Paperless collaboration with students

A summary of useful services and lessons learnt.

There are 2 basic types of online collaborative services: Real time online sharing and non real time. The majority require users to create a Login. All ( bar one) of the services I will discuss are without charge (currently).

For real time online writing with a number of people we have used Etherpad. The service was bought by Google to be incorporated into Google Wave. However Google did release EtherPad’s code so there are other 3^rd Parties who are hosting the service. Like Typewith.me.

One great feature of ‘EtherPad’ derivatives is that you can play back the writing. We had just all been writing in real time and I used the 'Time slider' function to demonstrate the way it can play back all the edits in sequence.

I use Google Docs and I have used it with students. It wasn’t real time and there were issues with updating and page refreshing. In April Google announced real time collaboration, but I haven’t used the service like this yet.

Google Docs - spreadsheet as production wipeboard. Now with real time collaboration. (embed - )

If we broadened out to non real time collaboration, we are really talking about several people editing and adding to documents or adding material to a collection or assets. The most common example is the ‘Wiki’. This is just a simple website with an upload system to manage and arrange the content – a ‘Content Management System’. I did a lot of work in this area last year. All the my wikis were constructed within the Universities virtual learning environment. I wrote that up as a case study here. One of the main advantages of using a wiki is that each edit a user makes is recorded so it’s possible to see the amount of engagement and also recover deleted material. The materials produced and shared are not in the public domain which might affect copyright issues.

There has never been a particularly easy way of either showing all the scripts to all the students (26 in one class) and getting the students to review and feedback on each others work. Last year I have experimented using Acrobat.com's PDF service. The submitted PDF's are uploaded to Acrobat.com and then embedded into the VLE. The files exist only in the Acrobat.com account but are shared via embedding code into a web page. An option is also offered that means that the script can also be downloaded as well as viewed. The service displays a thumbnail image of the PDF and the pages can be 'turned'. It's also possible to display the file full screen in order to read it properly. Just scanning the layout in thumbnail view is handy when comparing drafts. Using Acrobat.com has allowed me to:

• share all the first drafts
• collect peer feedback on all the scripts
• share the feedback with the author and the other class members
• share all the re -writes
• contain both drafts and all feedback including mine in one location - reinforcing the idea of process
• provide an easier means of second marking, moderation and External Verification students' work

'An easy website creation tool couple with a CMS' is also a very good way of describing a Blog. I have used blogs with students for about 5 years now. These have always been one student per blog. But it’s quite possible to set up a blog with multiple authors. All can then post on the same blog. This is a good way of working with a relatively small groups centred around a single project or theme. Both Blogger and WordPress offer multi author blogging. It’s worth remembering that blogs tend to come with rather modest storage. The idea is that media (videos, images etc) are embedded and ‘hosted’ or ‘curated’ elsewhere.

There are a number of services that allow for embedding. I have already mentioned Acrobat.com. Scribd, and Issuu.com are both worth looking at. I have used Issuu.com. for module and course handbooks, embedding the documents in the Uni's VLE. Particularly impressive is the fact that any hyper links work from within the document. As well as allowing for 'publication' there is also a comment function. This allows people who have accounts (free) at Issuu.com to add readable comments to published documents. Students would therefore be able to upload their scripts as say PDFs, preserving all the formatting (unlike Ether Pad), and other students could add relevant comments.

If you need to embed a webpage into a VLE like Blackboard.

Some services focus just on storage, but they often facilitate the sharing, exchange and co authoring of documents. Dropbox allows a folder to be shared. But while the contents update quite quickly there might be confusion where several people author and edit at the same time.Drop io might be of use since it works like a wiki and document dump. Storage is limited to 100 MB on the free version. There is a Firefox addon that simplifies the addition of materials. Dropio has the added feature of not needing a login to create or access materials.

There are also services that offer curation and storage online. Alot of people use Tumblr or Posterous like this or more 'portfolio' style services such as Creaza, or Stixy. Stixy looks nice. You can add notes, photos, documents (for download not display) and To do list. But (as yet) no audio, no linking, no video, no embedding.

Where you wish to write specific documents like screenplays there are two interesting and differing services. Adobe's Story is worth looking at. Here is Adobe's introductory video.

'Story' from Adobe is an AIR powered application. You will need to have an Adobe Log in here. Once you have logged in and opened Story in your browser you can install the desktop application. I strongly suggest you do. The ability to work offline is very handy. You can sync it later with the online versions of the projects. In fact switching from on to off line is easier than I found with Celtx. First impressions are excellent. Story looks great. Anyone familiar with Buzzword, Acrobat.com or Photoshop.com will feel at home in the Adobe style environment. Naturally Story is designed to integrate with a future releases of the Adobe production premium suite including the latest CS5.

I have been using Celtx, with students for a number of years. It's been really useful, robust and simple to use. The software has been steadily updated over the years - the last addition of a sketching facility was especially welcome. Celtx also offers a collaborative function called 'Celtx Studio'. This is a paid for service that allows an administrator to set up 'seats' so that collaborators have an individual log in. Then Celtx projects can be worked on by the group, with changes noted and tracked. Updates are saved to the 'Studio. There is a useful chat function so that communication is separate from the writing. All the writing is displayed with the usual industry standard formatting. This makes it more practical under most circumstances for screenplay writing that the excellent EtherPad. Importantly for me Celtx also include a whole suit of planning and tagging for schedules, locations, prop lists etc to help with the production planning. The number of collaborators is controlled and there is a charge per 'seat' or user.

Celtx will allow you to paste text into it. This text will then require formatting - which is quite quickly done with the application. Story will permit importing a script as text or from Word or Final Draft etc. But since Adobe owns of the PDF format it's not surprising that it also allows PDF import. Not only that but the script is broken down on import. That's really impressive. You can now import any PDF and then edit it with all the formatting preserved and generate all the production reports you need. (For some reason it fails to identify the title page.) It doesn't embrace the production functions of Celtx, staying focused on the script. So it lacks the production tools that Celtx provides. eg calendar/scheduler, storyboarder, sketcher etc but at least for the short term it has plenty to offer. Where is does better, immediately, is that you can collaborate without charge. All collaborators need Adobe IDs and you just share your project with them. Privileges can be set by the administrator, very easily. I expect to use both together since there are few script changes on the short films I work on once into production.

Good luck with your collaboration!

Wish list advice for new students - Don't buy a laptop!

Every year at Open Days and then later again at the start of the academic year, I get asked “what should I buy for Uni”.  The answer I am supposed to give, I suspect, is a fast laptop and a smart phone.  Both probably made by Apple.  However what I actually say is more complicated and in some ways cheaper.  There are a number of things that can support a student’s studies and prepare them for the world of work.  Since I predominately deal with Creative Media Practice students some items are more specific to that direction of study.  But a number are true whatever the course.

USBstick.  We require students to buy a good branded USBstick with at least 4gb of storage.  Use this to store and carry your files.  You can load free software to help you in your studies.  I installing a copy of Firefox with extensions for Delicious and Evernote.  (Xmarks will sync your brower and bookmarks between machines.  This way you can have the ‘same’ browser set up any Mac while using your USB portable version of Firefox and your home machine.)  Google Docs is free and will provide word processing etc.  For PC users AccessApps is an easy and useful collection of portable studying apps bundled together.  For Macs I suggest that you install these apps on your USBstick - Firefox, production app Celtx, audio editing app Audacity and VLC media player.

Headphones.  We require all students doing Creative Media Practice to invest in a pair of good headphones.  Not earbuds!  Good headphones are ones that cover the ear completely and are relatively ‘neutral’ in their sound.  Those ‘mega-bass-tear-the-roof-off-the-sucker’ headphones will give a false impression of your audio work.  Remember that most computers etc will have ‘mini jack’ sockets.  So you might need an adapter.

A hard drive.  We require our students to get drives in the first semester. If you are doing media production you will be dealing with a number of large files (video).  Having your own storage means that you are free to use any machine with editing software.  This is very practical.  Since we use Macs and edit on Final Cut that means that they have to be FIREWIRE drives.  If you get a ‘bus powered’ drive it will draw it’s power from the host machine via the Firewire lead.  That means need for mains leads and plugs.  This will raise the cost of the drive.

Touch typing.  I always suggest that learning to touch type is a great investment.  The humble keyboard is still here and will be for at least the next 3 years.

Broadband.  You will need to ensure that you have easy broadband access.  It’s not a course requirement to have broadband where you live, but it will make a huge difference.  A lot of materials are made available online.

PC or Mac.  You will need a basic/old model.  It only needs to run a recent browser and be able to word process.  At BSU we provide open access to high spec machines for editing etc.  I always advise against laptops for media production.  Yes, you can edit on them.  And it’s dead cool.  But the screen space, the audio set up and the compromised chip speed mean that a modest desktop machine is better for production critical work.  There are also the weight, cost and insurance issues to consider.  Use Uni machines until you are about to leave - then think about what you’ll need after Uni.

Digital camera.  This is very useful in a number of ways - nowadays most new mobiles come with a camera function that is perfectly suitable, practical and easily portable.  Make sure you have the lead to connect it to the computer.

Books.  It’s worth buying a selection of books for each of the modules you study.  Choose carefully and build up a small library that you can use over the 3 years.  Buying books online, and sometimes second hand, can make them great value.  We have all the books listed as recommended in the module handbooks in the library.  So you can check them out before you buy.

Back up service.  It’s possible to subscribe to a back up service so that your files are duplicated and stored online.  That way if you lose, delete, have a computer malfunction or theft, you can retrieve your work.  The services are not expensive for the amount of peace of mind they provide.

There are other items that you might like to think about in the longer term. 

• Yes, it might be great to have your own video camera.  Being able to shoot all the time is a real advantage and excellent practice.  Concentrate on what you need rather than what you’d like.
   
• A top spec desktop machine with a large screen and production software would allow you to easy access for post production practice and course work.  Approach with care!  As a student you can get discounts on hardware and software.
   
• Driving lessons! As a media student being able to drive is very useful when you are trying to get into the business.  A Runner who has a clean license is in a better position to get work than one without.

Oh yes and don't forget to enjoy your course at University!