Audio Assignments (mp3/Podcasts)

We will rely on a audio files as well as readings occasionally this semester. The audio format "mp3" allows broadcast-quality audio to be brought right to your computer. While mp3s are not new - Napster made them ubiquitous - their utilization has been growing well outside the realm of music and movies. Media sources are now offering mp3 versions of broadcasts that can be downloaded from the web and listened to at the consumer's convenience.

Most of you have probably heard of "podcasting", or broadcasting mp3s directly to your computer. (The "pod" in "podcasting" comes from Apple's I-Pod, the most popular portable mp3 player. Owning an mp3 player - much less Apple's own - isn't necessary, as you will read below.) And since it's a cheap technology, non-profits and small organizations can podcast as easily as major media conglomerates. What's more, some of the best podcasts in news, information and analysis are free (at least for the time being).

I've selected some interesting podcasts on various aspects of poverty and globalization. Your assignment will be to listen to them first, then follow the instructions for each one. You'll find them in the schedule of classes and assignments.

Handling mp3 podcasts

You have three options on how to listen to the podcasts.

• The simplest is to listen to a direct feed while sitting at your computer. Click on the direct feed link and one of any number of mp3 enabled programs should open in your browser automatically.
• Download the mp3 directly to your computer and listen to it when convenient.
• Download the mp3 directly to your computer, then offload it to an mp3 player. Then listen to it when convenient.

Some points:

• All the podcasts I have assigned are free. Most are 20-30 minute programs.
• If you plan to listen while sitting in a computer lab, you'll want a pair of earphones so as not to bother those around you.
• You can easily adjust the volume in whatever program you utilize to listen to the podcast.
• On the computer, you can usually move backward in the program if you want to re-listen to a segment. The mp3 player programs used by computers have controls similar to a tape or CD player. If you use a portable mp3 player, moving forward and backward may not be as easy (it depends on how fancy your player is).
• Common programs that play mp3 files on your computer include RealPlayer, Microsoft Windows Media Player, and Winamp. All are free and can easily be downloaded to your computer (if you have any Windows operating system, you have Media Player already).