8/3/2019 Elearning Tools Podcasting Web

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/elearning-tools-podcasting-web 1/2

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,

fnd, 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.

Podcasting

What Is Podcasting? 

Podcasting is a term that refers to automatically downloading audio les over the Internet, storing themon your computer’s hard drive or a portable listening device, and listening to them at your convenience

Podcasting can also refer to creating the les. Video podcasting has the added advantage of providing

visual information such as pictures, charts, PowerPoint presentations, and video, although it is importa

to remember that most students don’t have a video iPod and must view such les 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 les

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 les(Williamson, J., 2006). Podcasts can also be created quickly and cheaply, and allow you to publish

content for a very specic audience.

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 discussion

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 agood grasp of the material.

Students can create podcasts for a highly engaging, student-centred assignment.

What You Might Record as a PodcastRecord sessions that lend themselves well to an audio-only modality. To be most effective, record

content that would be difcult to express in other media, such as the following:

Interviews with content experts

Guest lectures

 Audio tours of an area

(building, campus, museum)

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Connect with us:

5th Floor Bio Sciences

Phone: (403) 220-4949

Email: lcfeedbk@ucalgary.ca

eLearning Tools Serie

Performances (such as music)

Discussions between faculty or students

Conference presentations

•

•

•

8/3/2019 Elearning Tools Podcasting Web

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/elearning-tools-podcasting-web 2/2

© This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5 

Limitations of Podcasting 

Podcasting is a one-way ow of information; it is not interactive.

It is a poor delivery method for people who are hearing impaired. For large enrollmentcourses, 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 les are typically large. If you have a lot of students using a dial-up modem,

downloading podcasts will be frustrating for them.

Other Considerations

Long podcasts make it more difcult for students to nd specic 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.

Where Can I Go for MoreInformation? 

1. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and

other powerful web tools for 

classrooms.Richardson, W. (2006). Thousand Oaks:

Corwin Press.

2. D’Arcy Norman Dot Net:

http://darcynorman.net/tag/podcasting

3. iTunes

http://www.apple.com/itunes

4. Podcasting Wiki for the U of C

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

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

7. If You Can Teach, You Can

Podcast: Get Started Today.Williamson, J. (2006) UCLA Ofce 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

ITBL - eLearning Tools

 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 interactiveteaching 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 instructor-

created 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.The following sites include examples of podcasts:

EdTechTalk.com

EdTechPosse.com

ITConversations.com

Itunes.stanford.edu

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Podcasting