Podcasting: A New Technology for Adaptive, Shared and ...joics.org/gallery/ics-1560.pdf · Podcasting: A New Technology for Adaptive, Shared and Personalized Learning in Higher Education

Podcasting: A New Technology for Adaptive, Shared and

Personalized Learning in Higher Education

Dr. Noushad Husain

Professor

Department of Education and Training,

Maulana Azad National Urdu University,

Gachibowli, Hyderabad

Abstract

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. Educational

podcasting may include podcasting by students, teachers, administrators, industry experts and

other involved entities that focus primarily on the educational process and educational interests.

Keywords: Podcasting, Personalized Learning, Higher Education

Introduction

Technology is transforming the way education can be imparted to the networked generation of

the 21st century. Effective use of technology can help universities develop the skills students

need to succeed in their lives and profession. Reflecting on the recent emergence and rising

popularity of podcasting, universities and educational institutions offer innovative ways to

enhance the educational experience by using podcasting. Amongst other emerging technologies

like social software (blogs, wikis), eportfolios and mobile technology, podcasting has a higher

impact on learning and student engagement, coupled with lower cost of implementation and

threshold of adoption (Braddlee & Gail, 2006). It has thus been introduced in many universities

across the world as an e-learning and teaching tool. Podcasting is used in universities to offer

ubiquitous access to content, flexible learning opportunities, personalized content delivery to

address students with different learning styles, self empowerment, control and autonomy to

students and instructors, updated course content, improved instructor-student interaction and

professional development opportunities amongst various other pedagogical uses.

Journal of Information and Computational Science

Volume 9 Issue 10 - 2019

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What is Podcasting?

The word “podcasting” is a combination of the name of Apple Inc’s portable media player, the

iPod™ (a portable digital audio player that allows users to download music from their computer

directly to the device for later listening) and broadcasting. Podcasting is defined as the

distribution of a digital media file or a series of such files over the Internet using syndication

feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers (Podcast – Wikipedia,

2007). The podcast creator publishes files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed

and receive new files automatically by subscription much like a digital audio or video magazine

subscription. Podcasting combines the benefits of the broadcast nature of radio with the

flexibility and personalization of recorded audio (Lee & Chan, 2007).

In Wikipedia, podcasting is defined as online publishing of files in a way that allows for the

subscription-like syndication and distribution of files as they become available. Most podcasts

are audio in MP3 format, syndicated through the RSS protocol (Wikipedia, 2005). Meng (2005)

defines podcasting as “the process of capturing an audio event, song, speech or mix of sounds

and then posting that digital sound object to a Web site or “blog” in a data structure called an

RSS 2.0 envelope (or feed)”. According to these definitions, podcasting can be characterized

with two main features:

Podcasting is an audio content delivery approach based on Web syndication protocols

such as RSS and/or Atom.

Podcasting aims to distribute content to be used with mobile and digital audio/video

players such as iPods including all other MP3 players, cell phones and PDAs.

Hence we can formulate podcasting as following:

Podcasting = Web syndication (RSS, Atom) + Audio content (talk shows, music, news and

certainly learning resources…) + Mobile devices (mp3 players, PDAs, cell phones…)

How Does Podcasting 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 iPod or MP3

player. 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. Perhaps most significantly,



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podcast technology empowers users to publish audio content directly and seamlessly onto the

Web.

The Podcasting Process

Podcasting is the process of capturing an audio event, song, speech or mix of sounds and then

posting that digital sound object to a Web site or “blog” in a data structure called an RSS 2.0

envelope (or “feed”). RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication and is an agreed specification of

XML tags used to define objects which can be subscribed to through a “RSS news reader”.

Using specialized news readers like iPodder or iPodderX, users can subscribe to a Web page

containing RSS 2.0 tagged audio files on designated web pages and automatically download

these files directly into an audio management program on their personal computer like iTunes,

Windows Media Player or MusicMatch. When a user synchronizes their portable audio device

with their personal computer the podcasts are automatically transferred to that device to be

listened to at the time and location most convenient for the user. Figure-1 shows the process of

podcasting.



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Figure-1: The Podcasting Process

The advantage of podcasting via an RSS feed is the instantaneous nature of being able to retrieve

the podcast once a subscription feed has been established. The subscription feed is then linked to

an aggregator (e.g. iTunes™), which is used to automatically retrieve the podcasts if any new

updates are published on the net. In terms of knowledge distribution, information is based upon a

push approach. That is once a subscription has been established with an RSS feed, the user will

automatically receive the knowledge once the site where the source material is being held is

updated (Ractham and Zhang, 2006). The fact that there is now an ‘always on’ culture means

that the aggregator will automatically search for new feeds that have been subscribed to (Hargis

and Wilson, 2005). Huann and Thong (2006) illustrate this production and publication of

podcasts as a three-stage process (Figure 2).

Content Creation Phase

Publication Phase

Subscription Phase

Authoring of Podcast

Publication to RSS

Feed/Hosting Website

Use of Aggregator

Software (i.e. iTunes) to Capture Podcast Synch with Music Player (i.e. iPod)

Figure-2: The Podcasting Process

Educational Podcasting

Educational Podcasting (Edupods) are published by anyone with a vested interest in education

and its outcomes. Edupods can be published by teachers for the improving classroom instruction,

by students to publish their assessment tasks and by policy makers who need to comment on

education. Educational podcasts allow all students to participate in discussion on any topic. An

educational podcasts will help in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes that will be used by



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the student throughout their professional and personal lives. Fiogure-3 shows the diagrammatic

representation of educational podcasting.

Educational Value of Podcasting

The intrinsic value of podcasting is that it utilizes rich media and creates interest by exploring

new ways of delivering content to community. Podcasts encourage increased collaboration

between students and faculty. Another positive reason to use the podcast format as a part of an

information literacy curricula is that the user can listen to the content according to their own time

schedule. The learner can also revisit the podcasts and review what they may have missed or

forgotten. Podcasting provides asynchronous access for time-shifted student learning. This is

especially important for distance learners. This media allows the learner to decide when and

where they will engage with the content. This format also allows for sharing amongst peers and

peer institutions.

Podcasts can be created from original material by students and teachers or existing audio files

can be downloaded for classroom use. Creating a podcast allows students to share learning

experiences. It provides them with a world-wide audience that makes learning meaningful and

assessment authentic. Teachers can use the technology to provide additional and revision

material to students to download and review at a time that suits them. The flexibility that such

time-shifting offers makes podcasting a valuable educational tool. Figure-3 clearly shows the

educational value of podcasting.



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Podcaster (Student)

Podcaster (Teacher)

Podcast

(Share Learning Experiences)

)

Podcast

(Classroom Information Reviews/ Comments)

Asynchronous Communication

Educational Podcasting

Asynchronous Communication

iPods Cellular Phone Desktops Laptops PDA

Audio Content Delivery

through RSS

Uses Uses

Content

Publishers

Course

Developers

Academic

Institutions

Educators

Personal

Bloggers

Learners

Figure-3: Interactive Nature of Podcasting Allowing for Continuous Conversation

Podcasting in Higher Education

Podcasting in higher education can prove to be interactive. It enables teachers to provide

additional instructions to students and involve them in the interaction. It is especially useful for



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the students with learning difficulties. With podcast technology, education has embraced a

powerful new instructional tool. Increasingly teachers are using podcasting in higher education

as well as at lower grade levels to provide additional course content, to make a method of review

and reinforcement available to students and to involve students themselves in an interactive

medium. Podcasts can be created from original material by students and teachers or existing

audio files can be downloaded for classroom use. Creating a podcast allows students to share

learning experiences. It provides them with a world-wide audience that makes learning

meaningful and assessment authentic. Teachers can use the technology to provide additional and

revision material to students to download and review at a time that suits them. The flexibility that

such time-shifting offers makes podcasting a valuable educational tool.

Podcasting is relevant to higher education. It is a powerful publishing platform which addresses

different learning styles, is highly mobile and can deliver content “just in time.” There are many

possibilities for which podcasting can be used in the classroom. First, a teacher may conveniently

use her cell phone to create a podcast with daily homework assignments and other classroom

information. Then the teacher could record her class for students to download as a podcast.

These podcasts are used by students who are absent as well as by those who need extra

reinforcement or want to review. Podcasts can also be useful to parents. Parents can download

the podcasts to stay up-to-date on their children's school activities. Most importantly, podcasts

are beneficial to the students with the classrooms. Students could create a podcast about the Civil

War to show what they've learned and share it with other classmates.

Researches on Use of Podcasting in Higher Education

Podcasting can offer an innovative way to support learning. A number of institutions have

subsequently followed suit in adopting iPods™ and podcasting as an educational medium

(Blaisdell, 2006). According to Hargis and Wilson (2005), “podcasting can promise a unique

approach to improving foundational pedagogical approaches to information processing and

conceptual learning”. Previous research into the use of Podcasting within education has revealed

some interesting findings. As podcasts can be shared across academic communities this has been

found to be effective in developing social networking and collaborative learning (Alexander,

2005; Ratctham and Zhang, 2006). Alexander (2005) notes how the use of podcasts can reach

those with different learning styles and it is particularly good for students who learn ‘on the go’

(Lim, 2005). This also enables time-shifted learning to occur, so learners can choose when and

where they want to learn (Chan and Lee, 2005). Podcasting can also make learning more

appealing to a diversity of learners and can generate greater inclusivity (Cebeci and Tekdal,

2006). Indeed, podcasting has great potential to meet the needs of learners who may have

specific learning difficulties, or whose first language is not English and therefore require further

learning support.



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Baird and Fisher (2006) have found that podcasts can be effective in enhancing student

engagement and reflection. Hargis and Wilson (2005) suggest that podcasting can be a shared

learning experience where conceptual thoughts and ideas can be created spontaneously. This can

then lead to a more progressive and reflective learning experience. Huann and Thong (2006)

have also found that podcasting enables key skills to be developed including communication,

time management, problem solving and critical and analytical thinking. In analyzing the

influence of podcasting on language learning, Thorne and Payne (2006) argue that it leverages

habituated behaviour. That is, students are familiar with the technology and how to use it. It has

also been argued that students experience higher satisfaction with those courses that use audio

recordings to accompany course material (Miller and Piller, 2005). Chan and Lee (2005) also

found that podcasting alleviates the anxiety levels of students with the subject matter. From

research conducted at the University of Washington, Lane (2006) found that podcasts enabled

students to further understand the in-class taught material. Indeed, processing complex and

abstract information via audio can be challenging, but it can be good for understanding general

opinions and arguments (Chan and Lee, 2005). It may also be conducive for those students who

take a “bite size” instrumentalist approach to learning (Dale and McCarthy, 2006).

Possible Uses of Podcasting in Higher Education

Podcasting is very useful for higher education. In various universities and HEIs, educational

podcasting is using for different subjects. Podcasting can equip the learner those necessary skills

and knowledge that are required in the new millennium. Reflective and analytical thinking is

possible with educational podcasting. Figure-4 clearly shows some uses of podcasting for higher

education.



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Lecture and

Discussion

(Recorded)

Live

Class

Summary/

Reflection

Class

Extensions

Culminating

Presentation

or Show

Class

Preparation/

Warm Ups

Structured

Interview

with Experts

Lecture

(Recorded

Live)

Pre

Recorded

Interview or

Lecture

Entire

Session

Summary

(Edited)

Passive

Active

Student Engagem

ent

Quick

Longer Time/Effort

(Entire Process)

Lecture Capture

“Sound Seeing” Tours

Interviews

Lesson Summary

Dramatic Reading

Debate

News Report

Recorded Student/Faculty Conversation

Student to Student/Faculty Dialogue

Lesson Feedback

Consumption and

Production of Audio

Varying

Levels of

Use

Examples

Figure-4: Possible Uses of Podcasting in Higher Education

Innovative Ideas for Using Podcasting in the Classroom



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Below I am giving some ideas for using podcast in the classroom for fulfilling the requirement of

the courses of the higher education classes. You may use podcasting in your classroom in various

types. It depends upon your imagination and thinking. Some ideas are giving below:

Podcast the week’s most asked question from interactive forums or in class discussions.

Podcast interviews with relevant industry individuals, former students, or guest lecturers.

Podcast vocabulary (foreign language or other) study guide and quiz.

Create “What would you do?” case studies for students to work through and give

feedback answers on through Oncourse forums or mail.

Podcast information for site visits or field trips before event and use as a guide.

“PreCast” introductory materials before class to familiarize students with difficult

material or as a guide for the next class lecture.

Walk through a process for an experiment in real (or near-real) time for the student to

follow along with.

Encourage weekly feedback on current events relevant to your course through student

podcasting.

Podcast the course syllabus, addressing student concerns from past semesters or

clarifying certain points you feel are important to note.

Podcast a weekly review of the course, including examples from current student work,

relevant reviews and current events and housekeeping items from the course.

Podcast helpful guides to effectively completing large assignments or projects.

Podcast with additional audio clips from film, TV, etc (with respect to copyright and fair

use) to supplement in-class material.

For courses that often require outside tutoring consider creating podcasts to address some

of the more common student problems.

Create a podcast series that addresses “refresher” information that students may need to

be successful in their current course without using up in-class time (example: math topics

that might need to be reviewed before adding to the concept).

Create a short and snappy (3 minutes or less) weekly tip podcast to give students extra

insight or catch them up to speed on a topic.

Instead of having students give presentations in class over subject matter, have groups

podcast the information instead.

Downloadable library of high resolution heart sounds, breathing sounds, etc. for medical

students.

How to Publishing a Podcast?

You can easily create podcasts. You need a computer, a microphone and computer applications.

First, you must record your content. To record and edit files, software such as GarageBand or

Audacity is necessary. Audacity is a free audio editor and recorder and can be run on almost



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every operating system. Because of its reliability, it is used by many podcast-publishers.

Software such as SoundSoap2, is preferred among users to remove background noise. After the

creating the podcast, you can upload the file on hosting service such as Ourmedia.org, which can

also be used for free. This is done for other listeners to subscribe to the podcast. This location is

known as the feed URI. You need to create an RSS document to let subscribers know if there

is an update about your podcast through the RSS reader, feed reader and podcasting

aggregators. RSS, which stands for Rich Site Summary, is an XML-based format which

includes metadata which is the information of your content’s title, outline, summary, release

date and so on. You can create an RSS document by notepad or by computer applications

such as RapidFeeds which you can use for free.

How to Receive Podcasts

Learning about podcasts of interests is similar to searching for websites of interests. You use

various search engines and directories or discover them from friends and colleagues via e-mail

announcements, newsletters or other publications. For instance, if you are looking for a podcast

about educational leadership, you could go to Google.com and enter these as keywords. Special

podcast directories that are searchable now exist and include the following:

The Apple podcast directory searchable through iTunes software

(http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/)

Podcast Pickle (http://www.podcastpickle.com/)

iPodder (http://www.ipodder.org/directory/4/podcasts)

Podcast.net (http://www.podcast.net/)

Yahoo! Podcasts (http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ )

Podcast Direcoty (http://www.podcastdirectory.com/)

Podcast Alley (http://www.podcastalley.com/)

ipodderX (http://ipodderx.com/directory)

The Education Podcast Network (http://epnweb.org/).

Challenges of Using Podcasting in Higher Education

Maag (2006) identifies the following potential challenges of using podcasting technologies:

students’ adoption of the educational aspect of the device, technical support from university

instructional technology departments (e.g., server space, bandwidth and maintenance) and

faculty member buy-in of the use of the technology. Maag (2006) argues that if educators

understand the generation of students they are teaching, perhaps they would recognize that

ubiquitous podcasting may assist learners and educators to share a voice and enhance

communications. Because of the relative newness of podcasting in education, another challenge



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is in understanding its effectiveness as a learning tool and in identifying effective ways for

delivering content.

Conclusions

We need to get serious about educating today’s digital natives for the digital knowledge

landscape of the twenty-first century. In many ways, the traditional, “transmission-based”

educational model of the past is insufficient for the needs of today’s learners and employers.

Classroom podcasts can provide engaging opportunities for students to develop desirable skills

as digital storytellers and cutting-edge communicators. Podcasting has become a major feature of

contemporary society and has emerged as a means for supporting learning within educational

institutions. However, podcasting should not be seen as a replacement for the contact between

the tutor and student. Though, enhanced podcasts can offer an interactive medium for enhancing

the student learning experience.

References

Alexander, B. (2005). Podcasting and the Liberal Arts, The Newsletter of the National Institute

for Technology and Liberal Education [online], 4(3). Website:

http://newsletter.nitle.org/v4_n3_summer2005/podcasting.php.

Baird, D.E. and Fisher, M. (2006). Neomillennial User Experience Design Strategies: Utilizing

Social Networking Media to Support "Always On" Learning Styles, Journal of Educational

Technology Systems, 34 (1), 5−32.

Blaisdell, M. (2006). Academic MP3s: Is it time yet? [online]. Campus Technology. Website:

http://campustechnology.com/article.asp?id=18001.

Braddlee., & Gail, M. (2006). Emerging for Us: Exploring the Future of Emerging Academic

Technology at Simmons. Website: http://educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/DEC0604.pdf

Cebeci, Z. and Tekdal, M. (2006). Using Podcasts as Audio Learning Objects, Interdisciplinary

Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, Vol 2, 7-57.

Chan, A., and Lee, M.J.W. (2005). An MP3 a day keeps the worries away: Exploring the use of

podcasting to address the preconceptions and alleviate pre-class anxiety amongst undergraduate

information technology students. Paper presented at the Good Practice in Practice: Proceedings

of the Student Experience Conference, Wagga Wagga, NSW Australia.

Dale, C. and McCarthy, P. (2006). I like your style: The learning approaches of leisure, tourism

and hospitality students studying generic modules, Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and

Tourism Education, 5 (2), 48-58.



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Hargis, J. and Wilson. D. (2005). Fishing for Learning with a Podcast Net. [online] University

of North Florida. Website: http://www.unf.edu/dept/cirt/tech/podcast/HargisPodcastArticle.pdf

Huann, T. Y. and Thong, M.K. (2006). Audioblogging and Podcasting in Education [online}.

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Lane, C. (2006). Podcasting at the UW: An Evaluation of Current Use [online]. Website:

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Lim, K. (2005). Now Hear This – Exploring Podcasting as a Tool in Geography Education

[online]. Nanyang Technological University. Website:

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/brisbane_kenlim.pdf

Lee, M.J.W. & Chan, A. (2007). Reducing the effects of isolation and promoting inclusivity for

distance learners through podcasting, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 8, 1, pp.

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http://edublog.net/astinus/mt/files/docs/Literature%20Review%20on%20audioblogging%20and%25

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