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Session Code: HE-02 Accessible Media@Mason: The Costs of Doing Business

Session Code: HE-02 Accessible Media@Mason: The Costs of Doing Business. Korey Singleton, ATI Manager George Mason University January 31, 2012 9:20am-10:20am. What we ’ ll cover. Introductions Brief Overview of ATI Accessible Media@ Mason Background Process Issues Costs

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Session Code: HE-02 Accessible Media@Mason: The Costs of Doing Business

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  1. Session Code: HE-02 Accessible Media@Mason: The Costs of Doing Business Korey Singleton, ATI Manager George Mason University January 31, 2012 9:20am-10:20am Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts

  2. What we’ll cover • Introductions • Brief Overview of ATI • Accessible Media@Mason • Background • Process • Issues • Costs • Next Steps • Questions/Answers

  3. Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI) “Brief Overview of Mason’s AT Services”

  4. Mission of the ATI Our mission is to help provide individuals with disabilities an accessible university environment by supporting access to all technological, architectural, and educational resources availableat George Mason University through the incorporation of assistive technologies, the provision of technical support, and the development of university-wide strategies for universal access.

  5. Staff • Manager – Korey Singleton • Coordinator, IT Accessibility – Kara Zirkle • Coordinator, Accessible Media – Liz Prickett • Accessible Media Specialist – Nancy Borck • Program Support Specialist – Stephanie Robbins • Graduate Students – Sri, Shadiyah

  6. Services • Informal assistive technology (AT) assessments • Training – AT software and equipment • Training and technical resources as it relates to campus accessibility • Accessible Text (converting books into accessible formats) • Accessible Media (captioning, audio description) • Web accessibility testing and accessibility workshops

  7. Collaborate with ... • Office of Equity and Diversity • Office of Disability Services • Information Technology Unit • University Libraries • Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities • Environmental Health & Safety • Learning Services • Distance Education List continues to grow...

  8. ODS & OEDS Office of Disability Services (Students) • Accessible Text Services • AT Assessments/Training • Community Outreach with local public schools Office of Equity & Diversity Services (Faculty/Staff) • ATI Under OEDS • Accessible Text Services • AT Assessments/Training • University-Wide Training Initiatives

  9. Libraries & Learning Services Mason Libraries • AT Labs • Consultation • Accessible Media Learning Services (Students) • Technology Sharing • AT Assessments/Training (registered/unregistered) • AT Training for LS Staff

  10. Accessible Media Production “Background & Process”

  11. Background (Docsoft:AV unit) • Prior to 2009 – No Solution • August 2009 – Purchased Docsoft:AV Unit • ATI paid 1/3 upfront costs, Kellar Institute (KIHd) covered rest • 50/50 split of annual maintenance costs w/ KIHd • ATI • Manage access to service • Provide Docsoft:AV and :TE applications training to faculty and staff • Market and promote • KIHd • Host Docsoft:AV unit on their server • Established http://docsoft.gmu.edu

  12. Docsoft:AV Unit • Unit is used to automatically generate text transcripts and closed captioning formats (http://docsoft.gmu.edu) • Supports number of different formats • Speaker profiles • Supports multiple user accounts (10GB limit/user) • 60 hours/week

  13. Docsoft:TE Application Software application allows user to edit transcripts created using Docsoft:AV unit.

  14. Background (Docsoft:AV unit cont’d) After 1 year…still no captioning! • Unit was not being utilized • One staff member captioned videos (on her own time) for one of their departmental programs • One staff member transcribed interviews from research project • Requests from grad students to transcribe research • Pushback from faculty/staff • Myth regarding voice transcription capability (not 100%) • Lack of resources on part of departments/units • Lack of faculty/staff technical knowledge • Lack of time

  15. Background (Proposal) • January 2011 – Submitted proposal to provide in-house captioning services (Final budget submission ~$36k) Proposal Highlights • Accessible Media Process/Procedures (input from several stakeholders) • Increase 1 PT staff to FT • 2 hourly student-wage positions • 2 new computer workstations • Equipment for converting VHS to DVD* • Costs for outsourcing (CC and AD) • Hardware licensing costs - Docsoft:AV unit • Software licensing costs • June 2011 – FY2012 Budget Approved for $40k!

  16. Background (Pilot) • Sum 2011 • Hired/Trained 2 grad assistants – Docsoft:AV and :TE applications • Developed online request form • Established accessible media workflow (w/ stakeholders) • Aug./Sept. 2011 – Pilot Project launched • Worked with 1 Instructional Designer • Emphasis on Windows Media Files (WMV) • Content came from: • YouTube, GMU-TV station, iTunesU, DE courses, Mason “channels” (i.e., YouTube, Vimeo) • 3-week turnaround time on jobs

  17. Windows Media Streaming File • WMV – video file • SMI – captions file • ASX – metafile, which links the video and captions files together

  18. Accessible Media Pilot Workflow Email link to ASX file for faculty/staff member (Web Hosting Server)

  19. Pilot Project Results • Timeframe (Fall 2011) • Captioned just under 12 hours of video • Most submissions from ID, some from promotional sites • Host of Issues Identified! • Timing, Delivery method (WMV, server issues, buffering) • Streaming server accounts (5GB limit) • Quality of captions • Video description • Lack of technical knowledge • Marketing • HD videos • When to outsource??

  20. Retool for Spring Rollout • End of Jan 2012 (Beginning of Spring semester) **Goal to make service available to entire university** • How we fixed issues? • Delivery method (Created YouTube channel) • Quality of captions (e.g., Media Access Group at WGBH Best Practices) • Video description (We’ll discuss later) • Lack of technical knowledge (Trial & Error) • Marketing (DE Council, Faculty Orientation Workshops, OEDS, ID Team, Library staff) • HD videos (Converted into SD) • When to outsource?? (Established some guidelines…e.g., over 60 min, less than 3-wk)

  21. YouTube Channel • Addressing Delivery Method Issues (Buffering) • Set up Private Channel • Videos Settings (Public, Private, Unlisted) • File Size Limits (15min, 2GB) • Unlimited File Size possible – Upload videos longer than 15 minutes • Most faculty are aware at least aware of tool • Easy to embed within Bb (Mason’s LMS) • Platform independent (Mac, PC, Mobile devices) • Free!!

  22. Quality of Captions Best Practices • Sentence case • No more than 40 characters per line • Using logical breaks in captions, whether one line or two • Sound Effects • Consistent captioning for music and numbers • Proper punctuation and spelling • Using double-arrows and/or names to indicate speaker changes

  23. Improved Accessible Media Workflow (Spr. ’12)

  24. Accessible Media Production “FY2012 Costs”

  25. Costs – Hardware/Software **all costs are approximate One-time Upfront costs: Laptops for Grad Assistants (2) $2,200 Wireless Mouse (2) $60 NCH Software (6) $1,630 - Prism File Converter - SoundTap Audio Stream Recorder - SoThink Video Downloader - FlashLynx Video Downloader MovieCaptioner (Mac) – single user $110 QuickTime Pro (Mac) – single user $30 YouTube Downloader + $0 Total One-time Upfront Costs: $4,030.00**

  26. Costs – Recurring **all costs are approximate ++one-time cost, as service was discontinued Annual Licensing costs: Docsoft Annual Maintenance costs $1,800 per year (actual cost $3,600) ++GoDaddy Services (Web Hosting Service) $110 GoDaddy Services (Online Storage, 100GB) $30 YouTube Channel + $0 Total Recurring Costs: $1,940.00**

  27. Costs – Personnel Personnel costs: Accessible Media Coordinator (Increased from .75PT to FT) Grad Students (2) @ $12/hr. for 15 hrs./week Outsourcing Costs Total Personnel Costs: $37,072.70

  28. Drilling Down Through Personnel Costs Total Minutes (FY2012): 3453 Total Hours (FY2012): 57.55 Total Jobs (FY2012): 195 Total Hours (Outsourced in FY2012): 18.63 Total Jobs (Outsourced in FY2012): 24 Total Costs for Outsourcing in FY2012: $3,297.40 Avg. Cost per video minute (Outsourced): $2.94 Total Hours (Grad Students in FY2012): 38.92 Total Jobs (Grad Students in FY2012): 171 Total Costs (Grad Students in FY2012): $13,723.45 Avg. Cost per video minute (Student): $5.87

  29. Drilling Down By Grad Student Grad Student #1 Total Jobs (FY2012): 102 Total Hours (FY2012): 21.8 Avg. Cost per video minute (GA #1): $7.93 Grad Student #2 Total Jobs (FY2012): 69 Total Hours (FY2012): 17.1 Avg. Cost per video minute (GA #2): $3.26

  30. Total FY 2012 Costs **all costs are approximate ++one-time cost, as service was discontinued Upfront costs: $ 4,030.00 Annual licensing costs: $ 1,940.00 Personnel costs: + $37,072.70 Total FY2012 Costs: $43.042.70** Total Approved FY2012 Budget (Accessible Media): $40,850.00 Deficit: ($ 3,192.70)**

  31. Results/Lessons from FY2012? • It helps to have friends with money! • Involve stakeholders early • Improve campus buy-in (19 faculty, 3 staff) • Grad students vs. Outsourcing (e.g., Time, Costs) • Training, Training, Training!! • Software applications – Look for familiar and free • Budget/Prioritization • Timelines

  32. Accessible Media Production “Next Steps”

  33. Summarizing… • So far in FY2013, we have received requests for: • ~ 40 hours of video from 21 faculty and 2 staff • 127 jobs = 21 classes (F2F, Online), 2 websites • Since beginning (Sum 2011), we have received requests for: • ~ 100 hours of requests • 322 jobs = 40 classes (F2F, Online), 5 websites PERSPECTIVE: Mason’s Office of Distance Education estimates that they will have developed ~1130 DE courses between Sum 2011 and Sum 2013...we have addressed 40 of them! We have a longgggg way to go!

  34. Next Steps • Improve Workflow • SharePoint (alerts, central database, etc.) • Everything located in one place • Accurately track work directly related to accessible media • Continue to improve campus buy-in • Faculty/Staff Trainings • Promote Voice Recognition Tools within Docsoft:AV • Prioritize Jobs • Immediate student need/Classroom Compliance/Website Compliance • Improve costs/timelines • RFP for captioning to reduce per minute costs • Outsource all requests over 30 minutes

  35. Next Steps cont’d • Audio Description • Special Topics Audio Description course offered through Theater Dept. • Cross-listed with COMM, ENGL, and EDUC (Vision Certificate Program) • ATI will provide funding for Adjunct Position • Course set for Fall 2013 • Use course to identify Mason students that could provide AD for Mason content/performances/events/etc.

  36. Questions

  37. Contact Information Korey Singleton, ATI Manager Address: Assistive Technology Initiative George Mason University 4400 University Drive MSN 6A11 Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703-993-4329 Fax: 703-993-4743 Email: ati@gmu.edu Web:http://ati.gmu.edu

  38. Thank you for attending this session • CEUs – Session Code: XXX-YY • More info at: www.atia.org/CEU • For ACVREP, AOTA and ASHA CEUs, hand in completed Attendance Forms to REGISTRATION DESK at the end of the conference. Please note there is a $15 fee for AOTA CEUs. • For general CEUs, apply online with The AAC Institute: www.aacinstitute.org • Session Evaluation • Please help us improve the quality of our conference by completing your session evaluation form. • Completed evaluation forms should be submitted as you exit or to staff at the registration desk. • Handouts • Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts • Handout link remains live for 3 months after the conference ends. Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts

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