Podcasting
Next course dates: 15 January 2009 - 30 January 2009
Term: 10 hours over 2 weeks
Fee: € 135

Future course dates:
15 May 2009 - 30 May 2009
15 July 2009 - 30 July 2009

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CONTENT
A podcast is an audio or video file that is stored on the Internet, and can be downloaded to a computer and/or mobile listening devices (such as an MP3 player, or PDA). This short online course looks at how podcasting works, how it can help students learn, and what teacher needs to know and do to use audio podcasts with learners. The practical, hands-on course explores:

• free web-based software for audio podcasting - what it looks like, how it works, where to access it
• free pod catching software for subscribing to professionally produced podcasts
• real examples of projects which use podcasts, set up by language teachers from around the world, for young learners, adults, Business English learners, teacher trainees, and a range of other disciplines
• how course participants might use podcasting with their own learners.

Course participants will design and produce their own audio podcasts during this course, using free Internet-based podcasting tools.

AUDIENCE
The course is aimed at all teachers of English and/or other languages worldwide interested in learning how to use an ICT tool such as podcasting in their teaching. It is suitable for newly-qualified teachers wishing to increase their employment opportunities and develop their ICT skills, as well as experienced professionals looking to expand their teaching repertoire at the same time as they gain some experience in online learning and ICT.

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TIMETABLE
This course covers two weeks (see dates above). You are expected to spend approx. 5 hours per week (a total of 10 hours per course) on online individual and collaborative group work, including offline reading and reflection. Deadlines for task completion are weekly, and you can log on at any point during the week to work on the course.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
During the course, you will:

• learn what a podcast is, and how to subscribe to professional podcasts
• explore a number of podcasts especially developed for language learners
• consider podcast projects that can be set up with learners
• create your own audio podcast(s), for use in your own teaching context with your own learners, using a free Internet-based podcasting tool
• learn to effectively use the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) Moodle as a course participant
• experience an online video conferencing session

SKILLS
The course is taught entirely online, using the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) Moodle. You won’t need any prior experience or knowledge of online learning, although basic experience of email and Internet use would be helpful. Technical and pedagogical support is available for the entire duration of the course.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Competence in written and spoken English, whether English is the applicants’ first, second or foreign language: successful applicants’ levels of competence in English must be of a standard sufficient to enable them to fully understand and complete the course work.

WHAT YOU NEED

• An Internet connection, preferably broadband
• A headset (best is with a USB connection) or stand-alone microphone and speakers
• A webcam is optional
• An up-to-date browser
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• An up-to-date media player (e.g. Windows Media Player or similar)
• A word processing package (e.g. Microsoft Word or similar)

You will use our video conferencing platform at least once during the course; before taking part in the first session, we advise you to run the online system check here to ensure that you can take part fully in the session.

CERTIFICATION
The Consultants-E will issue participants with a Certificate on successful completion of the course. Successful completion of the course is defined as completing 80% of the course work to an acceptable standard.

ENROLMENT/FEES
You can enrol online by following this link. The course fee covers all chats and tutorials, guest speaker sessions (where appropriate), evaluation of final project work and certification from The Consultants-E.