Podcasting as a Learning Tool

Best of Podcasting on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I am still a big believer in podcasting. I haven't spent near the amount of time that I thought I was going to in creating podcasts, but hopefully that will change. Podcasts are just a great way to create content and enable mobile learning. It is also a glimpse of how almost all media will be consumed in the future.

My love of podcasting comes from my role as a learner more then my role as a educator. I have listened to hours and hours of podcasts on many different topics. Because I live in a very rural area I have a lot of time in the car. I use this time to listen to podcasts. As I have mentioned before, I love the ITConversations service and PodTech.net. I listen to a couple of shows from Podshow as well.

Compared to a couple of years ago, there are now incredible amounts of audio content on the web. As someone who is interested in learning as mush as possible about any topic that I am interested in, this is just a wonderful development. So, go put those head phones on and learn!

Jason (and I) Misses the Gilmer Gang

Jason and I both miss the Gilmer Gang. The gang was a group of thought leaders who talked about the technology industry and web2.0 topics on a semi-regular conference call. I really enjoyed listening to the content and wish someone would start something similar. In truth, I don't necessarily miss the host, but he must have been the only one who could pull together such as group.

I listen to TWIT, but it is not the same. It was much better when Mike Arrington of TechCrunch was recently on the show, but still not the same and every time Mike started to dig deeper, Leo and John Dovak piped-in and went soft.

I am looking for the show that files this void same as Jason. Any suggestions?

What is Podcasting? Ask a Ninja

The Ninja explains podcasting.

Back to Podcasting

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was pulled away from podcasting. I am hoping to get back to leveraging the medium really soon. I would love to get involved in creating content for a podcast. I went so far as to set up some of the needed equipment on an extra table at our house, but it is currently collecting dust. I was immediately drawn to podcasts in 2004 when I first down the Daily Source Code and have actively promoted it as a wonderful training tool.

I think some traditional Instructional Designers didn't or don't get the medium and labeled it too linear and non-interactive. This could be true if you don't make the podcast interactive, but there are many ways that the audio becomes engaging. I can't help but point out that if a teacher does nothing but lecture, it is not interactive... (you now that story.) Digital audio on the other hand, in a way transcends space and time, by allowing the learner to listen when they want and where they want. I have a built in listening time with my daily commute. I realize others don't choose to drive so much so they have to find other times such as working out or walking.

When I reflect on the amount of information and content I have been exposed to of the past two years it is just amazing. I have actually taken a limitation of my physical location, a long commute to the office, and turned it into an asset that gives me an advantage over others. My consistent podcasts are the Gilmor Gang, Between the Lines, DSC (although not as faithful as I once was because its getting harder to get the great technology related content), RubyOnRails Podcast, and the Web 2.0 Show among many others. Because these programs provide such in-depth content related specifically to topics of interest for me, they really fall on the "learning" side of content versus the "entertainment" side of content.

What did these topics replace? Well I have always been a big fan of audio books and I would listen to my favorites repeatedly. But, I would spend a lot of time listening to traditional talk radio like Hannity or local sports if I was running late. The local sports talk show runs 6:06 to 7:00pm each night. I am a big fan, but rarely get to listen. They really need to make it a podcast!






[podcasting]

"What is a Podcast." Correct.

My wife was just flipping throught the channels getting to Whose Line and when she passed Jeporady, Alex asked "Download a file and load it on an Ipod...." and the lady said "What is a podcast." and Alex answered Correct!

I guess podcasting is really mainstream now.


[podcasting]

A place for Podcasting in Retail?

Complexity causes 50% of product returns See, simplicity does matter. From Reuters: "Half of all malfunctioning products returned to stores by consumers are in full working order, but customers can't figure out how to operate the devices, a scientist said on Monday."

elearningpost

Wouldn't this be a great place to provide a link to a podcast on the web. It would be great to listen to a guy tell me how to get the install right the first time. Sure some people won't wait, but even if they get the support on the second attempt that would be better then a return. This would also be an easy ROI analysis.

technorati tags: customereducation, podcasting

Juice. A Podcast Receiever

Juice, the cross-platform podcast receiver.

I was asked in a couple of the presentations I've done lately on podcasting about the free podcast receiver. Here it is. It might be a great idea to take this software and pre-load your learning feeds. This would eliminate the need for your learners to go and download the RSS feeds. I see a few issues with this approach, like when you want to add RSS feeds, but nothing that couldn't be worked around.

technorati tags: podcasting, podcatcher, RSS

Learning with the iPod

"iPods helping languages click" (Philadelphia Inquirer)Perry White (aka Mark Oehlert) Mar 05, 2006 - Show original item(story link)Just read these two quotes from the story..... "It has sparked interest from other schools, and more than 100 educators from the Northeast are expected to attend a conference at the school Wednesday to learn how to create iPod-based lesson plans." "A dozen Spanish and French classes at Moorestown Friends use the devices. The school spent about $10,000 to buy about two dozen iPods, recorders and accessories."

Google Reader

Mark Oehlert points out this example of how some are using the iPod to teach language. I think this sounds like a good application. The devices will not only supply audio for the course, but just think of the amount of information that will be available via the existing network of podcasts.

technorati tags: podcasting

OK. Not so nice, but pretty funny for a Friday afternoon.

Take a look at this video. I am not anit-Microsoft, but this is pretty funny.

Microsoft redesigns iPod packaging - Google Video

technorati tags: ipod, MicrosoftRedesign

Podcasting for Patient Education

I was passed this link from an associate that I met in Denver at TechKnowledge and am now collaborating with on a project. It is a Wired story about using podcasts for patent education. Podcasting from the Heart is a story about a doctor who is providing iPods in the waiting rooms while visiting his office. Great application for learning and making the wait at the doctors office productive as apposed to frustrating.

technorati tags: podcasting, training, healthcare

Jon Udell's Agenda: The iTunes U Export Feature

Jon Udell posted his concerns about iTunes U and pointed out that content wasn't as accessible as it should be and that a university professor had got first hand information that

"iTunes U is seen specifically as a driver to iTunes adoption. That's their bottom line on the issue -- iTunes U is designed explicitly as a vehicle for promoting the iTunes app. This means no RSS, everything must be done through iTunes. "

Now does this mean that you cannot add an external RSS feed to iTunes U? I'm not clear what this means?

I virtually attended the elearning Forum yesterday morning. The topic was Learning2.0 and among the speakers was Lucy Carter, Director, Worldwide Sales Training and Communication at Apple Computer. Ms. Carter gave, what I thought, was a great presentation about how Apple does training and how they handle "black launches" or product launches made by their CEO where they have 2 days notice in order to train the sales channel. As part of that presentation, she described that they were going to move from an internally created learning management system (LMS) to iTunes U. Ms. Carter seemed to be excited about how moving iTunes to the center of their training universe was going to really enable so many learning possibilities. The new approach would allow iTunes to manage and track learning content. I began to think about that, wouldn't it be great to have mobile learning (learning content delivered on mobile devices) actually be the center of your content delivery framework and not somehow attached to the end as a "last mile-type" solution?

So Jon's agenda is not about whether iTunes would be a good delivery architecture for learning content, but that if a university was going to deliver content "publicly" (specifically audio I assume) then they should make that content openly accessibile for any aggregator and that iTunes inability to export an OPML file "really bugs" him. With that last part I agree. iTunes should export an OPML file containing the RSS feeds for which you have subscribed. I also agree that if the university has the goal of allowing the "blogosphere" or "podoshere" the opportunity to interact with the content in a pub/sub or read/write manner, iTunes U may not be the best delivery mechanism.

On the other hand, if you feel that the recent sales of 14 million iPods (in the last quarter) is an opportunity to expose learning content to a larger audience, maybe iTunes is not so bad, and if you have ever used other "walled gardens" for delivering learning content (particularly in Higher Education) then iTunes is not so bad. If you have ever tried to train learners or students on using content delivery systems, the elegance of the iTunes interface is not so bad.

Sure, if you are a Linux-using, podcasting instructor, anything corporate is bad. (I envision a part of that course being how to write your own RSS feed.) But for the rest of us instructors/trainers who are focused on creating easy to use learning environments, where learners interact with the content, not the technology, this is an interesting development. iTunes as an LMS? Another walled garden... yes, but with some nice picture windows and a nice map to get around. And clearly the first LMS that a student probably already downloaded and used before ever enrolling in college. Wow.

And if Jon's agenda is that Apple includes an OPML export feature in iTunes, I'm all for that.

technorati tags: LMS, podcasting, highereducation, learning2.0, apple, jonudell

Apple Sales Music. A Lot of Music

Apple iTunes sells 3m songs per day

Macworld UK - Apple iTunes sells 3m songs per day - Flock

A pretty amazing number. When this hits mainstream even more, there will be no turning back. Why would you ever buy a CD from a store?

technorati tags: Apple, Music

Parenting Podcasts

USATODAY.com - Parents get together via iPod 'radio'

Here is a mainstream media article about podcasts dealing with parenting.

technorati tags: podcasting

Podcast by BearingPoint

Podcast by Bearing Point

Here is another example of Podcasting in the corporate world.

technorati tags: podcasting, training

Is the future of Mass Media Podcasting?

Businessweek ran an article this week about the activity around Disney's purchase of Pixar. I thought that the reference to the possible future of primetime media as a podcast was quite interesting. Would you think that ABC could be an RSS feed? Would they have feeds by category, i.e. drama, comedy and feeds by rating (TV-14), or feeds by Producers?

I think it is will come. But when?

[podcasting, mass media]

TechKnowledge 2006

I am in Denver at TechKnowledge 2006. Yesterday, I gave a presentation on podcasting and training. I can't share the audio, ASTD will not allow it. I met a lot of nice people after the presentation. I hope that I can figure out some way to keep in touch with them and learn about their podcasting efforts.

Some of the sessions that I have been attending has really got me thinking about how blogging and podcasting can co-exist in the corporate training world with traditional elearning efforts. I think that it really isn't that big of a stretch.

[techknowledge2006]

DevLearn 2005 Presentation Audio

This is the first 41 minutes of my presentation. It ends abruptly. Also, if you are looking for the slides, they are here.

Presentation Delivered

So, I just finished my presentation using podcasting to support learning. The room was pretty full and the participants were pretty jazzed up over the idea of using podcasts. I kind of feel like I talked to much and I had some specific questions about some of the mechanics afterwards. I'll be sure to add those to the presentation for next time.

I also think that I will work on integrating some more examples...

If anyone from the presentation reads this, let me know what you thought and how I can make it better. I will also be able to read the evaluations at some point I hope.

Now that I am past my participation, I will foucs on posting my thoughts on the rest of the conference.


[podcasting+presentation]

Podcast Study

Bridge Ratings Industry Update - The Podcasting Outlook

For Immediate Release

Saturday November 12, 2005

Podcasting to Hit Critical Mass in 2010

Based on interviews with radio listeners in ten national markets*, Bridge Ratings released today its projections for user growth in the podcast universe.

The study estimates that 4.8 million persons have at some time during 2005 downloaded a podcast from either a radio station or other source. iTunes was referrenced as the most often accessed portal for podcast downloads. This 4.8 million estimate is up from 820,000 podcast users in 2004.

Growth in this nascent industry will accelerate quickly due to the rapid acceptance of the technology by the radio broadcast industry in 2005 and Apple's iTunes distribution. The study reveals that two different metrics define the podcast user universe: Weekly users and those that have ever downloaded and listened to a podcast.

By 2010 podcast audience growth is expected to reach a conservative 45 million users who will have ever listened to a podcast. Aggressive estimates place this number closer to 75 million by this date.

The study shows that currently approximately 20% of users who have ever downloaded and listened to a podcast do so on a weekly basis. This group downloads an average of six podcasts per week and spends approximately four hours a month listening to the podcasts they download.

More interestly, on average less than 20% listen to their podcast downloads on an MP3 player or other digital device.

For a look at the Bridge Ratings study as presented at the 2005 "Portable Media Podcast Expo" in Ontario, California, see below.

See Study Presentation - Click Here

*Sample = 4,400 listeners 12+.

Sample erro = +/- 1.5%

Markets including in this study: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta.

Bridge Ratings is a ratings and research company based in Glendale, California. We are dedicated to providing on-going, immediate, reliable, useable and affordable audience measurement services for the radio industry. Our methodolgy is based on sound consumer research principles. We are in the business of tracking listeners - not listening. Because we are a true research company we offer flexibility

What's New At Bridge Ratings

Presentation on Podcasting

I am presenting at DevLearn tomorrow. I will be making a presentation outlining some of the keys issues involved in incorporating podcasting into corporate training. I will present the technology, instructional design issues, and how it might impact your evaluation models. Once I get through my presentation I will relax and try to blog about the entire conference.


[podcasting]