Podcasts

A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication (1). Like video, most of the impact of podcasts are achieved in short segments of less than 10 minutes (2).

The visual, and quick, straight to the point nature of podcasts appeals most to today's students. They like information that projects meaning instantaneously and they prefer the visual nature of this technology more than reading through several pages of text.

For these reasons podcasts are used widely in educational settings. They offer a range of benefits for both students and teachers. They offer students the opportunity to listen some of the best educators in the world, on a range of topics from the comfort of their own home. Moreover, if a student accidentally misses a class, they can catch up on what has been covered if the lesson is recorded and published as a podcast.

For teachers the benefits are similar. By recording and publishing their lessons, students do not have to be physically present in a classroom to learn. For the education industry this means that less teachers may be required to "teach" a class. Furthermore, teachers maybe able to use the podcasts, already available through special client software applications such as itunes, as a supplementary teaching aid.

References
1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast
2)Podcasting, online http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=18307

REFLECTIONS
Do you think elearning tools such as podcasts, which have improved the methods of teaching used in flexible learning environments, will have an impact on reducing the number of teachers required in the education industry? What is your thoughts on this?