Webcast News

Hello webcast.berkeley viewers and thanks for tuning in!

We’ve been busy making improvements to the system that serves the webcast.berkeley site. We are inviting webcast.berkeley visitors to test our new system by browsing the regular webcast.berkeley site at the following URL:

http://webcast-demo.berkeley.edu/

The goal is for the site will look and behave the same as it has over the past year, but with some much needed improvements that will ensure less down-time and higher reliability. If you think that you’ve encountered a problem with the new system, please let us know by filling out our “report a problem” web-form.

If you are feeling particularly generous with your time, we’d welcome testers who can compare the performance and functionality of our production site (http://webcast.berkeley.edu/) to our test site (http://webcast-demo.berkeley.edu/).

Lastly, we’re planning to make a few more improvements to the usability and functionality of the site in the near future so stay tuned. Thanks again and happy viewing!

The webcast.berkeley Team

Click here for NewsCenter Budget Info

Thank you for your interest in the Chancellor’s Town Hall Meeting on communicating with UC Berkeley Staff about the budget, held on March 24th, 2009 from 12-1PM.

An archived version of the webcast is available here.

For more information about the budget, please visit http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/budget.

At the start of the Fall 2008 semester, webcast.berkeley launched an entirely new back-end system in support of webcasting operations. This system has brought several major improvements to webcast.berkeley offerings:

• Faculty scheduled to teach in a webcast capable classroom can now sign up for webcast and/or podcast quickly and easily online within bSpace.
• webcast.berkeley now offers video downloads! Just click on the video rss link () to get direct access to the media links or to subscribe in your RSS news reader.
• webcast.berkeley is piloting a new service called screencasting for CS 162 & MCB 110. This service captures any high-resolution source being projected in the classroom, syncs it with the lecture audio and creates a high resolution mp4 file. We expect to make this service available more broadly in the Fall 2009 semester.

Thank you to all of you who have written in to let us know how important the search feature was to you! We are working on bringing this feature back to webcast.berkeley so stay tuned.

The following Consent and Release form is for use by guest speakers or classroom guest lecturers (GSI’s/faculty) who do single lectures/events.

Course/Event:

Date:

Place:

CONSENT AND RELEASE (For Speakers/Presenters) I am a presenter/speaker for the above event. I understand the event will be videotaped and recorded for the purpose of being used and distributed in various formats by the University of California for educational purposes, including, but not limited to the classroom, television (including UCTV, broadcast, cable, and satellite), the Internet (including video and audio podcasts), and any other communications medium currently existing or later created. I give my permission and authorize the University of California, to videotape, audiotape, photograph, record, edit or otherwise reproduce my presentation, and to use it in the formats and for the purposes stated above. The University of California retains the right not to use the footage for other than archival purposes. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the University of California, their employees and representatives against any and all claims arising out of my presentation, including, but not limited to, claims of copyright infringement, defamation, and misrepresentation. I declare I have read the above, fully understand its meaning and effect, and agree to be bound by it.

Signed __________________________________________Date: ____________________
Print Name __________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _______________________________________________________________
Phone ( _____ ) ______________________________Fax ( ______ ) _____________________
E-mail ________________________________________________________________________

Please email the signed form to: webcast@media.berkeley.edu or fax it to the attention of the Course-cast Administrator at 510-643-9221.

Obtaining Keys to the Media Cabinet

The following video and audio podcast classrooms require a key to access the wireless microphone and any installed media equipment.

• Cory 277
• Dwinelle 145
• Dwinelle 155
• Kroeber 155
• Morgan 101

Please come to Dwinelle 44 (C level) to obtain keys. Keys can be checked out for the semester at no cost. You will need to fill out a Key Checkout Form, available at Dwinelle 44 or via the link below:

• Key Checkout Form (PDF):

If you have any additional questions regarding keys, please contact ETS at 643-8637 or email:

avrequests@media.berkeley.edu

Tips and Techniques for Presenting a Video Podcast

General Information

• Please repeat questions from your students for the Web-viewing audience.
• Please remember to wear and turn your microphone on, no matter how small the classroom.
• During the first two weeks of classes please announce to students that the class is being recorded and will be archived for future viewing on the Internet.
• Be aware that your class is available for viewing by anyone who has an Internet connection. You will be lecturing to a worldwide audience.
• Any class cancellations must be announced to ETS at least one week prior to class. This allows us to schedule our staff properly.

What to Wear for the Camera

• Solid colors such as medium blue or gray and light pastel colors are excellent choices. Muted prints also work well. The camera has some trouble focusing patterns such as herringbone, pinstripes or other stripes, small dots and small checks.
• Non-shiny jewelry works better on camera than the shiny variety.
• Please wear clothing to which you can clip the lavalier microphone battery unit and the microphone itself (button-down shirts are helpful).

Preparing Powerpoint Slides and Overheads
Slide presentations used for compressed video follow most of the same guidelines as
any slide presentation. The main thing to remember in creating slides for compressed
video is that video podcast and screencast viewers will be seeing your slides on a
computer monitor. Simple and readable visuals work best.

General PowerPoint Slide and Overhead Suggestions

• Imagine a television screen when planning the layout/format. Use a horizontal or landscape format.
• It is recommended to use five lines of type and five words per line. Slides with too many words are hard to read.
• San-serif fonts are easier to read on screen (Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, etc.).
• It is also recommended to use approximately 18 pt font for slide titles. You may wish to change the font color as well, but make sure there is good contrast to the page. The text font size should be approximately 12 pt.
• Align text to the left margin. Type is easier to read flush-left. If only one or two words are used, centering the text is fine.

PowerPoint Slide Formatting

• Use simple graphics. Elaborate graphics are difficult to see.
• Contrasting colors are easier to distinguish from each other than those that are too similar.
• Limit only one idea per slide
• Leaving space around the slide’s border will ensure that images or text won’t be cut off or skewed when converted for computer screens.

Suggestions for Easy-to-Read Slides

• Upper and lower case letters are easier on the eyes than all capital letters.
• As a rule, red is not a good color for video.
• Gradient backgrounds make reading the slide difficult.
• Underlining and punctuation are difficult to see.
• Script or fancy fonts are hard to read even if they are enlarged.

Additional PowerPoint Suggestions

• Avoid using sound. When used in compressed video presentations, sounds are often distracting
  or annoying to the viewer.
• Avoid using animations unnecessarily. Movement does not translate well on the compressed video screen because there is a delay in the signal.

Overheads for Use with a Document Camera

• The slide suggestions apply here. Keep the fonts simple, the format horizontal, and use contrasting colors.
• Print your overheads on plain paper. Transparencies cause a glare, which makes them hard to read.
• Keep the overheads organized and in the order they will be presented.
• Handwritten slides should be printed neatly.
• Letters should be at least ½” tall.
• All overheads should be the same size to avoid zooming in and out with the document camera.

Handwritten Overheads

• Please use a wide marker as pen and pencil lines are too thin to see.
• Letters should be at least 1/2” tall.
• Video is a horizontal medium. Even with transparencies please use a landscape page layout with a 4×3 ratio (4=horizontal, 3=vertical)

Microphone Guidelines for Coursecast Lectures

Most problems with audio quality stem from improper use of the microphone. This is particularly critical for podcasting, especially in for those courses where an AV tech is not available to assist.

Thank you for reviewing the following guidelines to help ensure quality audio. If you need assistance before the beginning of the semester please email ETS to arrange an appointment:

avrequests@media.berkeley.edu

Wireless Microphone Use
All podcast enabled classrooms are equipped with either a wired lavalier or wireless lapel microphone. If the red light on the top of the unit is a constant red, this means the battery
is dead and needs to be changed. There will be spare 9V batteries in the classroom media cabinet.

Wearing Your Microphone
It is recommended that you wear clothing that is easy to clip a microphone onto such as a button down shirt or blouse. The ideal placement of the microphone is 5-6″ away from your mouth, clipped somewhere around your sternum. Please be sure that it is pointing in the direction that you are speaking.

Finally, please remember to repeat audience questions for the benefit of your listening audience.

About Video and Audio Capture
webcast.berkeley presents online video podcasts and/or audio podcasts of UC Berkeley courses for on-demand remote viewing. (Video podcasts are similar to what the program previously referred to as “webcasts”: video and audio of the lecture are presented.)

webcast.berkeley is a service of Educational Technology Services (ETS). ETS is responsible for the entire audio/video production including class recording, digitizing, website publishing, and hosting.
The entire process is handled automatically, from recording through publishing on the website. All you have to do is turn on your microphone.

Benefits

The primary benefit of coursecasting is the flexibility it allows students and colleagues to view and review a given class or seminar. Whether they missed the class, need to study during midterms and finals, or want to share the material with others, video and audio content are available for viewing from anywhere at anytime.

Costs Involved
Video Podcast - $2,000
Video Podcasting automatically delivers MP4 video and audio to webcast.berkeley, iTunesU and YouTube. This option is available only in selected classrooms. The videotaping portion of the webcasts costs $2000 for one course for one semester. That fee pays for most of the labor and equipment involved.

Audio Only Podcast - Free
Audio Podcasting automatically delivers audio recordings of classroom lectures to students computers or portable players via webcast.berkeley and iTunesU. Please note that despite the name “podcast” an iPod is not required. There is no charge for audio podcasting since there are no fees typically involved with video capture. Our intent is to allow more instructors to take advantage of classroom recording and delivery services. If you plan to video podcast, there is no additional charge to also audio podcast.

Accessing Lectures
Lecture archives will be available to students and a worldwide audience as free and open access from the webcast.berkeley website. Some video podcast courses are also available through YouTube. Podcasts will also be promoted through popular podcast aggregators such as the iTunes Music Store. Video podcasts and audio podcasts can also easily be made available through your bSpace course website.

There are several ways that students can receive the lecture recordings:

• Online access: Students can browse the online course archives and view or listen to lectures  on-demand.
• Downloads: Students can browse the online course archives and download specific lectures. These lectures can be played on the computer, and audio podcasts can be loaded to a handheld player for listening on-the-go. Some users may be able to load video podcasts on their handheld player, as well.
• Subscription: Students can subscribe to a course podcast, so that they automatically receive the lectures as they become available.

Confirmation
Faculty teaching in a video and/or audio enabled room will be invited to participate in the webcast.berkeley program through email. Faculty can approve their participation in the program by clicking through to their bSpace account (no prior bSpace use required), where they can agree to the terms of the program. (Faculty in video-enabled rooms will also need to indicate whether they want both video and audio, or only audio.) Faculty will need to approve their participation within one week before the beginning of the semester to insure staff scheduling to video capture for the first week of classes — even if there has been participation in the past.

Archive Policy
Video and audio archives are available online for at least one year, though we are working to extend this period. Audio podcast files are much smaller, therefore there is no shelf life at this time.