This page describes how to set up a
podcast using the Wimba podcaster from within
Blackboard. It further describes how to
subscribe to such a podcast via iTunes and other
podcatching software. If podcasts or
subscribing to podcasts are new ideas for you,
click here for an explanation.
Creating the podcast
First, login to Blackboard and open
one of your Blackboard courses. You can create
as many course podcasts as you wish, but one is
probably all you will need to create. You can place
the podcast source in any content area. To do
so, click on the content area you wish to use,
then click the "Edit View" button in the upper right
of the screen:
From the tool selector in the next
screen, choose "Wimba Podcaster" and then click "Go."
The first time you select this, you
may be prompted to install a Java plug-in from Sun
Microsystems. This will install quickly on
the fly. Then, you may be warned by your
computer about trusting "the signed applet
distributed by 'Horizon Wimba'." Select
"Always" to always trust Horizon Wimba applets.
You may already have gone through
these steps, in which case you may not see
these messages. In any event, after the applet
is installed you will see the "Add a link to the
Wimba Podcaster for thie course" configuration page:
As you can see, there is very little
configuration to be done. Simply give your podcast a
name and click Submit. You can apply the standard content
availability and date availability filters to this
tool if you wish on the same screen. If you
later wish to apply adaptive release to this content
item
you may do that too.
You will be returned to your course
content area, with a new item titled with the name
you just provided, and a link below it titled "Wimba
Podcaster."
Click this link. You will now
see the Wimba Podcaster in the course content frame:
To record an entry, click the New
button:
The "Compose" window will appear:
Type a title for your recording in
the Subject field. Type any accompanying text
in the text box below the Subject, and then click the record button to record
your message:
A recording level meter will appear
as you record, and the elapsed time of your
recording will also be displayed. You may
click the Pause button during recording and then
resume if you wish. When done, click the
square Stop button. You may record up
to 20 minutes.
Any microphone will do, Academic
Technology recommends the low-cost LabTech AM-32.
Click here for more information on headsets and
microphones. If you want higher quality
recordings, you may wish to use
Academic Technology audio recording facilities.
You may also record your audio outside the Wimba
Podcaster, using, for example, one of our
WS-100
digital audio recorders, and then import the
audio file into the Podcaster (see
below).
Once you have recorded your audio in
the Compose window, and are satisfied with it (you
may re-record, if not) click the Send button:
You will see your podcast posted in
the Podcaster main screen:
That's it. You are done.
Remember that it takes about 5 minutes from the time
you record the podcast before your students can
receive it with their podcatching software.
Subscribing to a Wimba
Podcaster podcast
The real strength of this approach
to podcasting is the ability of your and you
students to subscribe to podcasts and receive them
automatically completely apart from the Blackboard
system. To subscribe to a podcast created with
the Wimba Podcaster use the "Subscribe" RSS feed
button or the 1-click button in the upper right
corner of the Podcaster in Blackboard:
iTunes. The
1-click button is designed specifically for those
who use iTunes to receive podcasts. Click the
1-click button, wait for iTunes to load, wait for
the subscription to complete. It is very
simple. Alternatively, you can drag the RSS
feed button (not the 1-click button) to the
"Podcasts" window in iTunes and that will also
complete the subscription.
Other podcatching software.
To subscribe in the built-in RSS readers in IE 7 or
Firefox 1.5 and above, simply click the RSS feed
button and then complete the subscription function
in IE 7 or Firefox. To subscribe using any
other podcatching software (such a Juice or Doppler)
click the RSS feed button, copy the address from the
address bar of the browser or from the popup box it
appears in, and paste it into the subscribe field in
your software.
Once subscribed, you will receive
additional postings to the podcast as they are
posted. If subscription to podcasts is new to
you,
click here for an explanation.
Additional Features of the Wimba Podcaster
If you wish to import an external
audio file into the podcaster, it must be in mp3,
wav or spx format. We recommend mp3 format and
also recommend that you convert non-mp3 files into
mp3 format before importing them to Blackboard.
(Call Academic Technology at ext. 2862 if you need
assistance in converting files).
To import a file, open the podcaster
and click the Import button:
An import dialog will appear:
Navigate to the file you wish to
import, select it and click OK. An Import
progress box will appear with a status bar.
Once the operation is complete the Import progress
box will disappear and you will see the imported
file in the podcast postings.
If you wish to save a particlular
posting from the Podcaster, select it then click the
dropdown below the Play time in the voice player:
A Save dialog will appear.
Navigate to the disk location where you wish to save
the file, select the file format from the "Files of
Type:" field (it can be mp3, wav or spx format - we
recommend using mp3), and click Save:
If you wish to Export some or all of
the audio postings from the Podcaster, click the
Export button:
An Export dialog will appear giving
you the option to select some or all messages, and
select an export format (we recommend using the mp3
audio archive zip format):
Click Next after you have made your
selections then, when the Save dialog appears,
select the disk location where you wish to save the
file.
Editing your postings.
You can edit your audio postings by
re-recording them after they have been posted, but
remember, once the initial posting is made it will
be received by those that are subscirbed to the
podcast within about 5 minutes, and your changes
will not be reflected in their already downloaded
files.
Subscribe |
How do I subscribe? |
Podcast Index
How
to set up a podcast using the Wimba Podcaster
