As we get ready to really start making podcasting easier on campus, we're going to be looking at a host of technologies. We are also participating in the OpenCast group looking at creating a scalable, open set of podcasting tools/frameworks.
All of this cracks me up a bit as I recall spending time writing about the need to make the three phases of podcasting easier
way back in January of 2006 ... at that time I was teaching, podcasting my lectures (they are still available on iTunes U), and discovering that the first piece was difficult ... that first piece? Creation. Back then I wrote:
"Creation - the art of putting one of these things together … even though GarageBand is easy, it is still hard for normal people. Try asking a typical teacher/faculty member to get all that gear ready, hook up a mic, handle the post production, and everything in between … just not going happen. Maybe a couple of the steps, but not all of them."
Maybe we are set to make some progress? As a big part of this whole thing we are looking at Podcast Producer. We're just getting started, but it looks like a really nice way to simplify the podcasting process ... think how nice it would be if all an instructor had to do is walk into a classroom, clip on a microphone, and click record. Then the resulting file gets moved off and posted to any number of places within the PSU eco-system. To get to what we are after, the first thing we'll want to do is to write some use cases to help us make some decisions on how we test and (ultimately) deploy
Apple's Podcast Producer. Our areas of focus are specifically (in this order):
- Audio only
- Audio synchronized with slides
- Video
Some scenarios to write ... in nor particular order:
- Integration with iTunes U
- Integration with Blogs at PSU
- Integration with Streaming Server
- Mobile Capture
Scott McDonald and I are teaching C&I 597C together this spring. The class is titled, Disruptive Technologies in Teaching and Learning. We are really looking forward to it ... we've decided on the themes the class will explore and have setup a class blog space. We also did a podcast a couple weeks ago that aims to expand on what we think the class is all about. It might be worth a listen.
