Vocal Students Video for Feedback

Students in Rebecca George's voice classes were able to have their singing routines recorded and on file for their instructor to review and analyze during the semester. By using an electronic portable unit roughly the size of a suitcase, George was able to have her students individually recorded over the course of the semester. This hi-tech recorder unit is called Mediasite. Mediasite can not only record voice exams but a professor's lectures and presentations simultaneously. These lectures and presentations would be easily accessible to students online on I-Learn.

Orren Squires, Instructional Design Architect, was the individual who helped set up the Mediasite unit for Sister George and her vocal students. He stated, "Rebecca George had her students come in and record themselves singing. We recorded video and audio. Mostly she was concerned about her students' singing posture and if they were hunched over or not." It was a relatively simple program to start up and according to Brother Squires it took roughly five minutes for Sister George understand.

Music 104 students had to perform three memorized songs and one song, for a final recital. Sister George usually had the students record these recitals on VHS tapes. She stated, "We have had audio/video quality issues with the VHS tapes and also they are bulky to carry around and access." After explaining the difficulties the students faced with the tapes such as losing them, breaking them, and forgetting them, she said, "I first used the Mediasite technology in winter 2007 and the ease of use was amazing.  I could access the video song tests during labs and replay when necessary to chart a student's progress." 

There was also the ideal availability to address, "With Mediasite I can record directly to the server and the student has access to his or her own performance through I-Learn and I have access to all of them so I can view them from anywhere." Towards the end of the discussion she said, "I love it!  I think the students found it easier as well..."

Sister George is looking forward to a time when BYU-Idaho sets up a video testing room so that the students wouldn't have to test during her lab hours, thus giving her more instruction time. She also sees the future uses of Mediasite with online voice classes in which video feedback can be submitted and she can use text evaluation to directly communicate with the students. In conclusion she stated, "I am not teaching this summer but I will be in the fall and plan to use Mediasite again." 

The students gave nothing but rave reviews for the new Mediasite study tool. Matt Briggs, one of Sister George's students, stated, "I found the camera and recording equipment to be very handy because we were able to critique ourselves by using the technology that is available to us, and not having to worry about anything else.  We just showed up, sang, and then we just had to access it over I-Learn. Talk about easy!" Daniel Wyler was also excited about the new technology, "I really thought that it was an excellent way for me to be able to see and hear the areas that I needed the most improvement in. Practice was not really enough to get the full picture! I tried in front of a mirror and it was just not the same. Being able to see myself on the computer screen and hear myself through speakers was the best way for me to figure out the things that needed working on."