A presentation I gave in Sept. 2008 at the WV Higher Ed conference. Covers some ideas on how to use Podcast Producer along with iTunes U to deliver recorded classroom content. WVU does not use this system.

1. iTunes U +
Podcast Producer
Dave Olsen, WVU Web Services
September 29 2008
itunes.wvu.edu

2. What We’ll Talk About
• A Caveat
• Defining Podcast
• Content Creation Life Cycle
• Podcast Producer Overview
• iTunes U Overview
• Quick Demo

3. I’m NOT a
Classroom Tech Guy
just want to be perfectly clear

4. Defining Podcast
A podcast is a series of audio or video digital-media files which
is distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through
Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers.
A podcast is distinguished from other digital-media formats by its
ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded
automatically when new content is added.

5. Capture Encode Deliver
content creation life cycle

6. Capture Encode Deliver
slightly outside the scope of the talk

7. Capture Encode Deliver
Podcast Producer

8. Capture Encode Deliver
iTunes U with help from Podcast Producer

9. What is Podcast Producer?
an assembly line for encoding & publishing podcasts
can literally be 3 clicks to record & publish a podcast

10. Podcast Producer Overview
• Included in Mac OS X 10.5 Server
• Works with Macs & PCs*
• Web-based Administration
• Customizable Workflows
• Camera Control
• Custom Intro, Outro, Titling & Watermarking
• Email Notifications
• Xgrid-enabled

11. Podcast Producer Overview
• Written in Ruby
• Can Use: Recorded Video, Recorded Audio, Saved Files, Recorded
Screencasts (Mac OS X 10.5 only)
• Publish to: iTunes U, Apple TV, Streaming, integrated Blog
• Default formats: MPEG4, H.264, 3GP, AAC, QT Streaming
• Extra formats: WMV, FLV, Real Media

12. Podcast Producer
Apple-centric Example

13. Podcast Producer
Classroom Example

14. Gotchas When Deploying
• NOT a turn key solution. Takes work.
• Macs in every room w/ a camera.
• Credentials
• Timestamps (biggie surprisingly!)
• Default encoding quality too good
• Will take trial & error to time intro and titling
properly

15. Try before you buy!
Apple will lend hardware & software for you to test

16. Notes About Example
• Don’t blink because the recorded video portion is
very fast. Podcast Producer is responsible for
assembling the rest of the video.
• Business & Economics was simply used as our test.
• I will not win Dancing with the Stars or American Idol
anytime soon.

17. The Final Product

18. Onto iTunes U...

19. (refresher)
Capture Encode Deliver
iTunes U with help from Podcast Producer

20. What is iTunes U?
a publishing platform for podcasts as well as other audio & video
a familiar platform to many people

21. iTunes U Overview
• Uses Apple’s iTunes software and will sync with an iPod
• Part of Apple’s iTunes Store
• Over half of the nation’s top 500 schools use iTunes U
• Examples: Stanford, Duke, MIT and Penn State
• Now accessible for users with disabilities
• WVU on iTunes Launched: August 3 2007
• Average about 2,000 downloads a week. Mainly athletic
content.

22. Common Questions
• Will it work on Windows? Yes.
• Do I need an iPod? No.
• Do I need iTunes? Yes.
• Can content be protected? Yes and no.
• File formats? QuickTime, MP3, PDF

23. How is WVU using
iTunes U?
• Acts as a repository for marketing materials and
recordings of special events.
• Examples: TV commercials, unit podcasts, special events
• We will be integrating many new products using Podcast
Producer.
• Majority of the content is not academic. Lack of
academic content has hurt our chances of inclusion in the
iTunes Store.
• Simply put, we’re not using iTunes U to its full potential.

24. Tips for Using iTunes U
• Talk to your classroom tech or instructional technology
folks at the beginning.
• Think through the organization of your current and
future content. Understand the limitations.
• Seek out content creators. Student radio stations or
Journalism programs are a good place to start.
• Find solutions for capturing & encoding content.
• Don’t become a bottleneck. Provide access for content
creators early and often.
• Make it a part of every project.

25. Demo Time
itunes.wvu.edu

26. Request iTunes U Account
itunesu-request@apple.com
i think...

27. Helpful Links
www.apple.com/itunesu/
www.apple.com/server/macosx/features/podcasts.html
xserve.centraldemo.com/groups/democentral/weblog/59152/
www.episodepodcast.com/

28. Questions or Comments?
itunes.wvu.edu