A professor and his podcasts

The University of Oregon's campus newspaper, the Oregon Daily Emerald, profiles
journalism professor Al Stavitsky, who incorporated podcasts into the Mass Media and Society class he taught last semester.

Stavitsky, who is also the associate dean of the university's School of Journalism and Communication, did not merely duplicate his lectures for the podcasts, which he dubbed "Al Pods." Rather, he included information from lectures, discussions from guest speakers and current news events.

There were some problems with the use of the technology. One student remarks that he's "pretty sure" several of his fellow classmates didn't bother to read the course textbook because the "Al Pod was so convenient" and that "some kids wouldn’t show up to class due to the fact that they could simply download the Al Pod and listen to it while they were at the Rec Center. I think some kids abused the Al Pod.”

Despite those misgivings, there is talk that podcasts may soon become part of the curriculum of other university departments.