Ear buds, Time shifting, and Portable Learning: An Analysis of Podcasting and Technical Communication Jennifer L. Bowie Assistant GSU For ATTW 2008

Overview Podcasting 101 Podcasting & Technical Communication Podcasting in the TC Classroom Accessibility Concerns Students as Podcasters

Podcasting 101 Podcast: i Pod + broad cast Digital media files distributed over the internet RSS feeds: subscriptions and delivery Often played on portable media players –Not just for iPods Time-shifted Location-shifted Started as grassroots/independent now with many companies & organizations

More Podcasting 101 Popular –17 million podcast listeners in 2008 (predicted ) –16% of Internet users in 2007 –30% of MP3 player owners have downloaded a podcast Red is blogging Blue is podcasting Google Trends search

Podcasting 101 Audiences –Tend to be younger and busier than traditional channels –Many niche audiences –Audiences as producers as consumers and all as community –Slacker Astronomy listeners: subscribe to 10 podcasts and listen for an hour a week Personal –“One-on-one”: In ears and in head –Deeper levels of communication –Closer relationship than DJ or other media Authentic & real voice –Less polished, real with flaws –Passion comes through –Voice is a vital component (not just speaking voice) –No gatekeepers & no FCC

Podcasting & Technical Communication Natural fit Technology and media are often part of our jobs We are communicators & teachers –Audience, purpose, context & the five canons –Oral presentations –Lessons learned may help other forms –“New” way to reach audience and get the message across We are researchers and interested in learning Quick reference for us to point to Another form our students may need to master

Podcasting in the TC Classroom Not talking about replacements or “lectures in a box” Mobile learning: Mobile access & increased learning time Learning through listening (Cebeci & Tekdal) –More attractive and “less tedious” than reading –Primary learning method from beginning –May motivate those who do not like reading –Richer medium and understanding “what one hears through the speaker’s intonation, dictation, and reflection, coveys a richer understanding not only of the content, but of the speaker. Listeners connect to that voice and may feel less isolated” (Manning 2005, pg. 2) “Better” knowledge distribution model –Less info retrieval and searching time –Delivered automatically –Easy to share High levels of student interest –Huntsberger and Stavitsky: optional & supplemental podcasts of reading overviews with connections to history and current affairs 88% of students listened, 35% more than once Enthusiastic responses from students Not “lost in time” –More permanent record –Rewind and replay Community building and development

Podcasting in the TC Classroom Efficient use of valuable class time –Manage material, time, media richness Professor or “expert” created –Many TC-related podcasts –“Easy” to create own Various class uses: –Supplemental: Additional resources and references Extra aids to point to –As part of class: “Readings” Individualized curricula Class record Instructor created text Texts to analyze –Grading & assignments Professor response Peer reveiw

AccessibilityConcerns (Dis)Ability & language concerns –Good for people with Vision issues Auditory learners Some learning disabilities ESL students and those who need more time to process spoken word –Problematic for people with Hearing issues Visual learners Some learning disabilities –Solution: Include text transcripts Digital Divide –Requires a certain level of tech (more to produce) access –Some advantages lost without an MP3 player –Costs (textbooks vs podcast) –Solutions: Consider workarounds (CDs) Costs: –Time –Equipment –Bandwidth –Solutions: provide tech or lab time, get grants,…

Student as Podcasters Become experts Discover voice Rethink and understand audience, purpose, context, and tone Apply 5 canons in new and old ways –Invention: What to say? –Arrangement: Music before? After? Which point first? Intro? Outro? –Style: Dictation, accents, jargon, word choices, expression, speed –Memory: Script?, common topics, improvise, kairos –Delivery: oral roots in new ways, editing, sound levels, voice modulation, music, visuals, performance Develop on oral communication skills Consider issues such as intellectual property, copyright, creative commons

Student as Podcasters: Projects Option from list of various media Class weekly review Regular individual podcast –Student selected topics (related or not) –News –Class review/reflection –Provided topics Research “papers” New approaches to old genres Service and community

Conclusions Podcasting is a good fit with TC Learning becomes “any time, any where” Richer, more personal text with some permanency and better distribution Refocuses class time Provides supplemental or alternative texts More accessible for some types of student Gives students, voice, and new approaches to “old” concepts Enriches the classroom experience and moves us closer to our goals

Questions? Thank you Jennifer L. Bowie Professional website: Screen Space Podcast & Blog: Presentation slides & handouts: presentation/

Resources Gay, P., Price, A. and Searle, T “Astronomy Podcasting: a Low-cost Tool for Effecting Attitude in Diverse Audiences” Astronomy Education Review, 5.1 Price, A., Gay, P. and Searle, T “A History and Assessment of the Slacker Astronomy Podcast” Astronomy Education Review, 5.1 Evans, Chris. “The effectiveness of m-learning in the form of podcast revision lectures in higher education” Computers & Education 50.2: Ractham, P., & Zhang, X. “Podcasting in academia: A new knowledge management paradigm within academic settings.” In Proceedings of the 2006 ACM SIGMIS CPR conference. 314–317 Chan, A., & Lee, M. “An MP3 a day keeps the worries away – Exploring the use of podcasting to address preconceptions and alleviate pre-class anxiety amongst undergraduate information technology students” Student experience conference, Charles Stuart University. Berry, Richard “Will the iPod Kill the Radio Star? Profiling Podcasting as Radio.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 12.2: 143–162. Dangler, et al. "Expanding Composition Audiences with Podcasting" Image: “ Microphone” by sAeroZar's