Design and Development of a Metadata-Driven Search Tool for use with Digital Recordings

It is becoming more common for researchers to use existing recordings as a source for data rather than to generate new media for research. Prior to the examination of recordings, data must be extracted from the recordings and the recordings must be described with metadata to allow users to search for the recordings and to search information within the recordings. The purpose of this small-scale study was to develop a web based search tool that will permit a comprehensive search of spoken information within a collection of existing digital recordings archived in an open-access digital repository. The study is significant to the field of instructional design and technology (IDT) as the digital recordings used in this study are interviews, which contain personal histories and insight from leaders and scholars who have influenced and advanced the field of IDT. This study explored and used design and development research methods for the development of a search tool for use with digital video interviews. The study applied speech recognition technology, tool prototypes, usability testing, expert review, and the skills of a program developer. Results from the study determined that the produced tool provided a more comprehensive and flexible search for users to locate content from within AECT Legends and Legacies Project video interviews.