Communication Tool Review: Podomatic

Name of the Tool: Podomatic

URL of the Tool: http://www.podOmatic.com/

Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Communication Tool

Please describe this tool in your own words in about 250 words.

Podomatic is a web 2.0 tool that allows users to upload, create, share, and view podcasts.  The user can upload a video or audio file on their profile and share the podcast.  Audio files can also be recorded using podomatic and created into a podcast.  Podomatic also allows the user to produce a minicast, which combines photos with audio or music files.  The minicast and podcasts can be viewed through podomatic and also uploaded to facebook, twitter, blogs, and other places.  

Podomatic is similar to other social networking sites where the user creates a profile uploading a picture and editing details such as basic information: name, age, etc, as well as a small personal description.  Users connect to each other through “friending” and subscribing to each others’ profiles and podcasts.  On the home page there is a recent activity stream where friends’ recent podcasts are displayed. 

There are many different ways to browse through podcasts and users that you may be interested in.  You can browse by category such as: education, music, news, or politics.  You can also browse by location with cities listed such as: New York, Paris, and Madrid.  Podomatic also has various lists that can be browsed.  There is a list called “Movers & Shakers” which is comprised of the top 50 climbing podcasts.  Popular podcasts can be found through the “popular podcasts” link.  You can become a fan of a podcast and be notified when a new episode is posted. 

        

What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)    

You need to know how to create and upload a video file.  Audio files can be created using podomatic if you don't already know how to create these.  The accepted media files are: flash, MPEG-4, and MP3.

What do you need to have before using this tool?

If you want to create a video file, you must have a camera. If you want to create an audio file, you must have a microphone.  

How do you use this tool? 

The following are instructions on how to upload a video once it has been created in imovie and saved in itunes.   

1.  Go to the URL: http://www.podomatic.com/login

2.  Log in to Podomatic 

Note: You will need to create a log in if you do not already have one

3.  Click on Publish->Podcast-> Create

4.  Enter a Title and Description and press Save & Continue

5.  Choose Upload a File

6.  Find the file that you want uploaded

7.  Click on “I’m finished uploading, close this window"

8.  You can choose a photo to be uploaded for this episode or skip this step.

                                  

9.  Choose any tags you want for this video to make it easier to be searched for

10. Review your video and press Save & Continue

11. It will take approximately 5 minutes until your video is published

12. Once your video is published, you have several options, you can email it to your contacts, update your status on twitter of facebook or even embed the link in a webpage.   

If applicable, please create an example with this tool and either embed in your blog or submit the URL. 

Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (about 500 words).

Podomatic has many different tools in the teaching environment and could be used many different ways in the medical dosimetry program.  As an instructor, I could create a profile in Podomatic and ask medical dosimetry students to create a profile.  All students and instructors could “friend” each other to see podcast activity.  Anytime the instructor has an announcement to make it would be very simple to create an audio file with the announcement.  This would be uploaded to the instructor’s profile and show up in the student’s recent activity stream. 

Lectures could be recorded and uploaded to Podomatic so that students can access the lecture and view it an unlimited amount of times.  Being able to access the lecture this way will significantly aid learners, especially those who are more audiovisual. 

A specific case in which Podomatic could be utilized is in the medical dosimetry treatment planning course.  In the treatment planning course, medical dosimetry junior students are introduced to treatment plans by disease site.  The instructor presents a Powerpoint over the background of the disease site followed by a demonstration of a treatment plan.  In the subsequent class periods students complete practice case studies and eventually demonstrate competence in a practicum.  With only seeing the treatment plan demonstration once, students often forget key points that are discussed.  A solution to this would be to record the treatment plan demonstration and upload this video to Podomatic.  Students can then view the treatment plan demonstration an unlimited amount of times. 

During the students’ senior year they are required to give a presentation on each treatment plan they complete.  Once the presentation is complete, they answer questions about the disease site and treatment plan.  In order to prepare for the presentation in the junior year, students could be required to record a presentation for each treatment plan and upload the audio or video file on Podomatic.  Then their peers could ask questions over the plan or disease site and answer these questions using Podomatic. 

    

What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?

Using this tool in a teaching environment could be very beneficial to audiovisual learners to re-view a lecture an unlimited amount of times.  Podcasts can also be viewed from virtually anywhere, even on your mobile device. 

What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?

Using this tool in the teaching environment may cause some students to zone out in class, or not even show up because they know they will be able to view the lecture at a different time.  It also requires students to possess certain computer skills and computer equipment.