THE USE OF PODCASTING IN EDUCATION

What is a Podcast ?

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary a podcast is a " digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio payer." in other words, it is a digital audio file that is created, shared and heard. Podcast can also be in the form of videos streamlined online, however, video podcast is known as vidcast or vodcast. Educational Uses of Podcasts

Podcasts can be used for several educational purposes. Here are some of them :

• Podcast are great alternatives for delivering research content or lessons to students who need remedial or extended support

• Students can create their own podcast to share their learning experiences with each other and also with other students from other schools

• Teachers can record audio podcast to provide additional and revision material to students to download and review at a time that fits them the best.

• Podcast can hugely benefit auditory learners and help them in their learning

• Creating podcast allows students to develop several important skills such as researching, writing, speaking effectively, solving problems, managing time, grabbing attention and improving their vocabulary.

What other say about Podcasting in classroom.....

How to create a podcast ? Here are the main steps : 1- Recording for this you will need a microphone and an audio recording software like the ones mentioned below. Every software has instructions to guide you through your recording process. Make sure you practice speaking till you get confident enough then start recording. 2- Test your Podcast Always make sure you listen to your podcasts and redo the parts that you dont like until you

3- Publish your podcast You can use online platforms for publishing your podcasts. If you have a blog for your class you can publish it there , you can also submit it to the public podcast directory services such as iTunes Music Store, Podcast.net, OurMedia.org, Podcast Alley, or Podcast Pickle. 4- Promote/ publicize your podcast Now that you have recorded and uploaded your podcast, you will have to start promoting it so that others know about it. This can be done through providing the podcast link ( URL of the page where it is hosted ) or through creating an RSS Feed document which will let users subscribe to your podcast.

Benefits using podcasting in classroom

Podcasting in the classroom is the latest trend. More schools are opting to use podcasting in their classroom as it stimulates learning through creative means and open lines of communication. A closer look at podcasting reveals the following benefits:

Ease of Accessibility:

Podcasts enable students to access the information any time they want. Students can download the information to the device of their choice and listen/watch whenever they are free. For a generation well versed in handling technology, downloading podcasts requires only basic technical knowledge and skills.

Archive of lessons:

Staff can record their classes and upload it online, creating an archive of lessons. This allows students to access previous lectures for reference and clarification on a subject or to stimulate learning of the same.

This can also be a boon for students who choose to miss the lesson as they can access the information directly without depending on others. Similarly, if a teacher misses a class, they can post the lesson online and make it available to the students.

Updates:

Students subscribing to a particular podcast will be notified if there is an update. A major advantage of podcasting is that student who have subscribed will be sent information constantly, unlike a virtual learning environment in which students have to be motivated to visit the site. Thus podcasting enables easy sharing of information to all its members.

Learning on the go:

With podcasting, learning is no longer a sedentary activity. As every lesson can be downloaded on their iPod or MP3 player, students can attend to it even when they are away from their study table. Learning can occur even when a child is mowing the lawn or while lying on their bed. It stimulates different types of learners as students can learn visually through videos and PDFs, auditory through audio clips, and also by doing it physically. Thus students are motivated to learn and excel.

Creative learning:

Unlike the traditional pedagogic strategies, podcasting gives way to new strategies like guest lectures, interviews, video demonstrations, etc. It encourages students to develop their own podcasts, improve their listening skills and enhances learning by targeting each child’s interest.

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