Podcasts

Podcasts are media files that are made available to other people over the internet. Although most commonly found in an audio format, they can sometimes include video and other medias as well. In education, instructors may record classroom lectures and provide them as supplemental material to students on their Blackboard or internet site. Students can then download the podcasts to their computer, iPod, or other compatible device and use them as a study tool.

Instructions:

  1. Record: recording audio requires that you have a microphone hooked up to a computer and a suitable software application to process the data. Audacity (download, tutorial) and Garageband (purchase, tutorial) are two popular software choices for Windows and Mac OS X, respectively. Alternatively, you can use a digital voice recorder to capture your lecture and then transfer the audio to your computer. UWB students and faculty may checkout podcasting equipment at Information Technologies - Campus Media Center (Equipment Solutions).
  2. Edit and Save: you can use Audacity along with the LAME MP3 Encoder (download, tutorial) to edit your podcast and save it in MP3 format to ensure maximum compatibility. GarageBand can export media files as MP3s through iTunes. Refer to the tutorials in the previous step for more information. If you have used a digital voice recorder from the Campus Media Center, you will need an application such as BeeThink MusicHandle that can convert WMAs to MP3s before your recording can be edited or published.
  3. Publish: when the podcast is ready to go, you have to make it available on the internet. The easiest way is to upload the MP3 file to your Blackboard website, which will then become instantly available to students without the need to set up an RSS feed. You can also distribute podcasts through your UW website with direct links or an RSS feed. A third option is to find a web-based podcast hosting service like ClickCaster and iTunes U, however, be sure to read and understand the terms of service as they will explain the proper use, rights, and licensing of the website and its content.
  4. Listen: depending on the publishing method, students can download or listen to a podcast by clicking on a direct link, subscribing to an automatic feed, or visiting the website of the podcast hosting service.

More Information:

Examples:

Podcasting

Best Practices

Have the microphone close to you when recording

Start with a brief summary at the beginning of the podcast

Make clear audio references to visual materials presented during recording

Repeat student questions and responses into the microphone

Edit out unneeded parts to keep the podcast short and to the point

See More Information for more best practices