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Brooklyn College Library & Academic IT | Library Guides | Creating Accessible OER | OER Guide for Faculty

OER and Publishing Platforms: Podcasts

Discussion of the features offered by various web platforms useful for Open Educational Resources (OERs) and other types of publishing.

Podcasting & Video Intro (copied from homepage)

There are a couple of different ways to incorporate and distribute audio episodes, depending on the size, frequency and intended goal. A few notes:

  • The BC-hosted Wordpress offers the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin out-of-the-box, for use with quick audio uploads to be consumed within the Wordpress site.
  • Once audio files are added to Wordpress, via plugin or otherwise (the BC OER team has developed custom solutions for using large and numerous files), these steps can be used to package the files into a podcast feed, which can then be submitted and distributed via iTunes.
  • Android users can subscribe directly using the Feedburner feed in the packaging steps above.

Lesson / Assignment Ideas

Audio Production Guides

Screenshots / Examples

podcasting plugin image

Uploading Audio via Plugin

The first step of podcasting is uploading and storing the audio files (or episodes) somewhere online where they can be accessible and linked. Here is the plugin available in BC Wordpress. Files can also be stored on servers via FTP or similar as well.

screenshot wordpress audio post

Attaching Audio Files to Individual Posts

In order to distribute the separate audio files, we can attach each one to a Wordpress post (by simply embedding the online link to each episode in the post). All posts for a podcast should be under the same Wordpress category.

screenshot feed podcast manager

Preparing Podcast Feed for iTunes

The series of Wordpress posts with attached audio under one category are encapsulated in a feed -- you can find the URL for an individual category's RSS feed in Wordpress. Use that URL in a service like Feedburner, seen here, to prepare the feed with various options for distribution via iTunes.

screenshot itunes podcast connect

iTunes Podcast Connect

Take your formatted and prepared RSS feed, sign into iTunes Podcast Connect, and you can then submit the feed for approval so it can appear in podcast searches (should take around two days if following all iTunes specifications).

final itunes podcast image

Podcast Available in iTunes

Once your feed is approved, the podcast will be visible in iTunes via anybody who searches for or comes across it via the description and tags submitted.

Podcast Examples

  • Hardcore History shows the power and popularity of bare-bones, one-voice audio storytelling.

  • The Kind Worlds show exemplifies how well-chosen interview subjects and subtle narration can pull at heart strings.

  • The ambitious yet simple BBC History of the World in 100 Objects series offers a blend of narrative, field recording, and interview.