podcasting for your classroom
DESCRIPTION
Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, June 1, 2012TRANSCRIPT
SteveYuen.org
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
「雲端時代教學新思維(三)」研習會 Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, June 1, 2012
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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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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"
Podcasting Era
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Popular Culture
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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)
What is Podcasting?
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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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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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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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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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iTunes University
www.apple.com/education/solutions/itunes_u/
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Pros and Cons of Podcasts
• PROS:
– Appeal to Generation X
and Generation Y
– Use Voice
Communication
– Activate Additional
Learning Modes
– Offer Time-Shift
Information
– Increase Learner Control
• CONS:
– Copyright Issues
– Potential for
Inappropriate Use of
Technology
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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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Podcasting Process
Access • Subscribe using
iTunes
• Download episode
• Playback episode
Create •Record episode
•Edit episode
Distribute •Publish episode to web server
•Reference episode in feed
Source: Ray Schroeder & Michele Gribbins, Syndicating Learning through Blogs and Pods
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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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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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Juice
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iTunes
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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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My Podcast Central
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Course Podcasts
Vodcasts
Podcasts
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Course Podcasts
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Course Podcasts
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USM Podcasting Pilot Project
www.usm.edu/lec/podcasting/
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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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Pilot Faculty and Staff
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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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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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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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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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• 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
Pilot Study Results
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• 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
Conclusions from the Pilot Study
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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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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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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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The End
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