Podcasts substitute for higher education

By Cory Andre Anotado
Collegian Staff
January 31, 2007

Someone call the dean. I want to independent study every class I have.

Yes, I’m serious. And, I’m pretty sure that I can do it, too. How, you may ask? The power of podcasts, that’s how.

Podcasts are pre-recorded shows that download to your computer on a regular interval, usually on a daily or weekly basis. There are thousands of podcasts on the Internet, ranging from sports to news to everything in between. Any class taught here, I’m pretty sure I could learn via podcast.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an iPod to listen to podcasts. You can use a program like iTunes to download podcasts, or you can go straight to the podcast’s Web site to listen. Podcasts are usually MP3 files or MPG movies, so they’re easy to listen to or watch on any computer. And, you can delete them when you’re done, or you can burn them onto a CD.

But, back to my independent endeavor. Let’s take a look at a standard course schedule.

English 108: If I want to learn a bit about writing, I could always listen to “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” (located at qdnow.com). This weekly podcast deals with all kinds of grammar, like informal spelling, proofreading and tense. If I’m looking to spice up my vocabulary, I can spin the “Princeton Review Vocabulary Minute” (from review.com), where the Princeton Review takes the ideas of School House Rock and update them to improve your vocabulary.

Math 150: Learning math is difficult, but Chris Frederick from MathGrad.com makes it easy. MathGrad.com discusses everyday math problems, like the math behind the TV game show Deal or No Deal, the meanings behind factorials and more complex matters, like the dealings of infinity and zero. Since math is more visual than anything, “MathPod.com Math Video Podcast” uses downloadable video slideshows to explain linear equations or quadratic formulas.

Religion 150: Of course, a Catholic university requires learning about the faith that backs the school. Greg and Jennifer Willis from RosaryArmy.com host a weekly podcast, “Rosary Army,” dealing with all things Catholic. It’s a bit on the lengthy side, with most episodes clocking in at over 45 minutes, but these hosts look through the issues and conflicts that Catholics encounter in their lives. To supplement this knowledge, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (usccb.org) hosts a podcast of Daily Mass readings.

Language 101: What better way to learn a foreign language than by learning from those who record themselves talking in Spanish? “Coffee Break Spanish” (coffeebreakspanish.com) is a podcast that teaches you conversational, everyday Spanish from a native Spanish speaker. Each podcast has a student who’s learning Spanish alongside you. “JapanesePod101” has Japanese lessons of all difficulties recorded straight from Japan. “The French Pod Class” (frenchpodclass.com) not only comes with audio lessons, but worksheets and answer sheets in .pdf format. “Learn Mandarin Chinese With ChinesePod” features daily lessons directly from Shanghai.

History 151: History buffs are a very enthusiastic breed, and a few history fans have decided to impart their knowledge with us via podcast. George Hageman has created the “Military History Podcast” (militaryhistorypodcast.blogspot.com). It has a variety of historical military analysis. “Great Speeches in History” (learnoutloud.com) lets subscribers listen to some of the greatest speeches ever delivered. “The History Network” (not related to the History Channel on cable, thehistorynetwork.org) has many more interesting history stories.

O.K., so listening to a bunch of MP3s on iTunes isn’t going to replace a four-year college education. However, if you’re looking to learn something new, learn anything additional or brush up on something you forgot, maybe taking a lesson from your computer wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

anotadoc1@lasalle.edu