podcasting handout - aict conference 2010

PapaPodcasts on iTunes, YouTube, Blogger, AOL – http://papapodcasts.blogspot.com Michael Papadimitriou – [email protected] 1

Papapodcasts© iTunes – Blogger – YouTube – AOL

TCDSB/AICT Conference

Supporting the Digital Citizen

Tuesday April 13, 2010

Audio/Video Podcasting – Outline

Michael Papadimitriou©


AUDIO/VIDEO PODCASTING

Podcasting in Education PODCASTING IS A TERM used to describe a combination of hardware and software used to distribute audio and video content online. Similar to broadcast radio, this technology has rapidly gained the interest of professional broadcasters, amateurs with niche interests and educators. From broadcasting class lectures and campus news to providing supplemental explanations and expanded examples to course content, the usefulness of this technology in the educational environment is substantial.

WHAT IS PODCASTING?The term podcasting is a combination of iPod (Apple Computer's portable media player) and broadcasting. Anyone with access to the internet and the capability of p laying audio files on a computer or any portable media device can listen to podcasts. These podcasts are audio and video recordings that are made available through an online subscription for use on a computer or portable media player. These subscriptions are normally free of charge and the variety of content is growing at a rapid pace.

At a high level the average content producer records the material, digitizes the media on a computer, uploads the files and creates an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed for the user to subscribe to. For the average end user, all that is required is a freely available podcast aggregator program which allows users to subscribe to podcast content. This program can be set to automatically check for and download new material based on the user's preferences. Once new content is available, the program downloads the

media to the users computer and/or onto any portable media player connected to the user's computer.

While downloadable online content is not a new concept, the ability to distribute this material automatically to anyone who subscribes to a podcast feed is new. Historically, if someone wanted to access video or audio content online they would have to visit the website and manually download the material. With podcasting, the user merely "subscribes" to the content they wish to receive and a podcast aggregator program automatically downloads new materials as it becomes available. An additional benefit of these aggregator programs is their ability to place newly downloaded material directly onto a portable media player.

Educational Benefits of Podcasting For educators, this fast, convenient, and low cost way to extend lessons beyond the classroom is attracting significant interest. From simply recording existing class lectures to developing new supplemental course material, instructors and students can realize many benefits utilizing downloadable content. While podcasting cannot be a complete replacement for face to face education, the potential uses of podcasting in traditional and distance education include: * the ability to listen to a lecture multiple times, * flexibility in class schedule (no more “missed classes”), * increased interaction with the instructor (instead of focused note taking), * supplement to traditional class notes, * audio resources for blind and distance education students, * portability (using personal media players), * beneficial to auditory learners, and * multitasking (e.g. exercising while listening to lectures).


Guide to Creating and Uploading Audio/Video Podcasts Tools required: Laptop, microphone (if not built-in), camcorder

Software: PowerPoint, Smartboard (for Smart Recorder) or Jing Project (www.jingproject.com) or Debut Video Recording (http://download.cnet.com/Debut-Video-Recording-Software/3000-13633_4-10684791.html) , Audacity (PC-users), Movie Maker (PC-Users).

Create an account with the following sites:

i. Blogger: http://www.blogger.com - for uploading video podcasts ii. Podbean: http://www.podbean.com – for uploading audio podcasts iii. iTunes: http://www.apple.ca - download iTunes first (optional) iv. Feedburner: http://feedburner.google.com - for hosting your podcast on iTunes/monitor subscribers – required only if

you intend to host VIDEO podcasts on iTunes v. Google Analytics: http://www.google.com/analytics/ - for tracking worldly viewers (optional) vi. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com - (optional) – videos must be less than 10 minutes in length – reach the masses with

this video hosting site and promote your Blogger and iTunes podcasts

Recording Audio and Uploading these Audio Podcasts 1. Mac users can use Garageband software. PC users can download freeware software called

Audacity. It can be downloaded at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. Majority of the audio podcasts online are created using Audacity. If your computer does not have a built in microphone, you will need to purchase one.

2. Think about a topic/lesson you’d like to talk about. Prepare a script for it and record it using Audacity or Garageband.

3. If using Audacity, the main screen will look as follows

1. Record button

2. Shows peaks where speech was recorded

If your laptop/desktop does not come with a built-in microphone, you must purchase one


4. Make sure that you save your audio file is in MP3 format

5. If using Garageband (MAC users only), share to your iTunes. It will save your podcast with your music files in your iTunes folder as an MP3.

6. Create an account with Podbean. This is where you will create your audio podcast channel and upload all audio files

A. On your Dashboard page, click on “Settings”

A


B. Click on Feeds/iTunes

This is where your options to upload your AUDIO podcasts to iTunes

7. Congratulations your podcast channel has been sent to iTunes and you will receive an email notification. Save ALL emails you receive from Apple iTunes.

B


Creating Video Podcasts

8. You can record your video podcasts using a webcam, a video camera or some sort of screen capture software (such as the Smart Recorder – all schools within the school board should have the Smartboard tools installation CD)

If you are using Smart Recorder, you do not need to use a Smartboard. A Smartboard can, however, add a nice touch to your video lesson.

9. If you choose to use Smart Recorder, creating a PowerPoint for the video you wish to create will be your best option.

Once you have created your PowerPoint lesson, click record and minimize the recording toolbar (this will hide the recorder toolbar as it will be in the way of your PowerPoint). Click to start your PowerPoint presentation. If you do not have a built in microphone, you will need to purchase one.

10. The video file you will create using Smart Recorder will be a .MOV file. On a PC you can use Movie Maker (on all TCDSB computers) to convert your video from MOV to WMV. This will allow you to shrink your video file. Blogger will not allow videos greater than 100Mb to be uploaded. YouTube also has a 10-minute restriction to videos.

11. Next step is to upload this video to Blogger (or YouTube)

Uploading a Video Podcast – Blogger

12. Click on “Create a Blog” 13. Create a name and the webpage address you wish to use – address will appear as follows:

http//********.blogspot.com

J. Blog Page Title

K. Blog Address (URL) – the name you would like to use as part of the web address. Your web address for your blog page will look as follows:

http://****.blogspot.com

**** - you decide what goes here – check availability just below it. This will tell you if someone else has already chosen that blog address.

14. Choose any template in which you would like your blog page to look like. Once you have created your blog page, click on “New Post” to start posting your videos.

J

K


L. New Post – click here to begin uploading your videos onto Blogger.

15. The following window pops up. Here is where you would edit, description and upload your video

M. Title – the title you wish to give your video.

N. Click the icon to upload your video

You can write a description of your video in the space provided as well as labels to help find your videos.

16. Click on the upload video icon and the following window pops up

L

M

N

Description


O. Browse through your files until you find the video you wish to upload.

P. Title this file again

Q. Agree to the Copyright

Finally, click UPLOAD VIDEO

Do NOT close window until you receive the “Publish Post” icon. It can take a while depending on the size of your video file. Keep video files under 100 Mb

17. Once you have published your post, your video podcasts can now be viewed by anyone having access to your site.

Google Feedburner Account (http://feedburner.google.com)

18. Create a login account. 19. Scroll to the window that says Burn a feed right this instant. Copy and paste, or retype the link to the blog you

have just created on blogger – it should look like: http//********.blogspot.com – click in the box that says “I am a podcaster! Click “Next>>”

R. Copy Paste Web address of your blogger account

S. Check “I am a podcaster!”

Click Next>>

20. The following screen appears.

O

P

N

R S


Leave the setting as is and click “NEXT>>”

21. This screen obtains the title from you Blogger Account. It shows the feed address as well – downloads can occur here

Clicking Next will give you the following. Your blog site feed has been activated and it is almost ready for iTunes.


22. Configure the information that iTunes will obtain about your videos.

This is where you will edit the information that will be displayed on iTunes to all who view/look up your podcasts.

A. Category – what category do your podcasts fit in, include a subcategory.

B. Podcast image location – from your blogger account scroll to the section “About Me”. Hopefully you have already uploaded an image you would like to represent your podcast (original image). Click on the image on your Blogger account until you get a full image. Copy the link for that image and paste it on this Feedburner page (location B)

C. Fill in the summary with a description of your podcasts

D. Include search words that will help viewers find your podcasts in iTunes

E. Include an email address (optional)

F. Podcast author – include your name, nickname….

Click Next>>

A

BB

C

D

E

F


23. The following page tells you that you can monitor the traffic to your Blogger videos, notifying you of who subscribes and who downloads your videos.

Check off all 3 boxes

Click Next>>

24. Congratulations you are ready to publish your videos to iTunes.

G. Icon that will open you to Feedburners version of your blog page. This new page is an optional address you can give to viewer

Icon is gray and looks like this:

G


25. Once you have clicked the first icon (G), a new webpage opens up that will show all your videos.

On the new webpage click on (H)

. This will give you what techno-geeks call an XML link. This XML link is what iTunes requires you to upload your videos from blogger to iTunes.

***The link will look as follows: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/SeniorChemistry?format=xml - take this link and paste it into iTunes by doing the following.

26. Open iTunes.

Click in the iTunes store “Podcasts”. The podcasts main page of iTunes opens and then click “Submit a Podcast”

27. Copy and paste XML link into the “Podcast Feed URL and click “Continue”

I. Copy and Paste the XML from the Feedburner site as state earlier

H

I


28. The following shows you a review of the information about your iTunes podcasts that you will be creating from your Blogger account.

29. If any of this information is incorrect, go back to Feedburner

J. Click “Optimize” and edit the SmartCast

SmartCast is where you will edit the information that will be seen by your viewers through iTunes (refer to page 10)

30. Congratulations you are now an official podcaster with Apple’s iTunes

J


Legalities of Podcasting – Blog Things we need to understand about educational podcasting

As someone who spends too much time thinking about educational podcasting I firmly believe that it’s potential is as a mainstream educational tool. The basis for this is that the means of production is highly accessible (if different to the way we are used to operating) and, most importantly, audio is a highly rich and intuitive media.

However, I have been carrying out some work on the infrastructure that needs to be in place in order to enable a mainstream engagement with the potential, and there are a lot of holes that need to be filled. This is essential work if the simple technology is ever to be in a position to instil confidence amongst those who have not yet touched the technology. Undoubtedly I will blog about that work soon.

There are other holes in our understanding – that is the understanding of academics, educational developers and students that will hold back, and even jeopardise, progress in revealing the potential of educational podcasting. I thought it would be useful to start noting some of these here.

Rights – how does the law view educational podcasting? This is a question that came up in a barcamp held at ALT-C last September. Though the law is the law, and podcasting is governed by the same laws that affect production of any content and its performance, there is clearly uncertainty in the educational sphere of what this actually looks like. A good set of guidelines is needed. ‘Copyright, Performance and Ethical Rights in Educational Podcasting’ would be a suitable title if anyone feels like writing such a document.

Content – How do we talk about the audio that is conveyed in educational podcasts? This is a strange question and one that I find difficult to articulate. In my own work, I advocate creativity in considering how podcasting can enrich learning. To put it simply, this highlights that podcasting is simply a technology platform and that what happens on that platform is open to whoever is using the technology. To look to the extremes, a recording of a lecture may represent the ideas of some, whilst the sharing of student-generated notes might be an example of another extreme. In these two (of many, many) examples, the role of the audio is quite different. Indeed there are multiple roles for each content depending on who the user of that content is.

In the first example, the tutor user may see the content as a nutritious feed of information or as a way of ensuring that every student has access to events that have been and gone. They may even think that the content has a role in different contexts (next year’s teaching, marketing of the course, supplementary material for related modules, etc). For the student the same content, if deemed at all accessible by them, may be considered a potential revision source; a substitute for the note-taking they would rather not do in lecture; the be-all-and-end-all of knowledge they will need in order to pass their exams.

In the second example, of student-generated audio notes, the primary purpose is as part of an autonomous learning processes where the making of the note is itself the central learning mechanism. There is further use, potentially, in that the learner may revisit and reconsider their notes. Then this content might be shared reciprocally with other friends or cohort members, formally or informally. If shared the content takes on another role, that of a constructivist social measure: ‘how does my thinking compare to their thinking’?

In both cases, and all those in between, content is very complex.

However, many of the ideas I have about educational podcasting do not relate to podcast content in this way. The making of podcasts can be enough. The delivery of content is a by-product to the really important aspect of learners learning by making – this is known as articulation in authentic learning (Herrington and Herrington 2001) and is related to Constructionism (Papert 1986).

Vygotsky and Kozulin (1992, Thought and Language. 6th Edition. MIT Press, p.219) note that "Thought undergoes many changes as it turns into speech. It does not merely find expression in speech; it finds reality and form."

Selection, negotiation and decision-making all require deep engagement from the learner in this process. This the point in the process of making content that really intrigues me, whether that articulation is independent or collaborative. The content production is important, as without the expectation of authentic delivery, the reason and motivation for learning conversation and construction would be impotent. This creates a problem for the assessment of learning therefore, as I have recently discovered in assessing 50 pieces of audio group work. The students expect you to assess the end product, whereas, as tutor, you are really only interested in assessing the learning that came out of the process. Assessing that learning is relatively straight


forward (for example, we required the submission of reflective essays), but should the tutor discard the podcast products from the assessment process? We didn’t. We felt obliged to recognise the creativity and technical competence evident in the work. There was quite a long process involved in listening back to the products in order to do this, it should be noted (50 x 7 minutes). However, perhaps the value of product in this case is adequately reflected outside of the assessment process. In our case, we produced a student podcast gallery (i.e. a module feed), and that was connected to an expectation for mutual communal responsibility.

So, content is as complex as what is meant by educational podcasting itself. Creativity – creativity is another aspect of educational podcasting that really needs to be explored. There are two aspects to this (nothing is simple of course!). Creativity in curriculum design, and developing creativity as a graduate attribute. Both of these subjects require (and will have!) chapters written about them. But as things stand we understand that digital media upsets the norm and that upsetting the norm can be a creative process.

What are the other big gaps we need to explore as we develop a better understanding of the potential for educational podcasting?

podcasting handout - aict conference 2010

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