Uses of Podcasting in Adult Extension Education
From Adult Education
Created by Beau Hartline, Fall 2009
Contents |
Introduction
Podcasting, a relatively new technology, is becoming a major venue for educational delivery. In fact, many educational institutions for use in higher education learning are already using it. This can be seen by Duke University giving their entire freshmen class of 1,650 students an iPod to use for podcasting in 2005. The use of podcasting is growing at a phenomenal rate and there is an expected amount of over 56 million people who will receive podcast by 2010 (Murphy, 2008). This technology could hold tremendous value for Extension but is, as of date, not being utilized fully.
Podcasting Defined
A podcast is an audio or video file that is posted on an Internet site to be downloaded to ones computer or mp3 player. The term podcasting is derived from a combination of the words “iPod” (a popular portable media player) and “broadcasting” (“Podcast Production”, 2007).
A podcast is different than other Internet media in that it uses RSS, or Really Simple Syndication. RSS allows information in the form of podcast to be syndicated instantaneously on the Internet. Podcasting software such as iTunes searches the Internet for topics and downloads podcasts whenever there is an update.
Some of the numerous advantages associated with a podcast are that:
- they allow users to access information on demand,
- because they are digital, anyone anywhere can access them off the internet,
- they are relatively simple and user-friendly,
- and podcast production cost are fairly low (Jham, Duraes, Strassler, & Sensi, 2008).
The Need and Benefits of Podcasting in Extension
There are many different problems in traditional methods of delivering information to the public from Extension. Xie and Gu (2007) state six of these potential problems. They are
- 1. Traditional Extension activities involve direct contacts between Extension associates and clients, which require both to be at the same time (e.g., phone conversation) and/or at the same place (e.g., field days, demonstrations, seminars, workshops). Those who cannot attend these activities may lose opportunities to learn.
- 2. Attending Extension activities demands high investments of cost and time on travel for both Extension associates and clients. Moreover, travel and outdoor events can be easily affected by inclement weathers.
- 3. Due to the fact that Extension is an inquiry-based service, Extension associates often need to deal with the same problems repeatedly from different clients. Duplicated presentations and deliveries of the same information may lead to inefficiencies.
- 4. Extension relies on individual associates' expertise. When an Extension associate retires or leaves the position, his or her expertise may become unavailable.
- 5. When dealing with emergency problems, Extension clients do not often have access to "First Aid" instead of direct contact with Extension associates.
- 6. Because direct contact with clientele is inevitable in Extension, the efficacy of Extension can be influenced by "human" factors (e.g., personality and communication skills).
Podcasting has the means to solve all of these problems seen with traditional delivery methods. For example, podcasting would allow learners who might not be able to attend Extension programs to automatically download them off the Internet with the ease of listening/watching at a convenient time. This information on demand side of it is perhaps the greatest benefit of podcasting.
Podcasting would also benefit the Extension agent who normally would have to answer the same question many times. Instead of this, an agent could make a podcast of the issue and only have to discuss it one time.
A benefit for Extension, overall, would be that podcasting could potentially solve the problem of Extension agents not having expertise in all areas. An example of this could be an agent who mainly gives programs over beef cattle production, because that is what 95% of their clientele wants, and has to try and help the one person in the whole county who wants a program over bee-keeping. Assuming that somewhere else in the country, there has already been a bee-keeping podcast program developed, the agent could direct that person to the needed podcast.
Current Users of Podcasting in Extension
As of October 2009, there were at least 13 universities that offered Extension podcast. These podcast range from information about current economics to forestry production. The following universities currently offer Extension podcast.
- Texas A&M University [1]
- University of Nebraska [2]
- Iowa State University [3]
- Mississippi State University [4]
- New Mexico State University [5]
- University of Illinois [6]
- University of California - Riverside [7]
- Utah State University [8]
- North Carolina State University [9]
- Virginia Tech University [10]
- South Dakota State University [11]
- Kansas State University [12]
- West Virginia State University [13]
Summary
Podcasting in Extensions future will continue to gain strength; especially as the younger, tech savvy, generations who already use podcasting technologies, and are familiar with mp3 players, get older and seek services that Extension has to offer.
While there are some Land-Grant Universities that use podcasting, the majority does not as of now. Not only that, but most, if not all, of the podcast come from the state level as opposed to the county level. This leaves an enormous amount of potential for podcasting to grow in usage among Extension. Imagine someday a person pruning their rosebush while watching a program of rosebush pruning on their iPod simultaneously.
External Links
References
Dale, C. (2007). Strategies for using podcasting to support student. Journal of Hosipitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 6(1), Retrieved from http://business.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/johlste/vol6no1/50155.pdf
(2007). Podcast production. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k1967&pageid=icb.page23750
Jham, B., Duraes, G., Strassler, H., & Sensi, L. (2008). Joining the podcast revolution. Journal of Dental Education, 72(3), Retrieved from http://www.jdentaled.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/3/278
Xie, K., & Gu, M. (2007). Advancing cooperative extension with podcast technology . Jounal of Extension, 45(5), Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2007october/tt2p.shtml
Murphy, B. (2008). Podcasting in higher education. IT Now, Retrieved from http://itnow.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/50/3/22
