Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, June 1, 2012

1. Podcasting for Your Classroom
阮枝賢教授
Steve C. Yuen, Ph.D.
Visiting Professor
National Kaohsiung Normal University
Professor Emeritus
The University of Southern Mississippi
yuen.nknu@gmail.com
「雲端時代教學新思維(三)」研習會
Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, June 1, 2012
SteveYuen.org

2. Content
• What is Podcasting?
• Podcasting in Education
• Pros and Cons of Podcasts
• Types of Podcasts
• Podcasting Process
• Course Podcasts
• USM Podcasting Pilot Project
• Podcasting Best Practices
• Podcasting Issues
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3. Podcasting Era
On December 8, 2005, the New
Oxford American Dictionary
crowned "podcasting" as the
2005 word of the year and
defines the term as "a digital
recording of a radio broadcast or
similar program, made available
on the Internet for downloading to
a personal audio player"
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4. Popular Culture
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5. SteveYuen.org

6. What is Podcasting?
Podcasting
iPod + broadcasting
The distribution of audio or video files, such as radio
programs or music videos, over the Internet using
either RSS or Atom syndication for listening on mobile
devices and personal computers. (Wikipedia)
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7. What is Podcasting?
• An audio or video file that is distributed over the Internet
for listening on mobile media devices or personal
computers.
• Combine technologies to “push” content to your audience
using RSS.
• Portable but no iPod required!
• Each separate podcast is typically referred to as an
episode. Episodes are automatically downloaded and can
be synchronized with a portable multimedia device (like an
iPod).
• Create content (audio or video) for an audience that wants
to listen or watch when they want, where they want, and
how they want.
• Downloadable as “subscription”
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8. Podcasting in Education
• Self-paced distance learning
• Recording lectures for syndication
• Literary reviews
• Digital audio books
• Video demonstrations and presentations from
students & teachers
• Class news and updates
• Home/school communication
• Interviews with guest experts or oral history
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9. Podcasting in Education (Cont.)
• Distribution of supplemental information such
as speeches or music
• Student-produced podcasts
• Re-mediation for slower learners
• Tours/fieldwork
• Staff development
• Internships/residencies
• Feedback/evaluation of student work
• Language lessons
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10. Why Podcasting in Education?
• Enhance student engagement
with content with audio/video.
• Facilitate self-paced learning.
• Deliver alternative course
content to students.
• Make content portable for multi-
tasking.
• Encourage critical thinking,
speaking, and writing skills.
• Offer a richer learning
environment.
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11. SteveYuen.org

12. iTunes University
www.apple.com/education/solutions/itunes_u/
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13. Pros and Cons of Podcasts
• PROS: • CONS:
– Appeal to Generation X – Copyright Issues
and Generation Y – Potential for
– Use Voice Inappropriate Use of
Communication Technology
– Activate Additional
Learning Modes
– Offer Time-Shift
Information
– Increase Learner Control
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14. Types of Podcasts
• Audio podcasts
– An audio file
– Small file size
– Ideal for rapid delivery of lectures
• Enhanced podcasts
– A slide show with narration
– Lecture notes can be synced with audio
• Video podcasts (Vodcast)
– Full audio and video
– Not restrained by still image or slide format
– Can reproduce in class experience
– Require 2 MB per minutes of compressed video
• Enhanced video podcasts
– Contain a movie along with markers, artwork and URLs
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15. Podcasting Process
Create Distribute Access
•Record episode •Publish episode to web server • Subscribe using
•Edit episode •Reference episode in feed iTunes
• Download episode
• Playback episode
Source: Ray Schroeder & Michele Gribbins, Syndicating Learning through Blogs and Pods
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16. Podcasting Software
• Audio Editor
– Audacity
– GarageBand
• Video Editor
– QuickTime Pro
– Windows Movie Maker
– Videora iPod Converter
• Web-based Podcasting Service
– Audioboo
– BlogtalkRadio
– Podomatic
– Podcast Pickle
– iTunes
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17. Tools for listening to podcasts
• Podcast Aggregators
– iTunes
• www.apple.com/itunes/download/
– Juice
• juicereceiver.sourceforge.net
• Players / Device Synchronization
– iTunes
– Windows Media Player
– Your other favorite player
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18. Juice
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19. iTunes
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20. Podcasting Hardware
• Computer
– Windows, Macintosh, or Linux system
• Microphone
– Built-in or external
• Microphone Stand (optional)
• Mixer (optional)
• Digital recorder or portable MP3
Recorder (optional)
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21. My Podcast Central
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22. Course Podcasts
Podcasts
Vodcasts
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23. Course Podcasts
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24. Course Podcasts
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25. USM Podcasting Pilot Project
www.usm.edu/lec/podcasting/
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26. Goals for Podcasting Pilot Project
• Involve USM’s faculty in podcasting
• Deliver alternative course content to
students
• Enhance student engagement with
content with audio/video
• Provide an easy to use tool for recording
field notes, interviews, and discussions
• Increase students’ podcasting use on
campus
• Offer a richer learning environment
• Test podcasting technology with pilot
faculty before campus wide
implementation
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27. Pilot Faculty and Staff
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28. Podcasting Pilot Project Activities
• Support group meets each month
• Info sharing and support via pilot
project mailing list and blog
• Receive training on cutting- edge
podcasting technology
• Conduct formative and
summative assessment via
instructors and students survey
and interviews
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29. Timeline
• Launched pilot project in April 2007
• Invited faculty to submit podcasting
proposals and ideas in April 2007
• Conducted online student survey in
May 2007
• Began faculty training and
roundtable discussion sessions in
June 2007
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30. Timeline (Cont.)
• Awarded a 80GB iPods, a Mac Book,
and a TuneTalk Recorder for each
pilot faculty
• Implemented podcasting in selected
undergraduate/graduate courses
beginning Fall 2007
• Conducted the first phase of
formative assessment in Fall 2008
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31. Pilot Study
• Conducted online student survey in May 2007
• Determined students’ interest, technology
background, learning styles, study habits,
attitudes toward the use of podcasting in
teaching and learning
• Given to students in face-to-face and online
classes of all levels
• 965 students responded to the online
questionnaire
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32. Pilot Study Results
• Students strongly favored classes using
podcasting for the ability to review materials
repeatedly and whenever they wanted
• Students preferred the following:
• Taking classes that offer combination classes that
used face-to-face classroom experience and
podcasting
• Taking a class offering podcasting, and indicated they
would be more likely to use an iPod or MP3 if it were
available
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33. Conclusions from the Pilot Study
• Students at USM are interested and would like to
have podcasting implemented into their classes
• The data should be used to design and develop
instructional podcasts that will help instructors and
students in the learning process, foster engagement
and reflection, and to enhance overall user
experience for students in their learning environment
• The study provided data that supported faculty
involvement in participation in a podcasting initiative
to improve student’s learning opportunities through
the use of innovative technologies
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34. Podcasting Best Practices
• Know your audience.
• Focus on your content. Garbage in, Garbage
Out…
• Invest a good microphone for your podcast.
• Have notes and an outline to keep on the topic.
• Edit your podcast appropriately for content,
quality, and length.
• Keep your podcast short and file size small. Use
a lower rate of bits per second (32 kpbs, 16 KHz,
Mono) and still sound good to listener.
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35. Podcasting Best Practices (Cont.)
• A “talking head” is distracting. Don’t include
video if your video does not enhance the
content.
• Deliver valuable, informative, engaging
content to your students that they cannot get
from any other sources.
• Provide notes for students to review content
of the episode before and while they listen to
the podcast.
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36. Podcasting Issues
• Will students still come to your lectures?
• Public access to audio files?
• Copyright issue.
• Difficult to search or scan podcast content.
• Podcasts can lend themselves to passive and
prescriptive teaching.
• Issues concerning bandwidth.
• Not interactive.
• Limited usefulness for the hearing impaired.
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37. The End
Questions or Comments?
This presentation can be viewed online at:
http://wenzao-yuen.blogspot.com/
My Blog - http://stevetyuen.org
My Tweets - http://twitter.yuen.us
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