Podcasts in higher education

Technology is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life. Some technologies traditionally used for entertainment are now becoming the center of focus in academic circles. One such technology is the podcast, an audio file that is typically free and consists of individuals speaking on different topics. Podcasts have had a variety of uses in higher education (McGarr 2009). One use is to have professors record their lectures and distribute them later to students (Fernandez, Simo et al. 2009). Another is to have students create podcasts for class for the purpose of creating knowledge (Lee, McLoughlin et al. 2008). Finally, podcasts can be used to supplement weekly reading materials (Edirsingha, Rizzi et al. 2007). Because of the novelty of this technology and its increasing usefulness as a teaching tool, three websites were created: One that would evaluate professors' knowledge of podcasts, one that would evaluate podcasts as study tools, and one that would provide information on podcasts including ways to use them, where to find them, and how to create them.