Boilercasting...Podcasting meets the classroom. I've been thinking about recording the MBA lectures here at GW for the past couple weeks, but I haven't gotten around to buying an iTalk or similar microphone for my iPod yet. Interestingly enough, I was reading through the weekly Purdue newsletter on my email and saw that Purdue University is starting to podcast some of the class lectures through a website that they are calling Boilercast. This seems like a great idea, the only problem is that I'll be listening to an Economics lecture from a Purdue professor rather than a GW professor on my Ipod. I guess I'm thinking of this as a way to compliment my MBA courses rather than substituting the lectures. Hopefully other universities including GW will start a similar program. If you're still thinking: how can these podcasts be useful?...here are some benefits that were listed in the Purdue News article.
• Students are able to repeat lectures at their convenience, whether that's while exercising, driving or walking on campus.
• Non-native English speaking students can replay lectures to increase their comprehension.
• Students can review lectures before exams.
• Instructors can listen to their own lectures to improve their presentations.
• And, of course, students can listen in on classes they've missed.