David Aldrich, Bradley Bell and Tim Batzel of the University of Washington have written a paper that looks at an automated podcasting solution for educational use.

Automated Podcasting Solution Expands the Boundaries of the Classroom (PDF) was presented Wednesday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at the University and College Computing Services (SIGUCCS) 2006 Fall Conference. The paper reviews design considerations for a university podcast solution and also includes a high-level look at the University’s final podcasting architecture.

“Podcasting has been one of the simplest teaching and learning technologies to implement at the University of Washington,” according to the authors, “and one of the most immediately adopted by students who are engaged in the learning process.”

Podcasting is being used increasingly in education, especially at the university level, although not all educators welcome the technology.

Abstract:

A scalable podcast solution developed at the University of Washington makes the podcasting of class lectures easy for faculty by automating the capture, uploading, and delivery of MP3 audio recordings.

University of Washington staff create online class blog-space for participating instructors at the beginning of the quarter. Class location and meeting times are scheduled via a web interface. After the schedule has been established, the entire recording process happens seamlessly in the background while
the instructor teaches.

A podcast server automatically captures data from networked MP3 streaming devices, which are wired into the classroom’s PA system. The audio capture routine stops at the end of class and the resulting MP3 file is scripted to be published in a corresponding class blog where it is made available to students
via an RSS feed.

Students are able to listen to the MP3 recordings online, or they can click on the provided link to subscribe to the podcast. Once students subscribe to a podcast, subsequent lectures are delivered automatically to the students’ computers. These recordings can be played on personal computers, laptops,
portable MP3 players, and some cell phones.

This convenient teaching and learning technology provides students with the ability to engage in lecture review and enhance their understanding of the material covered in class. The University’s scalable podcasting solution helps to create the links between teaching and learning, and expands the boundaries of the traditional classroom.