Hargis, J. & Wilson, D. (2005). Fishing for learning with a podcast net. Retrieved February 25, 2007, from http://www.unf.edu/dept/cirt/tech/podcast/ HargisPodcastArticle.pdf
Richardson, W. (2005). Podcasting andScreencasting: Multimedia publishing for the masses. In Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful Web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
The article by Hargis and Wilson, “Fishing for Learning with a Podcast Net,” was not particularly well-written, but it did contain some helpful information. I have always considered podcasts as a form of radio broadcast, but they look at them as audio blogs. I think this is really more descriptive of the most common use of podcasts. However, they also characterize podcasts as “digital magazine subscriptions” because you have to subscribe to be able to download. I think this is a little misleading because most podcasts are not structured like magazines.
Some of the passages in the article were not clear; for example, the first paragraph under the subheading, “What Podcasting Promises Educators,” has sentences like, “Conceptual learning requires multiple inputs, time between inputs, guidance, reflection, facilitation and subsequent quality control of ideas.” There is no further discussion of this process, so a reader without the necessary prior knowledge is lost. In that same section, they say, “the metaphor for using podcast is inherent in the concept of podcasting itself.” Huh? The article needs editing and proofreading to be considered academic writing.
Regarding podcasts and their uses in education, the authors brought up some important points. First, visual learners may struggle with podcasts, but if they contain “authentic background sounds and colorful narratives,” listeners are able to “create their own vision.” This reminds me of reports on NPR. Even though I don’t consider myself an auditory learner, the reports keep my attention with these very elements. Another point they discuss is the connection between podcasting and conceptual learning, which is critical for “genuine learning – sustentative, long-term learning.” I think the connections will only be made if the students are started with specifically conceptual assignments. One of their goals in the article is to encourage educators to use podcasting for teaching and learning. I think it is fairly effective for this purpose.
In terms of our inquiry project, I think the chapter by Richardson had many useful tips. I looked at a few of the suggested sites and some of the addresses are no longer functioning, but this is always as hazard when dealing with the Internet. Some of his “how-to” information was a bit outdated, but as we saw with the Edublogs interface, the technology changes so fast that it is difficult to keep up with it in print publications. Most of the sites he recommends, such as Audacity, have links to new addresses and user-friendly instructions on how to use the software. If not, updated information is readily available on the Net.
I like Richardson’s suggestion to record phone interviews and podcast them on a blog. If we can locate a willing expert in our inquiry topic, maybe we could try a podcast. Hargis and Wilson claim that podcasts “represent practically everything that is occurring worldwide, in a raw, uncensored format, ready for consumption,” which is exactly what we need for our project.
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