eLearning Tools Series

Podcasting
What Is Podcasting?
Podcasting is a term that refers to automatically downloading audio files over the Internet, storing them on your computers hard drive or a portable listening device, and listening to them at your convenience. Podcasting can also refer to creating the files. Video podcasting has the added advantage of providing visual information such as pictures, charts, PowerPoint presentations, and video, although it is important to remember that most students dont have a video iPod and must view such files on a computer. Unlike streamed audio, which is not saved on your hard drive or transferred to a portable listening device, podcasts are saved until listeners are ready to hear them. If they are stored on a portable player, the listener can take them along for playback while away from the computer. Audio files can even be burned onto a CD for playback in a car stereo. Listeners can use a subscription service that automatically saves new podcasts to their computer: they subscribe to their favorite shows or a particular lecture series through Really Simple Syndication (RSS), which automatically downloads new podcasts as they become available. These three features, automation, subscription, and portability, are key advantages that podcasting has over other methods of using audio files (Williamson, J., 2006). Podcasts can also be created quickly and cheaply, and allow you to publish content for a very specific audience.

Podcasting is a method of delivering content that allows learners to choose when and where they will listen to it. It is a set of technologies that lets individuals record, publish, find, subscribe, and listen to audio over the Internet, on whatever audio player they have available; it does not require an iPod. Use podcasting as a way to free up valuable classroom time, or have students work individually or in pairs to produce their own podcasts.

Why Use Podcasting in Your Course?

Using podcasts gives you an opportunity to redesign your course, consider course objectives and student needs, rethink teaching strategies and student assignments, and strengthen the learning experience. Podcasting lectures free up face-to-face time for more interactive sessions, such as discussions and group work. Podcasting gives learners control over when and where they access course content. Students can listen to key sessions and critical information a number of times until they have a good grasp of the material. Students can create podcasts for a highly engaging, student-centred assignment.

What You Might Record as a Podcast

Record sessions that lend themselves well to an audio-only modality. To be most effective, record content that would be difficult to express in other media, such as the following: Connect with us: 5th Floor Bio Sciences Phone: (403) 220-4949 Email: lcfeedbk@ucalgary.ca Interviews with content experts Guest lectures Audio tours of an area (building, campus, museum) Performances (such as music) Discussions between faculty or students Conference presentations

Podcasting
Give Me an Example
You may want to podcast key lectures for students who miss class, or those who want to hear the lecture more than once. This can be especially helpful for English as a Second Language students. Prepare podcasts in advance, and then make them available to students prior to class. Rather than duplicate lectures, you can use classroom time for more interactive teaching and learning activities, building on concepts covered in the lecture. Keep the podcast short by recording only key concepts, or aspects of the lecture that tend to be problematic for students. There are more educational applications for podcasts than just using it for instructorcreated content. Student podcasts have the potential to be highly engaging classroom assignments. Here are some ideas to get you started: Students can conduct interviews and publish them as a podcast. Have students work in pairs or small groups to debate an issue through podcasting. Students can have the option of producing a podcast as an alternative to writing an essay. In language classes, have students write a dialogue and record it. EdTechTalk.com EdTechPosse.com ITConversations.com Itunes.stanford.edu

Where Can I Go for More Information?

1. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.
Richardson, W. (2006). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

2. DArcy Norman Dot Net:

http://darcynorman.net/tag/podcasting

3. iTunes
http://www.apple.com/itunes

The following sites include examples of podcasts:

4. Podcasting Wiki for the U of C

http://wiki.ucalgary.ca/page/Podcasting

Limitations of Podcasting
Podcasting is a one-way flow of information; it is not interactive. It is a poor delivery method for people who are hearing impaired. For large enrollment courses, you are likely to have students with hearing impairments. Some students do not learn well through didactic modalities. Some topics require visual delivery for learners to understand them. Although it is possible for podcasts to include graphics, charts, and video, most students will need to view these podcasts on a computer, which negates the advantage of portability. Audio files are typically large. If you have a lot of students using a dial-up modem, downloading podcasts will be frustrating for them.

5. Seven things you should know about Podcasting:

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ ELI7003.pdf

6. What is Podcasting Introduction

http://www.oid.ucla.edu/units/tec/tectutorials/ casting/whatispodcasting01

Other Considerations
Long podcasts make it more difficult for students to find specific parts of a lecture. If you have a lot of content to cover, break it down into several short sections instead. Think about whether or not listening to an audio recording is what students need in order to learn the concepts and issues of the content. They may need increased involvement, such as labs, tutorials, practice, self-tests, discussion about the topic, or another learning strategy. An alternative to podcasting is using software such as Breeze, which records your audio along with a PowerPoint presentation. Topics that include visual information may be better suited to this format. Consider using software such as Elluminate if you want to increase interactivity.
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7. If You Can Teach, You Can Podcast: Get Started Today.

Williamson, J. (2006) UCLA Office of Instructional Development: Teaching Enhancement Centre. http://www.bruintech.ucla.edu/seminars/Pod casting%20and%20Higher%20Ed%20slides. pdf#search=%22williamson%20%22Introduc tion%20to%20Podcasting%22%22

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