By Sandy Chapman
More and more college professors are making lectures available to their students in downloadable podcast format. Much like a radio broadcast, a podcast is an audio-recording: unlike it, however, a broadcast, can be downloaded from the Internet via an RSS feed or from Apple's iTunes U.
The beauty of a downloadable lecture is in being able to store it on a personal computer, mp3 player, or iPod and, like TIVO, listened to later. Rapidly becoming a useful reference tool, podcasts conveniently augment a student's personal lecture notes. The obvious advantage is in being able to access a "missed" lecture or revisit one already attended.
Available in a 10-minute "Guide to College Podcasts" on the The Chronicle of Higher Education Web site, a podcast interview with Dr. Daniel Colman, Director and Associate Dean of Stanford University's Continuing Studies program, discusses podcasting at the college level and addresses such questions and issues as:
- What is podcasting?
- Why professors and colleges are recording more lectures in podcast format
- Open-Source podcasts such as those Berkley and Stanford make freely available: Are they "giving away the store?" What's the risk?
- Are podcasts emptying the classroom? Do they make attendance irrelevant?
- The pros and cons of podcasting
- Is podcasting a fad?
To hear Dr. Colman's podcast interview click the view podcast icon in the right-hand column.
Related Links:
To learn more about podcasts and how to download them, there is an excellent "podcast primer" at openculture.com.
Dr. Colman's list of free university lecture-podcasts may also be found at openculture.com.
Print, audio and video versions of Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford can be found at americanrhetoric.com. |
In Brief: This teaching tip links to a interview with Dr. Daniel Colman, Director and Associate Dean of Stanford University's Continuing Studies program, who discusses the use of podcasting at the college level.
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Related Tips:
"Clickers" aka Classroom Response Systems
Colorado State University Access Project:
Universal Design for Learning
Diverse Ways of Learning
Using Sound in Classroom Projects
Using Tablet PCs as "Labtops"
Using Technology Tools Before & After Class—Not During |
