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Exploring the Instructional Possibilities of Podcasting

Purpose

The idea of using recorded audio content to support instruction is not a new one. Faculty members have been providing students with audio recordings of lectures and presentations since the inception of the reel-to-reel tape. However, podcasting - with its buzzword status - is signaling new technology and along with it new opportunities for teaching and learning. While perhaps not entirely revolutionary, podcasting technology has made the recording, distribution and access to audio / video content easier than it has ever been before, and this has opened the door to some exciting possibilities.

The VCU Center for Teaching Excellence is launching a program to support faculty members interested in exploring the instructional use and potential of podcasting. The aim of this program is to engage interested VCU faculty in examining the instructional impact of podcasting in their courses, and to consider questions such as:

• What instructional uses of podcasting promote student learning?
• What new instructional opportunities are made possible by podcasting?
• What instructional problem are we attempting to solve with podcasting?
• In what contexts does podcasting appear to be a meaningful way to distribute course content?
• What is the role of the lecture in the age of wide-spread and easily accessible lecture recordings?