What is a podcast
From Elearning
| Guide for Evaluating Podcasts |
| This page is part of a series on the use of podcasting in education. |
| I: Concepts, Issues and Characteristics |
| II: Sample Evaluations |
| III: Getting Started |
Overview
A Podcast is an automated system for distributing audio-visual material over the Net and consuming it on a portable device or on a computer. A Podcast generally has an overall theme and is made up of more or less regular episodes which are automatically downloaded as they become available.
Podcasting is a new way of listening to or viewing audio-visual material. This material is delivered over the internet to someone's computer where it can be accessed. Taking it one step further, this material can then be transferred to a portable device such as an iPod, an mp3 player, a PlayStation Portable (PSP) or even a mobile phone with multimedia capabilities.
Contents |
Etymology
The term itself, is made of two parts ('iPod' + 'broadcasting'). The contraction of those two words makes 'podcasting'. The iPod device, from the Apple computer company, is by no means a prerequisite for podcasting as any kind of mp3-capable portable device can be used to consume a podcast and many kinds of computer program can be used to subscribe to a podcast.
Several terms, sometimes light-hearted, have been constructed on that model ('iPod' + 'broadcasting') to try and convey a particular meaning:
Educational Podcasts
Go to the Arts faculty's podcast directory for a full list of available podcasts. (enlarge)
Podcasting has found fertile grounds in Australian Universities (SMH, 2006). Most Podcast directories have an "Education" section.
- PodClass
- ProfCast
- LearnCast
Religious Podcasts
- GodCast: many enterprising religious figures are distributing their sermons by podcasting them.
Podcasts under another name
- AudioCast: some authors prefer using the term "audiocast" to avoid the association with a particular product (Apple's iPod).
- VODCast: this term is used to mean both a Video Podcast and Video On Demand (VOD) which is not necessarily related to podcasting.
Audio Visual
It is safe to say that the term 'podcast' refers to the distribution of mainly audio-visual material. It relies on the ability of the newer version of RSS to have an enclosure, which typically would be an mp3 sound file.
The Subscription Model
The subscription model is a determining feature of a podcast. This has given users, listeners, viewers a new control over what they listen to and when. It allows for a measure of time-shifting in viewing or listening habits.
Using RSS (also known as Real Simple Syndication), anyone can subscribe to a podcast or "Life Matters" on ABC radio or any other of the programs that the ABC has made available for podcasting. This means that a listener doesn't have to tune in to the radio at a given time to listen to their favourite radio program. It means that they don't have to miss a program which airs at an inconvenient time. Instead, they subscribe to the podcast of those programs and their computer takes care of keeping track of any new program going "on air" and automatically downloads them onto their computer, using a form of "podcatching" program such as iTunes.
You can substitute "ABC program" with any other kind of audio-visual material, even educational material such as recorded lectures, course promotion, short explanations, etc
Automated Process
Audio-visual materials can often consist of rather large files which can take a while to download from the Internet unless students have access to very fast broadband connections.
The automatic download, part of the syndication process takes care of such considerations as, once you have subscribed to an Rss Feed it downloads all new material automatically in the background while people are busy elsewhere.
This syndication system takes care of a number of obstacles faced by users in the past. There is no need for people to go back to a website to check for a new addition. This can be a problem with Learning Management Systems, where the student has to login and navigate their way to the course and try and find where the lecturer might have put the latest recording (or PowerPoint slides, or other material).
Mobile Device
Once a user plugs their iPod to their computer, the system automatically updates their portable player trough iTunes with the latest podcasts downloaded during their absence.
There are other ways of updating a mobile device and indeed, it is not even necessary to download all the latest podcast episodes to a mobile device. Many people are reportedly listening to or viewing a podcast episode on a PC or a Mac, rather than on a portable device.
The crucial point in this regard is that a podcast has to offer the functionality of putting all the material on a portable device. This distinction is important when authoring and making available video material as the screens on portable devices are typically much smaller than on a computer.
The use of a mobile device for learning has seen the addition of a new term, 'mLearning', to the 'eLearning' family.
Series and Episodes
A Podcast is typically made of a number of episodes. Originally, a podcast was compared to a channel where you would publish programs. More recently, the preferred metaphor is that of a TV Series with regular episodes. The series needs to have an overall theme and the episodes should come on a regular basis although there is not the same time constraint as in a TV series or a radio program
Another characteristic of the 'episode' is that it can belong to more than one series. For instant a podcast episode about the 'Film Studies' Postgraduate Program in the Faculty of Arts, can be part of the very specific "Postgraduate Week 2006" Podcast as well as of the more general "Careers in Arts" podcast
Confusion of terms
This field is very new and ever changing, therefore certain terms tend to be used to mean different things. The term "podcasting" is sometimes used to refer simply to a "file download" or sometimes to "streaming audio". It is important to clarify what people are referring to in order to have a common understanding.
In my view, it is misleading to use the term "podcast" for a simple one-off file download. A crucial part of podcasting is the use of RSS to automate the whole distribution/download. Without this automation, there is nothing revolutionary about podcasting. Sound files have been available for many years on the web but podcasting is very new.
One example of a website which understands the difference between podcasts, downloadable audio and streaming audio or video, is the official site of the British Monarchy. Yes, even Queen Elizabeth II is into podcasting. Visiting this site helps to clarify the differences between those formats and avoid confusion.
References
- Alexander, H., Podcast lectures a hit with conscientious university students, The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 August 2006
