Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Gnu

How to Build Solutions Using University IT Systems, In-house

Resources and Open Source Software

Chad KealeyEarle Mack School of Law

Drexel University

Objectives

• Pre-existing Conditions• Assessing The Needs of The Community• Assessing Available Resources• Scenarios and Solutions• Wrap Up & Questions

Background Info

• Drexel School of Law opened in Fall 2006• Brand new building• Brand new community of faculty, staff and

students– Not necessarily aware of available IT resources

• University-provided IT Staff– One Help Desk/IT Specialist– One Instructional Technology Specialist– One Shared Co-op Student Worker

Common Needs

• Communication– Getting information from the people who have it

to the people who need it• Collaboration– Giving people the tools they need to work

together toward common goals• Content Management

Types of Content

• Textual Information– Contact Info– Course Offerings– Event Publicity– Student Org Info

• Rich Media– Audio/Video clips for instructional use– Class and event recordings

University IT Resources

DragonDrop (Old)

• Media…– Conversion– Publishing– Hosting

• Playlist based architecture– Each playlist has an HTML view and an XML/RSS feed– Playlists can be shared openly or kept private– Can also be password-protected and date-limited

• Consumes all mainstream media formats and codecs

Sitecore CMS (New, sort of)

• Pros:– Distributed authoring– Custom-built page templates– Components allow for inclusion of external datasets

• SharePoint Connector• RSS Reader

• Cons– Not terribly user-friendly– Limited granularity of permissions– Cumbersome editing UI

SharePoint 2010 (Borrowed)

• Pros:– Great OOTB Utility– Easy to build custom solutions– Plays well as a consumer and provider of data

• RSS Viewer• RSS & XML outputs

– Workflows for process automation• Cons:– Permissions management– Users reluctant to adopt

In-house Resources

• Decent recording equipment• Minimal budget• An appreciation for free/open-source software• Lots of Institutional Knowledge• Encyclopedic knowledge of MacGyver

Software (Gnu, mostly)

• Avidemux– Cross-platform (Lin/Win/Mac) video editing and

transcoding• Handbrake

– Cross-platform (Lin/Win/Mac) DVD ripping and transcoding• MPEG Streamclip

– Cross-platform (Win/Mac) video editing and transcoding• VLC

– Cross-platform (Lin/Win/Mac) video playback, transcoding and streaming

Scenario 1: Publishing Web Content

• A department or office has content that needs to be published to the public-facing website

• The Old Way:– Content is e-mailed to web administrator– Updates happen when time & priorities allow

• The Better Way:– The people holding or generating the content maintain it

themselves– Content magically updates/appears on the website

• OK, not really…

The Real Better Way• Content is stored and maintained in a SharePoint list

– Easy setup– Content can be updated by mere mortals via any web browser– Permissions can be doled out as appropriate

• SharePoint Renderer in Sitecore pulls content to web– Filterable– Sortable– Styleable– Reusable

• Content owners can manage their own content• The web administrator is free to, well, administrate

Example: Student Organizations List

• Created as a “Custom List” in SharePoint• List Columns

– Organization Name– Mission Statement– Officer Names & E-mail Addresses– Other Stuff (Faculty Advisor, Related Links, etc.)

• Views– All Items – Just shows name, mission statement and edit button– WebView – Includes only columns shown on web

• Demo: https://colleges.moss.drexel.edu/law/

Sitecore SharePoint Connector Setup

Sitecore Dataset Renderer• DataView

– Shows columns available for inclusion– Based on columns shown in WebView view

• Filter– Any column(s) in view can be used– .NET syntax (e.g., [column name] LIKE ‘filter value’)

• RenderDetails– Header– List Item Template/Alternating List Item Template– Footer

• Can easily be duplicated & modified• Demo: http://webedit.drexel.edu/sitecore/login

What Are We Using This For?• Contact Info

– Faculty & Staff Directory• Course Info

– Course Offerings– Book List– First Week Assignment

• Event Info– Upcoming Law School Events– “Featured” Student Org Events

• Exam Info– Conditions– Schedule

Scenario 2: Processing Media Content

• Captured with– Traditional video equipment

• HDD-based camcorder, DTE recorder– Ripped from traditional media (DVD, VHS, etc.)

• Adhering to Fair Use, of course– Screencasting software

• Jing (free)• Camtasia Relay (University site license)

• Edited/Converted with– AVIDemux– Handbrake– MPEG Streamclip– VLC

Workflow: Standard Recording• Record

– Set up mics, soundboard, etc.– HDD-based camera (15 minutes ≈ 4 BG)– DTE recorder (10 minutes ≈ 2 GB)

• Transfer– Copy files from camera or recorder to PC– Change file extensions as needed

• Edit– Batch file processes source video files to a manageable size– Append/join/trim as needed– Save/export to h/x264 + AAC MP4 container

Open Source Video Editing Tips

• Adaptability is the key– Have a Standard Operating Procedure– Have an Alternate Operating Procedure– Don’t be afraid to be creative

• Patience helps, too– Encoding/Transcoding takes time; allow for it– A dedicated machine is a must• As much processor and RAM as possible

Publishing to DragonDrop

• MP4s are treated as “pass through” files– No conversion, just hosting

• AVIs can be published in up to 6 incarnations– 3 quality levels (good, better, best)– 4 formats (MP4, FLV, WMV, RM)

Playlists

• Law School Events• Department/Office Sponsored Events– Bar Prep– Career Services– Experiential Learning/Coop

• Classes– Per class or instructor (at instructor’s request)– Per term (“Spring 2012 EMSoL Classes”)

From Playlist to Audience

• Post link to playlists or individual videos– On website– In course site (Bb Vista/Learn, TWEN, etc.)

• Recorded Events page in Community Property– Law Community-only Access– Uses RSS Viewer Web Parts– XSL Template customized (slightly)

• E-mail link to playlists/videos

Scenario 3: Playlists to SharePoint

• Basic SharePoint wiki page– Header/3-column layout

• RSS Viewer Web Part– Specify feed address– Set options– Customize XSL Template

• Replace “More…” with “Watch Video”• Set videos to open in a new window

• Demo: https://colleges.moss.drexel.edu/law/SitePages/Recordings.aspx

Wrap-up

• Pre-existing Conditions• Assessing The Needs of The Community• Assessing Available Resources• Scenarios and Solutions• Questions? Comments?• E-mail me: ckealey@drexel.edu