What does podcasting have to do with programming? A great deal, actually, if you want to keep up with the changing times. In this first in a series of articles, Rick Leinecker introduces you to podcasting. In the following articles he'll show you how to w
Some things seem to change overnight. I write technical books, and can remember using FedEx to exchange manuscripts with the publisher. Seemingly overnight, the document exchange changed to email, making the process quick and efficient. Digital cameras provided the same kind of remarkable shift. One day I was taking pictures with film, and almost the next day I wouldn't even consider using film because of the convenience and quality of digital cameras. Podcasting ushers in even more dramatic shift. Almost overnight, information content is available via the Web as audio. You can burn it to a CD, listen to it from your Web browser, or synchronize it on your iPod. In this article I'll give you an overview of podcasting. This article is an introduction to podcasting, and after this I'm going to bring you a number of articles on how to write code that easily enables the podcasting process in your web applications.
Podcasting is a delivery mechanism for audio content. Many radio programs can be listened to. It seems like every National Public Radio program is available for repeat listening as a podcast. NPR is not alone. Many Web sites offer content both as the traditional reading material, or as a podcast of a recorded reading of the Web site content. Educators are also using the technology. Many classroom lectures are available as podcasts raising the effectiveness of instruction to new levels. I podcast at least half of my classroom presentations, and have seen incredible increases in student understanding and retention.
ADVERTISEMENT
Besides classroom lectures, there are many good uses for podcasts. You can have podcasts for all of your web articles. As a matter of fact, I look for web sites with podcasts so that I don't have to read the articles. That way, I can listen while I'm doing something else. Any user manual can be done with a podcast. Advertisements can be podcasted. There is almost no limit to what you can use podcasting for.
Podcasts revolve around MP3 files. These are digital representations of the audio content. They can be created in a number of ways, but involve a hardware component such as a microphone or digital recorder, and software.
The second aspect of a podcast is an RSS feed. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It's a mechanism with which subscribing software (such as iTumes, Internet Explorer, and FireFox) maintains a list of available podcasts. Let me give you an example of the RSS mechanism. I add lectures to my list of podcasts for my CIS 115 class at least three times each week. If my students are subscribed (via the RSS feed) to my CIS 115 class, then each time I add another podcast their software is automatically notified. They don't have to check for new files, the RSS feed alerts their software.
Why should you consider podcasting? After all, the written word has been good enough for years. I'll give you six reasons to podcast.
First of all, it's part of our culture. Barack Obama announced his candidacy via a Webcast. There was no news conference, just smartly-used Web technology. Most kids have MP3 files (the underlying audio file format for podcasts) on their MySpace site. And iPods playing MP3s are as common now as the transistor radios of the 1960s. Podcasting is embedded into our culture.
The second reason to podcast is that it will help you improve your verbal communication effectiveness. When I started editing my audio files, I heard things in my delivery that I didn't like. Over several months, my presentation skills improved dramatically as I listened to the podcasts. Improving ourselves is an important reason to podcast.
The third reason to podcast is that it helps learners who might not respond well to your style. This is especially important for audio learners. But all learning styles are enhanced by podcasts. It's another way to offer additional submodalities that will enhance comprehension.
Have you ever run out of time in a meeting or presentation and wished you had ten more minutes to cover that last topic? It happens to us all. So the fourth reason I give you to podcast is that you can post topics for people to listen to later that you didn't have the time to cover in your allotted time frame.
A fifth reason for podcasting is the ease with which you can collaborate. Instead of having colleagues work around your schedule, you can record them at convenient times, create a podcast, and make it available. Collaboration is good, and podcasting makes it easy.
The sixth and last reason I want to present is that podcasting can address pragmatic concerns. Many people miss meetings and presentations for legitimate reasons. But with podcasts, they can attempt to listen and catch up.
The Cognitive Aspects of Podcasting
Podcasting motivates learners as it addresses all areas of Keller's ARCS model for motivation. Learners access the material at their convenience in patterns that match their presently perceived need guaranteeing attentiveness. The material is presented in a medium that is integrated into the lives of many learners and is part of the prevailing of culture surrounding all learners. In addition, the medium allows user customization of access. These characteristics underscore the relevance of the approach. Learners are accustomed to accepting and employing news and entertainment in this manner so they are confident in the medium. And, unlimited access heightens student satisfaction with the process.
Podcasting increases communication potential. It can be used to address any of Gagne's nine events of instruction. It can guarantee that common content is provided to every presentation. It allows for customization and specialization of content and presentation. It also can facilitate collaboration with peers by serving as a simple means of disseminating content that is not limited by schedules and physical distance. All these opportunities transcend the time and physical space limitations of a classroom setting by providing supplementation, review, and illustration which is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Okay, you might be convinced. Now, you're asking how to get started. There are quite a few ways. The first thing you'll have to do is find a way to record the content. Most everyone I consult with uses an Olympus digital recorder. The model that's currently most popular is the WS-300. It costs around $80-$90. You must then convert the files on the recorder to MP3 format. There is a lot of software that does this, but I have an open source program that automates the entire process. I will build this software for you through several articles that explain every aspect. The last thing you need is a server on which to upload the MP3s, place the RSS feed, and maintain the supporting HTML pages. Here again, I have an open source solution for this. Both of these programs and their source code can be found at PodcastingOpenSource.com. That Web site has podcasts of several presentation seminars.
