Week 10 Activity 3 – SWOT analysis of podcasting

In this weeks continued activities I attempt to identify a SWOT analysis on podcasting. Although my experience at present is fairly limited on the subject of podcasting, from my initial online research I have formed the following observations:

Strengths
• Empowers users to create and publish audio content directly and seamlessly to the web.
• Students are familiar with technology and already engage well with the mobile devices that play podcasts ie iPods and MP3 player.
• Allows education to be more portable then before.
• Good for specific language training especially for hearing and rehearsing the pronunciation of words.
• Learners choose where and when they wish to listen to content.
• Similar concept to radio broadcasting but delivered via internet syndication and can be listened to on mobile devices.
• Socially acceptable for learner to study without the stigma being attached to studying around others that may not wish to engage with their studies.
• Great for recording interviews with professionals and playing back to large and distributed audiences.
• Delivery via RSS feeds means user can subscribe to podcast channels and receive updates to their syndication reader as they are uploaded.

Weaknesses
• Podcasts are not designed for two way conversation or interaction.
• Users must have sufficient bandwidth to download podcasts.
• Limited usefulness for people with hearing impairments.
• Quality of the speakers voice needs to be engaging with variety of intonations.
• Quality of recording equipment must produce audio content with minimal interferences or distractions ie feedback buzzing or background noises.

Opportunities
• Flexible learning - Enables students to catch up on lectures that they may have missed.
• Learner can choose how many times they wish to engage with the audio learning content making it good for consolidation purposes.
• Audience could participate in walk through actions similar to the audio self guides used in museums or places of special interest.
• Combining podcasting tracks with either pictures or videoing facilities.

Threats
• Access in the work place for me this is difficult working on MOD IT systems which have restricted use of web2.0 tools.
• Lack of attention in the lecture hall, some students may opt to listen to podcasts of other lessons in the lecture theatre.
• If recording group sessions, do we need to obtain everyone’s consent to publish audio content in the public domain?
• Delivery via RSS feeds only may limit the audience on IT infrastructures that do not support syndication due to security restrictions. This is a very important limitation within my own area of work.

This list should not be viewed as exhaustive as new ways to benefit from these technologies are every present so new barriers emerge. Please feel free to comment on my thoughts so far?