ARTZILLA

by Jessica Grant

Ben Lutkevich, Technical Writer describes podcasting in Tech Target as:

What is podcasting?

Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS feeds to the computers of subscribed users. These files may then be uploaded to streaming services, which users can listen to on their smartphones or digital music and multimedia players, like an iPod. A podcast can easily be created from a digital audio file.

In addition to RSS, podcasts may be hosted on or embedded in websites that enable the podcast to be streamed or downloaded.

Podcasts are typically available as a series of prerecorded talk-radio shows that users can download to their computers or mobile devices. Podcasters often publish episodes on a regular schedule.

There is no prescribed format, length or style for a podcast. They may cover a range of subject areas, but an episode often focuses on one topic or story. Some podcasters read from a script, while others improvise.

The cultural milieu supporting podcasting is sometimes referred to as the podosphere, in the same way the cultural environment of blogging is called the blogosphere. (Lutkevich, B. 2002)

What is a blog?

According to wikipedia, the definition of a blog is:

A blog (a truncation of “weblog“)^[1] is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. Until 2009, blogs were usually the work of a single individual,^{[citation needed]} occasionally of a small group, and often covered a single subject or topic. In the 2010s, “multi-author blogs” (MABs) emerged, featuring the writing of multiple authors and sometimes professionally edited. MABs from newspapers, other media outlets, universities, think tanks, advocacy groups, and similar institutions account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic. The rise of Twitter and other “microblogging” systems helps integrate MABs and single-author blogs into the news media. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. (Blog, 2002)

What is their Use in Education?

We are aware that student engagement is crucial in an online learning environment. Both podcasts and blogging facilitate student engagement whether it is student or instructor podcasts or blogging but for the purpose of this blog I’ve defined writing about student podcasting and blogging in distance education/online learning.

In the defining stage, according to (Bates and Poole, 2003) it’s important to determine what you want students to learn, and how to be more effective in delivering this.

1. I’ve taken an online course that I was enrolled in and analyzed podcasting versus blogging.
2. The learning goal for the course was: Interactive learning was implemented. Social media, networking implementation.
3. The 2 applications I chose to compare were: http.elgg.org + www.blogger.com

Assessment

In assessing the 2 applications I applied SECTIONS (Bates and Poole, 2003) and went through the checklist:

The full SECTIONS assessment can be found here.

Final Recommendation

Once I compared the data I determined for my course that Blogging for students would be best suited.

My rationale for recommending this technology type is: In doing the SECTIONS assessment it became clear that blogging is a better choice for the following reasons:

1. Blogging is more interactive and allows more of an environment for social interaction and collaboration versus podcasting, which is a broadcasting media.
2. Blogging has been used in distance education for 20 years, versus podcasting being used in DE for 12 years. 
3. Blogging is better for on-to-go students, which I have identified in my course, and easier to update from mobile devices.
4. Blogging creates an educational portfolio as well as social networking for students, an educational tool for students, a learning reflection, and connection to peers and instructors/professors and colleagues. 
5. Blogging is user-intuitive, time-strapped students don’t have to spend a lot of valuable time learning to use the application, it provides a transferable skill that they can take forward with them after they complete their studies and use in their careers.
6. There are no costs associated with blogging unless user decides to purchase domain name, however free hosting plans available. Podcasting associated with some fees, such as external microphone. 

The Application Type that I’m recommending is:

www.elgg.com

My rationale for recommending this application is:

1. Supported by the University
2. More conducive to relevant connections, contacts for peer networking, collaboration and learning environment
3. Privacy agreement 
4. elgg.com is reputable and used as social networking platform in education since 1995.
5. Course specific groups and networks available. Supports open education.

References

Bates,A.W.; and Poole,G. (2003). Assessing Technology. Using the Sections Tool. Retrieved from on December 11, 2022: https://wiki.ubc.ca/images/1/19/SECTIONS_Framework.pdf

Blog.(November 1, 2022). Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from on December 11, 2022: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Lutkevich, B. (2022). podcasting. Tech Target. Unified Communications. Retrieved from on December 11, 2022: https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/podcasting