How did you use this product/subscription in your course?
I used the Rode wireless microphone to conduct interviews and for online video lectures.
In what ways do you feel the product/subscription supported student learning, if at all?
This device allowed me to be a one-person video production crew without the complex microphone set up. As a result, I was able to do more interviews and video lectures to enhance the variety of content for my online courses.
What challenges, if any, did you encounter when using this product/subscription?
No challenges. This device was easy to set up. Learning where to place the lavalier microphone on a person to get optimal sound took a few tests, but that’s not a problem with the device.
What advice would you give to a colleague who’s interested in using this product?
For online instructors, this device makes it easy to add high quality sound to your videos, without the complicated sound set up. I like it better than using a shotgun microphone attached to the camera, because it allows me to move around and still maintain consistent sound level. However, for interviews, you’ll need two sets of these along with a sound mixer. For the sound mixer, I bought a Zoom H6.
The sound quality coming from this microphone is very good, with a slightly lower frequency than other microphones I’ve used. However, that’s not tested with some technical equipment. That’s just with my ears and experience using several other microphones. I don’t think the quality of the sound is as crisp as the Sennheiser wireless microphones, but those are $200-400 dollars more. With that savings, you could get the mixer, and your students will not be able to tell the difference, unless there was a side by side comparison. So, for the money and the ease of use, I highly recommend the Rode microphone.
Some things to be aware of: 1) It’s made of plastic, albeit high quality plastic. I don’t think it’s a problem considering I’m not producing videos like a production company; 2) The transmitter and receiver are bigger than the Sennheiser transmitter and receiver. Again, it’s not a problem for me considering I’m making videos for online courses and don’t need that discreet factor.
Overall, I would highly recommend the Rode wireless microphone. It makes adding high quality sound to online videos easy. Considering that online instructors are making videos by themselves, this is definitely an essential tool to have.
Overall, would you recommend this product/subscription to other faculty?
Yes