Podcasts, Vodcasts, Blogs and Feeds: Making best use of the modern technological menagerie

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Podcasts, Vodcasts, Blogs and Feeds Making
best use of the modern technological menagerie
Roger McDermott School of Computing The Robert
Gordon University Aberdeen, UK rm_at_comp.rgu.ac.uk
Gordon Eccleston School of Computing The Robert
Gordon University Aberdeen, UK ge_at_comp.rgu.ac.uk
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Plan of Workshop

• 14.10 14.15 Welcome and Introduction
• 14.15 14.35 Description of RGU Computing
  Experience
• Blogs
• Podcasts/Vodcasts
• 14.35 14.55 Small Group Discussion
• 14.55 15.10 Plenary Discussion and Conclusion

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Personal Reflective Blog

• Students were required to keep a personal blog
  detailing their learning journey throughout the
  year.
• Formed part of an e-portfolio of work which would
  accompany the student throughout their course of
  study,
• Formed the basis of further metacognitive
  activities in later years,
• Tried to encourage a conversational approach to
  reflection on different types of narrative.
• The project sought to develop framework for
  critical analysis and reflection
• Activities also formed basis of the Schools PDP
  strategy aimed at enhancing employability.

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Why Use Reflective Learning Blogs?

• The Theory
• Students can articulate a personal learning
  narrative that is provisional but still locally
  coherent.
• Promote interaction with feedback and commentary
  from colleagues and tutors.
• Integrate personal reflective activity with
  social character of blogging
• Can be used to enhance both autonomous and
  collaborative aspects of learning.

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Implementation

• Choices to be made
• Internal vs External Hosting
• Minimal vs Full-Blown implementation
• Staff-led vs Student-led
• Compulsory vs Voluntary
• Assessed vs Non-assessed
• Formal vs Informal Learning

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The Student Blogging Environment
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The Student Blogging Environment
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The Student Blogging Environment
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Some Issues

• Blogs posts are often spontaneous and informal.
  This can work in opposition to the production of
  material which is useful for recording
  achievement.
• At the same time, the imposition of too rigid a
  pedagogical structure can stifle those factors
  which promote the formation of social learning
  networks.

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John Gray Award 2007-08

• Video Podcasting
• a means of engaging the students and providing
  remediation
• The goal of this project was to enhance the
  Student Learning Experience through the use of
  video podcasts, via the Virtual Learning
  Environment (Moodle)

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Target Audience

• The project was directed at the Foundation Year
  students in the School of Computing
• 2 main types of video podcasts were envisaged
• Student led
• Staff production

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Student vodcast

• The intention was the students would
• give weekly feedback on their learning experience
  
• showcase their achievements.
• It was envisaged that this would help develop
  their team skills and give them a chance to
  reflect on their learning experience.

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Lecturer vodcast

• The aim of the lecturer production was to provide
  remediation and further enhancements of course
  material based on the issues raised by the
  students
• It mainly consisted of showing how to use the
  features of the software (Netbeans, BlueJ and
  Visual Basic.Net)

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Vodcasting equipment

• Hardware
• Video camera
• Tripod

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Vodcasting equipment 2

• usb microphone
• Laptop

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Vodcasting equipment 3

• Ipod touch and archos 605 (mp4 players)

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Vodcasting equipment 4

• Software
• Apple Mac iMovie 08
• Apple iWork 08 (Keynote)
• Apple Garageband
• Final Cut Studio Express 3.5 (not really used)

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Why Vodcasting

• the use of ICT outside the classroom by students
  and the impact of these activities on their
  learning
• the capacity of iPods, that synchronise
  audiovisuals with an integrated learning content
  management system, to enhance student engagement
• using iPods and vodcasting within an integrated
  learning content management system to embed
  innovative teaching practice.
• Source iPods and Vodcasting for Learning at
  Heathmont College by Cecilie Murray

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How to create a vodcast

• Method 1
• Use Garageband to insert pictures/powerpoints and
  add a voice over
• then convert to the appropriate format
• Method 2
• Take a video
• Edit it
• Then convert to the appropriate format

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Vodcast links

• University of Missouri
• Paper on podcasting
• Health and Medicine
• New approach to teaching Chemistry

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Vodcast links 2

• Apple and Netters Anatomy Flashcards
• National Institute of Health Vodcasts
• University of Ulster - conference topics
• Ipod to help students study
• Medical students to get ipods

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The next steps?

• iTunes U
• Dedicated vodcast server (already being put in
  place for the School of Computing)
• Cross-faculty projects
• Supplying all students with their own ipod/mp4
  player with preloaded videos/ebooks/audio

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Lessons learnt

• Taking videos is much easier if you have a camera
  person
• Editing videos takes some time and a lot of
  practice at using the software
• Converting existing Powerpoints (using Keynote)
  and adding sound in Garageband is a quick and
  easy way to create a movie

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Lessons learnt 2

• Students tend to use their mp3/4 players for
  their own personal use
• Most of the students just viewed the videos on
  their pc
• There are different formats for the various mp3/4
  players (screen resolution, file format)
• New generation phones may become the new format

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Finally

• There are some other pieces of software that can
  make the process a lot easier
• e.g. screen capture software and a script reader
• A dedicated computer for video use would also be
  beneficial

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Questions for Discussion

• Do you think the use of Social Software/Web2.0
  technologies in a Higher Educational setting is
  worthwhile or is it a case of just jumping on
  another bandwagon?
• Can you think of a teaching scenario in which one
  of these new technologies could be used?
• What would be the benefits (to whom) and what
  would be the disadvantages?
• What changes to the curriculum, if any, would be
  required to make the implementation successful?
• What other factors would need to be in place?
• Have you any experiences/expertise in this area
  that you would like to share with colleagues?