Podcasting

Crispin Dale is a Principal Lecturer in technology supported learning in the School of Sport,
Performing Arts and Leisure at the University of Wolverhampton. His current research interests
include the use of virtual learning environments and the use of podcasting to support student
learning.
Vol. 6, No. 1.
ISSN: 1473-8376
www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk/johlste
PRACTICE PAPER
Strategies for Using Podcasting to Support Student
Learning
Crispin Dale (cdale@wlv.ac.uk)
School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, University of Wolverhampton, Gorway Road, Walsall,
West Midlands, WS12 4TB
10.3794/johlste.61.155
 Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education
Abstract
The growth of podcasting since its incarnation in 2004 has been phenomenal. Within popular culture,
podcasting has become an innovative way of broadcasting information on a range of subjects, from
news-based items to comedy sketches. However, within an educational context, podcasting offers
innovative and creative opportunities for academics to further support learning. The study reports
upon the practice-based work that has been done on a level one undergraduate module “The Tourism
Society”, where podcasting has been embedded within the weekly sessions. Enhanced podcasts,
which in addition to audio recordings also incorporate images and reference material, have been
developed to further engage students with the subject material. The study analyses the use of
podcasting within education and proposes strategies for developing podcasts to support student
learning.
Keywords: Podcasting, Supporting Learning, Tourism
Introduction
The birth of podcasting has revolutionized the way in which people engage with multimedia and has
empowered many to become amateur broadcasters from the comfort of their own homes. It is
important to initially understand what is meant by the notion of podcasting. According to Lim
(2005:1), podcasting involves “the authoring of, and subscription to, audio and/or video files on the
internet for downloading to the user’s personal computer”. Furthermore, Podcasting “enables users to
quickly and easily download multimedia files, including audio and video, for playback on mobile
devices including iPods™ and other MP3 players” (Bausch & Han, 2006: 1). Though iPod™ and
MP3 devices are mainly used for leisure-based purposes, when academic podcasts are used, they
generate great opportunities for flexible learning (Mellow, 2005). Chan and Lee (2005: 65) further
suggest that podcasting “combines the broadcasting nature of radio with the flexibility, learner control
and personalisation afforded by recorded audio”. Through an analysis of the definitions, Cebeci and

Dale (2007) Strategies for Using Podcasting to Support Student Learning
Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education 6(1), 49-57. 50
Tekdal (2006) note the main features of podcasting. Firstly podcasting is an audio content delivery
approach based on web syndication protocols such as an RSS feed which will be explained further,
and secondly, podcasting aims to distribute content to mobile devices such as iPods™, MP3 players,
PDAs and mobile phones. The aim of this article is to analyse the use of podcasting as a supportive
delivery mechanism for learning content. The paper emanates from a wider research project at the
University of Wolverhampton entitled “Podagogy” (www.podagogy.co.uk) which is exploring the use
of iPod™ technologies to support learning.
The Growth and Use of Podcasting
Podcasting as a popular medium has grown dramatically since it was introduced by Adam Curry, an
ex-MTV VJ and now commonly known as the “Podfather”, who exploited the technology to enable
audio broadcasts to be downloadable onto mobile technologies such as the iPod™ (Campbell, 2005).
Though there have been mixed statistics concerning the growth of podcasting (BBC, 2005), according
to TDG research (2005) the number of people receiving podcasts is forecast to grow to 56 million by
2010. Though it should be noted that there is still a high percentage of the population who are unsure
about what podcasting actually is (Neilsen/NetRatings, 2006).
Campbell (cited in Brown 2006) notes five reasons why podcasting has grown so rapidly:
1) Internet activity is pervasive and a common activity throughout the World
2) Broadband technologies have grown rapidly allowing large media files to be downloaded
3) The multimedia personal computer has become commonplace
4) The distinction between streaming and downloading material has begun to blur
5) Finally there’s been the rapid growth of iPod™ and MP3 adoption.
From a user-creator perspective, Podcasting offers a degree of self-empowerment, control and
autonomy. Indeed, Huann and Thong (2006) note the “bottom up” approach to podcasting where
internet users have the potential to develop and publish podcasts to the net quickly and easily without
having to know complicated HTML code. From an academic perspective, podcasting offers the
lecturer the potential to evolve into an educational broadcaster, instantly disseminating knowledge as
and when it occurs. Jones (2006) refers to this form of podcasting as ‘coursecasting’ and with a basic
knowledge of the right technology, podcasts are relatively easy to produce.
The podcast is created using an audio recording programme (e.g. Audacity™ or Garageband™) to
record the dialogue that is being communicated by the broadcaster. This can then be saved as a sound
file (e.g. MP3) for transmission through what is known as an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed.
Alternatively, and within an educational context, the podcast could be uploaded onto a virtual
learning environment (VLE) for students to listen to.
Figure 1: The Podcasting Process
Content Creation Phase
Publication Phase
Subscription Phase
Authoring of Podcast
Publication to RSS Feed/Hosting
website
Use of aggregator software (e.g. iTunes™)
to capture podcast
Synch with music player (e.g. iPod™)

(Adapted from Huann and Thong, 2006)
The advantage of podcasting via an RSS feed is the instantaneous nature of being able to retrieve the
podcast once a subscription feed has been established. The subscription feed is then linked to an
aggregator (e.g. iTunes™), which is used to automatically retrieve the podcasts if any new updates are
published on the net. In terms of knowledge distribution, information is based upon a push approach.
That is once a subscription has been established with an RSS feed, the user will automatically receive
the knowledge once the site where the source material is being held is updated (Ractham and Zhang,
2006). The fact that there is now an ‘always on’ culture means that the aggregator will automatically
search for new feeds that have been subscribed to (Hargis and Wilson, 2005). Huann and Thong
(2006) illustrate this production and publication of podcasts as a three-stage process (Figure 1).
Podcasting and Supporting Learning
Podcasting can offer an innovative way to support learning. Since Duke University in the United
States successfully piloted the use of iPods™ with all their first year students during 2004 (Duke,
2005), a number of other institutions have subsequently followed suit in adopting iPods™ and
podcasting as an educational medium (Blaisdell, 2006). According to Hargis and Wilson (2005: 6),
“podcasting can promise a unique approach to improving foundational pedagogical approaches to
information processing and conceptual learning”. Previous research into the use of Podcasting within
education has revealed some interesting findings. As podcasts can be shared across academic
communities this has been found to be effective in developing social networking and collaborative
learning (Alexander, 2005; Ratctham and Zhang, 2006). Alexander (2005) notes how the use of
podcasts can reach those with different learning styles, and it is particularly good for students who
learn ‘on the go’ (Lim, 2005). This also enables time-shifted learning to occur, so learners can choose
when and where they want to learn (Chan and Lee, 2005). Podcasting can also make learning more
appealing to a diversity of learners and can generate greater inclusivity (Cebeci and Tekdal, 2006).
Indeed, podcasting has great potential to meet the needs of learners who may have specific learning
difficulties, or whose first language is not English and therefore require further learning support.
Baird and Fisher (2006) have found that podcasts can be effective in enhancing student engagement
and reflection. Hargis and Wilson (2005) suggest that podcasting can be a shared learning experience
where conceptual thoughts and ideas can be created spontaneously. This can then lead to a more
progressive and reflective learning experience. Huann and Thong (2006) have also found that
podcasting enables key skills to be developed including communication, time management, problem
solving, and critical and analytical thinking. In analysing the influence of podcasting on language
learning, Thorne and Payne (2006) argue that it leverages habituated behaviour. That is, students are
familiar with the technology and how to use it. It has also been argued that students experience higher
satisfaction with those courses that use audio recordings to accompany course material (Miller and
Piller, 2005). Chan and Lee (2005) also found that podcasting alleviates the anxiety levels of students
with the subject matter. Though it could be argued that anxiety levels could potentially be raised as a
consequence of using new technologies. From research conducted at the University of Washington,
Lane (2006) found that podcasts enabled students to further understand the in-class taught material.
Indeed, processing complex and abstract information via audio can be challenging, but it can be good
for understanding general opinions and arguments (Chan and Lee, 2005). It may also be conducive
for those students who take a “bite size” instrumentalist approach to learning (Dale and McCarthy,
2006).
Using Podcasting in Tourism
A Level One module called “The Tourism Society” was used to pilot the use of podcasting with
students. Delivered in semester one, this is a core introductory module for students studying on the
BA (Hons) Tourism Management programme. Students from other degree programmes can also select
this module as an elective. The module introduces students to the basic principles and concepts to do
with tourism, such as: the definitions of tourism; the history of tourism; the geography of tourism; and
tourist motivations and determinants. To supplement the taught session, a weekly podcast was

recorded which summarised the key points and concepts discussed during the lecture. Enhanced
podcasts were developed using the Apple Mac programme Garageband™ (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Podcast production in Garageband
The production of the podcasts followed the same process as Huann and Thong’s (2006) three-stage
model as illustrated previously in Figure 1. For PC users, simple audio podcasts can be produced
using programmes such as ‘Audacity’. The podcasts were recorded shortly before the formal lecture
took place and the content of the recordings were tailored to meet the needs of learners through a ‘just
in time’ approach (Chan and Lee, 2005). This meant that the podcasts were contemporaneous in
nature and reflected upon issues studied in the previous session.
Figure 3: The Podcast on WOLF
Each of the podcasts was kept to approximately 4-6 minutes long. This was not only to ensure that
the level of engagement from the listener could be sustained, but also to recognise the bandwidth
capability of the student’s computer receiving the podcast (Cebeci and Tekdal, 2006). The podcast

was then placed alongside the lecture material in the module topic on the University’s own VLE
known as WOLF (see Figure 3).
Certain problems can be encountered during this phase. WOLF is restricted to certain file size limits
when uploading materials. As the podcasts were large in memory size (between 2 and 5mb) this
meant FTP (File Transfer Protocol) had to be used as the file transfer format for uploading the
podcasts onto WOLF. As an alternative to WOLF, iWeb™, a web-publishing package, was used to
develop a site where the podcasts could be published and listened to. The website was then uploaded
onto the web (http://web.mac.com/crispindale1) (Figure 4).
Figure 4: The Website for the Podcasts
Students could subscribe to the podcasts through this site and as podcasts were updated on a weekly
basis, these would automatically be updated via the iTunes™ programme which acts as the
aggregator. This is a free programme that can be downloaded from the iTunes™ website
(www.iTunes.com) and enables students to watch and listen to the enhanced podcasts. Students can
also download the podcast to their iPod™, or if they have an iPod™ Video, can simultaneously listen
and watch the visuals that accompany the audio broadcast. This enables students to reinforce
information that had been disseminated in the lecture. In addition to the development of a ‘how to’
guide students were also given a full induction into using the podcasts.
Strategies for Effective Podcasting
For podcasting to be effective in supporting student learning it is important that a number of strategies
are considered. These can be themed into two separate categories: Learning Issues and Technical
Issues. Further sub-issues within both of these themes are also discussed.
Learning Issues
Engaging the listener
It is important to engage the listener with the material included as part of the podcast. The speech
needs to incorporate examples and subjects of interest to the listener and that they can relate to. The
use of visuals embedded within the podcast also enable the recipients to further understand the subject
matter being broadcast. These visuals maybe in the form of photos that illustrate tourism attractions,
destinations, resources and so on, and which exemplify a point that is being made within the podcast
(Figure 5).

Alternatively, the visuals may illustrate a particular concept or model that can be summarised by the
tutor. The use of ‘thinking pauses’ in the podcast where the tutor asks the student to stop and think
about a particular point, enables students to reflect on the subject matter being broadcast. The use of
questions placed at the end of the podcast, which students can answer in preparation for the next
taught session, also acts as a means of developing reflective and critical thinking skills (Huann and
Thong, 2006).
Figure 5: Visuals in the podcast
Introduce theory gradually
According to Cebeci and Tekbal (2006), the beginning of the podcast should be longer but less in-
depth. More complex material should then be introduced as the podcast progresses. The podcasts
took a standard format: firstly introducing the topic and content of the material on the podcast;
secondly, briefly explaining the significance of understanding the particular subject matter; thirdly,
moving onto the more complex theoretical material; and finally summarising the key issues.
Use “Chapters” to guide the listener
The podcasts were separated into chapters with visual images and title headings to illustrate the theme
of that particular section (Figure 6).

Figure 6: The Podcast Chapters
The listener can then quickly and easily move between different themes in the podcast. This enables
students to recap on areas that require further clarification without having to listen to the whole
podcast. It also enables the student to reinforce knowledge on the various topics that have been
learnt.
Developing deeper learning experiences
Campbell (2005) recognises that the production of the podcast is probably the most difficult part of
the process. In terms of the audio production, he notes the need for an ‘explaining voice’ to take the
listener through a journey of cognition and metacognition which will enable a deeper learning process
to occur. To enable a deeper learning experience to occur, hyperlinks were embedded within the
chapters to refer students to material that would further enhance their understanding of the subject
matter. For example, when presenting the geographical profile of tourism in Europe, a hyperlink was
made to the website ‘VisitEurope.com’ (www.visiteurope.com) for students to discover more
information about the tourism resources available in this region. Further links can also be made to
articles that refer students to reading materials about the subject matter.
Technical Issues
Audio and Visual Quality
It is important that the nature of the audio broadcast is of sufficient quality so as not to impede the
learning experience of the listener. Therefore background noise must be kept to a minimum.
Podcasts should be recorded in a relatively quiet environment and a good quality microphone/headset
used. In terms of the personalisation of the podcast, it is advisable that the podcasts are produced by
the tutor delivering the module (Cebeci and Tekdal, 2006). Students are more likely to have a closer
relationship with what is being broadcast if they can identify with the person voicing it. Visual
images should be saved in a format (e.g. TIFF - Tagged Image File) that enables picture quality to be
kept to a maximum. There can be a problem when visuals are enlarged and pixel quality therefore
reduced. The editing of the podcast also relies upon the skills of the tutor, but transitions between
speech and visual images should be synchronised to ensure the logical progression of the podcast.
Ensuring copyright
Alexander (2005) expresses concerns about copyright and the need for podcasts to adhere to copyright
law. This is particularly the case for photographic or video images that may be incorporated within an
enhanced podcast. To ensure copyright was conformed to, visual images were taken from the tutors
own lecture material and/or the tourism images website (www.tourismimages.org.uk). The sample
music that begins and ends the podcasts was supplied copyright free with the Garageband software.
Alexander (2005) also recognises issues concerning privacy and podcasting, and whether podcasts
should be restricted to staff and students from within the University that created them. Currently
podcasts can be heard by anyone from across the world that subscribes to them. However, if playing
only through a VLE then the podcasts, to some extent, are password protected.
Technical and training support
If podcasting is to be supported successfully then sufficient IT resources are required (Alexander,
2005). This includes both the necessary equipment and the software to be able to produce and publish
the podcasts. As mentioned earlier, the size of the podcast files, in particular, can be large and if
uploading onto a VLE, this often has to be done using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). In addition, due
to compatibility issues, images embedded within the podcasts could not be made full size on the VLE
screen (see Figure 3). The “chapter” tool is something else which cannot be used within WOLF.
This raises issues about the way in which VLEs need to evolve alongside other technological
innovations. Furthermore, there needs to be sufficient training to support staff in the development of
podcasts (Brown, 2006). A 4-6 minute enhanced podcast can take approximately 2-3 hours to go
through production to subscription phases as per the podcasting process. Staff need to be competent

in each of the different phases of the podcasting process, and this requires the development of both
broadcasting and technical skills.
Conclusion
Podcasting has become a major feature of contemporary society and has emerged as a means for
supporting learning within educational institutions. However, podcasting should not be seen as a
replacement for the contact between the tutor and student. Though enhanced podcasts can offer an
interactive medium for enhancing the student learning experience, it is still only a one-way form of
communication. Amongst the range of educational technologies that exist, podcasting, therefore,
should be viewed as another supplementary channel for supporting student learning. Nevertheless,
with a changing, diverse, increasingly demanding student body that have higher expectations of the
learning experience, using podcasts presents a great opportunity to meet the learning needs of the
iPod™ generation.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the University
of Wolverhampton who have funded the Podagogy project which this research has emanated from.
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