Podcasts in Learning & Teaching Mark Reed School of Earth & Environment FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

School of Earth & Environment FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Plan 1.What is a podcast? 2.Why use podcasts in learning and teaching? 3.Why I started using them and what students like best 4.Secrets of a successful podcast 5.How to launch your own podcast 6.Resources

1. What is a podcast? A series of sound and/or video files that are automatically downloaded to a computer and portable media device by free subscription whenever they are made available For example, BBC podcasts include a daily video breakfast news podcast and a daily audio podcast of the Today interview An example from ENVI2131 Climate Change: Social Issues

1. What is a podcast? 2 ways to subscribe to a podcast: 1. Insert web address into aggregator software like iTunes 2. Subscribe via iTunes or the podcast’s webpage

2. Podcasts in L&T Using audio in education is not new What makes podcasts different: Easy access: automatically download to all subscribed students Mobile: listen when and where’s convenient Integration with internet: links to resources embedded so can watch Powerpoint slides while listenning Video Anyone can make them: all you need is a computer with the right software

2. Podcasts in L&T Ways that podcasts have been used in higher education to date: Authentic audio materials e.g. music, vocabulary, stories, poems, radio programs, oral history interviews, speeches Pre-class listening materials e.g. terminology/jargon explained, background contextual material Multimedia materials e.g. visual glossary, world cinema, paintings, documentary podcasts Student podcasts e.g. as an assessment, interviewing respondents, making field notes/observations Weekly podcast answering questions posted by students

2. Podcasts in L&T Some examples from ENVI2131 Climate Change Podcast

Each podcast is preceded by (and ends with) a short jingle of copyright-free music Every lecture is recorded via the internal microphone on my laptop and it takes 5 minutes after the lecture to add the jingle and put it online where it automatically starts downloading to students’ computers (and their media devices when they connect them) One way of enhancing learning through podcasts is to supplement podcasts of lectures with podcasts containing additional learning resources Podcasts are a great alternative to guest lectures when it isn’t possible to get people in person. Whenever I meet someone interesting, I ask them to record a short interview with me about their work, so I can build a library of relevant interviews for the podcast Mountblairy, Aberdeenshire I wanted my class to hear how Scottish farmers are already coping with climate change. I couldn’t get the farmers to Leeds, but made three interviews into a short documentary Jimmy Rae, Farmer Another alternative to straight interviews is a vox- pops approach. It took about an hour to edit these three interviews together into this 20 min podcast Keith Pitcher

3. Why use podcasts in L&T? Turn to your neighbour and discuss what you think are the potential benefits and drawbacks of using podcasts in your teaching?

3. Why use podcasts in L&T? My reasons for using them: Supplement lecture material to greater provide context and depth Different learning preferences: auditory Dyslexics Students who miss class can keep up with material

3. Why use podcasts in L&T? What my students thought:

Benefits of the podcast No. StudentsRepresentative Quote 15 “Great revision tool” (“makes revision more varied”; “can revise from the whole lecture [not just powerpoint slides]”) 7 “It was useful because in lectures you sometimes don’t get all the points down” and “ability to check over things that were said in lectures” 7“I can catch up easily when I miss class” [no reason or to work on assignments] 4"Useful if you don’t have time to write everything down during class" [eg. foreign students] 4 "Don’t miss material when miss class" [due to change of module, illness, fieldwork or bereavement] 2“I find it easier to learn through this teaching method” 2“I made more notes than I did in class as I could pause and write” 1"Ability to play back whenever suits you" 1"Adding extra details to my notes and handouts" 1“Convenience: could let it run in the background while doing other things” 1“Being able to stop the lecture and research points, that I thought were interesting” 1“It was a nice bedtime story, listening to mark's soothing voice. :)” 1“All lecturers should take this apporoach, i feel i have had value for money!” 1“Provides extra info not in the lectures i.e. interviews”

Improvements No. StudentsRepresentative Quote 5“Can’t think of any improvements” 4“A little hard to hear some points” 3“More videos?” 1“Better links to each MP3 recording” [for people who can’t subscribe to podcasts] 1“Use better music!” 1“include date it was made so can make sure listen to them in order” 1“more supplementary podcasts” [between lectures]

Reasons for not subscribing No. StudentsRepresentative Quote 5“Planning on using it for revision” 3 “My laptop is prehistoric and they would not work” and “i didnt have itunes or the software on my laptop” 2“Tried but didn’t undersdand how” 2“cosi turn up to the lectures so i know what has happened 2“i don't have an MP3 player” 2“allergic to technology” 1“Don’t have the internet at home”

3. Why use podcasts in L&T? Drawbacks: Takes too long: trade-off between sound quality and ease Students won’t turn up to class: >70% subscribed but no change in attendence They know they’ll miss participatory parts of the class Evidence that students want face-to-face not computers Students will always miss class strategically (e.g. around deadlines), but now they can catch up

4. Secret of a successful podcast Should add value to the learning experience: quality of material and delivery Embeded within module and links to specific lectures so that learning outcomes are clear Advertised regularly in class Students know how to subscribe (don’t assume this) Supplementary podcasts should be short (10-20 mins), lively and informative Adequate recording quality No significant time burden on staff or students

5. Make your own podcast 1.Create an “RSS feed” and put it online Copy out code and insert your own titles etc in Wordpad or Notepad, and save as an.XML file, then save on your webspace

5. Make your own podcast 2. Clean up your sound file (e.g. cut out noise of everyone tidying up at the end before you stopped recording) and insert jingle (if you want!) using Audacity (free) or other sound editing software and convert to.mp3 format

5. Make your own podcast

3. Upload your sound file(s) to your webspace and ensure that the URL for the sound file matches the URL (and length) you’ve inserted in the RSS feed

5. Make your own podcast

4.Open iTunes or other aggregator software and subscribe to podcast. The file you uploaded should automatically start downloading

5. Make your own podcast

Let’s make today’s presentation into a podcast…

6. Resources Training: SDDU course: register interest by searching for “podcasting” at: Podcasting at Leeds community blog:

6. Resources SDDU online podcasting guide: Literature review & annotated bibliography: Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning Adaptation Project:

Conclusion Subscribe to the podcast of this session: For more detailed information and to discuss today’s issues in more depth, visit my blog at: