|
Matt Thompson teaches
in the Nicholson School of Communications at the University of Central Florida.
He began offering occasional short articles on technology to the FORUM sometime
back. Each was a pithy, conversational and helpful. Introduction to a new
techno-teaching tool, and so we invited Matt to contribute a series of podcasts
to the FORUM's web site along the same lines. Matt received his Master's Degree
in Communications from Florida State University and went on to serve as the
Director of Marketing for a legal case management software company. He's also an
entrepreneur and president of his own company, InkOutLoud. |
|
Many
people do not completely understand the technology and wonder how podcasts can
be used in a classroom setting. Simply put, a podcast is a blog with a voice. I
know many of you are rolling your eyes and discounting the credibility of blogs,
and in many instances you are correct. However, consider this—our students
gather information in a variety of ways and it is our responsibility to help
them utilize critical thinking ski Podcasts, sometimes referred to as "time-shifted radio," allow a person or small group of people to record their thoughts, opinions and insights and disperse them to the masses. Anyone with a computer is a potential podcast producer as well as a podcast receiver. In the most basic case, the voice is recorded into a computer with a microphone. The resulting file is converted and compressed to an MP3 file. The distribution tool is RSS, a free, subscription-based feed that allows listeners to receive your podcast whenever you post it on your website. However, you could also just post your podcast to your website and allow listeners to stream the audio in, using their media player. The confusion surrounding the term "podcast" is embedded in the name. Many people believe that podcasts can only be played on Apple's iPod or that they must have some special technology to listen to the file. This is all untrue. Any MP3 player can play an MP3 file, and from informal research in my own class, about half of the students have these players. The students who do not have an MP3 player can stream the audio on their computer or burn it to a CD. In the academic setting, a podcast can have a positive effect and allow auditory learners to listen to your discussion prompts in the car, while walking to class or sitting at their computer. In my Fundamentals of Speech large lecture class we plan to use podcasts for lecture supplements and discussion prompts. Of course we are conducting research to see if the podcasts are effective. I think there are some important components to consider when using podcasts in your class:
1. Use podcasts
to provide examples and prompt discussion, not as a replacement for lecture. New technologies can seem overwhelming, but in reality the creation of these MP3 files is simple and the editing can be done at your school's faculty support center. If you have any questions about podcasts, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Contact: |
|
Also see: Merrow Podcasts Cover Education from Personal to Policy |
lls to accept or reject this information. One
of these information sources is a blog, and an extension of a blog is a podcast.