Free video-enhanced program on the web

don sorsa · Post by **don sorsa** » Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:41 pm

Hello - Several years ago I developed a multimedia program, English Insight, for various ESL/EFL courses, and I've distributed that program for free on CD's. Today I finally put the program and all the videos on the Web for free distribution, download, and use. I think (hope) everyone will be able to access and download this program, but a broadband connection is probably needed since these are rather large video files. This is my "public" unveiling of this site, so please put yourself in user-testing mode and let me know if anything doesn't work.

I showcased this program at TESOL in Baltimore and Deborah Healey talked about it at CATESOL. At that time, English Insight had mpeg videos and now it has Real videos, not quite the same quality but a much smaller file.

Please take a look and let me know if you have any problems, questions, suggestions, etc. I hope you find this program useful for intermediate and advanced level courses for adults and teens. Thanks for taking a look.

http://condor.depaul.edu/~dsorsa/START.HTM

Regards,
Don Sorsa
[email protected]
[email protected]
DePaul University

PS - I'm new to this group and apologize if I've done this wrong.

Showem · Post by **Showem** » Sat May 03, 2003 8:36 pm

I downloaded the first pack of three and watched the first two videos. Do you have support material for them? Otherwise they aren't any more useful than any other clips I can pull off the web.

don sorsa · Post by **don sorsa** » Sat May 03, 2003 11:25 pm

Download the HTML files that accompany the videos.

Showem · Post by **Showem** » Sun May 04, 2003 11:25 am

OKay, I missed them the first time. The material looks good, but as you say, it's definitely upper-int to advanced (at least for the first 2 videos). I doubt I'll use the material totally in the form given, as none of the classes I teach are wired up. But bringing in the video on my laptop, with a paper copy of the support material might be an option. I'll browse through the videos, find an appropriate one for my advanced class and give it a go. I'll let you know how it goes.

don sorsa · Post by **don sorsa** » Sun May 04, 2003 2:24 pm

If your students have computers at home or access to computers anywhere, you can burn CD's for them. You can also load this program to a network and allow students to watch it in a lab with headphones. (I am assuming a "high-tech" learning environment as exists in most North American colleges and universities.) I have found that videos work best for learning when individual students can control the action and replay as needed.

Thanks for trying out the program.