iSean

the past year or more, i have been supplying my students with podcasts. my podcasts are typically a way to present lecture-type material in a different format than text. as most folks are aware, online classes tend to be more text heavy than not (of course there are exceptions). so, i provided my students with a choice between an mp3 or an iTunes mp4 (smaller file). well, about 1/2 choose each option. i tend to make the podcasts about 20 minutes. why 20 minutes, you ask? well, our campus is located about 11 miles from downtown Grand Rapids. the College of Education is located on the smaller downtown campus, but many of the students live out on or near the main campus. every so many minutes, a free shuttle bus runs between the 2 campuses. so, a student could grab my podcast and listen on the shuttle they ride to their downtown classes (or in their cars) and the podcast would fit neatly into that span. i even explain that this is what i’d do with the podcast(s). at the end of each week, i survey my students. one of the questions i ask is how they listened to my podcast. nearly every student responds that they listen on their computer. in fact, i think in the last year (maybe year and a half), i have had only 2 students listen on an mp3 player (e.g., iPod). now, i should mention that my podcasts tend to have visual aids that can accompany the podcasts, but i also make the podcast audio stand-alone. in other words, if i am referring to a website or a slide then i describe it well enough that the visual aid isn’t necessary. i do provide the supplementary visual aids to my students, but it’s more in an effort to help them not have to take extra notes.

so that brings me to a decision i am making this semester. i am going to switch to enhanced podcasts. my university just upgraded to Quicktime 7. QT 7 adds a new feature where you can have chapters in your podcast. i think this is the perfect feature to improve podcasting. and, i just recently bought a product for Macs called ProfCast (version 1.5). rather than explain it to you, here’s how the company describes their product:

ProfCast is the ideal tool for recording and publishing your live Keynote or PowerPoint presentation. All elements of your presentation, including slide timing and voice narration, are recorded. You can then publish your complete presentation on the Web as a Podcast, complete with RSS support.

• Live Presentation Recording
• Synchronized Slides with Audio
• RSS Generation for Podcasting
• Publishing support via FTP, SFTP and .Mac
• Integration with GarageBand 3
• Integration with iWeb
• Support for Audio Playthrough
• File Size Control

i don’t really like using PowerPoint, but i don’t want to avoid it when it can play a role and i think it can help to organize notes associated with a lecture, especially when pictures can be used more effectively than word descriptors. with ProfCast, i simply drag my presentation into the window and i can start recording. as i switch to a new slide, the chapter is automatically created.

Quicktime 7 will allow the chapters to be easily accessed. if a student is thumbing through the notes and wants a quick refresher, he/she doesn’t have to try and find it in the mp3 file since the chapter feature can quickly locate the audio associate with any particular slide.

one of the disadvantages of technology is how quickly things can get dated. my podcasts are going to fall by the wayside as i upgrade to enhanced podcasts. i’ve read how the development of an online course is the biggest hurdle. our university even provides money for folks to develop online courses; though, i’ve never taken any money for this (not until intellectual property rules get worked out anyway). but, folks who think the development ends when the class gets taught are really doing their students a disservice.

Tags: quicktime, profcast, podcast, e-learning, education, teaching