Podcasting
Podcasting (audio) and vodcasting (video) are methods for delivering media content as a subscription service. While users have been able to download audio and video from websites for years, podcasts allow users to "subscribe" and automatically receive new content, as opposed to visiting a website to check for and download new content manually.
How Podcasting Works
Podcasts use RSS, or XML-based feeds to bring content to users automatically. The same technology is used to subscribe to web-based news and information feeds. While the code may be difficult for some to write, it only needs to be set up once. After that, podcasting becomes fairly simple.
Podcasting can be broken into three stages:
- Recording the event (such as a lecture). The most difficult stage of podcasting is recording, editing, and formatting the content. Recording a class discussion, for example, is complicated with only one microphone, particularly when there is a great deal of class discussion more than a few feet away from the microphone. The ultimate goal of this first stage, however, is to end up with an acceptable recording in the appropriate format (MP3 for audio, and MP4 for video).
- Placing the podcast on a website. This RSS/XML code is short, and once it's created the first time, it does not need to be created again for the rest of the recordings in that series.
-
Accessing the podcast. The user then has to point their "podcatching" client software
to that RSS/XML feed. There are many podcatching clients available free with the help of a search engine.
- First the user needs to download a podcatching client onto their desktop computer. One of the most common podcatching clients is Apple's iTunes software. iTunes and all other podcatching software is capable of downloading podcast and vodcast files, as well as the typical music files that are most common with iPod and other MP3 player users.
- Next the podcast's address is either entered into or selected from the software. After that, the software automatically searches for podcast updates from that source every time the end user launches the program and downloads the files to the user's computer.
- Finally, the end user can elect to transfer those files to their iPod or other MP3 player. Contrary to popular belief, one does not need an iPod or other MP3 player to receive podcasts. Podcasts can be played directly on a user's computer.
Podcast Enhanced Learning
The body of knowledge regarding the use of podcasting in learning and teaching is still forming. Concerns exist that podcasting enables students to not attend podcasted classes, allowing them to listen to a lecture, instead of attending class.
In reality, no student can receive all pertinent class information simply by playing a podcast. Podcasting, however, does allow students to review class materials in preparation for exams, or for simply reviewing material they may not have fully understood during the in-class lecture.
Vodcasts can bring even greater power to the technology for students who own a video-enabled MP3 player. It provides portable video playback for pedagogical procedures. This can be a powerful learning tool, for example, in laboratories where computer access is limited: an engineering wave lab procedure can be reviewed by students on an iPod moments before they need to conduct similar testing; a veterinary endoscopic procedure can be reviewed moments before a student needs to perform the procedure; an agronomic procedure for cross-pollinating plants can be reviewed just before the student has to conduct the same procedure in a greenhouse.
Getting Started Podcasting
Due to its relative simplicity, many department, college, and central IT staff can set up podcasts. For anyone wanting assistance, IT Service's Academic Technology staff can help with all three podcasting stages. Contact 515-294-6014 for assistance. The most important part of podcasting is capturing the content in a way that best impacts learning, and IT Services staff can advise on ways to accomplish this, or perform the service for you.
