Academic Tech Tips

If you’re using a program with audio recording capabilities, such as Adobe Connect or Panopto, you may have experienced being unable to play audio when you have your microphone plugged in.  A quick fix to be able to play audio when using an external mic, is to set your speakers as the default playback device.  To change this setting, right-click on the speaker icon from your taskbar on the lower right side of your screen and choose Playback devices. Next, select your speakers and click Set Default, then choose Apply to save your settings.

Format Factory is a handy tool for the Windows platform that allows you to easily convert media files from one format to another. Whether you need to reduce the size of a media file for uploading to the Web or you need to convert files for iPod or iPhone compatibility, file conversion software can be incredibly useful. With a free download of Format Factory, you can convert common video formats such as AVI, MOV, WMV, and SWF to another video format.  You can also convert image and audio files to popular formats.

If you have an audio recording that you plan to post to Blackboard, you should make sure that your audio file is in a high-quality compressed format, like MP3. With iTunes , a free media player for Mac and PC, you can easily convert WAV, AIFF, AAC, and M4a files to MP3.

Follow these steps in iTunes 9  to convert a file to MP3:

1. Open iTunes and select Edit > Preferences > Import Settings.
   
2. Under the Import Using dropdown menu, choose MP3 encoder.
3. From your music library, select the file you would like to convert.
4. Go to the Advanced tab and select Create MP3 Version.
5. You’ll notice that a duplicate of the original track will show up in your Library, which will be in MP3 format.  Simply drag and drop the MP3 from your iTunes Library to your computer’s Desktop.  You’ll now be able to upload your MP3 to Blackboard.

For Older Versions of iTunes

To convert an audio recording to MP3, drag and drop the audio file into your iTunes Library. Single-click on the track that you would like to convert from your Library.  Next, click on the Advanced menu and select Convert Selection to MP3.

Adding audio comments provides a method for instructors to give verbal feedback when grading electronic documents.  The embedded audio features in Adobe Acrobat Professional allow users to record comments directly into a PDF document.  Instructors would need a license of Adobe Acrobat Professional and a computer microphone to convert files to PDF and record audio.  Students would only need the free version of Acrobat Reader to access the commented files.  For more information about purchasing Adobe Acrobat Professional visit ITS’ Technology Purchases page. 

Resources: 
NIU – Using Audio Feedback to Promote Teaching Presence