There’s Something in the PODCASTINGAIR IN EDUCATION

“Imagine” t’s midweek at Anywhere State University. Jenny rolls out of bed at about nine a.m., as usual, and thinks about breakfast and her first class. As she’s dressing and getting ready to go out, she fires up iTunes on her laptop and checks her subscriptions. There’s a new show from at Daily Source Code, another one from Cody at Vinyl Podcast (“fair use of forgotten music”), and three audio feeds from her classes. She doesn’t notice that the classroom material and the leisure-time enter- tainment are coming through the same medium and desktop utility; for By Gardner Campbell her, it’s natural that school stuff would mingle with other aspects of her Idaily life. ■ The first school podcast comes from five group members in her philosophy class. They’re presenting on Descartes that afternoon, and the members take turns explaining what they hope to accomplish, as well as reading aloud brief excerpts from the assigned readings—with just enough commentary to whet Jenny’s appetite for the upcoming presentation. Even better, Jenny can suddenly understand one of the tricky sentences in Discourse on Method, a sentence that had never been quite clear to her. Hearing a class- mate read it aloud with emphasis, feeling, and comprehension makes a huge difference. The podcast ends with a little self-conscious giggling and a shouted chorus of “See you in class!” Jenny smiles: this line has character- ized each of the , starting with the first group’s podcast six weeks ago.

Gardner Campbell is Assistant Vice President for Teaching and Learning Technologies and Professor of English at the University of Mary Washington.

32 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 Illustration by Steve McCracken, © 2005 © 2005 Gardner Campbell November/December 2005Ⅺ EDUCAUSE review 33 Imagine a liberal-arts university supplying its community, and the world, with “profcasts” of classes and presentations delivered by its talented instructors.

She thinks about her own group’s presen- breakfast line before it closes. The ear- for a fall seminar in which his readings tation and its preparatory podcast with buds don’t block out ambient sound—she will help students overcome obstacles of some satisfaction: the group members are can pause the playback and hold a con- language and syntax in this difficult planning to do a movie-trailer-style pod- versation with a passing friend with little verse. Imagine a liberal-arts university cast on Nietzsche and Also Sprach Zarathus- trouble—but they do allow her to start lis- supplying its community, and the world, tra, and she is already musing about how tening to that last podcast as she walks the with “profcasts” of classes and presenta- to combine the sound effects with the five hundred yards to the cafeteria. This tions delivered by its talented instruc- readings and commentary so that her final podcast for the morning comes from tors—not to give away intellectual prop- classmates will be especially inspired to her biology professor, who each Wednes- erty but to plant seeds of interest and to engage with the presentation that day. The day does a quick, enthusiastic summary demonstrate the lively and engaging in- informal, good-natured podcasting com- of several journal articles the professor tellectual community created by its fac- petition in this class means that Jenny has read in the preceding week. This pod- ulty in each course. reads the assignments more carefully than cast is a special favorite of Jenny’s; she These things, and more, are happen- usual, hoping to find something that will loves to hear the excitement in her pro- ing now. make her group’s podcast especially fessor’s voice. Sometimes the articles per- memorable—and enjoyable. tain to the class or lab work for the week. “Hailing Frequencies Open” Jenny’s next school podcast comes More often they do not—at least, not di- A complete would from her Arabic class. Again, the students rectly. But always, Jenny feels an intense likely double the length of this essay. For- in the class have put together a podcast, bond with this teacher, who shares with tunately, there’s already a good one avail- but this time they’re interviewing each her students not only her expertise but able at Wikipedia: . As the article notes, who visited their class last week. This dis- and reflect on new knowledge. News of podcasting is a portmanteau word that tinguished writer had just published an this biologist’s “scholar’s diary” podcast combines iPod with broadcasting. The term essay on international relations in the had spread across campus last semester. is mildly controversial, since it privileges Arab-speaking world, and the current To her surprise, Jenny had found herself the Apple iPod and to some people im- podcast includes excerpts from her pre- getting hooked on each week’s install- plies that one must own an iPod to listen sentation mixed with students asking ment herself, even though she had never to a podcast. But podcasting is not limited each other about the significance of her taken a class taught by this professor. to the iPod or even to MP3s or portable ideas in relation to what they had learned When she was fortunate enough to snag a music players. In some respects, podcast- so far about Arab culture. Although it is seat in the course this semester, Jenny ing is not even new: both streaming and frustrating for the students to try to dis- found that the podcasts had done a great downloadable audio are as old as the cuss complex concepts in fairly basic Ara- job of conveying the learning environ- , and the RSS specifica- bic—this is a first-semester intermediate ment the teacher created in class. Jenny tion that enables podcasting has been course—Jenny finds that her classmates’ felt as if she had become an apprentice to around for several years.1 What’s new struggles help focus her attention on one a master thinker. The interesting rhythm about podcasting is the ease of publica- particular moment in the speaker’s lec- of lecture, lab, group projects, and each tion, ease of subscription, and ease of use ture, one that is becoming more interest- week’s podcast gives her a rich sense of across multiple environments, typically ing the more she thinks about it. In addi- what the life of the mind could be at its over computer speakers, over a car stereo, tion, listening to her classmates gently most intense. Jenny has even e-mailed and over headphones—all while the lis- correct each other’s vocabulary and pro- her parents to tell them about this profes- tener is walking or exercising or driving nunciation in the podcast reminds Jenny sor’s podcasts, and now her parents are or traveling or otherwise moving about. that a big test is coming up at the end of listening too. Still, “ease of publication” may over- the week, and she makes a note in her to- Imagine a busy commuting student state the case just a bit. A few intricacies do list. preparing both emotionally and intellec- that lie behind the notion of publishing a Now Jenny looks at her watch: each of tually for class by listening to a podcast on podcast deserve consideration. One is these podcasts has taken about ten min- the drive to school, then reinforcing the that you have to produce a podcast before utes, and she has one to go. She also wants day’s learning by listening to another you can publish it. It is true that one can to hear the first two podcasts again to podcast, or perhaps the same podcast, on produce a podcast very simply. Some catch things she missed. So she quickly the drive back home. Imagine the mem- gifted audio “jotters” can make very com- synchronizes her MP3 player to her bers of a debate team getting key instruc- pelling off-the-cuff audio vérité podcasts, music-management software to load the tions from their coach on a podcast as quick spiels spoken into inexpensive latest podcasts onto her portable player. they hurry from debate to debate. Imag- MP3 players with voice-recording capa- With player in hand and earbuds in place, ine a professor reading aloud a series of bilities. Nevertheless, such “first take” Jenny walks out to get in the dining hall poems over the summer in preparation podcasting is difficult to sustain, and it’s

34 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 pen-source tools such as Audacity (see ) trade-off between quality and file size. add an entirely new skill set to our working can help you record, edit, and Whereas broadband access means that a lives. Most of us, however, can and should process digital audio. Detailed ten- or twenty-megabyte file is a conven- learn the potential uses and value of rich instructions on how to produce a ient download for many people, espe- media authoring—in this case, the podcast. podcast are beyond the scope of this cially overnight, longer podcasts (of an Once we have, we can certainly partner article, but a search on “how hour or more) can generate rather large with the IT and AV specialists at our insti- to podcast” returned nearly 80,000 files if one isn’t careful. If only for the sake tutions, specialists who will do the techni- hits at the time of this writing, so of elegance and good bandwidth steward- cal work to bring our teaching and learning there’s no lack of free advice on how ship, it’s good to try to hit the sweet spot designs to life in the classroom and on the to get started. For good general advice where moderate file size meets pleasing Web. Learning more about podcasts and on voice recording on a PC, see audio quality. Besides, bandwidth isn’t other types of rich media authoring will . Podcasting News Web-hosting service can shut down a gently and precisely when we call in the IT has a helpful brief tutorial at . For a little part of publication. Actually distributing and also more daunting or exhilarating, more depth, see About.com’s tutorial a podcast is quite simple. Any RSS 2.0 depending on your point of view, risk tol- at . There send a signal to a special feed-reader or good reasons for acquiring at least rudi- is an excellent set of guidelines for RSS aggregator (sometimes referred to as mentary skills in “rich media” (or “multi- recording and processing at the IT a “podcatcher”) indicating that some kind media”) authoring. More and more stu- Conversations wiki: . Finally, there are lots download. Typically, podcast publication stand but use, often on a daily basis. Some of good tips and tricks at Transom.org: is part of a or is structured around a of them have been blogging, shooting . chronologically, of course, and it almost tions, manipulating photographs, and always generates an RSS feed as well. All recording digital audio for many years. one has to do to publish the podcast is to These are the tools of their native expres- upload the audio to the Web server that siveness, and with the right guidance and the rare individual who can make his or hosts the blog, then link to that digital assignments, they can use these tools to her rambling into a compelling listening content from somewhere within the blog create powerful analytical and synthetic experience. entry. The enclosure tag for the RSS feed work. Yet even such digitally fluent stu- For most of us, podcasting will involve is generated automatically.2 The blogging dents need to learn to manipulate their a little preparation, and perhaps a little platform also has another advantage in multimedia languages well, with concep- editing or other post-production, before that one can easily publish “show notes” tual and critical acumen, and we in higher we’ll be ready for the world to hear our ef- or outlines in the dated blog entry for education do them a disservice if we ex- forts. The good news is that once you get each podcast, a handy way to allow listen- clude their creative digital tools from the hang of a few technical issues com- ers to search for particular podcasts, since their education. mon to any kind of audio recording, you’ll searching within audio files is still an At the same time, our own profes- be on your way. You’ll need to understand emerging technology.3 sional lives will increasingly involve rich some of the basics of digital audio: sam- At this point, many readers will have media authoring. As the Infoworld writer pling rates (higher is usually better), bit thrown up their hands in despair. Am I (and prolific ) Jon Udell points depths (greater depth, again represented suggesting that those of us in higher educa- out, there was a time when professors did by higher numbers, is usually better), tion—we who have spent our lives perfect- not do their own typing or line editing. compression formats (the major players ing our writing and speaking—must now Now, however, moderate skill in typing are MP3, Windows Media Audio or learn to be audio and video engineers too? and word-processing is simply assumed. WMA, and Apple’s Advanced Audio Can’t we leave the multimedia authoring to Those of us who compose at the keyboard Coding or AAC), and compression bi- the audio/video gurus at our institutions? probably prefer to do our own typing; trates (higher is usually better). Why do I The short answer is “yes.” Perhaps few of us indeed, in most cases, the line between

Even such digitally fluent students need to learn to manipulate their multimedia languages well, with conceptual and critical acumen.

36 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 With a podcatcher, the listener can subscribe to his or her favorite podcasts, which will then be downloaded automatically to the computer at a time of the listener’s choosing.

typing and composing has grown so faint terizes the best , indeed opments in podcasting emerged during as to be practically invisible. The same the best listening and reading.) The real the spring and summer of 2005. First, process will inevitably overtake rich power of podcasting, however, is un- Adam Curry, a former MTV VJ and an media authoring as well.4 leashed by the RSS function in tandem early developer of podcatching software, Once a podcast has been produced with the podcatcher (audio-video RSS helped to create a utility he calls a “cast- and published, it’s ready to be down- aggregator or feed-reader) described blaster” that automates much of the loaded by the listener. (Many writers call above. With a podcatcher, the listener recording, encoding, and uploading podcast listeners “consumers” and speak can subscribe to his or her favorite pod- process.6 Second, Curry’s PodShow.com, of the activity as “consuming content,” casts, which will then be downloaded au- “Odeo” (http://www.odeo.com), and but that metaphor denies the delicate, re- tomatically to the computer at a time of other such services began promoting sponsive human interaction that charac- the listener’s choosing, usually overnight themselves as one-stop-shops for pod- as the listener is sleeping. When the lis- cast creation, publication, and subscrip- tener awakes and prepares for the day, as tion. (Both PodShow.com and Odeo also in Jenny’s narrative above, he or she can acquired considerable venture capital either listen to the podcasts from the over the summer.) All these services aim n a March 2005 podcast (http:// desktop or transfer those podcasts to a to become easy-to-use hybrids of pod- weblog.infoworld.com/udell/ portable audio device for mobile listen- cast production, distribution, and pro- I 2005/03/ 03.html), Jon Udell ing throughout the day. The podcast re- motion, offering something like the persuasively identified five major mains in the portable player as long as blogging service provided by Blogger factors behind the explosive growth the listener wants and can be deleted at but with the greater sophistication and of podcasting and rich media any time. complexity that multimedia authoring authoring in general: The subscription feature (or, seen requires. from another perspective, the notifica- Is there a noncommercial alternative 1. Internet activity is pervasive. tion feature) of the RSS feed transforms to Podshow, Odeo, or other such ser- 2. Broadband has grown very the experience for the listener. Think of vices? Yes: “Ourmedia: The Global Home rapidly, which makes it far easier newspaper delivered to your for Grassroots Media” (http://www. to “consume large media objects.” door. It’s an aggregator combining the ourmedia.org/). This service boasts 3. The multimedia personal work of many individual reporters and nearly 40,000 members worldwide and computer can “more or less be editors. Its production occurs while you promises to host software, video, audio, taken for granted.” sleep. And though you could go to a images, and text “forever” with unlim- 4. The “distinction between newsstand to read or purchase the paper, ited bandwidth. To achieve these lofty streaming and downloading of you don’t have to. Instead, you subscribe aims, Ourmedia uses an open source media content has begun to to the newspaper and have it delivered to content manager called Drupal as a front blur. . . . People can now have the your door each morning. As you prepare end to media stored on the Internet experience of streaming while for the day, you look over the newspaper Archive (http://www.archive.org/). Stu- enjoying the simplicity . . . of pages, read articles of interest, and if dents and faculty may use Ourmedia to downloading.” you’re not finished with it, you take it host , store content, and publish 5. Finally, there is the iPod with you. The difference with podcasts is podcasts, all free of charge. The only phenomenon and “the rapid that persistence of content is potentially catch is that everything must be made adoption of portable MP3 greater (yesterday’s podcast may be more available to “a global audience.” That kind playback devices”—up to worth preserving than yesterday’s news- of sharing may sometimes not be appro- eleven million devices in the paper), skimming the content is harder priate for certain class productions—but United States alone. Udell (though show notes help), and certain then again, publishing to a potential au- calls the portable audio kinds of portability are enhanced. One dience of a networked could be device “the new transistor radio” may be able to read a newspaper on a just the motivation many students need. and points to the beginnings of a jostling subway, but one cannot (or at Ourmedia is not a one-click-and-you’re- “renaissance of creative stuff least should not) attempt to read a news- done operation, but it is free, and its mis- happening.” Because this paper while driving a car. Even reading a sion is laudable. renaissance coincides with the newspaper while walking across campus In the third development, both ease of Creative Commons is difficult, although some people try. By subscription and ease of portability took phenomenon, traditional contrast, podcasts can be listened to very a large step forward with the release of business models need not easily while driving, walking, or working Apple’s iTunes version 4.9, which incor- constrain the artist’s work. out at the gym.5 porates an extensive podcast directory- Several especially promising devel- and-subscription service into the

38 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 dam Curry’s nickname is “the podfather.” His Daily Source Code podcast structure of the iTunes Music Store. Cor- has done much to popularize the medium, and along with witty (and porate podcasts, including content from A sometimes profane) banter, the show continues to be an inspiring example all the major broadcasting networks, are of what can be done with podcasts. In some respects, it’s as if the most popular prominently featured on the front page of podcast on the Internet is also one of its best proof-of-concept productions. That’s the directory. Some of the more popular in large part because Curry is besotted with the very idea of radio. Curry’s Daily “indie” podcasts are featured as well; Source Code is also free (as are almost all currently available podcasts), but Curry’s several thousand that had already been larger plans include a business model in which he and his co-investors will listed in other directories were incorpo- establish a service that hosts and aggressively promotes the most-listened-to rated into the iTunes podcast directory at podcasts, many or all of which will be available exclusively through Curry’s launch. Indie podcasts that are not cur- podcasting site (http://www.podshow.com). These shows will presumably make rently in the directory can be submitted money through advertising or, perhaps, through paid subscriptions. to iTunes for inclusion, though all such What’s particularly interesting about Curry’s model is not that it seeks to submissions are subject to review and commercialize podcasting, an inevitable development despite complaints from one must have an iTunes Music Store some quarters that Curry is out to ruin the medium. No, what’s interesting is that account to submit a podcast. But even if a Curry plans that the money earned by hosting and promoting premium podcasting podcast isn’t in the directory, it can be content will help pay for a free service that will enable podcasts with smaller subscribed to very easily in the iTunes audiences to reach those audiences and sustain their service. If Curry’s plan works, interface by simply typing the podcast’s it could restore older models of public service and public access in broadcasting— URL into a special subscription field.7 models that have withered as deregulation has spread across the industry over the This new version of iTunes could take the last three decades. Or it could end up simply confining premium podcasts within entire podcasting phenomenon into the a “walled garden” along the lines of MSN or AOL. It’s a measure of this new mainstream. Indeed, Apple reported that medium’s potential that so many interesting developments and troubling questions iTunes customers subscribed to over have emerged so quickly. one million podcasts in the two days fol- lowing the launch of iTunes support for podcasts.8 As of this writing, Apple states embrace of podcasting troubling to edu- lineup, nearly double the number of just that more than 15,000 podcasts are avail- cators? Because this easy-to-use audio- two months ago. able for subscription through iTunes 5.0 content manager just happens to sit in- But the collapse of radio is only part of (http://www.apple.com/podcasting/). side a store that sells music. the story of the rise of podcasting. The For educators, the implications of endurance of radio, or the idea of radio, is Apple’s embrace of podcasting are both “Radio Is a Strange Craft” the other part and is a major reason why exciting and troubling. The development Radio began as an amateur medium. Even podcasting has such potential value in is exciting because students will have a after it became thoroughly professional- teaching and learning. There is magic in free, easy-to-use, dual-platform (Win- ized, radio retained a strong flavor of par- the human voice, the magic of shared dows and Mac) audio-content manager ticularity linked to specific announcers awareness. Consciousness is most persua- that will help make podcasting pervasive and specific localities. Beginning in the sively and intimately communicated via and effective. Even more important for 1980s, however, more and more radio sta- voice. The voice is literally inspired lan- educators, the new version of iTunes en- tions were bought up by giant broadcast- guage, language full of breath, breath as ables “enhanced podcasts” that offer a ing conglomerates such as Clear Channel language. Consider the phrase “thinking chapter function, allowing the listener to and Infinity Radio. The result was pre- aloud.” Consider a Shakespearean solilo- jump directly to sections within a pod- dictable: a few popular syndicated shows; quy. This peculiar capacity of spoken lan- cast. Each of these sections can be accom- a timid playlist relying on overplayed guage puts the edge on Tennyson’s grief in panied by an image and by a clickable songs; and a homogeneous approach to In Memoriam: death is horrifying not be- URL. Since one of the challenges with programming and announcing. Part of cause of decay but because of silence. audio feeds has always been that of mak- the reason that podcasting has taken off Photographs are undeniably powerful, ing individual parts of the feed directly so quickly is that there’s very little worth and perhaps a picture is worth a thousand accessible, encoding chapters within listening to on the radio. Ironically, Infin- words, but a few words uttered by a dear podcasts (as opposed to dividing the ity’s KYOU in is now an all- voice may be worth the most of all. audio into tracks, each of which would podcast radio station with substantially Of course, the droning voice of a pro- need to be downloaded separately) is a listener-generated content. As of this fessor reading from yellowed lecture very attractive feature. Why is Apple’s writing, KYOU has 2,338 podcasts in its notes will not be so affecting, but a voice

The new version of iTunes enables “enhanced podcasts” that offer a chapter function, allowing the listener to jump directly to sections within a podcast.

40 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 The endurance of radio, or the idea of radio, is a major reason why podcasting has such potential value in teaching and learning.

that creates a theater of the mind—radio’s Donne poem each day during the sum- ement of the promise of podcasting is its time-honored heritage—can connect mer, thereby building up a collection of potential to be uniquely immersive, to with the listener on a profound level. The poetry and commentary in little five- to evoke the intimacy and focus of a study theater of the mind can be both com- eight-minute chunks that students can carrel deep in the stacks of a library. One pelling and transformative, often far use to help them prepare for each day’s emerges from those dark, womblike more than anything witnessed visually. A reading assignment. My hope is that stu- spaces blinking and perhaps a little dis- gifted teacher could be said to create just dents will understand the main argument oriented: a useful state of being in the such a theater of the mind, as well as the in each poem faster as a result of hearing constant struggle to defamiliarize one’s conditions whereby students may be en- my reading and will thus come to class surroundings and to prepare oneself for ticed to create such a theater for them- better prepared to mine the depths. I also fresh insights. Podcasts, then, are like selves. At its best, podcasting can serve as hope they will come ready to question, books in a study room, an information training in rich interiority and in shared even to take issue with, my reading technology that may be scaled without reflection. and/or my commentary; indeed, I will en- necessarily becoming a mere commodity. There’s also considerable value in courage them to do so. As usual for my The voice also conveys our common what I call “the explaining voice,” the poetry seminars, I will also assign a recita- humanity. For example, the Washington Post voice that performs understanding. The tion for each student, and my reading can recently reported that many e-commerce explaining voice doesn’t just convey in- serve as a paradigm to emulate or to work sites have found more economic benefits formation; it shapes, out of a shared at- against. Best of all, I’ve found that reading in allowing customers telephone contact mosphere, an intimate drama of cognitive these poems aloud to prepare them for a with real people rather than forcing all in- action in time. The explaining voice con- public audience has put me on my mettle teraction through the Web. In another ex- veys microcues of hesitation, pacing, and and has taught me that some lines I ample, several newspapers are producing inflection that demonstrate both cogni- thought I understood well could stand their own podcasts. Why would one want tion and metacognition. When we hear more sustained attention from me before to listen to a newspaper? Frank Burgos, the someone read with understanding, we the fall term. editorial page editor of the Philadelphia participate in that understanding, almost One of my colleagues at Mary Wash- Daily News, tells us why: “Podcasting, done as if the voice is enacting our own com- ington, a cognitive psychologist, insists the right kind of way, can . . . make a news- prehension. In other words, the explain- that audio is a poor channel for conveying paper sound like a human being. Because ing voice trains the ear to listen not just information to learners because the that’s what newspapers are: they’re a col- for meaning but for evidence of the learner cannot control the pace. The lis- lection of human beings.”9 thought that generates meaning. tener is at the mercy of the speaker’s There’s a strong analogy here. Done I’m counting on the explaining voice, tempo. I take the point, but I wonder if well, podcasting can reveal to students, or at least as much of it as I can muster, in that necessity doesn’t have a virtuous di- faculty, staff, communities—even the my current series of podcasts: A Donne a mension. Perhaps it is sometimes a good world—the essential humanity at the Day. This fall I’m teaching a senior semi- thing for the learner not to control the heart of higher education. Among the im- nar on John Donne, and in my summer tempo, particularly if one wants to lead pressive facilities and intricate processes, preparation I was reminded just how dif- the learner away from habitual patterns of colleges and universities are essentially ficult it can be, even for a specialist, to perception and cognition. Perhaps listen- collections of human beings who seek to make sense of some of these poems. The ing attentively to the pace of another share the fruits of their labors with the syntax is tough, made even knottier by mind, revealed in voice, can help train the world that helps support them. If this po- Donne’s various poetic licenses. The sub- learner to be more attentive generally. One sition seems extreme or sentimental, con- ject matter is self-consciously erudite, in can listen to a podcast with “half an ear” sider Todd Cochrane’s assertion: “Pod- fact recondite. The poetic voice is witty, just as easily as one can skim a written text, casting represents a new way for bitter, exuberant, desperate, naughty, but in the case of the podcast, it is more individuals to communicate about the hyperintellectual, self-mocking, self- difficult to believe that one has actually at- things they love. They can actually broad- celebrating. I can’t pretend to capture all tended to the words. Moreover, effective cast content that comes from their of that in my own recitations, but I know listening is no less crucial a skill than ef- hearts.”10 If a mass-market text on pod- that I start from a position of greater com- fective speaking, and even if the learner casting begins by stressing the affective prehension than my students (at least, I cannot control the tempo of a speaker’s dimension of this new medium, educa- hope I do, though I always look forward delivery, with a podcast he or she can lis- tors would do well to think about how to being surprised). In casting about for a ten again and again, in whole or in part, they might harness that energy in their way to share that tacit knowledge without and thereby grow more practiced in lis- teaching and learning practices. spending every class meeting doing noth- tening. Listening is an activity. No good The English word radio comes from the ing but reading aloud—lovely as that audience is passive. Latin radiare, to “emit rays.” Podcasting, might be for me—I decided to podcast a Along these same lines, one crucial el- like radio, has the potential to spread its

42 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 effects to people both near and far and to read these words, the University of Mary unite them into a community of shared As an experiment to accompany this Washington, where I teach, will have be- learning. Like radio, podcasting is less article and test some of its claims, the gun its “profcasts” (http://www.profcast. like a web and more like the spokes of a author’s reading of “There’s org). The University of Chicago will be wheel. There may be many or few spokes Something in the Air” is also continuing its Poem Present series (http:// radiating from the podcast, but the con- available as an audio file. See the poempresent.uchicago.edu). Students at nections are essentially one-to-one, no online version of this article Manhattan Marymount College in New matter how many listeners are in the au- (http://www.educause.edu/er/ York City will be extending their fascinat- dience. Indeed, one of the lessons I ERM05/ERM0561.asp). Or, for the ing “Art Mobs” project (http://mod.blogs. learned in my own thirteen years of pro- full podcast experience, RSS com/art_mobs/), in which they record fessional broadcasting was that no matter subscribers to Gardner Campbell’s their own guides to art galleries through- how far the station signal carried or how podcasts at his blog (http://www. out Manhattan. Purdue University’s many people lived in the listening area, I gardnercampbell.net) will receive “BoilerCasts” (http://boilercast.itap. was speaking to one listener at a time the podcast automatically. Those purdue.edu:1013/Boilercast/Index.html) every time I turned on the microphone. who both read the article and listen will be bringing entire courses to students That kind of direct personal connection, to the audio version are invited to as podcasts or streaming audio. My hypo- scaled to encompass a large and diverse comment on how the two thetical Jenny will be producing podcasts audience, offers a powerful glimpse of experiences compare. of her study-abroad experience, or her how podcasting can be a transformative service-learning assignment, or her job instance of information technology in search. These podcasts will be listed in higher education. And the persistence of mate probably seemed liberal to Searls, iTunes or in directories such as Podcast this content enables the “long tail” phe- but in reality it was far too conservative. Alley (http://www.podcastalley.com) and nomenon to bring new listeners into the On May 25, just eight months later, a com- PodNova (http://www.podnova.com). community many weeks or even years menter on Searls’s blog entry clicked on With a speed that makes even Moore’s after a podcast was first published. the search link and found 4,460,000 Law seem sluggish, podcasting has won a Google hits for “podcasts.” On June 23, prominent place among the dizzying vari- “Call Out the Instigators Because that same link returned ety of grassroots media now available to There’s Something in the Air” well over 6,000,000 hits. On August 28, it everyone. As Jon Udell has noted, “When By the time this article is published, the returned over 21,000,000 hits. On Sep- all the players are bloggers, podcasters, phenomenon called podcasting will be tember 18, the number had exceeded and screencasters, the game can be taken about a year old. Its growth has been star- 60,000,000. Clearly, this medium has to a whole new level.”13 Those of us in tlingly rapid even by IT standards. In April caught the imagination of a large and higher education owe it to our students to 2005, the Pew Internet & American Life growing audience. During his keynote bring podcasting and other rich media Project reported that over six million adults address at the Apple Worldwide Devel- into our courses so that they can lift their (eighteen or older) in the United States had opers Conference in June 2005, Steve learning to a whole new level too. listened to a podcast.11 Teenagers, of Jobs estimated that more than 8,000 pod- In Areopagitica (1644), John Milton ar- course, are the ones who use mobile audio casts were available through iTunes. At gued: “For books are not absolutely dead devices the most. Who knows how many the time of this writing, that number has things, but do contain a potency of life in of them have listened to a podcast? nearly doubled. them to be as active as that soul was In a blog entry dated September 28, In the meantime, Musselburgh Gram- whose progeny they are; nay, they do 2004, Doc Searls, a co-author of the book mar School in East Lothian, Scotland, preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy The Cluetrain Manifesto, discussed podcast- carries on with its podcasts (http:// and extraction of that living intellect that ing in some detail and noted that a Google mgsonline.blogs.com/mgspodcast/) and bred them.” Podcasts too convey that po- search on “podcasts” brought up twenty- brags that it is the United Kingdom’s first tency of life, and they can preserve and four hits. Searls went on to predict that in regular schools podcast. Steve Sloan, of communicate the living intellect with un- another year, the same search would San Jose State University, tracks and usual immediacy. The air within the “pull up hundreds of thousands, or per- reflects on educational podcasting (http:// human voice retains its inspiration, even haps even millions,” of hits.12 That esti- www.edupodder.com). By the time you as it inspires the listener to speak in

Done well, podcasting can reveal to students, faculty, staff, communities—even the world—the essential humanity at the heart of higher education.

44 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005 response. In this way, podcasting can com/pub/a/network/2005/03/18/primetime. Another personal favorite, the BBC’s In Our help education realize one of its noblest html>. Udell has an extremely rich body of writing Time (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/ and thinking. In my view, Udell is one of the most inourtime/), offers mini-seminars on the history goals: to make a better conversation out of important practitioners and theorists of what of ideas, with subjects ranging from “Perception the thing we call civilization. e many people are now calling “Web 2.0.” His work and the Senses” to “Renaissance Mathematics,” all also has tremendous implications for education. facilitated by the redoubtable Melvyn Bragg. Three unusually fine pieces offer a good introduc- 6. A free beta version for podcasts up to ten minutes tion to Udell’s work. One is a podcast on podcast- Notes long is available at . ing, rich media, and the : . method of subscribing to Web pages and being sion of iTunes, see ’s demonstration at Another is Udell’s “” on Wikipedia and notified automatically when they are updated. By the June 2005 Apple Worldwide Developers Con- definition, podcasts are RSS-enabled. For more in- heavy-metal umlaut bands, a fascinating look at ference, available online at

46 EDUCAUSE reviewⅪ November/December 2005