Podcasting & Vodcasting – Peter Meng
The article above is a very informative article regarding the uses and differences of Podcasting and Vodcasting. For those who are new to the terms (like me) podcasting is the process of capturing an audio event, song or speech and then posting that digital sound to a web site or blog. VODcasting or vlogging stands for video on demand and is the same as podcasting but it uses video instead of audio. Simply enough right. So as I am reading how a podcast works and what tools and equipment are necessary, there is a sentence that made me think, “How cool would that be!”.
Because of the low cost of entry, anyone can be a publisher, or a broadcaster of their own “radio” show.
Ok, so how interesting would it be to have your own radio show? Well for me, talking is definitely easier than typing. So I went out and researched some podcast. One site I found and subscribed to was Podtech.net. I’m still searching through the information, but have found some very interesting podcast. Any suggestions to other sites are welcome!
When it comes to Vodcasting, it is clear that it takes more tools and equipment to get it going. Some of the software mentioned was new to me, such as iMovie and Adobe Premiere Elements. Once I researched these I found that they were simply tools you can use to create a Flash video that conforms perfectly to the needs of YouTube or other sites, so you get a nice optimized video that loads right up to a web site. Thats kinda cool! I was never really sure how people got their videos on youtube on other video sites.
Of course these two mediums raise significant issues, but one question already being asked caught my attention. How does podcasting or VODcasting challenge the current “talking head” model of classroom lectures? If all lectures are available via video and audio, do students need to go to class?
That’s a great question don’t you think? I have talked about this with other classmates regarding the life-learning process. After reading this article, my answer to the question is that it enhances not challenges the current teaching model. An instructor can only teach you what they know (my instructor has said this to me many times) . And what good does it do if you take only what they have passed on to you? We as students need to take responsibility in our own learning in addition to the structured learning we receive from our institution. I think the traditional teaching model is still needed as a guide and training process for future learning. We all have to learn to learn to be successful in our own life-learning. What are your thoughts in response to the question stated above?
the best way to subscribe to a podcast on i-tunes is to search the i-tunes store… there is a lot of free podcast in the i-tunes store. Im jsut forunate to find a lot of free skateboarding ones threw there websites and emails. Best bet is to just search the i-tunes store for something your interested in and see if it comes up with any mathces… :/
And in response to the last question about teachers and vodcasting… i believe id learn better threw a teacher and well… if i were to get stuck what good is a video going to do. Our teachers have real time work in the careers we hope to get in so that helps… but if the teacher themselves set up a vodcast then maybe things would change a lil bit but still having the teacher there to answer personal wuestions without having to wait for a vodcast response would be a much better elarning enviorment.
How does podcasting or VODcasting challenge the current “talking head” model of classroom lectures? If all lectures are available via video and audio, do students need to go to class?
This is a great question indeed, one I’ve been asking myself these last few weeks. The more and more I think about it, the more I realize that the “traditional” learning process, i.e., or having a teacher in a classroom teach things, is something that can never be replaced.
It’s just one of those experiences that can’t be duplicated no matter how much technology advances. Unless somehow we can contact each others minds and use telepathy, the “traditional” method will always remain that traditional.
Tradition is usually a good place to build your foundation upon. Once you’ve built that foundation, then you can explore more, find alternative means to learning, which is where I think podcasting and the internet’s place is.
im excited to learn more about pod/vodcasting. i think its better to learn from a teacher especially if its something you know nothing about learning from a teacher would benefit me more and if we had that option im sure a lot of students would take advantage and just use podcasting and in result may not learn as much as they could have
I concur with most of the statements above, and gave a summary of why I believed this to be so in my own blog posting.
Basically, I think traditional learning avenues are better for builing the foundation of knowledge in a subject, while the podcasts, vodcasts, and alot of the online “lifelong learning tools” are better used to build upon and contemporize what you learn through the traditional system.
The old school way is ideal for newbies, because it is built upon centuries old principles that have guided instructors in the best ways to teach pupils, and reinforce the basic principles that are seen across school, work, and life: handling assigned schedules and deadlines, interacting among a social group in face-to-face scenarios and teamwork, and mastering “hands on” crafts through direct demonstration, to name just a few. To me, the internet will always lack in these areas, in particualrly the need to understand any academic subject in the context of the human element. It’s tough to convey passion through a computer screen.
The tools of Web 2.0 are stronger in terms of building upon this foundation. Once you have an idea of the basics (which, normally, have been reached as “the basics” through decades of refinement) you now can search out and filter the information provided on the internet. You now have an idea of the skills needed, a sense of the programs needed to do it, a sense of where you stand on scale of becoming an “expert”, etc.
For me, it seems like the two sides really compliment each other, but to try and seperate the two will always be to the detriment of the individual.