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Podcasts - Early Exploration Results

Initial Efforts

This phase of the exploration has focused on three goals:

The goal of the software exploration is to find cross-platform solutions (preferably low-cost or free) which would allow users to create podcast-compatible materials. AT already support a variety of audio and video editing applications, so we are looking into tools to turn that material into the formats required by podcasting (H264 and MPEG4 for video, and MP3/AAC for audio). Currently, we have a wide variety of free Macintosh based solutions and are working towards similar solutions for Windows. (Since Apple has been pushing podcasting during the previous year, Windows solutions are taking a bit longer to arrive.)

AT is also exploring how we can use the current AT tools to help facilitate the creation of podcasting materials. (Elluminate Live!, for example, will soon have the support to archive sessions as podcast-compatible videos.) At the same time, we are ensuring that our large scale encoding solutions (i.e., FlipFactory for transcoding video) will be able to create these materials. This will be especially valuable since we anticipate if UI faculty/staff choose to begin podcasting, they may likely need to repurpose material already existing in other formats.

Portable media such as podcasts may seem like a small addition to the instructional services available to instructors, but just like the internet has had profound changes on the way classes are taught, so are podcasts just as capable of shifting the teaching paradigm. We took a quick look at how several Universities are delivering portable media and summarized implications this technology has in instructional settings.

What is podcasting?

Podcasting is a new way of delivering multimedia content, where are a user is “pushed” new material, once it becomes available. To do so, they use a podcast management programs (like iTunes or Juice) to subscribe to a podcast feed - a specially formatted XML file containing metadata about the available files (type - audio or video? Size? Creation data? etc.)

While the technology itself has been around for years (XML. Downloadble audio/video files), the programs managing the XML feeds are the true power of podcasting. Content creators can delivery content to an audience member, without that audience member having to continuously check for new material. It only takes one subscription to the podcast feed, and that user is guaranteed to continuously received the newest materials.

Podcasting is often associated with the iPod multimedia device, but it has a much larger scope then that. While the files are usable on portable devices, their largest potential for use is viewing them from a local machine.

Podcasting in the educational community

Portable media such as podcasts may seem like a small addition to the instructional services available to instructors, but just like the internet has made profound changes to the way classes are taught, so are podcasts just as capable of shifting the teaching paradigm.

Recently there have been several approaches taken by Universities when it comes to providing portable media “podcast” support to their campuses.  Stanford primarily utilizes Apple’s “iTunes U” services to disseminate their podcast collection. ITunes is a free audio player that can act as an audio file organizer.  It also acts as a podcatcher because it automatically downloads audio files that the user has subscribed to on the web.

Wisconsin utilizes iTunes U, but also provides a detailed website that provides support for faculty to listen to sample podcasts, instructions on how to create and deliver podcasts and how to use podcasts more effectively in their classes.

Purdue has taken a different approach by providing a webpage with links to dozens of downloadable audio files and podcast XML feeders. All these podcasts are available directly from their “Boilercast” website. iTunes is available as and podcatcher and player but the University is not reliant upon iTunes as a service provider.

There are some implications that podcasts have on the instructional environment. Such as will they decrease attendance, cause students to stop taking notes, time concerns, and accessibility concerns? A summary of these issues are provided at the end of this page.

Advantages of the XML Format

The XML feed that makes up a podcast follows all the usual standards of the XML format. This means these files are useable by a wide of variety of applications. For example, a feed submitted to the iTunes service can also be used by the open-source Juice application.

We have already written some test Flash applications that read the XML file and format the results. Example:  (Flash 8 plug-in required)

http://haven.its.uiowa.edu/purcell/podcast/flashcast/index.html

This allows us to create XML podcasts for services like iTunes, but also gives us the ability to customize players and embed content directly into standard web pages or ICON sites.

iTunes and iTunes U

The leader in the management of podcasts is Apple’s iTunes service. It is free service that brings together various podcast feeds, and make them searchable - while also managing which feeds a user has subscribed to. They do not host the XML feed itself, or the multimedia files. We have explored the process of submitting a podcast through the iTunes service, which was used for our first experimental podcasting (see Sample Podcast, below).

In Spring 2006, Apple will open up a pilot project called iTunes U. The idea behind iTunes U is that any university or college that is interested may have a primary location for all its feeds. As with iTunes, all assets will be hosted by the content owners, but iTunes U will provide a way to find all podcast feeds for an institution podcast without having to search for them individually.

We have contacted Apple about this service and should be receiving information late March.

Sample Podcast

As part of our exploration, we have helped create one podcast - for the University of Iowa Department of Emergency Medicine (Chris Russi, DO, and Hans House, MD):

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=123429715

It is being hosted from AT’s development server. The content owners have chosen iTunes as their recommended management program, but since it’s a standard XML file, anyone could manually subscribe to the feed using the podcasting management tool of their choice. The feed is available at:

http://haven.its.uiowa.edu/content/com/emerg_med/podcast.xml

In early March, Russi and House submitted - and were accepted - to show this podcast as an education/technology exhibit at an upcoming national emergency medicine research meeting.

Next Steps

Now that we are familiar with the technology, the next step in this exploration is to engage the campus in a discussion regarding a podcasting service:

Implications that podcasts have on the instructional environment

Attendance:

Will classroom attendance drop? This is a difficult question because it depends on the type of material that is podcasted and depends greatly on the quality of the instructor’s lecture.  If a class lecture is simply a didactic speech in which no discussion takes place then it should be no surprise when students would rather listen to a podcast in their dorm room rather than walk to class.  If a class attendance goes from 200 to 20 simply because the lecture is now available online, what does that say about how the students value the importance of sitting in class and watching the lecture? The technology should be blamed for a lecture that in not dynamic. If the class is dynamic and engaging, then students will be more likely to see the worth of going to the lecture and will use the podcasts as a supplement to the class.

Podcasting technology may in fact cause instructors to reexamine and improve how they teach in the classroom by increasing discussions in class, engaging the audience, attempting more creative activities. Now professours can utilize class time more effectively by offloading didactic lectures to podcasts that are a medium that only supports one way information flows, instructors can better use the classroom time to create a two way information flow in which a discussion about the podcast can exist. This way we are actually matching the content choice to the correct media delivery.

There are simpler solutions to the attendance problem by taking attendance or by rewarding students that do come to class.

Note taking:

Podcasts are not meant to replace note taking. However if we look at why we take notes we can see how the note taking and podcast can work together. The purpose of note taking is primarily so that weeks after a lecture, students can review what was said. Most of us remember only about 17 percent of what we hear after a week, but the problem with note taking is that once you have decided to note a point by the lecturer, this action interferes with the lecturer’s next point.

Recorded podcasts of a lecture allow the students to concentrate to the lecture instead of concentrating on note taking. Some will say the note taking helps the student deeply reflect on what the lecturer is saying. But this type of deeper reflection  could and may even should occur after the lecture, in addition to converting the lecturer’s word into your own words. Students can take notes during lecture that can act as cues, reminders or comments and not the usual frantic attempt to write every word the lecturer has said. Notes should be used primarily as means for further study and deeper reflection after the class is over. 

Often we hear that reviewing your notes the same day as the lecture helps the students retain and remember the lecture. But students are busier and busier and asking some students to do this is often impractical and unrealistic. Leveraging recorded Podcast technology in conjunction with notes is a powerful combination for student trying to understand the lectures meaning and provides the opportunity for the student to listen to the lecture at their convenience.

Time of the student:

Do students have time to listen to entire lectures again?  Probably not. But if they need to listen to particular segments to clarify or to review a concept, then it is fairly easy to navigate to a specific chapter of the podcast.

Technology issues for accessibility

Accessibility issues still remain a challenge for current podcasts. Efforts are underway to close caption podcast content.

Conclusion:

Adoption of podcasting by some faculty may be slow due these issues.  Some professors will not want to change the way they teach their lectures.  Others will not want to take the time to create the podcasts. We have found the possibly of podcasting to affect education in the following area.

References and Links:

http://www.educause.edu/er/erm05/erm0561.asp?bhcp=1

(http://mgsonline.blogs.com/mgspodcast/)

(http://www.edupodder.com)

(http://poempresent.uchicago.edu)

(http://mod.blogs.com/art_mobs/)

(http://boilercast.itap.purdue.edu:1013/Boilercast/Index.html)

http://engage.doit.wisc.edu/podcasting/teachAndLearn/

http://www.profcast.com/public/index.php

http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/community-services/counselling/selfhelp/listening.pdf

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060123/NEWS02/601230332/1001/NEWS

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7003.pdf

http://etatmo.missouri.edu/toolbox/doconline/portableaudio.htm