Podcasting goes to college

Along with packing instant noodles, extra-long bedsheets and photos of loved ones before heading to college in a few weeks, U.S. students may consider adding portable media players to their higher-education lists. Boston-area universities are among those increasingly integrating podcasting into the classroom technology mix.

The academic role of podcasts is proving contentious. Some professors argue that students will be discouraged from attending class if lectures are made available for downloading, while others are not keen on being recorded. There are also intellectual property concerns.

While those are issues to contend with, this region's universities and colleges are experimenting with podcasting. The Boston area is dense with higher-education institutions and is noted as well for the presence of technology companies. Add to those elements technologically savvy students.

"It is connecting to a generation who may prefer to watch and listen than read," Emerson College's Jon Satriale said of that school's podcasting initiative. He is Emerson's journalism technology manager and is helping to integrate podcasting into the college's curriculum.

Emerson, Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other Boston-area schools, have launched podcasting efforts.

Emerson records lectures for podcasting on a case-by-case basis, according to Satriale. The college eventually plans to implement a system that records most lectures and makes them available for downloading.

Emerson's student groups and academic departments also are finding uses for portable media players.

The school's environmental group recorded a speech Massachusetts Senator John Kerry delivered last month in Boston and turned it into a podcast and videocast. Satriale and the career services department recently tested podcasts and videocasts of alumni who were interviewed for job advice. Speeches delivered by college guest lecturers are also turned into podcasts and videocasts.

The digital divide between students with and without portable music players is not an issue for colleges that offer computers with Internet access.

"An iPod is a luxury that allows you to take it on the go," Satriale said. "The important thing is having a computer. Any college that is connected to the Internet has computers in its library that students can use."

Northeastern University's School of Professional and Continuing Studies (SPCS) introduced podcasting last year, according to Christopher Hopey, the school's vice president and dean. Between 50 and 70 lectures are podcast. The college's student body, which is mostly comprised of working professionals and students over the age of 25, fostered the need for podcasting, said Hopey.

"They're traveling for work or have family commitments," he said. "We think it is the right tool for our students to graduate and do something with their lives."

SPCS students can download missed lectures and catch up with coursework. Other professors podcast lectures and use class time for discussion instead of lecturing.

Hopey sees podcasting as a supplement to the college experience and has found that students who add podcasting to classroom learning are more engaged in the material.