York iTunes U Podcasting Objectives

York College has been using podcasting since the Fall of 2006, with several instructors leading the way. The most consistent way that podcasting is used on campus is as recordings of live lectures. In the Rich Media Podcasting project, two specific elements will be added to our current platform: Visuals and Interactivity. There are many avenues for incorporating visuals (video, screencasting, Powerpoint, Camtasia Studio) and interactivity (discussion boards, blogs, quizzes) and the goal here is to have different faculty testing various possibilities. The overarching aims are to:

1. determine the value of podcasts as a pedagogical tool within a rich-media context;
2. assess the value added of a visual component and improved interactivity on student learning; and
3. assess the impact on learning for ESL/ELL students.

The following assumptions are embedded in the design of our initiative:

• Podcasting can be more than a recorded lecture.
• There is value added when podcasting is used to introduce a new perspective or to supplemental class material.
• Podcasting should build on an understanding of different learning styles, and include audio, visual, and tactile modalities of instruction.
• A rich media environment includes podcasting as only one element of the learning environment.
• Podcasting does not replace the lecture but can be a tool to help prepare the learner for the lecture and/or as a tool for a review of lecture.
• To assist download time as well as processing of new information, the length of each podcast, especially pure audio, should not exceed 20 minutes.
• Engaging students in the creation of their own podcasts supports content knowledge as well as technological skills as equally important outcomes and should be incorporated wherever possible.

With these goals and assumptions in mind, each faculty member will incorporate a new visual and/or interactivity component into their podcasting. The hope is that as a team several new tools and software such as screencasts, videocasts, blogs, wikis, and Lesson Builder will be tested and compared such that by the end of the year, a best practice model can be recommended. Several special initiatives will focus on researching the impact on student learning, including the impact for ESL/ELL learners.

Project Outline