Learning and Teaching Centre

Podcasts

Podcasting is an invented word, created by combining ‘iPod’ with ‘broadcasting’. It is used to describe audio or video files that are published online and sent to subscribers who can play them on their computer or MP3 player at a time appropriate to them.  Whilst users have been able to download or stream MP3 file from the net for several years, it is only recently the technology has been developed that allows users to subscribe to this content that is then automatically downloaded to their desktop.

Podcasting content is automatically downloaded through XML or RSS feeds onto a podcast feed reader (downloaded computer program or application), where the user can play the file or download it to their portable MP3 player.

True Podcasting refers to both the media (MP3 files) and the method of downloading these files (XML or RSS feeds) onto your computer.

‘A podcast is audio or visual content that is automatically delivered over a network via free subscription. Once subscribed to, podcasts can be regularly distributed over the Internet or within your school’s network and accessed with an iPod, laptop, or desktop computer (both Macs and PCs)’.
http://www.apple.com/education/solutions/podcasting/

There is a series of podcasts on this web site.

Solution

'Below are several screen shots of XML, RSS & POD (all podcast) links. When you are in the actual podcast site click on the orange button to open the XML file, then copy and paste the URL (circled in red) into the feed window of your podcasting reader on your computer. See explanation in the ‘How’ steps below.

XML File

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How

Creating a podcast

Convenors can record their lecture or presentation in an MP3 format using

  1. an MP3 player with a recording feature (iPods need an added Belkin attachment)
  2. a digital audio recorder
  3. their iLecture recordings
  4. a recording made at the Audiovisual Technology Services (AVTS)Recording Studios or
  5. a file from the Wimba Voice Tools

Here are two guides to creating your own podcast and posting it to the web.

How to Create Your Own Podcast - A Step-by-Step Tutorial http://radio.about.com/od/podcastin1/a/aa030805a.htm [viewed 4-07-06]

How to create your own podcast http://www.zefhemel.com/upload/CreatingAPodcastingShowOnWindows.pdf [viewed 4-07-06]

Downloading a podcast

1. You will need to download iTunes or other podcasting reader software onto your computer.  If you intend to download the podcasts onto an iPod you will need to use iTunes as your podcast reader.  Examples of Podcasting reader software are:

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

Juice
http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net

Doppler
http://www.dopplerradio.net

jPodder
http://jpodder.com

FeedReader
http://www.feedreader.com

2. Finding the podcast that you want. There are many podcast dedicated search engines.

Podscope
Searches for podcasts according to the words spoken within the podcast
http://www.podscope.com/

Podzinger
Searches the text transcript of a podcast for your keywords
http://www.podzinger.com/

Feedster
Large Podcast search engine
http://www.feedster.com/

Podrazor
http://www.podrazor.com/

3. Once you find the podcast feed you want to listen to, open the XML or RSS file. (These links are noted by their white RSS, XML or POD letters within an orange rectangle.) Paste the URL, which ends in .xml, into the feed window in your feeder. You should then be able to download this and related podcasts through the podcast reader then listen to them through your computer’s default media player. When the content provider places new podcasts on the web you can automatically or manually (depending on how you set your podcast reader) download the latest podcasts through the same feed.

If you are using iTunes for your feeder, you will be able to download the podcasts onto your iPod. If you are using another MP3 player you should be able to download your podcasts from other podcast feeders.

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Why

Podcasting allows the user to listen to radio programs, music, lectures, etc when and where they want (with a portable player MP3 player).

Steve Sloan, the author of Edupodder.com offers these reasons for podcasting.

  • for distance learning
  • to facilitate self-paced learning
  • for re-mediation of slower learners
  • to allow faculty to offer advanced and or highly motivated learners extra content
  • for helping students with reading and/or other disabilities
  • for multi-lingual education
  • to provide the ability for educators to feature guest speakers from remote locations
  • to allow guest speakers the ability to present once to many sections and classes
  • to allow educators to escape the tedium of lecturing
  • to offer a richer learning environment

Students and teachers have access to hours and hours of free audio content! Teachers can record content to be automatically delivered to students; students can record their own podcasts to share with others.
http://www.learninginhand.com/podcasting/

Audio has some advantages as a learning resources, as well as some disadvantages (for example, the inability to skim or take in 20 minutes of audio to see whether it contains what you want, compared with 2,000 words of text and image). At the risk of repeating an e-learning cliché, there are no technological silver bullets, and any learning resource will only be successful if it is effectively integrated with other resources in other, complementary media.
http://alchemi.co.uk/archives/ele/ipods_podcastin.html [viewed 4-07-06]

Useful Resources

Academic MP3s – is it time yet?
http://www.campus-technology.com/article.asp?id=18001&p=1 [viewed 4-07-06]
Campbell G. Educause Review: November/December 2005

There’s Something in the Air: Podcasting in Education
http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm05/erm0561.asp [viewed 4-07-06]

Education Podcast Network
‘The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century’.
http://www.epnweb.org/ [viewed 4-07-06]

Exploiting the Educational Potential of Podcasting
Online article that presents some useful hints and ideas on using podcasting activities
http://recap.ltd.uk/articles/podguide.html [viewed 4-07-06]

Podcasting Course
An introductory course in podcasting for educators.
Convenor Dave Jobbings
http://www.recap.ltd.uk/moodle/course/ [viewed 4-07-06]

Podcasts for educators, schools and colleges
This educational podcasting directory has advice for podcasters and podcast users, and list of available podcasts catalogued by topic.
http://www.recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/ [viewed 4-07-06]

Trend: Podcasting in Academic and Corporate Learning
This article lists seven ways podcasting can contribute to learning.

  • Assist auditory learners
  • Provide another channel for material review
  • Assist non-native speakers
  • Provide feedback to learners
  • Enable instructors to review training or lectures
  • Replace full classroom or online sessions when content simply requires delivery
  • Provide supplementary content or be part of a blended solution

http://www.learningcircuits.org/2005/jun2005/0506_trends [viewed 4-07-06]

Podcasting for Education
Useful blog canvassing ideas for the effective use of podcasts in education
http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education [viewed 4-07-06]

Seven Things You Should Know About Podcasting. Educause Learning Initiative 2005
What is it? Who is doing it? How does it work? Why is it significant? What are the downsides of podcasting? Where is it going? What are the implications for teaching and learning?
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7003.pdf [viewed 4-07-06]

 

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