In this first of five modules, you will learn the basics of podcasting and some principles of audio-based learning. You will briefly be introduced to copyright in the digital media age.
About Podcasting and its History
Podcasting is a recent media phenomenon that is changing by the day. The original term has come to generically mean the availability of digital media on the Internet. The following resources just scratch the surface of this topic. Spend some time on the Internet reading up the latest and greatest in podcasting. If you find any good resources please share them on the Discussion Board.
Enhanced podcasts are different from video podcasts. Enhanced podcasts are audio tracks that contain added slides and a chapter marker feature. This becomes like a narrated PowerPoint presentation, but much tinier, only the a portion of the screen is used. Video podcasts use up the full screen, and are encoded as movie files. These are basically just digital movies exported to fit the iPod. GarageBand (maybe Camtasia 5) are typically used to make enhanced podcasts. See Student Examples tab in iTunes U (you have to download it to your library to see the enhanced features work).
Video podcasts are really just movies that are formatted specifically to watch on a portable video player. That can be a video iPod, a Creative Zen, Archos, etc. Both the screen size and compression rates making watching video podcasts a different experience from watching a television. Remember, video podcasts are more about distribution and portability rather than providing a movie theater experience. A creative use of video podcasts (I've read about, but not seen) is to have video based instructions for CPR and the Heimlich. Video editing software is used to make video podcasts, this is not the same as audio editing software. See example in GMU/ICAR's Television Interviews in iTunes U (you may have to download it to your library to see the enhanced features work).
Screencasts are a kind of video podcast that focuses on capturing computer screen activity and often simultaneous audio narration typically for the purpose of training or demonstration.
Podcasting Equipment and Software
The following provides background information on podcasting software and audio equipment and hardware. You won't need most of this for this course or for the production of basic podcasts, but it's good to know about the features of high-end equipment and that each type of software provides.
Read Farkas, Chapter 3: pp. 96-119 for background information on audio equipment.
Read Farkas, Chapter 3: pp. 120-134 for background information on podcasting software.
The following provides some getting started information about the various types of file formats involved in podcasting. You will be given more in depth resources later on.
The following is a list of principles that are commonly mentioned as affordances for learning of podcasting. I don't think learning changes much at all, we're used to listening to learn. However, the what, where, when, why, who of learning is changed.
Repetition is one principle of learning by podcasts that provides a tremendous advantage to some students and teachers. In two cases I have found that students, for whom English is a second language and that are in highly theoretical discussion oriented class, listened to podcasts of classes that had attended. It is likely that they are missing a large percentage of the conversation. In both cases I had overestimated their comprehension and underestimated their motivation to spend another two and a half hours listening to the same material. Without podcasts this repetition is impossible for instructional designers and teachers to provide their students.
Distribution is a principle of podcast learning that provides an advantage to students, teachers and instructional designers. The low cost of distribution over the Internet means that anybody can publish their learning materials. The availability of a wide range of materials means that teachers and students have the possibility to mix and match content that is up to date and customized. With wireless technologies improving everyday, downloading podcasts where and when you need them is nearly here. One well-designed podcast can benefit students all over the world and over time.
Multitasking is a principle of learning by podcasts that provides an advantage to busy adult learners. In one case, I recorded a discussion seminar for a fellow student who had two courses scheduled at the same time. She tried meeting with the professor after class, but found that the interaction was not the same. Because we never saw each other, I uploaded each recording to a secure website. She downloaded the file to her iPod. She listened to the class on her two hour drive to work. She found the experience to be just like being a part of class. From my own learning experiences, I enjoy learning during those moments that are not conducive to learning by reading, like riding the bus, walking to work.
Asynchronous is a principle of podcast learning that provides advantage to students, teachers and instructional designers. The ability to create content at a different time than at the point of consumption shifts instructional design from teaching to learning. All teachers can become Instructional designers, they can use a design process that allows them to plan, create, refine and evaluate their work over time rather than at the same time. For students with increasingly busy schedules, learning can happen when they are ready to learn, rather than what works best for when people can meet.
Isolation is a principle of podcast learning that provides advantage to students who need help in focusing their attention. Most people listen to podcasts using some type of headphones. The ability to isolate the conversation from background noise allows any location to be a learning evironment. I also suspect that such isolation might allow some people to improve their listening skills in auditory domains like music.
If theoretical aspects of podcasts interest you, you might enjoy reading Ann Barron's chapter on Auditory Instruction.
Copyright
Read Farkas, Chapter 3: pp. 137-141. Farkas provides a brief introduction into some of the legal issues related to music copyright. As most professional podcasts seem to include some music jingles for intros or transitions, this is an important issue. Apple's Garageband has free music jingles available. You can use the Creative Commons web site to find sharable music.
Module 1: Understand
Table of Contents
After completing this module, you should be able to understand:
About Podcasting and its History
Podcasting is a recent media phenomenon that is changing by the day. The original term has come to generically mean the availability of digital media on the Internet. The following resources just scratch the surface of this topic. Spend some time on the Internet reading up the latest and greatest in podcasting. If you find any good resources please share them on the Discussion Board.General
Read Farkas, Chapter 1: pp. 1-18.Review the JISC Web2practice Guide: http://web2practice.jiscinvolve.org/podcasting/
Review this QuickStart Guide: http://www.quamut.com/quamut/podcasting
Educational
Read first 3 tabs of ELI Discovery Tool: Guide to Podcasting (from Educause as HTML).Read Podcasting: A Teaching with Technology White Paper, Carnegie Mellon (PDF).
Browse through the course Web links and my delicious bookmarks tagged with podcasting or Edit575.
Enhanced podcasts are different from video podcasts. Enhanced podcasts are audio tracks that contain added slides and a chapter marker feature. This becomes like a narrated PowerPoint presentation, but much tinier, only the a portion of the screen is used. Video podcasts use up the full screen, and are encoded as movie files. These are basically just digital movies exported to fit the iPod. GarageBand (maybe Camtasia 5) are typically used to make enhanced podcasts. See Student Examples tab in iTunes U (you have to download it to your library to see the enhanced features work).
Video podcasts are really just movies that are formatted specifically to watch on a portable video player. That can be a video iPod, a Creative Zen, Archos, etc. Both the screen size and compression rates making watching video podcasts a different experience from watching a television. Remember, video podcasts are more about distribution and portability rather than providing a movie theater experience. A creative use of video podcasts (I've read about, but not seen) is to have video based instructions for CPR and the Heimlich. Video editing software is used to make video podcasts, this is not the same as audio editing software. See example in GMU/ICAR's Television Interviews in iTunes U (you may have to download it to your library to see the enhanced features work).
Screencasts are a kind of video podcast that focuses on capturing computer screen activity and often simultaneous audio narration typically for the purpose of training or demonstration.
Podcasting Equipment and Software
The following provides background information on podcasting software and audio equipment and hardware. You won't need most of this for this course or for the production of basic podcasts, but it's good to know about the features of high-end equipment and that each type of software provides.About File Formats
The following provides some getting started information about the various types of file formats involved in podcasting. You will be given more in depth resources later on.Principles of Digital Audio Learning
The following is a list of principles that are commonly mentioned as affordances for learning of podcasting. I don't think learning changes much at all, we're used to listening to learn. However, the what, where, when, why, who of learning is changed.Repetition is one principle of learning by podcasts that provides a tremendous advantage to some students and teachers. In two cases I have found that students, for whom English is a second language and that are in highly theoretical discussion oriented class, listened to podcasts of classes that had attended. It is likely that they are missing a large percentage of the conversation. In both cases I had overestimated their comprehension and underestimated their motivation to spend another two and a half hours listening to the same material. Without podcasts this repetition is impossible for instructional designers and teachers to provide their students.
Distribution is a principle of podcast learning that provides an advantage to students, teachers and instructional designers. The low cost of distribution over the Internet means that anybody can publish their learning materials. The availability of a wide range of materials means that teachers and students have the possibility to mix and match content that is up to date and customized. With wireless technologies improving everyday, downloading podcasts where and when you need them is nearly here. One well-designed podcast can benefit students all over the world and over time.
Multitasking is a principle of learning by podcasts that provides an advantage to busy adult learners. In one case, I recorded a discussion seminar for a fellow student who had two courses scheduled at the same time. She tried meeting with the professor after class, but found that the interaction was not the same. Because we never saw each other, I uploaded each recording to a secure website. She downloaded the file to her iPod. She listened to the class on her two hour drive to work. She found the experience to be just like being a part of class. From my own learning experiences, I enjoy learning during those moments that are not conducive to learning by reading, like riding the bus, walking to work.
Asynchronous is a principle of podcast learning that provides advantage to students, teachers and instructional designers. The ability to create content at a different time than at the point of consumption shifts instructional design from teaching to learning. All teachers can become Instructional designers, they can use a design process that allows them to plan, create, refine and evaluate their work over time rather than at the same time. For students with increasingly busy schedules, learning can happen when they are ready to learn, rather than what works best for when people can meet.
Isolation is a principle of podcast learning that provides advantage to students who need help in focusing their attention. Most people listen to podcasts using some type of headphones. The ability to isolate the conversation from background noise allows any location to be a learning evironment. I also suspect that such isolation might allow some people to improve their listening skills in auditory domains like music.
Dr. Mayer, a cognitive researcher, has written widely on the principles of multimedia on learning. You can find more detail in his latest 3-4 books listed at this URL: http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/mayer/publications/publications.php
Here is a short PDF version of Dr. Mayer's Cognitive research applied to PowerPoint that presents his principles in an easily digested form: Cognitive Principles of Multimedia Learning.
If theoretical aspects of podcasts interest you, you might enjoy reading Ann Barron's chapter on Auditory Instruction.
Copyright
Read Farkas, Chapter 3: pp. 137-141. Farkas provides a brief introduction into some of the legal issues related to music copyright. As most professional podcasts seem to include some music jingles for intros or transitions, this is an important issue. Apple's Garageband has free music jingles available. You can use the Creative Commons web site to find sharable music.For the purposes of this class, you may apply the Fair Use Guidelines to your use of copyrighted material for your projects.
If you have any questions about these topics, I encourage you to post them to the Discussion Board.
Assignments
You're done with this module if you: