Podcasting on College Campuses

1. Podcasting on College Campuses Jana Petrlikova COM 300 May 30, 2006

2. Presentation overview • What is podcasting? • Why has podcasting become so popular? • Use of podcasting on college campuses • Critique of the use of podcasting on college campuses • Podcasting as a new communication channel

3. What is podcasting? • A method of distributing audio files over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers • (Some use the word podcast to refer to video feeds as well) • Podcasting is a portmanteau word that combines iPod with broadcasting • Let’s think of pod in podcasting as of personal on demand (suggested by a Microsoft blogger Robert Scoble) • The essence of podcasting is about creating content for an audience that wants to listen to what it wants, where it wants, and how it wants

4. Why has podcasting become so popular? • It allows anyone to post commentary, music, or any sounds on the web • It relies on technology that is easy to use, and podcast software is free • Combines the intimacy of voice, the interactivity of a weblog, and the convenience and portability of an MP3 player • Commercial phenomenon – According to Apple, more than 1 million people subscribed to podcasts during the first two days iTunes made them available

5. Use of podcasting on college campuses • Duke University – Handed out about 1,600 iPods pre-loaded with orientation material to its entire incoming 2004 class • Students used iPods to gather field notes and conduct interviews • Arizona State University – President Michael Crow began podcasting few times a months • His first podcast dealt with the prospect of tuition increase • He also introduced the student office hours initiative in which he will periodically meet with students to discuss what’s on their minds • University of Denver – Sees podcasting as a tremendous classroom adjunct • Podcasting as substitute for guest lectures • Potential for disadvantaged communities whether it is inner-city schools or impoverished developing nations

6. Podcasting at the UW • First college in the state to formally offer podcasts (fall 2005) • At first, podcasts were available to anyone, now users are required to have a school ID to access new podcasts • On a typical week, lectures are downloaded about 1,800 times • Professors teaching a class in Kane Hall can request that their class be podcast by filling out a form with Classroom Support Services • List of classes offering a podcast this quarter - http://www.css.washington.edu/blog/

7. Critique of college podcasting • Podcasting is spoon-feeding a generation that has become dependent on entertainment-driven gadgets at the expense of reasoning, creativity, and problem solving • Provides students with an excuse not to go to class

8. Podcasting as a new communication channel • Faculty should view podcasting as a way to interact with students and not to avoid them • Podcasts offer an intimate one-to-one communication that gives students an opportunity to connect with their professor • Podcast as the explaining voice (“Something is in the Air” by Gardner Campbell) • Does not just convey information • Shapes an intimate drama of cognitive action in time • Trains the ear to listen not just for meaning but for evidence of the thought that generates the meaning

9. Summary • Podcasting is an attractive medium that is quickly finding its place on college campuses • Colleges around the country are beginning to find ways to incorporate podcasting into the curriculum • Podcasting opens up a new channel of communication between the professors and students