What is Digital Audio Recording?
Digital audio recording is the simple process of recording audio into digital format, such as mp3 files. These audio files can be edited to improve sound quality, extract desired content, add effects and so on. A finalized audio file can be placed online on a webpage or WebCT Vista site for users to download to their computer. Digital audio files can be played on a computer or transferred to a portable media player, such as an iPod.
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is like an internet broadcast of a series of digital media files. It uses a syndication feed to distribute the media files directly to a user’s computer and subsequently their portable media player. An episode is an individual audio file that is published on the web. Users subscribe to a feed using a podcatcher program, the most common being iTunes. Once a user subscribes to a podcast they automatically receive any new episodes as soon as they are added to the web. From the user’s point-of-view this creates something similar to a radio broadcast on their portable media player, hence the name iPod + broadcast = podcast (although any media player will work, not just iPods).
How Can It Be Used? | What Support Is Available? | Examples | Resources
Audio recordings and podcasts are typically integrated by university instructors as added-value components. An instructor can choose to record a lecture or a presentation for the purposes of archiving it and/or making available for others to revisit. In these cases it is recommended that the recording be edited before being made available. The sound quality can be improved, and areas of silence can be edited out to produce a more succinct episode. In many cases it is preferable to cut the final recording down to less than 30 minutes, in which case a more involved process of editing is required to produce a summary episode. Additionally there are simple software tools that enable adding visual media to audio recordings. For example, pictures and/or power point slides can be matched to the audio recording to produce a video podcast episode.
Another option is to produce an audio recording or podcast directly with a computer. This method could be used to produce episodes for exam or unit review, tutorials, answers to common questions, extra information, etc. In this scenario someone would dictate into a microphone plugged into a computer, typically from a script. Screen-capture software can also be used to record activity on the computer screen at the same time, creating a video podcast episode.
Once recordings or episodes are produced, they must be posted to an online location. There are many simple options, such as Vista 4 and university web space. There are also several simple options for automatically generating the RSS code that turns individual episodes into a podcast.
What Is It? | What Support Is Available? | Examples | Resources
Educational Technology Services
Educational Technology Services does not have the resources to record and produce recordings and podcasts for you. However, Educational Technology Services staff can provide one-on-one or group training for any instructor, staff and/or RA who wishes to investigate the use of audio recording and podcasting. We will also support instructors who are working with all areas of recording and podcasting. Such areas include:
AICT
In October 2008, AICT E-Learning rolled out a trial phase of a new tool, called the eCast Server. This tool will allow an instructor to upload a digital media file to the web in a few clicks of a button. Access eCast HERE.
What Is It? | How Can It Be Used? | Examples | Resources
Currently there is no podcasting being done within the Faculty of Education, although there are instances of instructors recording lectures and presentations.
Below are some links to podcasts being done within the University of Alberta:
What Is It? | How Can It Be Used? | What Support Is Available? | Resources
Audacity (a free audio editing program)
Garageband (audio editing program that comes free with Mac computers)
Podcasting in Plain English ( a simple 3 minutes explanation of podcasting)
Podcast Alley (a comprehensive place to find podcast to subscribe to)
Educational Technology Services Blog post on Podcasting
What Is It? | How Can It Be Used? | What Support Is Available? | Examples
What's New?