The RSS Revolution: Using Blogs & Podcasts to Distribute Learning Content Jason Rhode Assistant Director, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center Northern Illinois University

Jason Rhode

Assistant Director, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center

Northern Illinois University

The “whats” & “whys” of RSS Blogs & podcasts: Tools for content delivery Applications with Blackboard In This Presentation Topics to be covered

Learning in the 21st Century

“Traditional” e-Learning Content placed in LMS (Blackboard) Students must revisit course site to access content No automated notification of new content Instructor has primary control of content creation & delivery

Content placed in LMS (Blackboard)

Students must revisit course site to access content

No automated notification of new content

Instructor has primary control of content creation & delivery

Modes of Interaction in Distance Ed. ( Anderson, 2003 )

( Downes, 2006 )

Personal Learning Environments (PLE) Students contribute to content creation & distribution Automated delivery of new content to students Instructor has primary control of content creation & delivery

Students contribute to content creation & distribution

Automated delivery of new content to students

Instructor has primary control of content creation & delivery

Lifelong Learning Lifelong Learning

Informal Learning

Different Styles of Learning

Ubiquitous Connectivity Ubiquitous Connectivity

( Siemens, 2006 )

( Siemens, 2006 )

( Tosh, 2003 )

Why RSS?

Information Overload Information Overload

Syndication Syndication Aggregation Aggregation

What is RSS?

RSS Really Simple Syndication Format for syndicating content from the Internet Choose what information to receive Get new content when it becomes available Can be used to distribute files

Really Simple Syndication

Format for syndicating content from the Internet

Choose what information to receive

Get new content when it becomes available

Can be used to distribute files

RSS XML file format Universally readable by feed readers and podcatching software Either term/button can refer to the existence of a feed (RSS = process; XML = file format) vs. RSS XML

XML file format

Universally readable by feed readers and podcatching software

Either term/button can refer to the existence of a feed (RSS = process; XML = file format)

R S S

What does XML look like? <?xml version=&quot;1.0&quot; encoding=&quot;UTF-8&quot; standalone=&quot;yes&quot;?> <?xml-stylesheet href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css&quot; type=&quot;text/css&quot;?> <feed xmlns=&quot;http://purl.org/atom/ns#&quot; version=&quot;0.3&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en-US&quot;> <link href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/atom/21171622&quot; rel=&quot;service.post&quot; title=&quot;FacDev Training Blog&quot; type=&quot;application/atom+xml&quot;/> <link href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/atom/21171622&quot; rel=&quot;service.feed&quot; title=&quot;FacDev Training Blog&quot; type=&quot;application/atom+xml&quot;/> <title mode=&quot;escaped&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;>FacDev Training Blog</title> <tagline mode=&quot;escaped&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;/> <link href=&quot;http://facdevblog.blogspot.com&quot; rel=&quot;alternate&quot; title=&quot;FacDev Training Blog&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;/> <id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21171622</id> <modified>2006-08-01T18:21:09Z</modified> <generator url=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/&quot; version=&quot;6.72&quot;>Blogger</generator> <info mode=&quot;xml&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;> <div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;>This is an Atom formatted XML site feed. It is intended to be viewed in a Newsreader or syndicated to another site. Please visit the <a href=&quot;http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=697&quot;>Blogger Help</a> for more info.</div> </info> <convertLineBreaks xmlns=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#&quot;>true</convertLineBreaks> <entry xmlns=&quot;http://purl.org/atom/ns#&quot;> <link href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/atom/21171622/115445327151970183&quot; rel=&quot;service.edit&quot; title=&quot;Creating and Using Blogs&quot; type=&quot;application/atom+xml&quot;/> <author> <name>Jason Rhode</name> </author> <issued>2006-08-01T12:27:00-05:00</issued> <modified>2006-08-01T17:27:51Z</modified>

<?xml version=&quot;1.0&quot; encoding=&quot;UTF-8&quot; standalone=&quot;yes&quot;?>

<?xml-stylesheet href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css&quot; type=&quot;text/css&quot;?>

<feed xmlns=&quot;http://purl.org/atom/ns#&quot; version=&quot;0.3&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en-US&quot;>

<link href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/atom/21171622&quot; rel=&quot;service.post&quot; title=&quot;FacDev Training Blog&quot; type=&quot;application/atom+xml&quot;/>

<link href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/atom/21171622&quot; rel=&quot;service.feed&quot; title=&quot;FacDev Training Blog&quot; type=&quot;application/atom+xml&quot;/>

<title mode=&quot;escaped&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;>FacDev Training Blog</title>

<tagline mode=&quot;escaped&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;/>

<link href=&quot;http://facdevblog.blogspot.com&quot; rel=&quot;alternate&quot; title=&quot;FacDev Training Blog&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;/>

<id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21171622</id>

<modified>2006-08-01T18:21:09Z</modified>

<generator url=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/&quot; version=&quot;6.72&quot;>Blogger</generator>

<info mode=&quot;xml&quot; type=&quot;text/html&quot;>

<div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;>This is an Atom formatted XML site feed. It is intended to be viewed in a Newsreader or syndicated to another site. Please visit the <a href=&quot;http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=697&quot;>Blogger Help</a> for more info.</div>

</info>

<convertLineBreaks xmlns=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#&quot;>true</convertLineBreaks>

<entry xmlns=&quot;http://purl.org/atom/ns#&quot;>

<link href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/atom/21171622/115445327151970183&quot; rel=&quot;service.edit&quot; title=&quot;Creating and Using Blogs&quot; type=&quot;application/atom+xml&quot;/>

<author>

<name>Jason Rhode</name>

</author>

<issued>2006-08-01T12:27:00-05:00</issued>

<modified>2006-08-01T17:27:51Z</modified>

How does a Blog work with RSS?

What is a Blog? weB log Posting 1 Posting 2 Posting 3 Posting 4 Posting 5 Title XML Menu to Previous Postings or Other Websites

Traditional “Pulling” of Content from the WWW

“ Traditional” Way of Reading a Blog Blog Posting 2 Blog Posting 1 Blog Posting 3

Pushing Content via a Blog, RSS & Aggregator User-determined frequency Notice of new items available Manual or automated download of content Read new items soon after being posted Blog Posting 1 Blog Posting 2 Blog Posting 3 XML

Sample Blogs

Sample Blogs HSTU 5510 : Social Software Affordance CMU 224 : Advanced Web Communications Weblogs in Higher Education HigherEdBlogCon

HSTU 5510 : Social Software Affordance

CMU 224 : Advanced Web Communications

Weblogs in Higher Education

HigherEdBlogCon

Blog Services

Blog Services

Blog Services

Aggregators

Aggregators iTunes

Podcasts & RSS

What is a Podcast? Podcasting? A combination of the words iPod and broadcasting A way for people to be able to selectively subscribe to audio or video content over the Internet This content can then be automatically added to a mobile device, like iPod

A combination of the words iPod and broadcasting

A way for people to be able to selectively subscribe to audio or video content over the Internet

This content can then be automatically added to a mobile device, like iPod

Podcast = Pushing Content via RSS & Podcatching Software User-determined frequency manual or automated download XML

Sample Podcasts

Sample Podcasts

Podcasting Services

Podcasting Services

Blackboard Integration Examples

Q&A