Something Old, Something New,
Something Borrowed, Something Gnu
How to Build Solutions Using
University IT Systems, In-house
Resources and Open Source
Software
Chad Kealey
Earle Mack School of Law
Drexel University
Objectives
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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/R
ecordings.aspx
Wrap-up
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Pre-existing Conditions
Assessing The Needs of The Community
Assessing Available Resources
Scenarios and Solutions
Questions? Comments?
E-mail me: ckealey@drexel.edu