Podcast: Overview
With a podcast you provide audio and video contributions as a series of episodes. In OpenOlat, podcasts are learning resources that you use standalone or embedded in a course.
There are two types of podcasts:
a) podcasts that are created in OpenOlat, and
b) external podcasts from the internet, which are integrated via RSS feed.
A podcast usually consists of several episodes. An episode can be an audio or video contribution.
How to create a podcast for a course is described in the guide How do I create a podcast?. How to set up the course element is described on the page Configure a podcast in the course element.
General information about podcasts
The term "Podcasting" combines the words "iPod" and "Broadcasting" and means producing and providing audio and video files. Podcasts can be subscribed to: you download the episodes to mobile devices via services such as iTunes, or you listen to and watch them directly in OpenOlat. The latest episode is always at the top. Participants rate episodes and write comments on them.
Note
With podcasts you provide media files easily, and learners also use them on the move. Unlike a radio show, the production and use of the episodes do not depend on a broadcasting time.
The learning resource podcast
You create the podcast learning resource directly in the authoring area. Under "My entries" you see, among other things, all podcasts that you have created yourself or of which you are an owner.
If you only use the podcast in a course, the usage "Embedding" in the "Share" tab of the settings is sufficient, see Podcast: Administration. Who sees the episodes in the course is then determined by the members and rights of the course. You assign members of its own to the podcast under Podcast > Administration > Members management, and you set up bookings under Podcast > Administration > Offer types. You only need both if you offer the podcast with the usage "Standalone".
The course element shows the podcast regardless of the status of the learning resource, including the status "Preparation". If the learning resource is in the recycle bin or deleted, the course element shows the note "The podcast cannot be started because the podcast resource has been deleted." instead.