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Trends in this week

Working on the project has been key through this week. We had sessions on managing multimedia productions from the idea up to when the project closes by Prof. It was indeed a constructivist approach. From the group discussions it was clear that there are stages involved: Pre-production, production and post production. During this time, there is need for management of the project. Later on tuesday, we looked at the budgeting process of multimedia productions using case examples. Video production indeed proved expensive than animations here in Belgium. Then we had the opportunity to work on our projects by asking some questions.

I filmed the talking head on thursday. Thanks to Ayoub, the Director of the video. Today friday, I have been editing. I got the help needed and by monday, I should be through with editing and compressing. I hope the coming week will see me synchronise video and powepoint and then may be importing it to my user interface.

Nice weekend.

A weekend that was....

It was an enjoyable weekend. We had a day off as tourists to Brussels. We moved by train up to Brussels Noord(North?). It was a good experince. We saw some good buildings and passed via the famous red light street. We then headed for Brussels Centraal (Central?). Oh, there we indeed became tourists. We entered a bus that makes people tour around. We saw historical and beautiful places of the city. Check out from the pictures.

The essence of multimedia for learning

Hi. Last week was quite great. We had sessions and importantly: the userbility design complemented by learning with multimedia-a pedagological background. These really give a more profession way to develop multimedia for learning. Thanks for the lessons. Back home, one can therefore develope multimedia for learning concentrating on its essence not accidents.

Slight change in workplan

After two days: one for studying how to assess a learner in a package using flash and then the other day for streamlining the workplan, some changes have been made. I will film on 10th June. Currently, I am working on the user interface and the assessment using Dream Weaver and Flash Professional respectively. So far so good except programming the Exit button. A learner should be able to end the programme on any page. Today we recieved literature about userbility design. If followed, it shows how professional one is. I am going to start working on assesment tomorrow.

Bye for now.

What has been my weekend like?

Check out for the pictures to tell.

Yes, the way to implement multimedia back home

Today's lecture/training has been very handy for me. It has actually to a great extent removed my worry of what has to be done when I get back to my place of work. We had it all about Multimedia Management which can be offline(I am to use this because the nature of distance learners without internet), online(website), and Hybrid. We looked at multimedia on different levels and how it is all about management, the stages of a multimedia project, the instant multimedia we have, how to integrate and implement, test and deliver multimedia that is client based. I found it interesting because we should know this. As for me, I have a very big task for multimedia production of most modules of all courses on distance programme. I am not an expert in the content. Now I know what to do.

I look forward to see how budgeting is done and strategic planning to start or improve a multimedia center in the education setting because, the university is planning yet it is lacking basic knowldege. Oh, I will be handy in this.

For my project, I have made the main user interface, have made powerpoint to teach on monday when filming the talking head and have put some content in pdf format. Let me see monday through with filming the talking head.

Have a nice weekend.

Dream- "Weavered" to reality(Dream works)

May be at last. The project is gaining shape. After going through Macromedia Dream Weaver today, now I have a sample structure of my CD ROM or DVD (different thoughts, designs weaved today). By monday, the first GUI should be complete. Yes, then I have my shooting of video on monday so that I already build up my folder for the video.

Keep your eye here to find latest developments in the project.

Counting down

Hi. Today has been cool. We worked on our plan of activities for the project we are to make. We are actually counting down to have final products. With guidance from Bieke Schreurs, all of us have a tentative time table. Oh, I look forward to having my final product. I am happy that I am seeing the way.

Have a look at my workplan

No	Activity	No. Of days	Starting date
1	Finalising content in PowerPoint	1	Wed 28/05
2	Structuring CD ROM or DVD	1	Thurs 29/05
3	Filming talking head	1	Mon 2/06
4	Editing video	2	Tues 3/06
5	Compressing video	1	Thurs 5/06
6	Developing main user interface in html	2	Fri 6/06
7	Creating layout of CD ROM or DVD	4	Tues 10/06
8	Synchronisation of video and PowerPoint using Flash	4	Mon 16/06
9	Creating learner assessment codes by html	4	Fri 20/06
10	Putting project on CD ROM or DVD	1	Tues 24/06
11	Testing the product	1	Wed 25/06
12	Debugging and correcting errors	1	Thurs 26/06
13	Making final product	1	Fri 27/06
14	Making other copies of product	1	Mon 30/06

Hoping for the best with all support.

The project will be a success

What has been puzzling me since I came to this training is the transfer of knowledge in Uganda and particularly for the first time in Uganda Martyrs University where I work. Actually, the nature of my job wants me to be a master in deciding which media to use to get best results in all disciplines taught to get best results. At the end of the training, I feel I sh'd be knowing each and everything at the course because I will use it one day. More over, having an International Certificate in Audio Visual Learning Materials from the famous Catholic University of Leuven demands that the Affective, Psychomotor skills are highly evident in what I do. This has been my puzzle. Yet I can't be a master in all. Well, things are going on well. I need to perfgect my HTML. I had studed it during my masters course but whem Macromedia Dream Weaver and Front Page were introduced later, I forgot important tags. Where I work, Open Source is the policy. Oh... then I must practise and perfect my HTML programming.

From today's work, I developed the content and the Coordiantor of the training, assured us how HTML will be handy in our projects. So tomorow, I will work on my plan of actvities. I hope for the best. Jah bless.

Project at take off stage?

After presenting a story board, it became clearer after the expertise advise that for my project to be as interactive as I planned, the best way to finally produce it is through use of Hyper Text Mark Up Language (HTML). Tomorow, I will go through the basics and I hope, I will remember some basic tags that I had once used. The talking head in a classroom situation will be done as soon as possible. There is therefore hope to succeed for I thought Flash was going to make it.

Living like a Monk

I can best describe today saturday as a day of living like a Monk. I literally spent the whole day in my room. Monks according to tradition(correct me if I am wrong for I have never seen one) were dedicated Catholics who lived indoors for most of their life praying and doing great writings to defend the church. They did alot of doctrine writings.

Today, I found myself indirectly praying that God gives me wisdom to think about my story board. So, I kept in doors, prepared my meals from the microwave and thought of my story board. So far, the content of the project is finished, the Look and Feel is also finished and decisions of which media to use at which level of the simple flow chart of my project have been identified. Even the navigation tools are clear. I have eventually started writing the story board. I am not yet through and may be next time.

You could have a look at something done from the pictures in this post by double clicking on the picture to see full size.


Bye for now till a new post is available.

Story Board progress

I thought making a story board for my project will be as easy as narrating a story. Today has been a day for making a story board for my project in this training. From experience now, a story board makes you to know the load of work you are going to have in your project. You have to determine the Look and Feel of the project. You also have to make the choice of the medium to use at each part (Tutorial, simulation, audio, video, an education game, Hypermedia). The graphics, still pictures, how you will guide and control the learner during the learning process, when you may assess and allow the learner to practice for retention or when are your to reinforce some knowledge or put hints. All this need one to be having a flow chart to have the logic of the whole project. All the story board is made basing on the authoring tools of ones' project. My tools are Pro Cut 10 for video, PowerPoint for tutorial and Flash as the final tool to synchronise the media I am going to use.

Aaah, will I meet the target of monday to finish with the storyboard of my project. Keep your eyes on the next posts may be. The story board will be there for comments. It is my wish that monday makes it so that I can begin scripting and making shotlists for the video I am going to use. I hope that the supervisors of the project will accept my story board and then I proceed.

A Green Light for my project

Today, after learning how to import video in flash, make menu, make a number of scenes and put the slides besides the video, I saw a green light for my project to come to completion. Yes, today, I was able to make a short project of the video and the power point. The synchronistaion of the media-a dream that I was having.

I now know that with futher guidance, I am going to succeed in my project. In fact, I already have content of my work in powerpoint and have made a simple flow chart. I am moving on with making a story board. By monday next week, it will be clear on how my project will be. Thanks for today's training. It brought sanity in what I will do surely.

My authoring tools

Flash, flash...what is it? This is my main authoring tool for making my final product of the project. Others will be-powerpoint, Pro Cut for video. We were introduced to flash by Sandy wednesday 22nd May. It is not easy to make an animation. Flash seems not to be easy yet it is my main authoring tool. We were able to make a boucing ball. Wawu. But there are several questions whether video, audio and tests acan be done in flash. My project has no animations. Thanks to its nature.

Preperation for filming

May be this could have come earlier before we did our first recording. Tuesday 20th May, I hope is the right date, we learnt about making screenplays that is scripting and making story boards. I was able to make my script of one of the videos I will use in my project. Yes, before shooting, you must have an idea. You may follow: writing screen plays (scripts), shotlist (a must), call sheet and story board to the letter. I found all these very important if you to have a very good video product even for an interview where they do not usually write a story board.

This was very good to learn. My project is having video. I need some one to guide me while writng the screen play starting next week. Otherwise, I have the idea and can do well.

MY PROJECT IDEA

After a long time of cognition, monday 19th May was a day to present my project idea to the group of experts in our training using power point. My mind was clear that I cannot take the whole module of 200 pages for my project. Good news. The module has a number of units. I must take a unit as a show case to devolop other units. Yes, now I have what I will do as my project. I remember my lessons of Instruction Design and Development-the features of a very good educational software. We had evaluated one based on the checklist as provide by Trollip and Allessi in their book "Multimedia for Learning" which was our Bible for this course. But I had forgotten the book in Uganda yet it was on my packlist. I had to recall the basic steps in Instructional Design and Development-Planning which involves:needs assessment, blue print, flow chart drawing, story board development; Designing and Devlopment and Implementaion and Evaluation. Then the features to guide the learner. Above all, the user interface to be user friendly.

I thought of using powerpoint and incoporating video. Some one teaching and the words of powerpoint on the other side. Somewhere, the programme to pause a question to a learner and then at the end have a self checking exersise to evalaute if the learner has got the competences s/he is supposed to get. If checked no, the learner to be directed back to read more. If yes, the learner may continue to the next unit or end the programme. I was advised to use flash for the project. Oh my God, what is flash? Will I manage? Time will tell.

Video Production-Recording, Editing and Compression

A very good and yet tiresome time. Wednesday May 14th was indeed the time for us to start filming. We went through the techniques of camera handling, shots, angles, lighting, the axis and so many other things related to filming. It was an enjoyable yet tiresome experience. We filmed Ayoub acting. A number of shots were made and we had a chance to shoot. We filmed an interview too. This was very good.

Then on thursday was my first editing with Cut Pro. It was interesting. We were guided well. We edited our film, had cuts and it was relatively not tiresome like the video recording. May be because we did not make make many mistakes in shooting. It is very important to have a number of shots from which you can choose from or always have the best shots and the axis...though its rule may be boken. We then had our own editing. We practised individually. This was good.

The edited video was to be compressed into manageable files. We had the theory behind comprehension. It seemed hard to grasp but the real work was alittle bit easy. At the time of compression, it is important to check the details and know mode of distribution of the video foe example, CD, DVD, streaming server... This was good work done. Each person in our group had an opportunity to compress a video. At my university, band width has been band width. Buying a compressing facilty will be a very good solution to this.

Actually, I need more practise in all video production technigues. I will be doing this work in most cases back at home. Experince of technology use has shown that if you take some time without using it, you become like one who has never used it but you are at an advantage of recalling faster and doing well. I need more practice for my project will entail a number of video clips.

Initial project idea and further expectations

This was not easy for me. I was confused. Tuesday 13th, May was the time I should have had a relative precise idea atleast. Alas, for me. I looked at my work back at home. In distance education, the printed modules are quite big. Some 200 pages! How do I make that my project in a month? Yet, I am to do it when I get back home in Uganda. I could not make a decision on what to do. I had the English and Science modules with me as a starting point.

My expectations were therefore raised to how I can be helped to make our big modules into AVLM. This is my daily confrontation at my work place. How do I effectively Plan, Design, Develop and Implement the educational software(AVLM) that is supposed to help students study by themselves without a lecturer?. I s there any checklist on how one can decide which medium (audio, video, tutorials, simulations, educational games, World Wide Web ) to use to have maximum learning, retention and make the learning process enjoyable? How do you plan for all this? This is because, I will be confronted with situations where I have to assist the module writer make decisions on when to use the right media. How then do I make the software interactive enough to enhance learning, practice for retention and deeper understanding basing on the different theories of learning?

I hope by the end of the training, I will be good in most of the above.

From slamber to active learning

You may be wandering whether I am still in the course. Actually, I am. I couldn't update my blog after sunday 11th May. Oh no. This is now history but good for record keeping. May the 13th was yet another beginning of the week. We had the weekly programme introduced. What really I could not do immediately was the project that I want to work on. Like a computer, I hang. Alot of debugging has been done and now back at work. Yes, no more hanging.

Not easy for an African

It is sunday morning after a goodnight of Leuven festivals. It looked to be a good day. I recieve a message from Ayoub a buddy from Tanzanai. "Pliz come to Mafuru's room no. 02.21 for bites". Mafuru is another jolly colleague from Tanzania. Immediately, I run upstairs. There, I am given chicken-3 pieaces and chapati for my breakfast. This was got from their get together in Brussels at their embassy. Ehi, do I know where my Ugandan embassy is?

Woooooooo, in my room, surfing, blogging. I became tired. I moved out to town alone. It was a lonely moment for an Afriacan. I appeased myself by taking pictures. Late in the evening, by coincidence, I meet my other colleagues in town. What a relief for this lonely guy who likes playing, smilying, and talking stories. It was a great time for me again. We then had supper together and off back home by 8:50pm. By the way, it was still shinning. For my country, some people are dead asleep except those clubing and street vendors.

Now I am goin going to sleep. The sun is setting and it is 9:34pm already. Will tomorow monday be lonely? I am just worried. It is yet a public holiday in Belgium-Pentacost monday.

Leuven in scenes

Our friend Froebell commonly referred to as Bell by us, said we could move around Leuven city in the afternoon. Our three colleagues from Tnazania-Mafura who is Jolly, Phillipina a true African lady and Ayoub had gone to their embassy in Brussels for a party. This was on a saturday. The friends from Ethiopia and one from Bangladesh were abit busy.

Together, we strolled until we reached near the train station. There was live bund already by 1430hrs. It was interesting. We watched, took pictures. The city was full of wazungu and some blacks. It was the begginning of a series of celebrations of the festive season in Leuven town. They were to be held in most points of the city. Later, we by passed by our supermarket ALDI as it is our shopping area to buy some eats. Later, we took yorghurt ice cream. We were later joined by Phillip Peters from Mugabe's country and Fanta? I don't recall well but Peter was with two others. Together with Peter, Froebel and I, we left for our home-Justus Lipsius College, Minderbroedersstrat. This is a hall of residence for some university students of Katholic University of Leuven (KUleuven).

Do not be bored at this point. What was interesting was the evening, night scenes. We went back at around 1900hrs. It was fantastic. You can look at the pictures. First at the old market where people every day, time are either boosing, eating or hagging...or doing all. We then moved to the city hall. Some comedians performing. The langauage barrier mad us not to understand the message. We enjoyed the scenes and took pictures. Wah, it was interesting. We moved to near the train station and we were joined by the Raici Kitwete people from their embassy. On our way back, we branched at the university library where there were fireworks. People were busy. The town was full of people-the young, the youth, the old ones with joyous mood and fashion.

Time. We go back home. Had we forgotten the key to the main door. No we had two with us. The college closes its gates on saturday by 9pm and by this time its still shinning. Gud night we bid farewell to each other.

The day was done. I retire after all that. But you, do not retire before you see the video or pictures of the scenes.

See the videos

Blogging-Have you ever in life?

Then comes the other day-friday for blogging. For majority, it was indeed new. Nevertherless, Johann guided us into how to create a blog and we start blogging. Ooh, it is really a very important tool. I termed it as my learning site. Good enough, I am carrying out a research in my working place whether a weblog can be a powerful learning tool for our distance learners who can access internet. The evaluations we shall give at the end of the course may bias my research findings back home. No, now I can make better research tools for the research. I will use this as a related litearature to back my findings. Surely, and here we are blogging now. It is quite good for me.

First time at AVNET in KULeuven

What an amazing place. With complicated and sophiscated machinery to produce the best Audiovisula Learning materials. Guys, its is really fantastic. Check it out here on this url. AVNEt


Our fast task has been making presentations about our institutions where we work and our expectations during the course.

Check out this video of one Froebell from the Phillipines making her presentation. See video