Q: I kept the interviews to show in my psychology course on VHS tapes. How do I digitize them to prepare for the online version of this course?

A: There are many services available to transfer VHS to digital files format. If you want to do it yourself look for USB Video Digital Converter. It comes with a software that allows you to edit videos on your computer, cut and save the chunks of your video in different format. You can find video tutorials online for different products. I am going to hook my VHS player with Sabrent USB-AVCPT A/V-to-USB 2.0 Digital Video Adapter to document the course materials I have on VHS tapes.

Q: Do you know online resources that define education terminology and jargon?

A: I would recommend the Glossary of Education Reform. It " was created to help journalists, parents, and community members—anyone with an interest or investment in our public schools—understand some of the major reform concepts being discussed by educators, researchers, and policy makers."

Q: I am looking for software to add simulations to my online course. The course has been developed as an outcome of the grant proposal and there is some funding left. Is it something on a market with reasonable budget?

A: I want to share what I learned at the ICELW conference about simulations. There is a SkillSims tool: http://www.etu.ie/

It takes ETU 6 days to create a complex branching simulation with images and audio (10 min. simulation) vs 45 days (Chapman Alliance). It is cloud-based service.

Here is a brief description of ETU's process:

So how our process works just to give you an idea is we do the following

1. Initial Web Conference Call (1hr) - (Attendees: Key Decision Makers)

If you would like to proceed, we can pick an initial project to focus on at this point

2. Deep Dive (1:30hrs - 2hrs) - Key Project Stake Holder, SME's or Instructional Designers 

Alternatively, we could pick a project at this point.

Where we have found more successful collaboration is if we pick an project after the initial 1hr web conference call.

Q: I would like to survey faculty needs of educational technology. What tool is available and easy to use?

A: SurveyMonkey is the most popular one. It is free and very user-friendly. Some people prefer to create a Google form for a survey. There are many tutorials online how to do so.
Check with your institution first - maybe you already have access to some technology, such as Qualtrics.

Q: Could you help? I need to make 6 power point slide-based videos and post the url in 2 hours for my class. Is it possible?

A: Sure it is. I assume that your slides are ready. First question: are you Mac or PC? 

Mac user - you can just record your screen with a QuickTime player. It is free. The instructions are here.
Save your movie as *.mov and post it at Youtube. You don't need to create a new account - sign in with the Google one. You can publish your video manually at Vimeo by uploading a video file. If you have a budget try Keynote

PC user - finally you have a choice. Try Screencastomatic - it works for Mac too. 15 min. long videos are free - much more powerful options than Jing. You can record a screen, web cam, or both. It is very user friendly. Download it, record your video. You have a choice to save your video as a file to upload to a website later or publish at Youtube. 

A few tips - please do test before you invest much time and efforts. Double check your audio devices. Make sure you set up your microphone before you start recording on PC. Check your Sound System Preferences on Mac. Pay attention where you are saving your video file at the end:)
If you are publishing on Youtube be aware of public setting by default. Go back and change it to private if you need. 

You still have time - run!

Q: I need to send my presentation to a colleague for the conference. How do I transfer big files?

A: there are many services available. They all have a free option. The most common services are Dropbox (2GB free), Box (250 MB free), WeTransfer (2 GB free) etc. Some of them offer to store files as well. Google Drive is also handy. Here is a link to more information.

Q: What video equipment would be reliable for the study abroad trip? Our group is going to a development country, remote areas. Students will take pictures and videos for their blogs and portfolio pieces.

A: Pack smart. Technology is offering great options our days, you don't need to carry heavy and expensive cameras to capture good quality pictures and videos. Flip camera such as Kodak Playsport is easy to use, it produces high quality image and sound, and has a pocket size. GoPro with a kit gives you a lot of flexibility. Cell phones with any Android systems or iPhones produce a very good video with sound. Use self stick  or grab and go tripod for stability, and practice before you go: try different camera angles, lighting conditions, battery life etc.