internet. It relies on sampling frequencies, multiple channels and compression algorithms.

 

 

MPEG/ WAVE

Advantage of Using Wave File

1. High quality of audio files

2. Use of multiple channels for the sound

 

MPEG/ WAVE

Disadvantages of Using Wave File

1. confusion and complications among users

2. very large files

 

AUDIO MEDIA RESOURCES

APPLICATION TO EDUCATION

Application

1. Audio may be used by a teacher to bring into the classroom sounds which are of significance to the learning process

2. Enhances learning of verbal information

3. Ideal for teaching foreign language. Audio resources allow students to hear words pronounced by native speakers

4. Useful for those who have reading difficulties, or are nonreaders  

Application

5.  It can be used as mood music for some subjects like arts.

6. Audio is frequently used in rhythmic activities like dancing.

7. Related songs can be used as a motivation for a class discussion.

8. Animal voice audio can be used in teaching different animal sounds to kindergarten students

Application

9. Audio book may be used to assess students’ listening comprehension

10. Recorded audio of historical speeches and lines of prominent people in the past can be used to create an interesting atmosphere in Social Studies class.

11. Catchy tunes can help students memorize Math formula

12. Radio drama can be used as an activity to assess students’ speech capability

AUDIO MEDIA RESOURCES

PROS AND CONS

Pros

1. Inexpensive

2. Readily available and simple to use

3. Reproducible

4. Repeatable

5. Portable

Pros

6. Ease of lesson preparation

instructors can record their own audio taped lessons easily and economically

7. Selections are easy to locate

8. Resistance to damage

Pros

1. Fixed sequence it is difficult to scan audio materials as you would do on printed text materials

2. Doesn’t monitor attention

3. Difficulty in Pacing

4. Difficulty in Locating Segment

5. Potential for accidental erasure

References

Hewitt, Paul. Conceptual Physics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc.,1997.

 

Smaldino, Sharon et al. Instrucational Technology and Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Merill Prentice Hall, 2005.

 

“Audio” .<http://searchciomidmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci211617,00.html>

“Audio Equipment”. <www.wikipedia.com>

Bullough,. Creating Instructional Materials. 1988