Jeffrey Nugent Center for Teaching Excellence

Virginia Commonwealth University

Introduction to Podcasting in Education

iPods on Campus

What is a Podcast?

• A multimedia file (audio / video) distributed over the Internet using RSS feeds

• Commonly subscribed to and downloaded for playback on mobile MP3 players (iPod)

• Considered a “push” technology in that the user chooses files to subscribe to through a RSS feed

Is this new technology?

• Downloadable and streaming audio are nearly as old as the web

• Ease of publication, subscription (RSS) and use across multiple environments

• Portability “time shifting”

Pew Internet & American Life Project(http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_podcasting.pdf April, 2005)

• 22 million American adults own iPods or MP3 players

• More than 6 million American adults have listened to podcasts

• 29% of those have downloaded podcasts to listen to at their leisure

• Of those who own iPods / MP3 players in the 18-28 year old range, over 50% have downloaded podcasts

Perceived Advantages of Podcasting

• Mobile and flexible learning

• No longer anchored to a computer

• Anytime-anywhere access to instructional content

• Education more portable than ever before

Using Podcasts in Higher Education

Recording & Distributing Course Lectures via Podcast

• Distribution of audio recording is a decades old practice

• Matches well defined practice to latest technology

• Highly requested among students

• Fairly easy to implement

• Subscription model is convenient

Research on Podcasting in Higher Education

All reports address lecture podcasts.

• University of Michigan School of Dentistry

• University of Washington podcasting pilot

• Harvard Extension School

Podcasting Reports: Key Findings

• Audio is most preferred format for lecture recordings

• Lecture podcast seen as convenient tool for review

• 20% of students listen to 75% of podcasts

• Obtaining files via RSS increased likelihood of lecture download

Podcasting Reports: Key Findings

• Most students (75-80%) report listening to podcasts on a computer

• Podcasting in large enrollment courses improved student perceptions of the course

• No studies to date indicate positive or negative impact on learning outcomes

Research on Auditory Instruction

• Research comparing auditory instruction technology to in-class instruction (lecture) has often found no significant difference in student learning

Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (2004)

Emerging Instructional Practices

• Creation of supplementary course material

• Using podcasts to restructure course

• Language learning lessons

• Student generated learning content

• Develop technical skill of listening

Faculty Concerns

• Time, time, time…

• Learning curve for new practices / tools

• Copyright issues

• Impact on attendance

• Availability of institutional archives for lecture-based courses

• Disconnect b/t positive perceptions among students and study findings

Implications for Teaching & Learning

• Podcasting may be an efficient way to deliver instruction without compromising learning effectiveness

• Podcasting may be an effective means for augmenting current class instruction

• Possible learning advantage by blending the media content of daily life with university course material

• Ultimate value may lie in potential to “educate further”

Podcasting @ VCU(The Blogcast Model)

record audio (mp3)

post mp3 file to your blog

subscribe to podcast (iTunes)

download and play

Podcasting @ VCU: What’s Next?

• iTunes University

• http://itunes.vcu.edu