Introduction to podcasting Tony Lowe

Content The Podcasting phenomenon… What it is and what it is not? Overview Receiving podcasts Podcasting for Learning and Teaching Creating podcasts Issues to be aware of Brainstorm of L&T applications Define your own podcasting project.

The Podcasting phenomenon Podcasting is hip dude! Uses mobile technologies which are increasingly widely available Based on WEB 2.0 technologies Being pushed by BBC and others… For podcasters there are very low barriers to entry Lots of interest… lots of things happening…

Discuss & report back 5-10 mins As a group discuss the podcasts you have yourself experienced or heard about… and why you are attending today… Report back as a group on the most interesting (bizarre?) podcasts… and what your common interests are.

What it is and what it is not… NOT Just putting audio files on the Internet. Does not necessarily involve iPods or any other portable digital audio player. IS Involves audio files on the Internet in conjunction with a FEED… New audio files are added over time…

Overview of podcasting

Podcast RSS feed From Our Own Correspondent Insight, colour, wit and analysis as the BBC's foreign... en-gb (C) BBC Despatches Jessel reports from China. Thu, 26 Oct :00: …

Receiving podcasts Use podcast aggregator (podcatcher / podcast receiver) E.g. iTunes, Juice, Podnova, Elgg Subscribe to feed URL Aggregator automatically downloads latest audio files Synchronise portable media player with aggregator Listen to audio files… DEMO (fingers crossed)

Why is podcasting appealing for learning and teaching? 5 mins In groups identify why podcasting is interesting from a learning and teaching perspective…

Why is podcasting appealing for learning and teaching? Appeals to the digital natives…? Easy and low cost to create and distribute Caters for different learning styles Student centred in allowing choice about where and when to access, repeat etc. Maps onto the chronological nature of typical HE teaching?

Universities Podcasting Stanford ( iTunes U ( Lancaster - Professor Geraint Johnes Economics Bradford - Dr Bill Ashraf Microbiology ( ) Leeds Richard Tunstall – Medicine

Creating your own podcasts… What do you need… –External microphone (£5-20) –PC with digital recording/editing software (Audacity - –An Elgg account (elgg.leeds.ac.uk)

How do I do it…? 1.Start Audacity 2.Record your audio. 3.Edit audio (remove umms errrs etc…) 4.Save as an MP3 file 5.Log-in to Elgg (elgg.leeds.ac.uk) 6.Upload MP3 file to Your Files and add metadata (make sure access restrictions applied to the file allow for public access) 7.Distribute the RSS feed for Files URL provided by Elgg 8.As you add further audio files the RSS feed will automatically update… DEMO (fingers crossed…)

Top Tips 3-4 minutes in length Leave gaps to think in the podcast (students are going to listen to music straight after…) Integrate into the course as a whole – so there is a reason to listen to it. If dealing with difficult theories/concepts use as a starting point and support with other materials rather than attempt to cover the whole thing in a podcast. Professor Geraint Johnes - Lancaster University (Adenekan 2005) Interesting, lively and informative 5-10 mins New information and summaries of information. (Swain 2006) Scripts… good for accessibility, good for quality… Link Elgg blog entries (scripts) to audio files to provide alternative access route Speak to a person when recording Me…

Brainstorm applications in Learning & teaching In groups come up with at least 5 ideas for different ways of using podcasting in your teaching & assessment…

L&T Applications Interviews with experts Quotes from recorded speeches Answers to posted questions Invited speakers Student submissions /portfolios / placement logs

Issues to be aware of… Students don’t have iPods (about 60% do…) Only 20% of podcasts are actually downloaded onto portable media players Will my students still come to lectures? Public access to audio files is necessary (no access control) Cannot search or scan podcast content Podcasts can lend themselves to passive, prescriptive teaching… Any others….?

Buzz words… Mobilecasts Voicecasts Autocasting Video casting

Task – Podcasting project In small groups define your own unique L&T podcasting project. Invent a new buzz word to go with it (e.g. frog- casting) Write a brief description that includes a pedagogic basis for the project. Example – STI-casting In small groups 1 st yr students are given an assignment to conduct and record a minute interviews with members of academic staff to explore their research interests and activities. These interviews are published as a podcast for all students to listen to and peer assess. The students learn about what is going on in the school and have an opportunity to explore current research issues critically.

Student quote… “The recordings gave me confidence to sit and listen to the lecture rather than trying to write everything down. I actually got to listen to your explanations” Tunstall Faculty funding available for L&T projects…

References Adenekan, S., 2005, A soundtrack for study, The Guardian Unlimited, August 17 th ( ory/0,3604, ,00.html). Swain, H., 2006, Let them tune in, The Times Higher, Feb 3 rd. Tunstall, R., 2006, PGCLTHE Assignment 4, University of Leeds, SDDU, July.