Instructional Technology Conference 2008

Title: Factors Influencing the Development of Enhanced Podcasts: A Faculty Member's Perspective

Name: Dr. Joey E. Mehlhorn, Dr. Timothy N. Burcham, Dr. Philip Smartt & Dr. Richard Joost

Audience Level: All

Audience: Faculty and IT personnel

Length:

Abstract:
Enhanced podcasts can be an effective way to convey information to students in both traditional and distance education courses. They can be used to enhance in-class instruction or as stand-alone distance education materials. Three methods of developing enhanced podcasts were compared among agribusiness, agricultural engineering, and plant science traditional and distance education courses. Faculty opportunity cost for development was the major factor influencing technology adoption.

Description:
The use of enhanced podcasts to convey information to students in the classroom and at a distance is not new to higher education. Creating a curriculum for students at a distance requires planning in order to minimize faculty opportunity cost (faculty time, hardware/software costs, etc.). The primary goal of this research is to determine the most cost effective methods for developing and delivering enhanced podcasts for both traditional and online (distance) courses.

Three different software/hardware platforms for creating enhanced podcasts are being evaluated. These include: (1) screen capture utilities (Camtasia Studio for Microsoft Windows-based computers and iShowU for Apple Macintosh computers); (2) Adobe Presenter (a server-based PowerPoint audio annotation system), and (3) Apple's iLife 08 and iWork 08 software running on Intel-based Macintosh computers. Each method ultimately produces an enhanced podcast that can be stored and viewed via the Internet.

Screen capture programs such as Camtasia Studio (Windows XP/Vista OS) and iShowU (Apple OS X) allow the user to capture whatever is displayed on the computer screen (websites, software programs, etc.) while recording the instructor's voice. These packages provide excellent versatility for instructors whose teaching programs include software such as SAS, AutoCAD, SPSS, etc. These programs are particularly effective for mathematically intensive courses.

Adobe Presenter is a turnkey system for adding voice annotation to PowerPoint slides. This software/hardware system includes a plug-in for the user's PowerPoint application that allows voice annotation to be easily added to the slides. It also allows audio editing of a single slide, making it much easier to update a presentation. This method is effective for lecture-oriented courses based primarily on PowerPoint slides.

The Apple iWork 08 series includes a presentation package called Keynote. This powerful presentation software allows audio annotation of slides. It exports the presentation (including audio) to standard Apple Movie file formats (*.mov). This program does not provide random-access audio editing (audio editing of a single slide as can be accomplished with Adobe Presenter), but is easy to use and requires minimal faculty training.

Apple's iLife 08 suite of programs provides a host of multimedia capabilities. The iMovie application is used to develop short video clips of the professor. These clips are then posted to the course management system (Blackboard) or iTunesU for student access. This capability provides a more personable form of communication with students taking online courses.

Inexpensive screen capture software such as Camtasia Studio and iShowU allows faculty to share anecdotal information in an intuitive manner - with their voice! Whether they are reflecting on a PowerPoint slide or demonstrating "functions"; in Microsoft Excel, the ability to add one's voice to a presentation is critical for faculty adoption of enhanced podcasts in higher education. These tools create a "digital teaching and learning paradigm"; that has the ability to extend the boundaries of our customary "brick and mortar"; teaching environments.

Session Type: (1) Lecture/Presentation or (2) Panel Discussion

Contact information/affiliation:
Dr. Joey E. Mehlhorn
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm Hall 265
Martin, TN 38238
(p)731.881.7257 (f) 731.881.7968
mehlhorn@utm.edu

Dr. Timothy N. Burcham
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm Hall 254
Martin, TN 38238
(p)731.881.7275 (f) 731.881.7968
tburcham@utm.edu

Dr. Philip Smartt
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm Hall 261
Martin, TN 38238
(p) 731.881.7954 (f) 731.881.7968
psmartt@utm.edu

Dr. Richard Joost
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm Hall 269
Martin, TN 38238
(p)731.881.7196 (f) 731.881.7968
rjoost@utm.edu

Equipment: Projector (preferably high resolution unit with a DVI input and capability for 16:9 output), Internet connection, and Audio Speakers

---

Return to Proposals