The Power of the Spoken Word

Podcasting in Higher Education

Iain Mac Labhrainn

1. Podcast, MP3, download, RSS…

Duke UniversityDigital Initiative

•Originally “free iPod” project•Now more developed,range of technologies

http://www.duke.edu/ddi

Lecture capture?

iTunes U

• Promoted by Apple• number of institutions (mainly

US at this stage)• Easy distribution method• Quick turnaround• Requires conversion if non-

iPod

Modesty?

InformationTransfer?

• Laurillard (Educause Review, Jan/Feb 2002)

• New technologies – incorporated and subverted– Serve the needs of information transfer

paradigm

• Fail to challenge or transform

Lecture

http://bokcenter.harvard.edu

Lectures or “large classes”?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CD_autolev_crop.jpg

Voice in education

• Power (1990), The Use of Audio in Distance Education– Audio-cassettes– Flexibility; learner control– Spoken word: modulation, intonation, inflexion,

phrasing, pacing, volume, loudness, timbre– Can be more powerful than written text – Music – theme, breaks, sound effects– Methods for design, scripting and production,

importance of narrator, different styles/scenarios

Pedagogical need

Educational objectives

Curricular design

Selection of media

Evaluation

2.Technology for all

Editing & processing

Telephone interviews

RSS, etc

Further info

• iain.maclaren@nuigalway.ie• paul.gormley@nuigalway.ie

www.impala.ac.uk