Audacity and Oral Administration of Test

I was at a workshop on podcasting last week and the instructor was listing ways to use podcasting and her ideas were the exact ones that had brought me to the workshop, BUT then she said "Have you thought about using it for Oral Administration of Test for your sped students". I was floored...It sounds perfect. I can see at least 3 reasons to do it, so I am sold.

I want to make it as easy as possible for my teachers. The plan is to record the test in audacity, download the test to an MP3 player to hand to the student and allow the student to control the pace of the test (repeating a question, pausing, etc).

Here's the problem. For the student to be able to repeat the question, each question must be a different track. I understand that process, but it seems kind of tedious. I was wondering if there is away to split a track. It would be easier for the teacher to record the whole test and then go back and split the track into separate tracks.

Tags: audacity, podcasting, special ed

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Permalink Reply by Mobbsey on October 30, 2008 at 3:23pm

Oh wow....I hadn't thought of this either!

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Permalink Reply by Julie Baird on October 31, 2008 at 7:45am

Instead of highlighting each question and exporting it as a selection, you can add labels to the beginning of each of question. Once you have all your questions "labeled," go to file and choose export multiples. There is an option to split the files based on labels or tracks. If you only have one track, labels will automatically be the default option.

To save time you don't have to actually type a text for each label. When you click on Export Multiple, you can add a File Prefix Name. This is where you add the name of the test and Audacity will automatically add a number to each file. The numbers should correspond to the test questions.

I created screen shots of this process so you can see what I'm trying to explain. (Screen shots created with Jing.) It sounds complicated but it is a very quick way to split your files and end up with each question in its own file.

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Permalink Reply by Jodie on October 31, 2008 at 1:49pm

Thank you so much. I knew that there had to be an easier way than what I was doing.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Baird on October 31, 2008 at 5:50pm

Glad I could share. I learned this trick of adding labels and doing an "Export Multiple" a few months ago. I was amazed at how fast I can produce audio files for my students.

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Permalink Reply by Mobbsey on October 31, 2008 at 6:44am

Jodie,

Again thank you for sharing this idea - so simple and yet so powerful. Just letting you know I blogged about it here.

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Permalink Reply by Jodie on October 31, 2008 at 1:50pm

Cool. I will check out your blog when I get home. It is blocked here at school.
You're so right about the simple and powerful. I keep think why did I think of that!!!

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on November 1, 2008 at 6:52pm

Wouldn't it be simpler to use say an ipod recorder and cut out the Audacity side of things? That way the student could just go back if they needed to?

Rebecca McFadyen

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Permalink Reply by Jodie on November 3, 2008 at 7:24am

I don't know...I haven't used the ipod recorder. The thing that I really like about using it this way is that the teacher can record once and download many times. So if 5 kids are taking the test they can all take it at the same time if I have 5 mp3 players. Plus if the same test is used semester to semester or year to year, the teacher just has to download it again. All these things might be able to be done in ipod recorder, but I don't know.