When you book one of the five VNS ITV rooms, whether it is for an interactive (ITV) session or not, at the time of the booking, you may request to have the audio from the class recorded and posted as a podcast file. For credit course instruction there is no charge; Podcasting is a fee based service for non-credit events (see Podcasting rates).
Basically, we'll be recording your class audio from the official start to the official end time of the class. We're recording the signals in Rarig Center, producing mp3 files from the audio, and posting those files to a web server directory, with a podcast address that we'll give you to pass on to your students.
After that, you and your students would enter that url into a "subscribe to" field in your podcast aggregator of choice (e.g., iTunes), and -- once subscribed -- you can listen to the class sessions on your computer or portable device!
A few limitations of this service:
- Podcasting was never intended to be an "authenticated" process. It began as "Internet Radio" -- an alternative for the masses.
Behind the hype is the absence, in many podcast aggregators, of an authentication mechanism (i.e., X500 or University logins and passwords). There is a certain amount of "security through obscurity"
since we're not publishing the addresses for the public. But, bottom line, if someone finds the url (by whatever means), they can subscribe to the podcast and hear your lectures.
- If your use of the room is for interactive television (ITV), recording ITV class audio only records the audio IN THAT ROOM (in the origination site). It does not record any of the "incoming" audio from distant sites. If that's a sizeable component of your class (distant site audio), that audio won't be heard.
- We will not be editing these audio files. So, if your class has small group activity anywhere in the class, the audio from these intervals (which may be a cacophony of conversations) will be part of the posted signal.
- The audio stream of your class, that will be transmitted across the campus computer network to Rarig Center, is technically insecure. While this may be moot considering point #1 above, you should be aware that it is technically possible for someone through "packet sniffing"
measures to find the stream. The probability of this happening is low; but the right tools and network expertise can effect it. The network stream we originate is not encrypted.
- Your request to podcast presumes for us that any use of copyright audio materials by you falls under classroom "fair use" guidelines. For a campus checklist, go to Campus Checklist.
- During Spring term 2007, this podcast server will not have power or data back-up. Save all audio files locally to be safe.
