Podcasts are digital files that consist of audio or video. these podcasts are usually released periodically just like television shows on iTunes. These podcasts are usually informative in some way and usually formatted much like a talk show. I myself subscribe to several podcasts. some are humerous and I listen to simply for pleasure. Others I listen to to gain information on things I would like to learn more about.
I had a professor last semester that actually recorded his own podcasts that were actually assignments that we had to listen to. I felt like this was a very effective way to reach students better and help them gain a better understanding of the information being presented in class.
Although many people own ipods and already use iTunes, I do feel that this practice might be a little discriminatory to some students if they are not familiar with iTunes.
Ultimately though I think podcasts will continue to gain popularity and will become a huge part of academic curriculum.
