Educational Podcasting - Enhancing learning and teaching with technology
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Educational Podcasting
Enhancing learning and teaching with technology
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 1 17/11/08 11:01:53
What are podcasts?
Podcasting refers to this method of timely
delivery of content to people who have
selected to ‘subscribe’ to receive the content.
If you have a mobile device capable of
playing the format of the podcast (e.g. an
iPod with a screen for enhanced podcasts)
then the podcast episodes to which you have
subscribed will automatically be transferred
to the device when it is connected.
The process of producing podcasts can
vary in complexity according to the type of
podcast being produced and the intended
The term podcasting primarily describes sophistication of the end result. An audio
a method of distribution. Podcast files podcast is the simplest to produce and
can be a variety of formats but are there are a number of free software tools
usually audio-only, audio with still available that can be used. Enhanced
images (known as an enhanced podcast) podcasts are proving to be a popular option
or video recordings. Using a piece of for educational podcasts. They are easy to
software called a podcast aggregator produce but currently can only be produced
– the most popular being iTunes – you on an Apple Mac computer.
can subscribe to a series of podcasts and
download those currently available; the
aggregator will then regularly check for
and download any new episodes in that
series. Alternatively, podcasts can be
made available and replayed through a
web page.
2 www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 2 17/11/08 11:01:53
Why use podcasts?
Subject matter can take on new life Some ways that podcasting could feature in
when presented in a different medium. your teaching are:
Podcasts offer students the chance
to learn from material at their own • Key concepts associated with a topic
pace and to revisit any sections they • Concentrating on areas of common
are unsure about. The portability of misunderstanding
the format also means they can fit in • Topical news related to a subject
learning at opportune moments such • Feedback to a cohort on their progress
as when travelling on a bus. Concepts • Exemplary use of spoken languages
that may be difficult to convey in static • Site-specific audio tours or commentaries
media can become clearer through • Recordings of sessions or lectures
spoken explanation or through use of • Student (group or individual) produced
moving images. podcasts for an assignment, as peer
assessment or as reflection on their
learning
Educators and publishers are increasingly
making their podcasts publically available
and simply making use of existing
podcasts can be an effective way of
bringing new resources into your teaching.
A good starting point is to browse the
‘Podcast Directory’ within iTunes where you
will find thousands of podcasts categorised
by subject.
www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning 3
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 3 17/11/08 11:01:53Dr Sam Warren
School of Management,
Faculty of Management and Law
The Final Year Project module is run
at the beginning of semester five and
requires that the students have thought
about, and engaged with, the topic of
their choice. Previously the students
were given a lecture about starting
the projects before the summer break
but this either occurred during their
exam period or when they were out
on professional training year – either
way they were unable to appreciate the
importance of what they needed to do
over the summer.
Sam decided to replace the lecture with Sam says:
a series of video podcasts that feature
students talking about the challenges and “I wanted the podcasts to come across as
pitfalls involved in the final year project. authentic; I realised that telling students
to work over their summer holidays was
not going to be popular. They also needed
to be believable; students like to think
‘Oh, I’ll be fine when I come back in
September – I don’t need to think about it
now.’ Therefore I asked four of this year’s
students to keep video diaries, which I
edited in with my footage. I hoped this
would make the podcasts more believable
to students and they’d appreciate that
they did have to do something over the
summer to avoid the pitfalls described by
the students.”
4 www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 4 17/11/08 11:01:53Cath Grob
Health and Social Care,
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
All nursing students at Surrey study Cath says:
biomedical science and are introduced
to a wide range of terminology “The students demonstrated a voracious
including, amongst many things, the appetite for podcasts. The actual
name of every bone in the human body production of enhanced podcasts was
and the abbreviations commonly used not that difficult once the basic software
in orthopaedics. Through a series of applications were understood. I am now
collaborative conversations between planning to make podcasts a feature of all
pre-registration nursing students and the modules I teach on. The future looks
fellow teaching staff it was recognised bright with podcasting!”
that the learning of biomedical sciences
is perceived as difficult and a cause of
anxiety amongst student nurses.
Informed by this Cath opted to produce a
series of enhanced podcasts to augment
the series of lectures. The podcasts
contained only a few of the key slides used
in the lectures but accompanied with a
detailed audio commentary explaining the
information presented on the slide.
www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning 5
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 5 17/11/08 11:01:53What to consider
The following topics need • Duration and frequency – think about
consideration before you start how your students will replay the
producing your own podcasts: podcasts. Will they be listening on the
move? What is the optimum duration for
• Content and objective – if recording your podcasts, for example is the length
your lectures, consider whether an of a bus journey an appropriate measure?
audio recording can do justice to the Consider what the optimum stage is
live event and will be of benefit to your within the course for the podcasts to be
students. Routine recording of lectures made available, for example just before
may just make your sessions more covering a particular topic.
one-way and less connected to the
needs of the students. It could be more • Accessibility – there is a legal requirement
effective to think about using podcasts to to ensure all our students can access
supplement lectures or to introduce necessary course materials. If conveying
new topics. key information within podcasts ensure
you also make the information available
• Type of podcast – there are three distinct via alternative means, for example, have a
types of podcast; audio, enhanced (audio script or summary available for download
with synchronised still images) and video. alongside the podcast.
Each podcast type has its own benefits
and drawbacks. Your choice of podcast • Copyright – ensure you are not infringing
type should be guided by the content you copyright or the intellectual property
wish to convey and should also consider rights of others when compiling your
the bandwidth and/or devices your podcasts. Obtain copyright clearance
students have access to. from rights owners before using
diagrams and other features in enhanced
podcasts. Your liaison librarian may be
able to advise.
6 www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 6 17/11/08 11:01:53How to get started
The E-Learning team can help you If you are interested in using podcasts
design, plan and create your podcasts. in your teaching please contact the
We have a range of equipment and E-Learning team.
software that can be used for the
production of all types of podcast.
Additionally we can provide online
space to host your academic podcasts.
www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning 7
1638-1108 E-Learning Podcasting Brochure.indd 7 17/11/08 11:01:54November 2008 1638-1108
E-Learning
George Edwards Building
University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH UK
T: +44 (0)1483 689113
E: e-learning@surrey.ac.uk
www.surrey.ac.uk/e-learning
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