Andrew Brasher – A conversion pipeline for audio remixes
October 30, 2007
Andrew BrasherOriginally uploaded by openlearn2007
Starts by showing a digital talking book which is based on various XML standards which allow you to generate a book that is easy to navigate by the audio. This relates to OpenLearn because it provides accessibility to people with visual impairment.
As I understand it, you take a document and pip it through a pipe during which it undergoes a series of transformations to produce a structured digital talking book that contains lots of SMIL files that relates the digital content to the audio.
A SMIL file consists of a set of sequences that contains elements that dictate that things go on in parallel. This links particular text to bits of audio and allows people to jump easily and accurately from one bit of text to another.
Lots of examples which demonstrate the power and flexibility of this tool. What is coming across to me today is how important it is to ensure that all content is equally accessible to people. Andrew is talking about visually impared people, earlier Cameron spoke of learners from socially or economically deprived groups. This must be one of the biggest challenges that faces OpenLearn. It’s good that this conference provides a platform upon which to raise such issues.
