Commission Projects: Advising Technology Education Center (ATECH)
Podcasting: A Primer
Contributed by Anita Carter, Wayne State University
for the
Advising Technology Education Center (ATECH)
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is an audio file or multimedia file that can be played on a mobile device such as an iPod, MP3 player, or computer and can be downloaded directly from the web and played at the listener's convenience.
What is the Appeal?
The greatest appeal of podcasting is the ease with which they can be created and shared. They are relatively inexpensive to produce, simple to download to the web, and can be very powerful for very little cost. Podcasts allow users to listen and learn while they walk, run, ride the bus, etc, away from their computer. In fact, the user doesn't even need to own a computer to make use of the technology.
Why Podcasts?
Many students are using the technology to listen to music files. It makes sense to provide access to expert advice from staff and faculty to enrich the college experience for students in a format with which students are already familiar.
What Do I Need to Produce a Quality Podcast?
You need the right equipment to produce a good quality podcast. You will need a good quality microphone, software for recording and translating the program into an MP3 file, somewhere to house the podcast once it has been produced, and a way to inform your users that the podcast exists.
Using a built-in microphone on your laptop or desktop computer is possible, though not recommended, as it will result in a poor quality product. A built-in microphone will pick-up background noise, while an external microphone that plugs into your computer will result in much better sound quality. Pick a microphone with sound dampening capabilities, that can be purchased for a modest $20 - $30.
You will need recording software. Garage Band, which comes pre-loaded on many Mac laptops and desktop computers produces good quality podcasts. Audacity is a popular free program for recording and editing podcasts and is available for both Mac and PC. Once you have recorded your podcast, you can convert it to an MP3 in iTunes or use LAME, a popular free MP3 encoder.
Steps for Creating a Podcast
Preparation
The first step is to come up with an idea or topic that will lend itself well to the podcast format. Think about a topic that can be presented in 5 - 15 minutes and begin outlining the topic. I like to use MS PowerPoint to make my outline, one slide per main section. In this way I can break the topic into smaller portions and use the "notes" pages for the script. This makes it easier when recording the presentation. As a rule of thumb, 9-12 pages of script in Powerpoint yields 5-8 minutes of podcast material.
Once you have created the outline in Powerpoint using the "slides" option, script out the exact words you will say on the recording and write them in the "notes" section of the Powerpoint application. Read the script aloud to check for proper flow, have someone else read it and make any corrections or adjustments. Read it aloud again to check for flow one final time.
Your Powerpoint "slide" might look something like this:
- No back-to-back classes
- Study before and after class
- Be on time
Your "notes" might look something like this:
Schedule classes wisely.
Your first task as a college student is to schedule your classes. Try not to schedule back-to-back classes. You'll wear yourself out and miss the best times to study—right before and after class.
Scheduling classes too close together may cause you to be late for your next class. When you arrive late, you play catch-up for the rest of the class period. Because you are behind, you may tend to rush and miss important notes.
Of course, if the choice is between being late or not going at all—GO!
Basic content for your podcast
Each podcast should begin with a clue to what will be covered and a welcome message. Make sure to include contact information and a reference to where additional information on the topic can be found. You may also want to include basic information related to your office location and hours of operation.
Recording in Garage Band
When you are ready to record, set up the microphone in a room with the least amount of noise and fewest distractions. Set your system preferences on your computer for "Sound"; "line in" for Microphone, and select the connection type, such as "USB".
Open Garage Band and select the preferences for "vocal" effects, such as male voice (speech) or female voice (speech). Save this as a template to facilitate future podcast recording.
Record each page of script you created in PowerPoint individually and stop recording after each page to allow the speaker an opportunity to practice the script before recording, facilitate changes that may need to be made, or to allow a "redo" of that single page. Select "Save as ..." from the "edit" menu and give the recording a title when you have recorded the first page. In this way you preserve your template for future podcasts and you save the step of setting preferences with each new podcast. "Save" each time you finish a page. Listen to the recording in its entirety when completed and check for flow, pace, and transitions. To "redo" any portion of the recording, select the section that needs to be replaced and "cut" from the "Edit" menu and re-record that section only. This technique allows you to create a "perfect" podcast with a minimum of difficulty.
Saving and Converting to MP3
Using Garage Band and iTunes
When the entire podcast has been recorded to your satisfaction, convert it to an MP3. Hold down the mouse button + "control" key to open the dialogue box. Locate the "Share" option in the menu bar and select "Send to iTunes".
Open the iTunes application and hold down the mouse button + "control" key to open a dialogue box. Select "Convert to MP3". This action will result in duplicate copies of the podcast, one in "aiff" format and one in MP3. Keep the original project in "aiff", as well as MP3, just in case the MP3 needs to be duplicated at some point. Add the MP3 to the appropriate "playlist" to keep your podcasts organized and easily located.
Create identifying information about the podcast by holding down the mouse button + "control" key and open up the dialogue box. Select "Info" and input the title, author, genre. To enter "podcast" into genre box, select "Custom" from the pulldown and type "podcast" in the input box.
Making the MP3's Accessible
Upload the MP3 to the server where it will be accessible to the user. On some campuses, the technology center that manages classroom lecture recordings may be agreeable to hosting your podcasts. Other options include hosting them on your department web site.
Another option is to upload your podcasts to iTunes University, a free Apple hosted service. iTunes University is customized to each school and hosts online class content in podcast format.
Promoting Your Podcasts
The most expert podcast production is pointless unless students know it is available. So it is essential that you select the right vehicle to get the information across campus. Providing a prominent link to your podcasts from your Web site is a start, but not enough. Sending notification to students through your campus portal is a more direct way of letting students know about your podcasts, but results in a "blanket" notification. Targeted e-mails to the specific populations you are trying to reach may be the best way to direct students to the podcast.
Conclusion
Although I have provided step-by-step directions for creating podcasts using Garage Band and iTunes, the principles for creating and promoting podcasts described here are the same regardless of the software you use to create them. Careful preparation of the script, use of a quality microphone to produce your recording, and careful promotion of your final product are the true keys to creating a high quality podcast that will serve the target audience.
Anita Carter
University Advising Center
Wayne State University
acarter@wayne.edu
Posted September 20, 2007
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