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You need to know about …

Podcasting

Dr Andrew OliverLearning Technology Development Unit & The Blended Learning Unit

University of Hertfordshire

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So what is it?

Podcasting : iPod (MP3 player) and BroadcastingWhat does it mean?

“a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player“, New Oxford American Dictionary

BUT… But you DON’T need an iPod In fact – you DON’T need a mobile player

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The technology is NOT new

…but is MORE accessible. Easy to…– Create – Publish (i.e. upload to a website)– Subscribe and – Listen (on mobile players)

at home, driving, exercising, waiting for buses – the ‘Dead time’.

Mobile learning: when they want, how they want and where they want.

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How does it work?

Staff– Record using digital voice recorder (MP3 format, WAV

second best)– Upload (‘publish’) to website (StudyNet)

Student– subscribes to the podcast (usually iTunes)– downloads the latest recording to their player– AND regularly checks for new content

But don’t need iTunes/ mobile player…

…the workstation is fine

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What are the benefits?

Over to you!

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What are the benefits?

Cheap and easy to create Recording: digital voice recorder (£50) Editing: optional & free (Audacity) Uploading: fast & simple (StudyNet) Listening: free software available (iTunes) Minimal Training: media savvy NOT

essential

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Learning on the move

NOT fixed – NOT sitting in front of the computer Where the player goes… so does the learning Review & prepare while:

– Travelling (car, bus train etc.)– Exercising & Household chores(!)– Sitting in favourite armchair

aka mobile learning, aka m-learning

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Reaches into ‘digital lives’

Technology already part of Youth culture iTunes (buy music, subscribe to radio, news) Familiarity – non threatening - widen education Bridges the gap between expert & learner

Sits alongside other podcasts…

…mixes education with the student’s daily life…

… extends beyond the classroom.

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Recover & Understand

Recovery of missed lectures & missed lecture content

Helps to prepare, review & reflect (reinforce)– Prepare (using dead time)– Review (difficult concepts) again & reinforce

understanding

Applies to any audio file BUT…

…podcasting = ‘on the move’

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Student perspective

Do you think MP3s of lectures will be useful? Will you listen to any future lectures which are recorded?

“If you didn't understand an explanation in the lecture, you can listen back and maybe pick up on something you missed the first time round.”

“This really helps me,....i struggle to take everything in, even though im listening, and often end up teaching myself! i think all subjects should use it”

“VERY good idea, it is hard to listen and take in everything said in a lecture, and so to be able to hear it again is useful. “

“i would be great if you could do it for the rest of the lectures.”

Comments made by Business School students (thanks to Jenny Evans)

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More benefits

Relax & concentrate on the material (students)

Captures the lecturer’s enthusiasm Facilitates critiquing and self-critiquing in

private (staff & student) Provides an accurate record of peer group

activity Act as ‘cultural artefacts’

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Student podcasting part 1

Increases presentation skills– More confident– Iterative process (thru peer critiquing)– Review & practice = improve vocab

Encourages creativity– Explore & express ideas– Share perceptions– And show off!

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What are the challenges?

Over to you

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Challenges

Attendance may fall– Perceived, not reported (UH Bus Sch.)– (solve: add social elements to lecture)

We are all amateurs - not experts– content (student) & quality (‘speakers voice’)– (solve: don’t lecture, be conversational)

The learner cannot control pacing– Difficult to skim & often listen in 1 go– (solve: add show notes + chapter points)

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Just a couple more

Not designed for 2 way interaction– Brings tutor & student closer BUT…– Student cannot ask for details or revision or expand

into related areas

(may) encourage shallow learning– Skim reading = half listen (esp. while ‘on the move’)– Listen at the last minute

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How can you use this?

Over to you

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How can I use this? (staff)

Record lectures– Either during or before & include slides / show

notes

Preparation work (‘precasting’)– Summarise potentially difficult concepts prior to

lecture

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How can I use this? (staff) II

Commentaries aka radio show– record regular commentaries in addition to the

lecture (e.g. weekly updates, tips, views)

Add social activity to the lecture– deeper discussion (and record it!)

Field trips / guides– virtual tour ‘musecast’ (inc images) & commentary

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How can I use this? (staff) III

Q & A and Tutorial sessions– Answer questions submitted by students– Record 1-to-1 session with student

Interview experts, guest lecturers– Conferences, placements

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Student Podcasting part 2

BIG in the States (K12) & Musselburgh, Scotland

Field trips, placements, language practice, record of group work, seminars, lectures, interviews, field notes, interviews (with each other, experts).

Oral essays (poster!) sound affects, music, commentary, readings - pull in above to create their own interpretation

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UHcasting!

Institutional promotion– Campus guides, student interviews, staff interviews– used to promote the university and it’s location to

domestic and foreign students. Student support (news, religion) Linking institution to community

– Profcasts, guest lecturers (seeds of interest).– Establish links to local schools (& abroad).

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Podcasting in 3 easy steps

1. Recording– Digital voice recorder (contact BLU for

recommendations)

2. Uploading (StudyNet)– add file to Resources Library (like email attach)– Select podcast ‘on’ & save

3. Create a “Teaching resource”– (not all students know about podcasting)

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And during recording…

For pre recording– Outline session content (news, future events, main

items) in. episode number– Introduce yourself & others– Provide contact details– State who and where recording produced– Keep to approx 20 minutes– Use Audacity* & a mic (good for editing)– *enter into Google

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And during recording…

– Tell the students– Repeat audience questions– Mention module, class and date (and yourself)– Refer to:

Numbered list (not bullets) Number slides

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And…

If the session is long: Stop periodically to create acceptable files

sizes (i.e. < 16 MB).

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Subscribe yourself

See how students subscribe to your module Check if your podcast works Subscribe to other modules Download iTunes & follow the instructions on

StudyNet [http://www.apple.com/itunes] NOTE: use iTunes

– to convert files to MP3– To reduce file size to <16MB StudyNet limit

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Some examples

EdTechTalk Podcast for Teachers (live from the Bronx!) UC Berkeley Courses & Events Live Stanford on iTunes U Learning2Go (Wolverhampton City Council) Musselburgh Grammar Sch (UK) StudyNet!

– Public Law (Penny Wiggins)– Health & Human (Jenny Lorimar, Alan Hilliard)– Business School (Jane Waksman)

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EdTechTalk

Educational Technology That Talks... Radio show format w/ guests, news Streamed live (webcast) MP3 recording podcasted after show Transcript posted in forum

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UC Berkeley Courses & Events Live

examples of podcasted lecture sessions some live, some pre recorded. Mainly free to outside world Access to lectures, guides, events etc. Berkeley on iTunes U

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Stanford on iTunes U

Never mind the lectures here’s… News, visiting lecturers & speeches ‘Best of Philosophy Talk’, Microdocumentaries Stanford Initiatives (environment, health,

International issues) sports (interviews and highlights, game coverage) music (concerts)

500 tracks (for the public) averaging 15,000 downloads per week (130,000 during the first 2 weeks)

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Musselburgh Grammar School

Produced by students for students! Readings, interviews, news, events Packaged with music, sound effects Recorded ‘in the field’ Gathered into 1 single podcast

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StudyNet examples

Public Law (3LAW0065) Penny Wiggins, Karen Clark For revision and preparation Recorded ‘live’ or pre-recorded Range 7 mins to over 1 hour instructions to user are included by default

(but aren’t really needed…)

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StudyNet examples

Advancing Practice (3AHP0036) Heather Thornton, Stephanie Wyer, Jane

Simmonds Interview with clinicians Not compulsory but 80% students listened

(70% in first few days)  

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StudyNet examples

Managing People In Health Care (MAHP0068)

Heather Thornton  Recorded students discussing coursework &

receiving feedback from peers Informal & allows students to engage rather

than take notes

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StudyNet examples

Pathology for Imaging (2RAD0020) Jenny Lorimer Pre recorded preparation material And also Physiotherapy 13 modules All ‘opening lectures’ are podcasted

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StudyNet examples

Auditing (3BUS0008) Jon Easter Lectures using powerpoints follow up tutorial a week later then records summary of key points (20

mins) play back whilst looking again at the

powerpoint slides

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StudyNet examples

Jane Waksman (Business School)– Students requesting more podcasts– Attendance increased(!)

Alan Hilliard (Radiography)

In StudyNet use the search box (type ‘podcast’)

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Players ‘n’ Podcatchers

Players:– Creative Technology, iPod, iRiver, Sony, Archos,

Dell

Podcatcher software:– iTunes , Odeo ,Juice

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And just think…

Big in schools (in the States) …

…now staring here

Next generation of the students will have podcasting skills

In terms of listening & authoring

And will be expecting to use them in HE

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And finally…

Google results for ‘podcast’:

May 2005: 4,460,000 Nov 2006: 132,000,000

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‘How to’ series

How to Blog in 5 minutes (Word) How to Wiki in 5 minutes (Word) How to create a Podcast in 5 minutes (Word) How to convert audio files to MP3 in 5

minutes (Word) How to use RSS in 5 minutes (Word)

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‘You need to know…’ series

You need to know about Podcasting (Slides) You need to know about Podcasting: a teaching and learning guide

(Word) You need to know about Online Discussions: a teaching and

learning guide (Word) You need to know about Blogs (Slides) You need to know about Wikis (Slides) You need to know about RSS (Slides) You need to know about Web 2.0 (Slides) You need to know about Computer Assessment (Slides) You need to know about Effective Question Design (Slides) You need to know about Electronic Voting Systems (Slides)

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Also available:

Podcasting: audio talk on the benefits of podcasting (hi quality)

Computer Assessment: using statistic analysis to design effective questions

For copies please contact: Dr Andrew Oliver. LTDU, College Lane LRC (a.oliver@herts.ac.uk, ext. 4754).