2008 Woodie Awards
Course casting available but rarely used technology at SJU
Lauren Weber '09
Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News
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The technology of course casting has recently become popular in many colleges and universities, including Drexel, Stanford, Duke, and American University. Course casting allows students to download and listen to or watch professors' lectures on their iPods or computers. Some professors even add supplemental material, such as guest speakers or musical introductions, to their recordings. Is this new technology going to hit St. Joe's campus any time soon?
Well, apparently it already has, although there are still many professors and students on campus who do not know exactly what course casting is. St. Joe's Instructional Technology and Distributed Learning center has the ability and equipment to set up course casting, also referred to as Podcasting, for any professors who want to make use of it, but few have expressed interest so far.
ITDL sent out a description of the new services in a faculty newsletter, explaining the technology and process. Course casting can be used for video or audio files, which ITDL has the ability to post on Blackboard for students to download onto their computers or iPods so they can catch missed lectures, review for tests, or access materials that previously would have been delivered by audiocassettes.
This new technology presents numerous possibilities, and some professors seem open to the idea after hearing about it. William Murphy says, "This sounds like a fascinating option that I would definitely consider using. I am willing to try anything that helps students-as long as it did not mean they were skipping classes." One major concern of colleges and universities who are already making use of course casting is how it will affect attendance. Some colleges have worried about a decrease in attendance for large introductory lecture courses, but if courses continue to have attendance policies, as many at St. Joe's do, students could not use this as an alternative to attending class without consequences.
St. Joe's students from a variety of majors seem to be interested in course casting and are hopeful that professors will choose to use it. As Ryan Byrnes, '09, states, "I think it would be great for those teachers I have who talk fast or cover a lot of material in a class. With course casting I would be able to go back and see what I missed. It would also be helpful with studying."
Course casting definitely does offer new options for reviewing material. Along with reading through notes, students could listen on their iPods or even watch lectures again. Students learn and study in diverse ways, so one more option could be very beneficial. One St. Joe's professor who has actually already used course casting, Manfred Straehle, claims, "I believe it works for the majority of my students. If a student does not understand a concept I lectured about in class, they can log onto Blackboard and read notes or watch the lecture. I think these tools maximize their learning experiences."
Well, apparently it already has, although there are still many professors and students on campus who do not know exactly what course casting is. St. Joe's Instructional Technology and Distributed Learning center has the ability and equipment to set up course casting, also referred to as Podcasting, for any professors who want to make use of it, but few have expressed interest so far.
ITDL sent out a description of the new services in a faculty newsletter, explaining the technology and process. Course casting can be used for video or audio files, which ITDL has the ability to post on Blackboard for students to download onto their computers or iPods so they can catch missed lectures, review for tests, or access materials that previously would have been delivered by audiocassettes.
This new technology presents numerous possibilities, and some professors seem open to the idea after hearing about it. William Murphy says, "This sounds like a fascinating option that I would definitely consider using. I am willing to try anything that helps students-as long as it did not mean they were skipping classes." One major concern of colleges and universities who are already making use of course casting is how it will affect attendance. Some colleges have worried about a decrease in attendance for large introductory lecture courses, but if courses continue to have attendance policies, as many at St. Joe's do, students could not use this as an alternative to attending class without consequences.
St. Joe's students from a variety of majors seem to be interested in course casting and are hopeful that professors will choose to use it. As Ryan Byrnes, '09, states, "I think it would be great for those teachers I have who talk fast or cover a lot of material in a class. With course casting I would be able to go back and see what I missed. It would also be helpful with studying."
Course casting definitely does offer new options for reviewing material. Along with reading through notes, students could listen on their iPods or even watch lectures again. Students learn and study in diverse ways, so one more option could be very beneficial. One St. Joe's professor who has actually already used course casting, Manfred Straehle, claims, "I believe it works for the majority of my students. If a student does not understand a concept I lectured about in class, they can log onto Blackboard and read notes or watch the lecture. I think these tools maximize their learning experiences."
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