file+and+media+sharing

=FILE AND MEDIA SHARING: Flickr AND YouTube=

Author(s): NICOLETTE ROMAN

1. Definition

 * File and media sharing is a web platform to provide access and share digitally stored information, such as computer programmes, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents or electronic books. It is implemented in a variety of ways. Files and folders can be configured to allow network users to copy them, but not alter them in their original location, which is a common safety precaution. However, files and folders can also be assigned a "read/write" status that allows either selected users or all users on the network to change them. Access to media is often for free and allows for blogging purposes as well.**

2. Examples of products (open source/free or commercial)
Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web service suite and online community created by Ludicorp and later acquired by Yahoo. This tool is a popular website for users to share their personal photographs or images.

YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. The videos are often snippets (short pieces) of a bigger video. These snippets are limited to 15 minutes and 2 GB.

Both these tools are open source although YouTube has an over 18 entry as well. Mashup is a platform for presenting multimedia in a hybrid format. In other words, it is similar to remixing music. It. enables the rapid creation, sharing, and discovery of reusable application building blocks (widgets, feeds, mashups) that can be easily assembled into new applications or leveraged within existing applications. This is done with books, video and music. Mashup if often free but some media are commercially priced. I have used Flickr and YouTube previously but not Mashup.

Both Flickr and YouTube tools are easily accessible. Of the two tools, FLickr is the easiest to use. YouTube takes a while to play the video and there are often challenges in downloading the media.

YouTube
There are many videos on the YouTube site which can be linked to teaching and learning. Once a keyword is intered in the "search" space, a particular suggestion will be highlighted. However, YouTube also offers further suggestions. Specifically, I have used a maths video (khanacademy) to teach my children maths. Additionally, this site provides information for my Masters students with regard to statistics for quantitative research.

Flickr
Flickr has a special site dedicated to education where users can access shared material and participate in a discussion forum with peers. These discussion forums provide insights as to how to use the images as part of the curriculum, for example using an image as a prompt for a discussion or writing an essay. My students have used images to enhance their presentations. One of my Masters students used images when she created a child'friendly questionnaire to collect data for her research study.

Mashups

 * Enhance instructional content
 * Engage with the material on a deeper level
 * Explore and uncover previously unsuspected aspects of the data
 * Provide additional venues to discuss, debate ans share insights and sources of information
 * Develop analytical skills
 * Connect to real-world situations
 * Make connections between instructional content and learning outcomes
 * Encourage self-directed exploration
 * Encourage collaboration
 * Allow students to learn by doing

=== Thus File and Media sharing is an excellent way of not only sharing information but provides the opportunity for advanced methods of teaching and learning. It affords students the opportunity to learn collaboratively, exploratively and therefore be self-directed in their learning. ===

4. Other resources (articles, guides, videos, examples...)
These are the different sites providing information regarding the File and Media Sharing tools. These sites also contain information of teaching and learning applications as discussed previously.

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www.khanacademy.org

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