What+Is+Podcasting?

toc =What is a podcast?= Podcasting, according to the [|Wikipedia], is a multimedia file that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds (RSS). In other words, Imagine having your own "radio show" delivered to someone's personal computer with a single click! Well, it's not as easy as that sounds, but it's not rocket science either. This wikispace will provide you with training and tips on getting you started with your own podcast! In the LMSD, we make it so easy for you that you don't have to worry about RSS feeds and the intricacies of podcasting.

Podcasting in Plain English
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How does it work?
Podcasting is a unique innovation in content publishing based in large part on its inherent simplicity and ease of use. Users simply connect their portable audio devices to their computer, log on to a podcasting subscription service, and subscribe to that site’s feeds. Audio content is then //**“pushed”**// from the original source directly and automatically to the user’s aggregator (e.g., iTUNES). All of the tools needed to create, modify, and distribute podcasts are within reach of anyone with a reasonably well-configured laptop. The desire to improve the quality of podcasts has resulted in rich Web-based resources outlining principles of sound, equipment recommendations, and shared experiences. Podcasting demonstrates the power of audio over text (listening as opposed to reading), allowing podcast users to listen and learn while they walk, jog, ride the bus, or are otherwise away from their computer screen. So portability is an important aspect of podcasts, but you can also enjoy them at your desktop without a portable player. Perhaps most significantly, podcast technology empowers users to publish audio content directly and seamlessly onto the Web.

Why is it significant?
Podcasting allows education to become more portable than ever before. Podcasting cannot replace the classroom, but it provides educators one more way to meet today’s students where they “live”—on the Internet and on audio players. Barriers to adoption and costs are minimal. The tools to implement podcasts are simple and affordable. Podcasting is predicted to soon become a mainstream application, much like video-on-demand recorders (such as TiVo).

What are the downsides of podcasting?
Users must have sufficient bandwidth to download the podcast. Beyond access, there are potential issues with the format. Podcasting is primarily an audio delivery technology and, as such, has limited usefulness for the hearing impaired. Podcasting is not designed for two-way interaction or audience participation. Podcasters are essentially “sound amateurs” producing and publishing audio feeds. The quality of speakers’ voices, speech patterns, intonations, and other sound effects may not be the same as those of a professional broadcast. Faculty who wish to record their lectures or other instruction for podcasts may need some training, both in handling an audio-only medium and using the technology.

Where is it going?
Podcast enthusiasts see no limit to the potential uses of this technology, particularly in education, and the number of podcast aggregators (sites that collect, categorize, and then make available podcasts for subscribers) is growing. It is possible that specialized higher education–based aggregators will emerge, offering students access to missed lectures, instructions for laboratory experiments, and so forth. Interlacing podcasts with video applications—listening to a podcast while viewing related material on the Web is another area of experimentation in education. Podcasting is evolving at a rapid rate. New features—categorizing, navigating, and indexing—are being demanded by users. Consequently, designers and producers of podcasts are seeking new ways to add layers of richness to simple audio files—creating audio experiences that are both entertaining and instructive. [|iTunes] is one of the most popular aggregators for podcast subscriptions. It can be dowloaded for free on both MACs and PCs.

What are the implications for teaching and learning?
Podcasting allows students to use their technology-based entertainment systems (iPods, MP3 players) for educational experiences. Because students are already familiar with the underlying technology, podcasting broadens educational options in a nonthreatening and easily accessible manner. For example, podcasting allows lectures or other course content to be made available to students if they miss class. Beyond missed lectures, podcasting can provide access to experts through interviews. Podcasting is not limited to content delivered to the student, however; students can create their own podcasts—as a record of activities, a way to collect notes, or a reflection on what they have learned.