Elke's E-Learning Journey

My first blog ever, originally for the LearnScope 2006 project, and which is now the sometime record of my journey into learning about and implementing an elearning strategy for my training organisation

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

shopping for an mp3 player should not be such hard work

On the advice of my project mentor, here is a slightly edited version of our conversation by email today.
Topic was the selection and purchase of my mp3/iPod.

email 1
For the last three days I have entered a new dimension called "mp3world". Trying to drive it on an IBM is sending a chill down my spine. The iPod with the eMac at home is so easy. I wanted an iPod but they no longer come with voice record function like the old models – I want to be able to record and send out my own podcast packages for students of discussion sessions they could not attend. But I did manage to listen to my first podcast last night – Dr Karl K !

email 2
I have spent the last 2 months on websites and talking to sales agents down here and in Adelaide. The iPod which took a peripheral voice mike as a plugin unit is no longer made and the new ones do not have the docks/plugs for the mikes that exist and do not have built in ones. If the apple centres in Adelaide (Myer centre – personal visit, Nextbyte Glen Osmond Road - phone, Apple Norwood Parade- personal) can not find one to sell me, what I am I supposed to do? I am not into buying second hand units when I do not know the owner. My son’s mini iPod unfortunately was not one which took the mike unit because I was considering that (and he wants to upgrade). Plus we had all the peripherals for charging and using in the car already. But they do not fit the new models.
!!
One of the sales people (department manager) down here in a well known large franchise business asked me what podcasting was (!!!) Didn’t buy from them! Explaining anything else and training him for free was beyond even my altruistic nature.

Email 3
Continuing…..
Yes I phoned Nextbyte Glen Osmond Road (have bought there in the past) and told them what I was after – specially asked for some-one selling iPods. And I could not find any on the Apple website itself, by myself.
The teenage geek/nerd in the Myer complex Apple store had never heard of a dictaphone/voice recorder and playback gear for audio transcription, so I actually gave up on him and there was no-one older around. As far as they were concerned iPods were only for earbashing with the current pop music. They had some vague idea on what podcasting was about.
See why I got so frustrated?

I have a unit now – a Creative Media Zen Microphoto 8 GB with inbuilt mike for voice recording plus a transmitter to feed it through the car radio for listening on the long trips around the region. I have the voice record function but not the audio transciption, pod (and music) player and other features still to be discovered. all within a specified budget. That’s enough to be getting on with in terms of technology and software to absorb this week. And to think that this was my birthday present this year! And because I was not fussy about colour, this one was on special - only white was not on special but pink and black were. Imagine colour of the unit being important after all this! (Er.... I got the black one.)

I have learned the following generalities:
  • many sales assistants know little or nothing about the products they are selling (and that is not news!) My survey sample consists of 7 staff in six stores, metro and country
  • anyone younger than 30 has probably no idea of what a dictaphone is, let alone headphones and footpedal combinations for audiotranscription - and yes they are available - a legal office in Mt Gambier has been using this digital technology for over a year now
  • there is going to be a need for highlevel support for the average student if they are going to use podcast files in study, at least in the forseeable future (years!)
  • country people are no further behind or more lacking in techno savvy than city folks but pseudo wannabe geeks are everywhere
  • downloads are best done on broadband - which is available in only 5% of my region in an physical area sense

And finally, podcasting will need to be a long way down my rollout plan for elearning technology for my students' sakes.

How's that S?

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