OCR Nationals Unit 2 Multimedia sites - Content question

[bondbill2k2]

I was wondering how have other schools taking OCR Nationals asked pupils to create their multimedia website content for OCR Nationals ICT Unit 2? We have had a number of requests from teachers for youtube unblocking and video downloading software so pupils can download both music and video from websites to use in their websites.

 

I've not read alot into unit 2 yet but I assume providing the content they use is video content and audio it allows students to get their required mark schemes and the actual content of the multimedia elements is not that important? Previous years with our old internet filter and previous technicians pupils filled up their storage like mad with different formats of music videos and ripped audio from youtube using download sites.

[cromertech]

I would suggest that although the unit does ask for video and audio it does not say that ripping it illegally from the internet is the way to get it. I feel sure that there are other ways of getting the needed content.

 

I've not looked at this myself yet but maybe having an area on the VLE for the students to get some dummy clips/sample videos would be a better way to go. You can then make them as small as possible to prevent filling up of precious server hard drive space.

[philwaud]

Do you mean the unit 4 Multimedia? Unit 2 is web design and there isnt any requirement to include sound or video.

 

The video issue is a problem, but with a bit of lateral thinking you can get round it!

 

We use M$ Movie Maker to create a simple movie animating a series of images with some basic text. Its a very intuitive application and will run on windows 7 as the windows live version - it doesnt require a login although it does nag you at first.

 

For sound, you can use some of the copyright free MP3s that have been given away on the various music stores - check the licence as some don't include the right to redistribute. |A better way is to use a microphone to record a reading of one of the blocks of text.

 

You didnt mention text! They have to actually show that they have sourced, stored and used some text so we include a screenshot of a quote from some famous person.

 

Hope this makes sense! Feel free to ask anything further - we have an OCR moderator in our ICT team so we get direct access to the chief moderator when we have questions!

 

Phil

[bondbill2k2]

Well last night before leaving I asked one of our ICT teachers for more information, aparntly they are doing unit 2 and require to create a web design that they are doing in powerpoint and part of the mark scheme is implementing interactive elements, they have asked their classes to design a website for a charity concert with their artist of choice so the pupils 'need' to use content by their musicians they have already documented.....

 

Do you have any sources for copyright free MP3s? I'll take a look and see what I can find but if you have some sources that would be great thanks!

Edited November 23, 2011 by bondbill2k2

[philwaud]

Ah, well thats very different!

 

There is no requirement for using sound or video for unit 2.

 

User interaction means a rollover effect etc.

 

For a pass, they need one rollover, for a merit they need two plus "a further interactive element" and for a distinction they need to show "limited scripting"

 

In practice, you can use a simple rollover as provided by Dreamweaver etc, and attach a behavior with a "show-hide" action on some page element such as a layer (ad-div) or text etc. For scripting, you can get away with changing some of the text to correct a spelling mistake eg, your javascript says to set some text to "This is some text" and you spell it "This is smoe text" - show the error and change it. It meets the criteria as scripting, even for distinction.

 

In the past, we have used a button saying "Click here" as evidence of user interaction, but we dont do that now.

 

If you use MP3s etc on your pages, you will have issues about codecs, windows media player etc. The only safe way is to use flash to embed it but its massive overkill.

 

Phil

[philwaud]

Just re-read your post, in the new spec you must use proper web design software and powerpoint is a no-no. You need to use a web design package such as serif page plus or dreamweaver. Your moderator may very well ask to see the electronic files and may "view source" so they will know precisely how the site is created. Our last two moderations of unit 2 have been done this way.

[MK-2]

the pupils 'need' to use content by their musicians they have already documented.....

 

i'd be careful, as using copyrighted material could end up with the school "needing" to pay fines. the teacher will say they need it as its easier to just rip a song off youtube.

[bondbill2k2]

i'd be careful, as using copyrighted material could end up with the school "needing" to pay fines. the teacher will say they need it as its easier to just rip a song off youtube.

This is what im trying to tell them as they asked for some youtube downloading software or a website which they used to use to be unblocked since we changed over to smoothwall. Ill look into which unit it is as I asked yesterday and was told unit 2 and the teacher in question also posted on our Help desk saying unit2 so i'll let you know when cleared up! Thanks for the advice

[philwaud]

From the spec...

 

Pass:

Candidates will show basic competence in producing webpages containing text and a minimum of five different images, using a basic template they have created themselves.

Merir:

Candidates will produce webpages with appropriate styles applied for headings and body text, using either a template they have made or css.

Distinction:

Candidates will produce high quality web pages using css.

 

Thats it, nothing about video, music, sound or animation.

[bondbill2k2]

To make a return on this topic having left it for a while, the module in question is Unit 2 – Design and Produce an Interactive Multimedia Product, one of the mark schemes is Source and store suitable multimedia elements with the distinction being "Candidates will source and store multimedia elements including: text, images, sound, video and animation. Accurate acknowledgement of all sources given."

 

Looking at students work it appears many have videos and listed their source as youtube, some have linked others have downloaded or sent files in from home over the learning gateway.