A brief primer on podcasting for the Library Science department at Missouri State.

1. Podcasting
A primer on what it is, how to get into it, and how it can help you (help others)
2009.10.13

2. What is podcasting?
✤ Podcast defined
Media files (audio/video) distributed over Internet using syndication (RSS); episodic
✤ Why “podcast”?
It’s a portmanteau: originally ‘iPod’ + ‘broadcast’
✤ Distribution of podcasts
iTunes, Zune, Winamp, Juice = all ‘podcatchers’
✤ Delivery method is key
Automatically downloaded when you open your ‘podcatcher’

3. What is podcasting? (more)
✤ Downloaded from where?
Files stored on a computer accessible by Internet; indexed by server software using RSS
✤ WordPress
✤ Blackboard
✤ Blogger
✤ iTunes U
✤ All content indexed by date; download new ‘episodes’ for offline/portable use

4. An information tool
✤ Promotion
✤ Tours
✤ Instructional/informational materials
✤ Motivation
✤ Stimulate inquiry

5. Reasons for popularity
✤ Not just for iPods: think of it as “Personal On Demand” -casting
✤ Anyone can do it with microphone/camera, computer connected to the Internet
✤ Subscriptions: receive future shows (great potential to connect library users)
✤ Gadgetry: portability; wide variety of programs, devices to play them back on
✤ Applications can download podcasts overnight
✤ Listen to them on the bus, heading to school, work

6. Podcasting for teaching and learning
A new and exciting format:
Integration into classroom assignments
Publish it online
Every group member can take part in projects
Look beyond ‘course-casting’

7. Supporting teaching and learning
✤ Use it to distribute information
✤ Make an assignment, later applications
✤ Use for pre-lecture or class follow-up, study guides, review sessions, discussion groups

8. Lectures
✤ Record lectures, publish them as podcasts
✤ Use as lecture format for tele-courses, online classes
✤ Teachers can publish podcasts to prepare students for upcoming material
✤ Teachers can use podcasts for delivering lectures to free up class time for active learning
and interactive exercises

9. Assignments
✤ Students record & publish assignments
✤ Group projects can be developed and published via podcasts
✤ Incorporate multi-discipline approach
✤ Teachers can subscribe to students’ feeds, download submissions automatically

10. Using
GarageBand ’09
A crash course in Apple’s consumer-level audio editing
software (part of the iLife suite)

11. The workflow
✤ Plan
Sketch ideas, write down an outline, brainstorm
✤ Create
Use GarageBand, Audacity, or other software
✤ Distribute
Publish to iTunes, your blog, Blackboard, or others
✤ Access
Listen via iTunes/iPod, Winamp, other podcatchers

12. Demonstrations

13. Tracks
Timeline
Podcast chapters
Loops/Media
Controls Timer Master volume

14. The timeline
✤ Layout audio clips from left to right
✤ Record audio right into timeline
✤ ‘Slice’ out the parts you don’t want
✤ Drag-and-drop in jingles & music
✤ Drag-and-drop pictures
✤ Videos for video podcasts

15. Exporting
✤ All exporting is done through Share
menu
✤ Choose Export Podcast to Disk...
✤ AAC for podcasts with pictures
✤ QuickTime-based movie formats
✤ MP3 export also available
✤ Get a finished product

16. Online resources
✤ Tips for Podcast Fans (http://apple.com/itunes/podcasts)
✤ Making a Podcast (http://apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html)
✤ Podcasting in Plain English (http://youtube.com/watch?v=y-MSL42NV3c)

17. Some examples
✤ Univ. of Connecticut: students participate with teachers, answer students’ questions
http://icube.uconn.edu/iCube.html
✤ Stanford, Duke, others on iTunes U
http://itunes.duke.edu/, http://itunes.stanford.edu/
✤ Missouri State University now on iTunes U
http://itunes.missouristate.edu/

18. Upcoming training session from ETC
✤ “Making a Podcast”: November 3rd, 11am / November 4th, 2pm — LIB 205
✤ Includes fundamentals of podcasting
✤ Highlights some examples
✤ Using GarageBand to record, enhance, publish a podcast
✤ Q&A session included
✤ http://bit.ly/etc751 to register