Podcasting in Higher Ed

Leslie Rasmussen

The University of Southern Mississippi

Embracing Digital Natives

Colleges and universities are incorporating new technologies to adapt to a variety of students.

Commuter students

Nontraditional students

Online courses and hybrid formats

Why podcast?

Share lectures

Students can create and share content with peers

Time shifting for flexible learning

Listen on the way to campus or at the gym

Address the needs of a dynamic e-learning environment

Why do students use podcasts?

Students prefer audio and visual podcasts

To review and gain better understanding

Review at their own pace

To improve retention of knowledge

Pods fit multitasking lifestyles

Social Change and Technology

Increased mobility

Students have iPods, MP3 players, portable gaming systems, laptops, etc.

Students spend large amounts Online socializing – now we can incorporate education

Takes advantage of existing student knowledge

Three Types of Podcasts

Select a variety of formats to meet a variety of needs.

Regular

Audio only

Enhanced

Voice over still images

Vodcast

Video

Needs Assessment

Identify the portable devices your students have

Determine the most appropriate content for podcasting – remember, not everything is suitable!

Determine which format is most useful for students (video, audio, etc.)

Provide CLEAR Instruction

Clearly label podcasts and provide a concise description

Example: Make podcast titles match chapter titles

Use RSS, iTunes, ed-cast etc., but be clear about which platform you use

Rules of Thumb for Time

Keep it short!

Vodcasts should be under 15-minutes

Audio pods should be under 30-minutes

Enhanced pods should be under 20-minutes

iTunes U

Over 800

universitie

s

iTunes U

Integrating Podcasts

Integrating podcasting into the classroom

That’s all folks!