With the Audacity software the benefits extend far beyond this. Two examples: you can cut and paste audio like text and get the learners to re-order same as a kind of jigsaw listening activity, you can easily silence words and grammatical forms within a text that you want to focus on and give the learners a language laboratory like experience by burning to cd and using simple personal cd players or keep as mp3 files on laptops, and it's free =))

Dominic McCabe

ESOL tutor Derby.

From: "Macdonald, Ann" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, 10 November 2011, 16:58
Subject: Re: Edexcel Video Recordings

We've used digital audio recorders because the sound quality is better than tape recorders, they are less imposing and are very easy to use. I think flip cameras could be a problem for some women who do not like to be photographed especially if they cannot control who looks at the visual material and where it may end up.

I think it is important to start switching over from tapes to digital because the sound files can be emailed and in the end it should enable us to cut the examination costs. With digital recording we should really be in a position to ask the examination bodies to charge less as they don't need to move people about to moderate - fewer train journeys, fewer hotel bills and far better sound quality.

Ann Macdonald

From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Dominic Clarke [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 November 2011 20:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Edexcel Video Recordings

Hello everyone

I am not sure if many people who have taken part in this discussion

work in small , poorly resourced outreach locations. I am fully in

agreement with doing audio recordings of S&L assessment - if this

doesn't happen then there is no record , also it means that assessment

can be carried out after the activity. We do C&G exams - during the

activity , when I am acting as assessor , I just sit there and make sure

the tape is running, I don't take notes. I am guessing that having someone

taking notes is not really going to put the candidate at ease. I feel that

students can experience massive stress levels during exams, many of

them have enough to put up with in their daily lives anyway. This idea

of videoing exams seems ridiculous to me - why increase the stress

of an already stressful event anyway for no obvious reason ? In addition

it also adds to costs - where I work we quite often don't have toilet paper

so we aren't about to run out and get flip cameras for everybody , tripods

etc. I thought that adult education was supposed to be enduring massive

spending cuts just at the moment. I personally use audio recording in the

classroom a lot - I just use a crummy old Sony cassette recorder , I get

students to record themselves talking to each other , away from the

group, so they get used to being recorded. I don't use digital recording

technology - I have seen how much of a pain in the neck that can be

when the technology doesn't work, which seems like quite often.

I guess the outcome of this is that only heavily funded educational

providers will end up using EdExcel.

Regards

Dominic Clarke

> Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 13:23:02 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Edexcel Video Recordings
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> You can use the Flip cameras with a tripod. One issue with downloading is that the longer the exam the bigger the file and the longer it will take to save to the PC/DVD etc. Obviously it can be done but will certainly take some time for someone! It may be easier to use a proper camcorder and record to DVD straight away?
>
> We did mostly audio recordings last year which are obviously much smaller files. I think it is good to video some though as you get a sense of the exam as a whole. I do agree that it isn't always helpful for learners and can add to the stress of the situation - I did my BSL exams last year which were videoed (obviously!) and they were the most stressful I have ever done.....
>
>
> Diana Tremayne
> E2 ESOL Course Leader / Advanced Learning Practitioner
> Calderdale College
> Francis Street
> Halifax
> HX1 3UZ
> Tel: 01422 357357 ext 9403
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sue Mirams
> Sent: 09 November 2011 13:05
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Edexcel Video Recordings
>
> Hi
>
> I am a great advocate of using a 'Flip' handheld camcorder in class and all the tutors have one. However in the guidance given by Edexcel it specifically talks about a camera bing firmly mounted on a tripod (Instruction 9.18) although in (9.27)there is a note which says a handheld device may be appropriate in some cases although there must be facilities to record sound at an appropriate level.
>
> The other problem is that the handheld ones we have only record for 1 hour which is not enough in an exam situation when recording a large number of learners in one session.
>
> Sue Mirams
> ESOL Manager
> Leicestershire Adult Learning Service
> 0116 2696924
>
> ***********************************
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> To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
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*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]