Ace in the Hole Consulting
PODCASTING IN BUSINESS AND EDUCATION
BISM 2100_06
Spring 2010
Ace in the Hole Consulting
Team 15
Ben Knapp
Devon Swim
Jeremy Janssens
Gregory Hiett
Vicente Gracia
Professor Perry
April 20, 2010
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Table of Contents
Introduction----------------------------------------------------------3
History of Podcasting-----------------------------------------------4
Podcasting Technology---------------------------------------------6
Environmental Issues-----------------------------------------------7
Education-------------------------------------------------------------9
Business-------------------------------------------------------------12
Recommendation--------------------------------------------------15
Work Cited---------------------------------------------------------19
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Podcasting in Business and Education
Introduction
The following report presents Ace in the Hole Consulting’s findings on a relatively recent
technology known commonly as podcasting. This new form of digital media can be quickly and
easily downloaded from the internet and generally consists of either a series of audio clips or
audio/video clips which vary in length from just a few minutes to very large and extensive files.
These media files are usually recorded and then subsequently uploaded to internet data bases or
personal websites so that they can be easily accessed and downloaded by third party viewers. As
the name suggests podcasting was originally aimed at utilizing the boom in handheld mp3
players that companies such as Apple have made into necessity for young adults. The files which
are usually already in the mp3 or similar formats can be easily downloaded from the internet
onto a computer and then uploaded onto any number of portable mp3 players allowing for
mobility of a great variety and quantity of information available through the various podcasting
data bases. By pre-recording information in this digital form, podcasting has allowed information
that generally would only be available through the internet to be transported and viewed portably
on devices already carried by a large segment of the population. This mobility has spurred on the
growth of the podcasting trend and has allowed for the variety of applications that podcasting
now supports.
Some of the most common uses of podcasting are found in the education world which has
adopted podcasting as a useful study tool and is now found in k-12 as well as many universities.
Podcasting allows teachers to easily record their lectures and then post them for easy download
on the internet where students can then access the information and view it at their leisure on their
portable devices. Podcasting not only allows for educators to spread their knowledge through this
portable means but has also allowed for the general spread of knowledge which was previously
tied to the internet, to be mobilized from computers to mp3 players for ease of access. As
previously mentioned podcasts are commonly a series for digital files which allows them to be
viewed as episodes, making the information easily downloaded based on its specific content. By
formatting the podcasts into this episode like style the information is even more portable and
effective as it can be viewed in short busts which can be more easily memorized.
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Although podcasting has been in existence for some time for many it remains an alien
technology. For those outside of the education world where podcasting has undoubtedly taken
its largest foothold the technology may not seem as relevant. However in the last few years
podcasting has taken a foothold in thousands of other categories from sports to the business
world. Much in the same style as the blogging trend has developed from an original niche
category, podcasting has grown from its roots to encompass nearly any type of video or audio
currently found on the internet and has subsequently opened a flood gate of information which
was previously tied to computer databases or lengthy print outs. While podcasting has
undoubtedly had a great impact on many fields it is still most widely embraced by educators,
with its popularity in business applications quickly catching up. Many of the great Ivy League
schools now make classroom lectures available online in the form of podcasts and most are free
to use. In fact the majority of podcasts are still currently free to download and use unlike the
many forms of digital media online that have been restrained by copyright and distribution laws.
Many businesses are now adopting podcasting as a popular and cheap way to distribute
client reviews and offer descriptions of their services or previous accomplishments. While
podcasting will probably not be free forever the current lack of restrictions on the media has
helped podcasting become a popular alternative to online research and for some an alternative to
more classical studying methods. Like many new computer technologies podcasting and its uses
are expanding on a daily basis, while its uses in the upcoming decade will probably far exceed its
current abilities podcastings growing popularity is already firmly established in many online
niche categories and is well established in many of the world’s top universities. We will now
more closely examine the technical aspects of podcasting and its possible uses and benefits in
both the education and business communities.
History of Podcasting
According to most records podcasting was born on August 13, 2004 when Adam Curry
used a specification of RSS format, created by Dave Winer, to include larger audio files as
attachments to already existent blogs (www.jigsaweducation.com). Blogs are online journals in
which people write whatever they want about any topic that interests them. These online blogs
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offer people the opportunity to discuss issues in a casual format, serving the purpose of a chat
group and discussion board. This ability to express one’s self freely to a large and diverse
audience became very popular at the dawn of the internet and quickly developed to include
multimedia as well as text. As previously stated podcasting was born from this new ability to add
audio, and eventually video files to an RSS feed giving birth to “audio blogging” (Orden). In
reality the audio blogging movement was also a byproduct of faster connection speeds which
allowed for much larger files to be transferred.
However a flaw in the audio blogging movement quickly arose. It became difficult to
manage the great quantity of new and old blogs being uploaded to internet databases. In
response to this issue program was created, commonly known as a “podcatcher”, to manage the
great quantity of these files on the existing blogs (www.jigsaweducation.com). The program uses
what is known as “enclosure” to automatically direct updated audio files directly to a location on
your computer and eventual to your portable mp3 device (Orden). These programs would
quickly scan for new blogs and then automatically download them to your computer in a
specified location, greatly increasing the usability and practicality of what was now known as
podcasting.
Naturally, podcasting would not be possible without the internet and mp3 players, and in
many ways it was just a matter of time and ingenuity before blog type material moved from one
format to the other. While podcasting may have grown from personal blogs it took little time for
it to move on to encompass much of the beneficial information we take for granted on the
internet. Since almost everybody has a computer at home and access to the internet it has become
possible for podcasts on an innumerable amount of information to be accessed worldwide at
nearly no cost. Users can surf a number of websites and get podcasts quickly and for little or no
cost.
Today most people who use podcasts do so with great ease and little thought as to how
this small group of bloggers helped to develop and improve the original techniques which would
eventually fuel the podcasting revolution. With podcasting data bases ranging in material from
blog style chat to world economy it is a technology growing up quickly. Computer giant Apple
now helps millions connect with countless hours of podcasts through their popular ITunes
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software and a simple search of podcast through any of the reputable search engines will produce
hundreds of small podcasting databases available to the public.
PODCASTING TECHNOLOGY
The act of making and listening to podcasts requires various technologies and equipment.
The two most important pieces of equipment necessary to have in order to make a podcast are a
computer and a microphone (peachpit.com). Podcasts can be made on any type of computer,
Mac or PC. Without having a microphone a podcast cannot be produced because there will be
nothing to record the person’s voice. There is also equipment available that can help clarify
what people are recording, similar to what record producers use, called a pop filter. Another
method would be to simply stretch a piece of pantyhose over the microphone, and it is much less
expensive (peachpit.com). The majority of microphones and headphones used for podcasting
cannot be plugged directly into the computer, and a separate power source is necessary in order
to provide them with power. Microphones must instead be connected to a device called a
preamp, which acts as a control device and transfers the sound from the microphone into the
computer.
Another form of hardware that can be used, but is not necessary, when producing a
podcast is a digital recorder. While most computers have a built in digital recorder, having a
powerful digital recorder can make podcasting much easier. A digital recorder allows for a
person to record their podcast anywhere they want. This portability is ideal to many people who
are serious about podcasting because it is not necessary to be sitting in front of a computer in
order for the recording to happen, so they can produce the podcast at events or any location they
choose. This technique is especially useful in the education fields where a professor may pre-
record a lecture on a commute or in a variety of other off site situations and still give the class a
professional lecture regardless of his or her personal location.
In order for a person to publish their podcast certain types of software are needed. One
piece of software that can be used is a program that creates a Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed. An
RSS feed allows for a person or company to easily publish their podcast to the web, and helps in
the updating process (whatisrss.com). To make podcast recording easier, audio recording
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software is also available. With audio recording software, like RecordForAll and Mixcraft, it is
easier to record and then edit a podcast so that the podcaster is sure of what is being put out on
the web serving as a type of quality assurance process.
When it comes time to listen to podcasts a few different methods are available. It is
necessary, when trying to download a podcast, to have podcast reading software installed on a
computer. Software like ITunes or Juice Podcast Receiver can be downloaded off of the internet
at little or no cost (naxos.com). After downloading a podcast it can be listened to using the
computer speakers or through the use of other portable playback devices. One of the most
popular, and original devices used to listen to a podcast is an IPod, hence the name “podcast”,
which is compatible with ITunes. However in order to get the podcast onto an IPod, or other
mp3 device, the podcast must be downloaded first (podcasting.about.com).
It is also possible to stream podcasts directly from websites, but those have to be listened
to on the spot because they cannot always be saved. Another way to listen to podcast is to use
online directories. Directories help users categorizing and searching for podcasts. If a person
does not know what exactly type of podcast they want to listen to, they can use the directory to
search through a wide variety of material. Directories also provide a place for people to post
their podcasts for others to listen to. Some of the available directories include Mediafly,
Podcast.com, and Podcast Pickle.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
One of the biggest issues facing the world is what to do with all of the trash. In the
United States a large percentage of our waste is put into landfills. Of the trash that accumulates
in these American landfills electronic waste makes up the largest percentage (buzzle.com).
Technology advances so rapidly that before a piece of equipment just purchased is brought home
it is almost already outdated. When people decide to upgrade their equipment the old monitor,
hard drive, or IPod is thrown into the garbage and from there it is taken to the local dump.
Because the majority of these materials are not biodegradable they just sit in the landfills and the
toxic waste inside them eventually pollutes the ground. Even at recycling centers they do not
always break down the materials, instead they ship them to other countries, mostly third world,
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and there the materials are dismantled and burned, which emits toxic fumes into the air
(buzzle.com).
Another problem that the surge in technology may be causing is the personal disconnect
people are moving towards. Many companies have moved to more electronic systems. This
change has a wide scope of effects because now people are using podcasts to help train new
employees. By not having a person training a new employee, and instead using podcasts, a new
culture of disconnect is possibly being created. The person to person interaction that many
people have is what fuels their compassion for mankind, and if this detachment becomes a
permanent state of mind for people what will be the reason for them to try and stop polluting,
and take a more active role in preserving the environment? If people no longer care about others
and become so centered on technology, there will be no reason for them to care about whether
the grass is growing, or to appreciate the beauty of a flower blooming.
Almost four billion trees are cut down a year worldwide in order to manufacture the
amount of paper necessary. In the United States the average person uses almost 749 pounds of
paper annually (Martin). This massive amount of paper usage is slowly eating away at the
environment. Trees help to slow soil erosion down, and without the amount of oxygen they
produce through photosynthesis humans would not be able to breathe. The invention of
podcasting can help quell this problem by allowing companies and people to use podcasts instead
of newsletters or other print media to spread their ideas. This might be unintentional but it is still
beneficial to both corporations as well as the environment. Because the byproduct of switching
from paper to podcasting naturally drops the consumption of paper companies stand to save
thousands if not millions of dollars annually depending on their size. This benefit affects both
businesses and Universities at a time when the economy is recession. Classically Universities
have had to devote a large portion of their budget to paper goods as a product of the educational
spectrum. Podcasting could allow Universities to save through reduction of paper instead of the
current scheme of cutting courses and professors in times of financial need. For businesses the
effects of switching to podcasting and its inherent reduction in paper usage translates into less
cost of operation which as we know translates into an increase profit when well managed. If
more outlets integrate podcasting into their repertoire instead of always relying on paper, it could
cut down immensely on the amount of trees that are cut down as well as supplying financial
incentive to do so, all leading to a large positive impact on the environment.
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Education
Although the use of podcasting in education is a relatively new idea in the spectrum of
education it is possibly one of the most successful. Its use in education has many supporters who
are attempting to implement it more thoroughly into educating our young people. Like any
change in something as sensitive as education there are also many people who do not like the
idea of using podcasts as an educational tool. However for the most part podcasting is viewed as
an intriguing innovation that’s uses deserves to be examined as a valuable tool the education
community.
If we go back to the basics, we recall that a podcast is simply a media file that is either
audio or visual and can be downloaded and played at free will. Recently, many educators have
put podcasts to use in their teaching plans (apple.com). This technology enables students to go
back after lectures have been given to re-listen to key points over again. Podcasting has already
been implemented in many of our counties top rated schools as both a supplemental and single
source of many types of educational material. It has proven to be a great way to re-emphasize
what the educator wants the student to take from classes, as well a means for students to follow
professors of interest and supplement their curiosities with information not offered at their
current school (Stager). Apple computers now offers students free access to thousands of hours
of lecture podcasts from any number of highly accredited schools though its ITunesU
programming (apple.com). This program which is now integrated into the incredibly successful
ITunes store, and can be accessed though any ITunes account or directly from some of the latest
portable devices which now commonly receive mobile internet. While podcasting is a great tool,
many warn that we must be careful not to let it become the only thing education students.
One of the biggest concerns people carry concerning podcasting in education is the
attendance of students (Brooks). Many feel that since students will have access to lectures and
other class material anytime they want that it will cause them not to go to class. At first glance,
this argument seems to be fairly valid. Studies have been run on the attendance of classes with
podcasts available and those without podcasts available. The majority of these studies find little
difference in the attendance rates, certainly not enough to strictly say that podcasting is the direct
cause of the differences in attendance (Kucsera). In University settings podcasting could
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arguably allow students to skip class and receive a decent grade however in reality this would
depend largely on your professor and their own demands. In the K-12 fields where attendance is
mandatory without parental or physician authorization most would assume that podcasting would
have less impact on the attendance as it would clearly be punishable by the administration. Most
agree that more studies should be conducted on this issue to get a definite answer as to whether
or not podcasts affect the attendance of students but currently there seems to be no call for alarm.
Podcasting has the ability to motivate and encourage students to get more involved in
their classroom discussions. When podcasts are successfully used in conjunction with classroom
activities, it could help students engage more in the material and develop a deeper learning than a
classical lecture alone (www.shambles.net). For the many students that do not participate heavily
in the lectures provided by their teachers podcasting would likely have a lesser effect as it
requires students to take time to download the material and then utilize it. For the students who
already are engaged in their educational process podcasting holds the promise of allowing a
much greater scope of material to be easily available than in years past. The fact that some
students are utilizing podcasting outside of class to learn and understand a great variety of
material could greatly increase their motivation to do well. This increase in motivation and
access to educational material alone is enough to increase the amount students learn and take
from the class, as well as influence their overall grades. Regardless of the student type when well
utilized the podcasting technology could help students have a better knowledge of what is going
on in class and help many retain their acquired knowledge (www.shambles.net).
In today’s world, online classes are growing at a swift rate and offer yet another use for
podcasting technologies. Podcasting could do a wonder of good in an online class where there is
a greater separation between student and professor. Since the students never get to hear lectures
or have normal class discussions, students could utilize podcasts from their instructors on their
own time to keep up with class. This style of supplementary podcasting is generally supported
even by those who are opposed to the use of podcasts in the traditional classroom setting (Kishi).
Supplementing online classes with podcasts from a professor or discussion from other students
has proven to be very convenient to the users because of their ability to download them and
listen to them whenever or wherever you want to (Campbell). Podcastings uses in the
increasingly popular online classes will certainly help to insure that the students who choose to
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take these courses get the same quality education that those taking traditional classes get. With
the growing movement towards online education, podcasting promises to be a useful technology
allowing for an increase in the spectrum of education and information available to students of all
types. For the millions seeking a second degree or those involved in a nontraditional education
path podcasting ensures the availability of high quality education to all those without the time or
means to access traditional classes.
One highly successful method beginning to be used by many educators is to have
students work together to create podcasts for group projects (Campbell). This technique has
proved to be a great way to get students engaged in the material and to “re-learn” the information
over again as they attempt to develop a podcast over their course material. Student podcasting
also gives the students a chance to attempt to teach the material to other students which is a
technique that has been used quite often in current speech and communication classes often
required by Universities. Generally, students doing this type of podcasting would have to give a
presentation to the other students in a classroom environment, but with making the podcasts
other students would be able to listen to it whenever they wished or as a study aid for exams
(Campbell). Using podcasting creation as an assignment also allows for students to become
engaged in current technologies many of which students would have no other reason to explore
or master. Many of these techniques could serve as job skills outside of the education realm as
businesses consistently look for technologically skilled employees. While this idea of students
creating podcasts is relatively new idea even to podcastings history it continues to show the
diversity and worth of this emerging technology as an adaptable multifaceted tool to educators.
Finally we must look at podcastings incredible ability to adapt to different peoples
learning patterns. While there are a number of different ways that people learn there is a large
segment of people that are audio/visual learners and may have a difficult time grasping
information in the typical classroom setting (www.shambles.net). Podcasting could potentially
prove to be a wonderful tool for people who fit into these broad categories. It could give these
students a chance to listen to the material over and over as many times as necessary in order to
learn the material. For someone who has a difficult time paying attention or listening to some of
the long dry lectures podcasting offers the ability to go at one’s own pace and learn the material
audibly or visually depending on their needs. Podcasting has also proven to serve as a unique
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study tool allowing students to review a missed lecture or study for an exam using the actual
lecture audio (apple.com). The ability for these podcasts to be formatted to portable mp3 players
has also come to allow students to listen to material while in a car on a commute or while
multitasking.
While podcastings uses in the world of education are still at their beginnings they show
promise of becoming one of the most malleable and useful technologies to have entered the
classroom in some time. Like in podcastings other uses it is hard to say what it will look like in a
decade or even five years but at the current rate of expansion and the level of creativity going
into podcasting its uses will no doubt blossom in the next generation of students. As podcasting
grows it will certainly acquire an opposition much like the original concerns of class room
attendance, however the technology is so promising and diverse that creative solutions will no
doubt quell most of the opposition given enough of a chance.
Business
Over the past few decades, the way that business is conducted in our world has
drastically changed. Obviously, new advancements in technology are a direct correlation to this.
The general manner in which business is performed is relatively the same, but there are far more
outlets and ways to receive information and stay in touch with what is going on in today’s
business world. With the development of the internet, business deals could be constructed and
finalized with a matter of a few clicks of a mouse. Information can now be sent instantaneously
through email, fax or instant message. That being said the development of the podcast has
without a doubt modernized the way today’s business is handled. According to
www.wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn, a podcast is a “distribute (multimedia files) over
the internet for playback on a mobile device or a personal computer.” This technology has
revolutionized the way information has been sent and received. Instead of a company having to
bring in someone to each branch to give a tutorial on a new product for example, a podcast can
now be sent out to each employee, which in turn would save time and money. However this is
just one of the many positive aspects of using podcasts within your business.
Surprisingly enough, the use of podcasts did not catch on in the business world right
away. It was several years before companies truly took advantage of the many uses of podcasts.
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In the modern day businesses have had to adapt to the changes of technology in order to stay
relevant. Most companies looked at social networking sites as a waste of time and an overall
distraction to their employees. However, many of these same companies have decided to use
these sites to their advertising advantage (www.startupbizcast.com). These sites as well as
podcasts have changed the way business is conducted and information is spread. With the
embrace of these multimedia outlets businesses are encountering free advertising at a rate
previously unimaginable. Word of mouth as always been one of the best ways to gain attention
to a new business and companies are always looking for catchy marketing to draw people in.
Podcasting is able to solve several of these dilemmas by combining existing internet multimedia
with their own prerecorded offerings which could include anything from product information to
company accomplishments.
One of the largest advantages to using podcasts in your business is the fact that it is
completely mobile. For example, if a company was to train its employees on a new product and
after the fact they realized that there was an error in the information that they provided, they
could send out a podcast to right the situation. Previously this type of error would require a
company to resend expensive packets of information through the mail or through the internet
where they would probably end up being printed. With the advent of podcasts this information
can now be sent to your email, mobile device, or and viewed on the spot. Thousands of dollars
have been wasted in the past bringing in specialists to do instructional seminars to meet with
each individual branch when a podcast could have been distributed in matter of seconds
(www.smbtrendwire.com). The advent of podcasting also promises to further reduce the amount
of paper waste which can burden a company for thousands of dollar annually, as well as lessen
the impact of paper waste on the environment. Through this reduction of resources and waste
podcasting clearly has the potential to increase profitability and the speed at which business is
conducted, while reducing waste and pollution. In this way businesses stand to save a large
amount of time and resources with the adoption and intelligent use of podcasts to distribute
information.
Podcasts have not only revolutionized how business is conducted within a company, but
podcasting sites have also sprouted up all over the internet. The new site
http://www.startupbizcast.com/ specializes in providing advice for small businesses.
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Respectable economists provide insight on different aspects of today’s business world. For
example, on May 7th, 2009, David Marks launched a podcast titled New Tech for “Old” Jobs that
basically offered some insider information for old technicians seeking employment in a
constantly changing market. Also, on April 1st of 2009, Ryan Thompson provided some of his
knowledge in a podcast entitled “Tax Time in the US.” These podcasts not only help the general
public with issues they may be having with their own small business, but they also provide
insight to the large corporations on how the small business owner is doing in comparison to
themselves. In these times of economic instability this type of cheap accessible information can
be incredibly valuable to a large or small business seeking alternatives to their own issues. Along
with providing businesses with crucial information and changes in the business world these types
of informative podcasts prove to be extremely valuable to those seeking to start their own
company. These podcasts provide a candid look into some of America’s top business minds and
corporations and can give a helping hand to other businesses and future owners.
Contrary to what some believe, new websites are not the only ones cashing in on the
podcast phenomenon. The very well known cbsnews.com also has a page dedicated entirely to
podcasts providing information about today’s business world. “Mortgage Mess,” “Information
Technology” and “Fiscal Crisis” are a few of the names of the episodes. This data is imperative
for any person attempting to stay connected with the business world. This valuable information
does not just stop in the United States. A global perspective is also necessary. Technomic Asia,
also known as http://www.technomicasia.com/blog/, provides viewers with valid facts about the
economy and business trends in Asia. Since their economy is one of the leading ones in the
world, this podcast website is very beneficial. While these sites are just a glimpse at the diversity
of these types of databases available they show the incredible range of business information
available to anyone with the internet. The growing connection to the global markets will
certainly prove to be an invaluable resource to business men and women worldwide as the world
of economics becomes increasingly linked via the internet.
While these uses of podcasts are clearly just the tip of the possible range and scope of
business podcasting the technology has already revolutionized the way that the entire world
conducts business. Podcasting has already proven to be one of the only new technologies that
with virtually no additional financial input can potentially expand a company while at the same
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time reducing its expenses and waste. Whether it is saving a corporation thousands of dollars and
resources by not having to provide hands on training to their employees or providing the small
business owner with the proper insight to better his chances of success, podcasts have made the
hectic process of “doing business” a bit easier.
Recommendation
After our thorough analysis and review of podcasting and its impact on the fields of
education and business Ace in the Hole Consulting has reach our conclusion. Given the wide
variety of uses currently available for podcasting and its great success and growing popularity in
both the business and education fields, Ace in the Hole Consulting strongly recommends the
adoption of podcasting as a useful resource in either field. While this is still a relatively new
technology podcasting has already revolutionized the ability for large quantities of information to
be transported and viewed separate of the restraints of the internet. At the current rate of
development podcasting will undoubtedly become a strong ally of both the educational and
commercial fields in years to come with its availability and uses expanding nearly daily.
During our research we discovered countless uses of podcasting in the educational world.
Some of the most promising uses of podcasting involve its links to other technologies and its
ability to be tied into a wide variety teaching methods. With the ability to download classroom
podcasts from a number of online resources straight to your mobile device, the capacity to
supplement ones education has never been easier. This ability to share educational material
across University systems and state lines allows students to advance their education with
podcasts from courses their school does not have or follow renowned professors from afar
(apple.com/education/podcasting/profiles). The use of podcasting as a study tool cannot be
overlooked either. With the ability to rehear a lecture while traveling or multitasking streamlines
the process of studying for exams and relieves the chances of missing something in notes or
simply making an error (Campbell). Podcasting can also be linked to video feeds so that a visual
as well as audio feed can be used to follow along with any charts or diagrams the teacher my
choose to apply to the material. As previously mentioned the practicality of viewing both the
audio and video of a classroom lecture has great implications for those who are visual learners
and those with a wide variety of learning difficulties. In many of the high stress college courses
these types of audio/video files can help students succeed even in the most challenging of
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courses. This use of podcasting not only allows for the increase in learning but also the increase
in GPA which benefits both the college and the student.
Podcastings use as an assignment in courses also holds significance to educating the
youth. In a world increasingly tied to technology student’s benefit from being exposed to new
technologies and the abilities of many of today’s educational resources. This exposure to
technology is beneficial to students seeking the most out of their education as well as students
looking to acquire useful skills for the work place. This integration of technology in the
classroom is clearly growing more popular and is the wave of the future in education. Adopting
these technologies now will certainly put students ahead of the curve and give them an advantage
over their peers when in the workplace or in higher education.
While we were able to review many of the uses of podcasting in the education world new
and ever more creative applications are appearing daily. The flexibility of the technology and its
potential uses are currently in their infancy. Integrating these podcasting technologies into the
educational systems now would undoubtedly set any school ahead of the curve and allow them to
become a potential leader in what will certainly become one of the most promising movements
in the increasing push to integrate technology into the classroom.
The educational uses of podcasting are merely a segment of podcastings potential uses.
The business theater has nearly unlimited uses for podcasting technologies. Currently podcasting
is used in many corporations as an addition to their online resources as it allows businesses to
stream product reviews, customer experiences and any number of other supporting digital media
to mobile devices or distant computers instantly. This ability to share product information and
customer reviews helps business to address the issues of credibility and visibility that is a major
concern in today’s highly competitive e-commerce age. Marketing has always been a major
difference between successful and unsuccessful businesses and those able to harness the latest
technologies are often able to secure a large section of market share. In these highly competitive
days utilizing the latest technologies can be the difference between success and failure and
podcasting currently represents a leap forward in the possibilities of marketing.
One of podcastings most promising offerings to the expansion of both education and
business is its reduction of pollutants which commonly increase with increases in information
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circulation. Unlike the traditional methods in the educational world, podcasting reduces the use
of paper products as it allows the share of information through people’s already owned mp3
players and the internet without producing more waste. Especially with the large budget cuts
currently plaguing the state educational programs getting into the podcasting trend before it
become restrained by copyright and digital replication laws could save millions to large
institutions whose paper usage increases with each additional class offered (Martin). In the
business world podcasts can reduce paper product consumption in a similar manner by
streamlining the amount of office memo type material which must change hands. Podcasting
already has replaced much of the training materials and packets previously used by businesses to
educate new employees and because of the ability for the mp3 players to store the data
indefinitely unlike the paper products that often are hard to keep in good condition. Also the
ability to download all these files from the internet removes the need for the long mailing lists
which companies classically used to spread supporting materials to clients and other business
partners. In fact the businesses can easily configure their existing websites to transfer podcasts
directly to potential customers who may then review the information at will from their portable
devices. While many technologies can reduce environmental issues most require additional funds
to implement. Podcasting offers a unique opportunity for businesses and educators to reduce
pollution and waste production while at the same time reducing expenses.
One of the most important reasons to adopt podcasting technologies now it that while this
technology is currently free to use and share it will undoubtedly not remain this way for ever.
With this in mind it would be wise to adopt the technology soon and optimize its uses before it
becomes burdened with the copyright clauses that will undoubtedly restrict its applications.
Currently however the technology is open to all reasonable uses and will undoubtedly expand a
great deal before it is restricted by legal formalities. Becoming a player in the podcasting world
early could ensure its uses as free software for enhancing your business of educational purposes
without increasing expenses.
Now that we have reviewed the possible uses of podcasting in improving your business
or educational work, you can see the possible benefits of including podcasting in your daily
routine. While podcasting remains a new technology its uses are increasing daily and ensure its
significance to the future of both the education and corporate fields. Whether you are trying to
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Ace in the Hole Consulting
improve your study skills or accessibility to your student’s, podcasting promises to revolutionize
the ways that people access information in the coming years and will undoubtedly change the
face of education in the coming generations. If you are instead looking to cut costs at your
business by reducing office waste or more effectively train employees, podcastings niche in the
business world is offers strong signs of becoming a major player in the global workplace. Given
our extensive research into podcasting and its potential uses, Ace in the Hole Consulting strongly
recommends becoming involved in the podcasting movement early and taking advantage of one
of the few useful and so far nearly free, software’s in existence. Regardless of your background
or interests, podcastings diversity and flexibility are an invaluable tool for your business or
education and will no doubt become a part of our daily lives in the coming years. Thank you for
your time and consideration.
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Ace in the Hole Consulting
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