What is a Podcast?
A podcast is a series of audio or video files hosted online. A user can download these files individually and listen to/watch them on a PC or Mac using or s/he may choose to "subscribe" to a podcast. Podcasts utilize RSS technology which means each podcast is associated with a syndicated feed. Once a user subscribes to a podcast (which is free), all future episodes of the podcast are delivered to the user's content aggregator software (the most popular of which is iTunes). Podcasting also provides the option for mobile listening, as the files may be exported onto an iPod or other mobile device equipped with audio (mp3) and/or video (mp4) playing capability. For more information, visit the podcast entry on wikipedia.

In the past several years, podcasting has become very popular in education for many reasons:

• Podcasts provide opportunities for repetition, as students can self-select to listen to an instructor's lecture or learning module over and over or just review a select portion as necessary. Cognitive research has proven that repetition is an essential element to increasing retention. In classrooms, students rarely request instructors to repeat information over and over and over and over again, out of fear of being judged by others.
  

• Podcasts also hold the potential to meet the needs of more learning styles and students with disabilities. Instructors may choose to supplement existing text-based lectures or written instructional material (when copyright is owned by the instructor) with audio podcast files. This results in students having access to instructional content in both text and audio. The student is given the choice to access the file-type that meets his/her learning needs the best. In a recent survey, 40% of online students reported that they elected to both listen and read lectures that were provided in text and audio formats because it met their learning needs best.
  

• When audio podcasts are provided as a supplement to text-based content, the content is now made automatically accessible to deaf students.

• Podcasting provides the option for mobility and customized learning which are characteristics of the Millennial generation, the largest growing group of students in higher ed today.
  

Shopping for a Microphone?You have many options that range from $20-100+ dollars. Check out this list for a few suggestions. Podcasting ToolsAudacityA free, downloadable, easy-to-use audio recording and editing software available for both PCs and Macs. Sign up for "Audio Development" iTech Lab workshop to learn more!VoicethreadA free,web-based discussion board alternative that easily integrates images (pictures or documents) and allows users to leave asynchronous discussion comments in voice or text AND gives users the option of drawing right on the image using simply a mouse. Very easy to use! No downloads. Sign up for the "Voicethread" iTech Lab workshop to learn more!Camtasia StudioImagine being able to show exactly what's on your screen to anyone, anywhere. Imagine that it's easy. Now you've imagined Camtasia Studio. With the smartest screen recording tools on the planet, Camtasia Studio makes everything from training videos to PowerPoint presentations to lectures look better, reach more people, and pack more punch. Which makes you look even smarter, too. For PC users. Full retail price is $299. Individual educational price is $179.99. A free limited trial is available through the website.iTunes Click this link to download the iTunes application onto your hard drive. This is a free download. iTunes is a "content aggregator" which, basically, is like a jukebox that manages your music and video files. All podcasts you subscribe to trigger iTunes to automatically deliver the most recent episodes to your iTunes library.iTunes - Making a PodcastiTunes specific information about creating podcasts and submitting them to the iTunes store.Podcasting Legal Guide© 2006 Colette Vogele of Vogele & Associates, Mia Garlick of Creative Commons and the Berkman Center Clinical Program in Cyberlaw. This Guide was produced as part of the Non-Residential Fellowship Program of the Center for Internet & Society at Stanford Law School.ProfcastA software for Macs that costs $29 and allows users to easily record Powerpoint or Keynote presentations with the presenter's voice synched to the slides. EASY to use. Files export directly to MP4 file formats which can be turned into a podcast and played on an iPod.SnapkastThe equivalent of Profcast but made for PCs. The cost is $99 and it allows users to easily record Powerpoint or Keynote presentations with the presenter's voice synched to the slides. EASY to use. Files export directly to MP4 file formats which can be turned into a podcast and played on an iPod.