Multimedia relates to the combined use of several media including motion video, sound, animated text, and graphics. When projected on the Internet multimedia can be a powerful communication methodology. Technology that was once only possible for a television studio, is now reachable to web designers. When creating instruction for online learning, integrating multimedia provides what many students would say "interesting."
At a recent faculty development event, Dr. Mac Adkins used a mpeg file created by EDS to kick off his presentation. The topic was Strategies for Quality Feedback pertinent to the online classroom. While there are many resources available to guide faculty to teach and guide students in the online classroom, this 59 second video clip offers a comparison scenario. Yes, when the class is over and the grades are submitted, there certainly is a sense of accomplishment felt by the instructor.
Cat Herding MPEG video (10300K) developed by EDS and used by Dr. Adkins to relate the sense of accomplishment at the end of a course.
Dr. Adkins used a second video clip from Ferris Beuller's Day Off film to create a sense of student engagement, actually dis-engagement, and an important concept for teachers.
Boring Guy MPEG video (1651K) from Ferris Beuller's Day Off film (1986, FerrisBeuller.net) relates the concept of student engagement in their learning.
MIDI (from www.midi.com)
MIDI Stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is a digital language that was agreed upon by major manufacturers of Electronic Musical Instruments. It allows Keyboards, Synthesizers, Computers, Tape Decks and even Mixers & Stage Light Controllers to talk to each other.
What has MIDI got to do the average person?
As long as you own at least a small keyboard that supports MIDI, it means that you have the choice to expand the system. The first step may be to connect the keyboard to the PC's sound card, such that the sequencing (arranging of the notes in a song) can be done in colour on a big screen instead of squinting at a small LCD panel (or blinking LED's)
How do I get started?
You may already have some components of MIDI already. All Sound Blaster compatible sound cards has the ability to accept MIDI signals and play the sounds. All you'll need is a Sequencer program (eg: MIDI Music Shop) and enter the notes directly via the computer's keyboard.
If you don't like entering the notes by using the mouse & typing, you can buy a music keyboard. A simple Yamaha or Casio one will do. The most important part is that the music keyboard must have a MIDI port at its back. The only other extra hardware you'll need is to purchase a MIDI Interface (I know there's a double "Interface" - it refers to a PC to MIDI Interface) that plugs into the game port of your sound card, and 2 MIDI cables.
Mozart Minuet (KB2)
Pachelbels-canon-arranged (5KB)
Willie Nelson On the Road Again Midi (41KB)
Beatles When I'm 64 Midi (18KB)
Skeeter Davis End of the World Midi (54KB)
What's the difference between a .WAV file and a MIDI (*.MID) file?
A *.WAV file is a digital recording of the sounds made by any instrument (including your voice box). It basically cannot be modified unless it is very short or you own a workstation. When a PC plays back a WAV file, it converts the numbers into the audio signal that's fed into the speakers. A complete song done in .WAV format is always very big.
A *.MID file contains what the composer (or the person who played it) did at his/her music keyboard. It keeps track of which note (key) was pressed, when it was pressed, for how long, and at what pressure. Playing back a MIDI file would need a device (sound card) that can generate the sounds of common instruments (eg: Piano, Violins, Drums) on its own. The note data is sent to the device, which then generates the sounds that was intended (or sometimes not intended). A MIDI file is comparatively very small and can be edited (including changing the instruments altogether).
However, a sound that is not in the memory of your sound card cannot be generated (unless you have SB32) - and that includes you voice. The quality of the sound is also dependent on the quality of the synthesizer on your sound card.
By comparison, a wave file is always true to the original instruments that produced the music.
WAV Files Basics
Dilbert Wav
937msgs.wav 51k Female computer voice from the Dilbert cartoon, You have 937 messages, all which are marked urgent."
Jetsons Wav
backtowork.wav 11k Uniblab from The Jetsons, "Back to work. Back to work. Everybody, work, work, work, work, work."
The Ten Commandments
bedone.wav 42k Yul Brenner from The Ten Commandments, "So let it be written, so let it be done."
Hackers
cputrouble.wav 44k Johnny Lee Miller from Hackers, "Listen, I'm in big trouble. Do you know anything about computers?
Gone With The Wind
whatdo.wav 10k Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind, "Where shall I go? What shall I do?"
Music Robot Search for music, movies, and free stuff.
Find Midis Free songs and music by categories.
Koumis Pictures, backgrounds, 3-D, and sound effects free.
FreeSite with sounds, wav, and more.
Christian Midis, lyrics and downloads