ICT in Education
Podcasting
What is podcasting?
Podcasting is the latest in internet technology. The term podcasting was inspired by Apple's iPod but any software and hardware application onto which you can download audio files will work just as well. Podcasting is similar to a radio broadcast but the files are available for downloading from a website and you can have them delivered to your computer via an RSS feed. Find out more about RSS.
Education is made portable through podcasting and there is great potential for the use of podcasting within education. However, there are advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
- Users have full control over what they listen to and where and when they listen.
- Audio files can be downloaded onto an MP3 player which students can take away and listen to in their own time.
- Podcasting provides the educator with another way of meeting students' needs.
- Family members can access podcasts at home and keep up to date with what is going on the classroom.
Disadvantages
- Computers need sufficient bandwidth for downloading the MP3 audio files.
- Podcasting is not designed for two-way interaction or audience participation.
- Amateur podcasts do not have the same quality as professional broadcasts.
- Some initial training is needed.