Mobile Leaning Media

What is Podcasting?

The term Podcasting refers to the increasing popular format of  pushing audio and/or video content from websites to the listeners, in a way that allows them to download the content into a mobile audio player, typically an mp3 player, through a simple subscription to the site. 

RSS forms the distribution method for podcasts. It is used to syndicate a feed for a website, where by a feed reading software (like iTunes) can pull the content off the site on to the users machine and/or portable device.  Once a feed is “subscribed”, new “episodes” are automatically downloaded to these machines, as they become available.

Increasingly, educators are using this format in a variety of ways to provide greater access to resources for their students.   

Types of Podcasts

There are currently three different kinds of podcasts that offer different features:

Creating Podcast

 While there are numerous ways to creating and distributing mobile content for podcasting, RICS recommends the following hardware and software options to get started. 

We strongly encourage you to contact RICS to learn more about each of the options above and get started with your first podcasting project. An Instructional Designer will be able to assist you in determining the right software and web hosting platform for your media content.

Computer - If you have purchased a computer within the last two or three years, you probably have a PC that is capable of recording a podcast. For Windows users, basic requirements are as follows:

• Windows XP/2000

• Pentium 4 processor

• 512 MB of RAM

• 3 to 4 GB of free space on the hard drive

• Line Out/Line In

Microphone–Almost any microphone that you have in your home that will plug into your microphone jack will work. We recommend the Plantronics DSP-400 Foldable Stereo PC Headset ($56.99)

Video Camera – If the objective is to simply record a lecture for the students to reference in the future, then a simple $400 DV camcorder may be adequate.  If the video needs to meet broadcast quality, then a higher quality equipment is called for.

 Audacity- (Win, Mac) Open-source software that allows you to record and edit a variety of audio formats including MP3, the current standard for podcasting. Free.

Camtasia - (Win) Screen recording, editing and sharing high-quality screen video on the Web, CD-ROM and portable media players, including iPod. $169.

RecordForAll – (Win) Economical software to create and edit professional quality podcast recordings from a microphone.  Allows for publishing of audio files as MP3, WAV, or WMA. $39.95 (Podcasting Bundle -RecordForAll + FeedForAll – ($69.95)

FeedForAll – (Win, Mac) Make, edit and publish RSS feeds. $39.95 (Podcasting Bundle -RecordForAll + FeedForAll – ($69.95)

Videora iPod Coverter - Videora iPod Converter is a free video conversion application.  It allows you to convert your regular PC video files (avi, mpeg, etc) into the proper video format that your iPod understands. Free.

iTunes – (Win, Mac) Apple's music directory software handles your music library and your podcasts as well. It is an aggregator  used to automatically download media content from the web and then transfer media files to your portable media player, like an iPod. Free.

UH servers – Media servers available to host media content as well as the RSS feed for broadcasting the content.  Free.

UH on iTunesU – UH is now a part of iTunes U, a service offered by Apple that allows universities to create a special area of the popular iTunes interface where users can find and download content specific to that university. Instructors and program managers can request an area for their course(s) and/or program(s).  These areas can be private (restricted with authenticated access through WebCT) or public (open access to all iTunes music store subscribers).