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What is, how it works
“RSS” stands for Really Simple Syndication. “RSS feeds” are contents automatically made available over the internet.
When subscribing to a RSS feed from a website, a portion of the content of that website is automatically made available to the subscriber, being downloaded to a portable digital device or to a personal computer that uses software capable of reading feed formats (*.atom or *.xml). These contents are usually text, video or audio. Audio contents are referred to as podcasts, and video contents as vidcasts.
But the term “podcast” is also used many times as a synonym of all types of RSS feeds. In this way “podcast” means just an automatic way to download contents from a website; it’s a link that enables a specific software application to search automatically for new files and download them from that website periodically, without the user even needing to open the browser.
An image featuring an orange square with waves has been adopted as a standard icon to identify RSS feeds on webpages.
Many websites are also adopting standard buttons which add information in front of the icon about what type of content is available and the correspondent file format.
Everyone, individuals or companies, can distribute contents by podcasting or vidcasting.
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Possible general uses
Podcasts were initially thought to give individuals a means to distribute their own radio shows. But soon they started to be used for distribution of many different contents:
- School lessons, audio or video
- News from online press (text, audio or video)
- News, TV shows from online TV websites
- Radio shows or parts of a radio show
- Audio tour guides for museums, city tour companies
- Audio music files from record companies and independent labels
- Alerts for updates on blogs or any kind of website
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Example of concrete usage
I want to focus here on the usage of RSS feeds as a means to save time and improve communication between entities. As an example I leave the testimonies of 2 professors in the USA who are using podcasting as a way to improve their methods in teaching.
Richard McKenzie is a professor of economics at the University of California-Irvine.
When McKenzie noticed some questions were frequently asked by different students, he decided to make short videos to exemplify the answers. Then he posted the videos to Youtube, where he had created his own channel.
He also has longer videos, available as iPod downloads from his own website. He has now over 60 videos available not only to his students, but for everyone.
By providing these videos McKenzie was able to spend less time in class repeating the same topics over and over. He can now cover more topics in the same time. Students use his video material to get the basic concepts of a topic before going to the class, and also to understand better more complex arguments that may need some repetition before they are completely grasped.
David Miller is a professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut.
He has a collection of podcasts that he sees as a way to extend his lectures away from the classroom. Some are meant to be listened to before the classes and some are provided after the class, for the same reasons as McKenzie. He also provides podcasts of student-led discussions.
From his analysis of the podcasted videos Miller takes his own notes on how to correct parts of his lectures, so to improve communication between him and his students, ensuring he provides a smooth and efficient teaching.
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References
Articles
Timmer, John, 2007. Extending the reach of the classroom.
Available from Ars Technica, (23rd April)
Wikipedia, April 2007. Podcasts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasts
Websites
BBC podcast service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/4977678.stm
RTP podcast service
http://multimedia.rtp.pt/index.php?aud=1
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