[Sig-bwp] Colleges debate merits of podcast lectures

[Gerry Mckiernan]

Colleges debate merits of podcast lectures
UC Berkeley, Stanford participate in experimental educational program
By Charla Bear, CORRESPONDENT  

 http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_3297495 
 
Starting this school year, some California college students are able to carry around course lectures and materials stored in their portable MP3 players. 
It's a move that's raising concerns about possible empty lecture halls and an impersonal education that's not worth the high price. But busy students find the technology appealing. 

"Being able to download MP3s anytime I want and not just at the scheduled times of lectures makes things a lot easier," said Linda Liu, 18, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley. 

With lectures available at her convenience, she can attend internship fairs and stay in bed after all-night studying instead of worrying about missing class, Liu said. 

Liu is participating in one of several new programs at Stanford University and UC Berkeley. The two schools are integrating MP3 technology into the curriculum, by having students either download individual files or subscribe to podcasts that automatically put new files in their computers. 

As the technology rapidly expands * the universities expect to go from a few trial courses to as many as 75 next year * academics are trying to figure out just how this technology will affect learning. 
 
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/Gerry 

Gerry McKiernan
Science and Technology Librarian
Iowa State University 
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu