iTunes U and Beyond: Perspectives of Faculty
Access a UMConnect recording of the seminar, or subscribe to the podcast or vodcast.
A new academic technology, iTunes U, is coming to the University in November. Faculty members will discuss their experiences using iTunes U. Learn how to move beyond recording lectures, and use iTunes U as an outreach, learning, and dissemination tool.
Seminar
November 4, 2008
12:00–1:30 p.m.
101 Walter Library, Minneapolis (East Bank)
Moderators:
Billie Wahlstrom, Distributed Education & Instructional Technology, SVPP • Ann Hill Duin, OIT
Panelists:
David Arendale, Postsecondary Teaching and Learning • Frank Barnwell, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior • Sehoya Cotner, Biology Program • John Finnegan, School of Public Health
Bibliography
The following readings may help you prepare for the TEL seminar.
Harris, Howard and Sungmin Park. “Educational Uses of Podcasting.” British Journal of Educational Technology. 39, no. 3 (2008): 548-551.
In their brief overview of educational podcasting, the authors identify four categories: teaching-driven, service-driven, marketing-driven, technology-driven. While the article does not provide an in-depth account of any of the four categories, the overview is useful for instructors looking for a few new ideas for integrating podcasting into their courses.
Huntsberger, Michael and Alan Stavitsky. “The New 'Podagogy': Incorporating Podcasting into Journalism Education.” Journalism and Mass Communication Educator. 61, no. 4 (Winter 2007): 397-410.
This article reports on a podcasting pilot conducted in a course on mass media industries and media and society that was taught at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Previously, the instructor offered a weekly in-class review of assigned chapters, which were accompanied by chapter notes. In part because he wanted to make better use of class time, the instructor decided to deliver the reviews in podcast form. On the course Blackboard site the instructor posted audio podcasts in which he related the basic concepts of each chapter in a conversational style, and provided reading notes in a separate document. The students loved it. Survey results showed that the podcasts and notes enhanced their learning. More significantly, the survey captured the ways in which students integrated the podcasts into their studying.
Vess, Deborah. “History to Go: Why iTeach with iPods.” The History Teacher. 39, no. 4 (August 2006): 479-492.
In the interest of fostering an active learning environment in her historiography course, Vess equipped her students with photo iPods and microphones so they could create their own audio podcasts. Students used iPods for projects such as interviewing members of a local Cuban immigrant community and researching the history of local buildings. Interestingly, a key learning outcome in the course was improved writing skills. Vess comments, “while some philosophers have questioned whether digital environments may take us even further away from the public realization of texts, the experience in my class had exactly the opposite effect, forcing students to encounter their written texts and those of their peers through oral, public performances.” This article suggests some interesting possibilities for podcasting as a means of processing course material in different ways.
Windham, Carie. “Confessions of a Podcast Junkie.” EDUCAUSE Review. 42, no. 3
(May/June 2007): 50-6.
This article provides insights from students who have taken courses that integrate podcasting. They offer good advice for faculty: keep it simple, make it relevant, and know that quality counts. Students interviewed for this article also report they see many benefits to educational podcasting, but don’t necessarily know the full educational potential of this new medium. Students will rely on their instructors to develop innovative uses of podcasting for their courses.
Xie, Kui and Menmeng Gu. “Advancing Cooperative Extension with Podcast Technology.” Journal of Extension. 45, no. 5 (October 2007). http://www.joe.org/joe/2007october/tt2.shtml (accessed October 2008).
As the authors explain, the principles of Extension education are similar to those of adult basic education. Extension clientele are self-directed learners who have some content expertise and are accustomed to learning through problem-solving. Podcasting offers many advantages for this group of learners, including flexibility and mobility, the ability to create knowledge libraries, and offering an alternative communication channel. The article includes a table of podcast programs in land-grant universities.
