Podcasting in higher education: admissions
by Meg Gwaltney, Stein | June 28th, 2006Contributed by: Meg Gwaltney
Web Content Manager, Stein Communications
In the last issue of the Scoop, we provided information about podcasting in education. After some great feedback about this article, we decided to extend our discussions about podcasting to include a new five-part series focusing on podcasting in higher education. Each article, beginning with this one, will focus on a specific area of colleges and universities, including admissions, academics, alumni and development, athletics, and public relations.
This series of articles does not provide technical, step-by-step instructions needed to create and publish a podcast; the intent is to highlight ways in which other colleges and universities are using podcasts and to offer a few helpful tips and suggestions as you consider what podcasting venues may be right for your institution.
What is a podcast?
In case you missed it in the preliminary article, you will need a brief definition of our subject matter: Podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts) are audio or video files distributed over the Internet using either RSS or Atom syndication for distribution on psp themes, mobile game devices, mobile applications and personal computers. Unlike streaming audio and video, podcast and vodcast files are downloaded to the user’s equipment, which allows the files to be played at any time, even when the user is not connected to the Internet.
In addition to being incorporated into Apple’s iTunes software and Music Store, podcasting has become a popular format for two main reasons:
- Podcasts are downloaded and stored directly to the user’s equipment, especially portable MP3 players, such as iPods. Therefore, podcasts can be accessed by busy individuals who are always on-the-go — in the car, at the gym, etc.
- Through RSS feeds, users can subscribe to a podcast feed in the same way that they can subscribe to someone’s blog. Depending on the preferences they set in software such as iTunes, users can download new podcast episodes automatically when they connect to the Internet. The subscription feature saves time because the user does not have to visit each of his or her favorite web sites to check for new podcasts; they are delivered automatically.
Podcasting in Admissions
Some of the most impressive college podcasts I have come across are those geared towards prospective students (and their parents, too, in many cases). The best podcasts, even if they’re not sophisticated with hip intro music or flashy graphics, are those created around their target audience’s preferences. Essentially, a good podcast excells in three areas: content, length, and speaker/source.
Content. Generally, you won’t find a lot of new, unique content in admissions podcasts. Many of the messages have simply been adapted from content already found in current print and web publications. What’s important is the fact that the content is now available in a format that is easier to access, and can be delivered at a very low cost on a regular basis. Many people prefer the podcast format for certain types of content because they can listen to it while participating in other activities, and because they gain a sense of personal intimacy through hearing the spoken word from one or more individuals.
Length. Many admissions podcasts are short in length, making them more convenient for students who are on-the-go and who have many other time constraints in their lives. Delivering short bursts of information on a scheduled basis keeps your institution connected to its prospects in a way that is helpful to them and does not encroach upon their already busy lives.
Speaker/Source. One factor that affects the success of a podcast is the person(s) delivering your message. Your podcast will benefit from a speaker who speaks clearly and whose voice engages audiences easily. Above all, your podcast speaker must be a good representative for your institution.
Current Student Podcasts
The current student podcast is a great example of an admissions podcast that is usually done well, even if it involved very simple production. Podcasts and vodcasts are simply new formats in which to deliver information that illustrates to prospects what it’s like to be a current student on campus. Until now, this information has often been delivered via an interview in a print piece or on the web, a student blog, a collection of student photos, a video on the institution’s web site, etc.
With minimal time, expense, and equipment, students can record and publish a podcast on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to convey to prospects the daily life of a college student, whether it be the class they skipped one morning, their first A+ in biology class, or the commencement address they heard at graduation. By listening to podcasts throughout the year, prospects have a better sense of what it’s like to be a student on campus.
Not only do podcasts share information, they also generate an emotional response, as the listener hears the student’s voice, accent, and attitude.
In many cases, admissions offices do not feel the need to censor current student podcasts, given that the admissions office has selected student podcasters based on quality of character and has conveyed to them the important responsibility of acting as representatives of the university.
For a great example of a current student podcast, listen to Amber’s podcast on the Houghton College web site: http://www.houghton.edu/admission/life/amber/index.htm
Promotional Admissions Podcasts
In addition to current student podcasts, admissions offices are creating podcasts that promote special aspects of the school, such as its location or its diversity on campus — again, many of the same topics you would read about in their print brochures. Because of the audio (and possibly video) element, a podcast or vodcast offers a more intimate way to deliver your message to prospects, especially those who can’t attend a college fair or visit campus before applying to your institution.
Campus tour vodcasts may also benefit your institution. Additional episodes would be helpful supplements to showcase the campus during special campus events, and could even include tours geared toward different audiences, including prospects, parents, alumni, community visitors, etc. Some institutions promote their most popular or most unique academic programs via podcast as well. Interviews with faculty and students, in addition to showing current projects or research, can help bring a program to life in the eyes of a prospective student, or even a potential donor or volunteer.
Examples include:
Emerson College — http://admission.emerson.edu/admission/undergraduate/podcasts/index.cfm
Massachusetts Institute of Technology — http://web.mit.edu/amps/spotlight/podcast.html
Application and Enrollment-Related Podcasts
Other podcasts provide answers for prospective students who have questions about financial aid and the application process. In many cases, a simple frequently asked questions page on the college web site would be sufficient. However, there are other ways that this type of podcast could be very useful — one idea being a brief tutorial that walks prospects through an on-campus interview or provides quick tips about the personal essay.
Find out more about enrollment-related podcasts:
Bowdoin College — http://www.bowdoin.edu/podcasts/
CampusTours Productions — http://www.campustoursproductions.com/press-podcast.html
Along this same vein of thought, Fitchburg State College sent out a podcast to its newly enrolled students. An HTML email contained a link where students could download the podcast from the iTunes Music Store. The message was recorded by the president of the university, who welcomed the new freshman class. This type of podcast is an easy way of introducing key administrators at your institution, while also providing students with helpful information, such as a reminder to send in their housing deposit.
Read more about Fitchburg State College’s experience with podcasting: http://web.fsc.edu/fscnews/index.cfm?detail=259
Until next time…
Until the next installment in this series on podcasting, I would love to hear what your institution is doing in the way of podcasting, whether it is in admissions or another area on campus. Contact me at mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.
