12

Media and
Information
Literacy
Quarter 4 – Module 12:
Audio Information and Media

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed by

educators from public and private schools, colleges, and or/universities. We
encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their feedback,
comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education at
action@deped.gov.ph.

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

 What I Need to Know

This module aims to help learners like you get well-acquainted with key
concepts of media and information and use this knowledge to communicate using
the technology in your hands. The scope of this module permits it to be used in
many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse
vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to
correspond with the textbook you are now using.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. describe the different dimensions of audio information and media
(MIL11/12AIM-IVd-11)
2. comprehend how audio information and media are formally and informally
produced, organized, and disseminated (MIL11/12AIM-IVd-12)
3. evaluate the reliability and validity of audio information and media and their
sources using selection criteria (MIL11/12AIM-IVd-13)
4. produce and evaluate a creative audio-based presentation using design
principle and elements (MIL11/12AIM-IVd-14)

What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. Which of the following principles of sound design refers to the balance,
combination, and control of numerous sound elements?
a. dialogue c. pace
b. mixing d. publisher
2. What term refers to an episodic series of digital audio or video file or
recording that can be downloaded by a user from a website to a media player
or computer to listen?
a. audio podcast c. radio broadcast
b. music d. sound recording
3. What storage medium refers to a small, flat flash drive used to save data
such as audios, pictures, texts, and videos for use on small, portable, or
remote computing devices?
a. compact hard drive c. tape
b. memory card d. USB drive

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4. What element of sound design refers to the complete absence of noise or
sound?
a. mixing c. pace
b. music d. silence
5. What do you call the Microsoft audio file format standard used for the
storage of digital audio data on personal computers?
a. M4A c. WAV
b. MP3 d. WMA
6. What type of audio file refers to an instrumental or a vocal sound that
conveys emotions and ideas in significant forms through the elements of
color, harmony, melody, and rhythm?
a. audio podcast c. music
b. dialogue d. sound clip
7. What do you call the sound, aside from dialogue and music, artificially made
to create an effect in a movie, play, or another broadcast production?
a. audio podcast c. silence
b. radio broadcast d. sound effect
8. What term refers to a coding format for consumer audio, as well as a means
of sound sequence compression for the transmission and playback of music
on most digital audio players?
a. M4A c. WAV
b. MP3 d. WMA
9. What storage medium refers to a plastic-fabricated, circular tool on which
audio, video, and other digital information is recorded, stored, and played
back?
a. compact disc c. memory card
b. internet d. tape
10. Which of the following resources of media and information is defined as
anything connected to sound, specifically when received, recorded,
transferred, or duplicated?
a. digital text c. text style
b. digital font d. typeface

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Lesson
Audio Information and
1 Media
Have you ever listened to a radio drama? Most of the time, people tune in to
this type of radio program because of the story. But there is more to the story that
they narrate and the characters who put life to the story: it is how the sound
designers insert background music perfectly and use sound effects appropriately.
In this lesson, you will be learning how audio information can be an influential
form of media and how it can be used and applied for you to learn and absorb ideas
and concepts better.

What’s In

Choose the letter that best describes the statement in each number.

_____1. These are materials, programs, and applications A. Visual design

elements that teachers and students use to B. Balance
formulate new information to aid learning. C. Visual media
_____2. These are the building blocks or basic units in the D. Directional
movement construction of a visual image. E. Center of interest
_____3. It will be the product when the placement of dark and
light areas can move your attention through the format.
_____4. These are the objects, values, colors, textures, shapes,
and forms used in creating a visual composition.
_____5. This area is more significant compared to the other
objects or elements in a composition.

What’s New

Watch the trailer of “A Woman of Paris” by accessing the link below and
answer the following questions once you are done watching.
Video link: https://vimeo.com/charliechaplin

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 Video screenshot from: https://vimeo.com/charliechaplin
1. How did you find your experience in watching the video clip of a silent movie?
__________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think most media consumers would enjoy this type of media? Why or
why not?
__________________________________________________________________
3. What suggestions can you make to improve this video?
__________________________________________________________________

Each justification will be graded using the following rubric.

Score Description
2 points The justification covered little essential information required and
one or two facts.
3 points The justification covered some essential information required with
a few citations and facts.
4 points The justification covered all essential information required and
facts.
5 points The justification covered the topic extensively and comprehensively
with a variety of resources.

What is It

Audio Information and Media

Audio
Audio is defined as anything connected to sound, specifically when received,
recorded, transferred, or duplicated (HarperCollins, n.d.). It is anything related to
the documentation and transmission of sound (Cambridge University, n.d.). Audio
is one of the resources of media and information, along with text, visual, and
motion.

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Audio Media and Audio Information

Audio Media refers to the media communication that uses audio equipment
to report, document, and deliver information through the means of sound. It may
also refer to audio formats such as analog tape cassettes, digital compact discs,
and computer files containing audio. On the other hand, audio information is the
file or sound created and transferred by using high fidelity waves that are heard
through certain audio tools.

Types and Categories of Audio Information

There are several types of audio file:

❖ Radio Broadcast – the act of sending a live or recorded audio through radio
waves meant for a large group of listeners
❖ Music – an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating
instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
❖ Sound Recording – the encoding of any sound from the surroundings; the
act or procedure of making a record of a certain sound (Merriam-Webster,
n.d.)
❖ Sound Clip/Sound Effect – the sound, aside from dialogue and music,
artificially made to create an effect in a movie, play, or other broadcast
production (Oxford University, n.d.)
❖ Audio Podcast – an episodic series of digital audio or video file or recording
that can be downloaded by a user from a website to a media player or
computer to listen

Aside from knowing the various types of audio information, you must also
learn the different ways of storing audio files:

❖ Tape – a magnetic tape sound recording format on which sound can be

documented
❖ Compact Disc – a plastic-fabricated, circular tool on which audio, video,
and other digital information is recorded, stored, and played back
❖ USB Flash Drive - an external hard disk drive, small enough to fit on a
keychain, that can be plugged into the computer’s USB port
❖ Memory Card – a small, flat flash drive used to save data such as audio
files, pictures, texts, and videos for use on small, portable, or remote
computing devices
❖ Computer Hard Drive – a secondary data storage device for saving digital
data
❖ Internet/Cloud – a wide network of remote servers in the internet meant to
operate as storage and retrieval of audio files and other computer data

Now, before we save our audio files, we need to consider first the numerous
audio file formats:

❖ MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer 3) - a coding format for consumer audio, as well
as a mean of sound sequence compression for the transmission and
playback of music on most digital audio players
❖ M4A/AAC (MPEG-4 Audio/Advanced Audio Coding) - a file extension for
lossy digital audio compression

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 ❖ WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) - the Microsoft audio file format
standard used for the storage of digital audio data on personal computers
❖ WMA (Windows Media Audio) - a file extension developed by Microsoft and
used with Windows Media Player

A Friendly Reminder: Hearing vs. Listening

“Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing-
impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something you
consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain
processes meaning from words and sentences. Listening leads to learning.”
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2011; Rosenblat, 2009)

Characteristics of a Sound

The following are the characteristics of sound:

❖ Volume - the force of a sound

❖ Tone - the musical or vocal sound of a definite quality (Merriam-Webster,
n.d.)
❖ Pitch - the degree of highness or lowness of a sound (Oxford University, n.d.)
❖ Loudness - the feature of a sound that determines the degree of the auditory
sensation produced (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)

Purposes of Using Sounds or Audio Media

Audio media have a vital role when it comes to the teaching and learning
process. Some learners are auditory learners. These are learners who better
understand lessons by listening to the content and concepts that they need to
grasp. This is the reason why it is important to use audio media along with text
and visual media since these will make the lessons more motivating for learners.
The following are some of the purposes of using sounds or audio media in
facilitating learning:

❖ These enable the learners to listen to the ideas and views of the experts and
other reliable people;
❖ These allow learners to listen to learning materials, like speeches;
❖ These serve as alternative guides for the learners when they are doing their
tasks, such as experiments; and
❖ These grant the learners audio files of important past events or sounds from
the settings that the learners cannot personally visit.

Elements and Principles of Sound Design

Nowadays, sound is an essential part of any movie, play, or broadcast

production. A well-created soundtrack makes the audience enjoy any dramatic
presentation. Therefore, it is a must for us to know the elements and principles of
sound design. It is important to get an understanding of what makes up an entire
production soundtrack.

Sound Design is the vivid use of sound during a production in connection to

the images and contents of the story to create an emotional response. These are the

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elements of sound design or the elements that one must work with to produce
soundtracks:
❖ Dialogue – a composition in the form of conversation between two people
❖ Sound Effect - the sound, aside from dialogue and music, artificially made
to create an effect in a movie, play, or broadcast production (Oxford
University, n.d.)
❖ Music - an instrumental or a vocal sound that conveys emotions and ideas
in significant forms through the elements of color, harmony, melody, and
rhythm
❖ Silence – the complete absence of noise or sound

Aside from these elements that one must work with in creating a
soundtrack, principles of sound design, or the audio techniques for merging the
various elements or objects of sound design, should also be considered:

❖ Mixing – the balance, combination, and control of numerous sound

elements
❖ Pace – the editing and the time control of sound design; it has numerous
categories:
o Linear – the sounds that are permanent, used once, and will be in the
same place
o Non-Linear – the sounds that are much more open in comparison to
linear sounds
o Multi-Linear
❖ Transition – the process of getting from one element or fragment of sound
design to another; it has various types:
o Segue – an uninterrupted movement from one piece of music to
another
o Cross-Fade – the smooth transition of a sound between two side by
side audio files on the same track
o V-Fade – a switch from one volume level to another softer or louder
level
o Fade to Black – a type of V-Fade which has some silence between the
elements of sound design
❖ Stereo Imaging - the feature of sound documentation and duplication
concerning the supposed spatial locations of the sound sources, both
sideways and in depth.

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 Assessment

Modified True or False: Read each statement carefully. Write True if the
statement is correct, but if it is false, change the underlined word or group of words
to make the whole statement true.

__________1. Mixing refers to the balance, combination, and control of numerous

sound elements.
__________2. Radio Broadcast is an episodic series of digital audio or video file or
recording that can be downloaded by a user from a website to a media
player or computer to listen.
__________3. USB Drive is a small, flat flash drive used to save data such as
audios, pictures, texts, and videos for use on small, portable, or
remote computing devices.
__________4. Silence refers to the complete absence of noise or sound.
__________5. WMA is the Microsoft audio file format standard used for the storage
of digital audio data on personal computers.
__________6. Sound Clip is an instrumental or a vocal sound that conveys emotions
and ideas in significant forms through the elements of color,
harmony, melody, and rhythm.
__________7. Audio Podcast is the sound, aside from dialogue and music, artificially
made to create an effect in a movie, play, or other broadcast
production.
__________8. M4A is a coding format for consumer audio, as well as a means of
sound sequence compression for the transmission and playback of
music on most digital audio players.
__________9. Compact Disc refers to a plastic-fabricated, circular tool on which
audio, video, and other digital information is recorded, stored, and
played back.
__________10. Visual is defined as anything connected to sound, specifically
when received, recorded, transferred, or duplicated.

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