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How to Set Up a Podcast Using the Voice Podcaster Voice Tools This document describes how to set up a podcast using the Voice Podcaster from within Blackboard. It further describes how to subscribe to such a podcast via iTunes. What Exactly is Podcasting? Podcasting is a method used to publish text and audio files to the internet in such a way that someone else’s computer can automatically download them and upload them to their iPod. If you create the podcast, you are the publisher. The end user then subscribes to your podcast, and whenever you add a new podcast, their computer automatically downloads it for them. Creating the Podcast First, login to Blackboard and open one of your Blackboard courses. You can create as many course podcasts as you wish, but one is probably all you will need to create. You can place the podcast source in any content area. To Create a Podcast: 1) Click on Academic Tools 2) Click on Voice Podcaster

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3) Click on Add Voice Podcaster

NOTE: The first time you select this, you may be prompted to install a Java plug-in from Sun Microsystems. This will install quickly on the fly. Then, you may be warned by your computer about trusting "the signed applet distributed by 'Horizon Wimba'." Select Always to always trust Horizon Wimba applets. You may already have gone through these steps, in which case you may not see these messages. 4) Type a title for your podcast 5) For Audio quality we recommend choosing Superior Quality 6) Click Submit

7) Click on the link with your new podcast title

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8) Click the New button to record an entry

The Compose window will appear. 9) Type a title for your recording in the Subject field 10) Type any accompanying text in the text box below the Audio bar 11) Click the red Record button to record your message

A recording level meter will appear as you record, and the elapsed time of your recording will also be displayed. You may click the Pause button during recording and then resume if you wish. 12) When done, click the square Stop button. You may record up to 20 minutes. 13) Click the Post button

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Your podcast will be posted.

Note: It takes approximately 5 minutes from the time you record the podcast until your students can receive it with their podcasting software.

Subscribing to a Voice Podcaster Podcast The real strength of this approach to podcasting is the ability for you and your students to subscribe to podcasts and receive them automatically, completely apart from the Blackboard system. To do this, students must have iTunes installed on their computers. 1) Click the Subscribe button to subscribe to the podcast

2) Click iTunes in the Launch Application box 3) Click OK

Once subscribed, you will receive additional postings to the podcast as they are posted.

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Additional Features of the Voice Podcaster If you wish to import an external audio file into the Podcaster, it must be in mp3, wav or spx format. We recommend mp3 format and also recommend that you convert non-mp3 files into mp3 format before importing them to Blackboard. To Import a File: 1) Click on Academic Tools 2) Click on Voice Podcaster 3) Click on Add Voice Podcaster 4) Type a title for your podcast 5) Click Submit 6) Click on the link with your new podcast title 7) Click the Import button

An Import dialog box will appear:

8) Navigate to the file you wish to import and select it 9) Click OK

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An Import progress box will appear with a status bar. Once the operation is complete the Import progress box will disappear and you will see the imported file. 10) You can now click on Subscribe To Export Your Audio Posting: 1) Open the Podcaster and click the Export button

An Export dialog box will appear:

2) Select an export format (we recommend using the mp3 audio in archive.zip format) 3) Click Next 4) When the Save dialog appears, select the disk location where you wish to save the file and enter a file name 5) Click Save

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