Ohio State Launches Buckeye Turf Podcasts
November 13th, 2006 by Victor van Buchem
Buckeye Turf Podcasts are the newest e-learning offering from The Ohio State University Turfgrass Science Program, a team that has been using new technologies to better communicate turgrass science management techniques for many years. Through the Buckeye Turf Podcasts blog turfgrass professionals can access, download and watch the latest OSU turfgrass research reports and presentations on turfgrass pests, cultural programs, and case studies delivered as enhanced podcasts.
Available at http://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/podcast, this podcasting initiative builds upon Ohio State’s strong history of delivering timely technical turfgrass tips to golf course superintendents (SK TurfNotes) and athletic field managers (OSU SportsNotes) via blog-style postings. Instead of relying on text-only publications to educate the industry, Ohio State faculty and staff experts illustrate educational turf tips with photos and graphics. The enhanced podcast learning module format allows for additional photos, synchronized audio, full-screen desktop playback, and portable playback.
“It is with a great amount of excitement that we launch this new initiative! The idea behind the website is to present turfgrass topics pertinent to our students and industry clientele both in a learning and informational format,” explains Dr. Karl Danneberger, a turfgrass science professor in the Horticulture & Crop Science Department. “The topics range from cultural practices to pests, and include case studies and research reports. The enhanced podcasts presentations are between 2 to 4 minutes long, except for some of the research reports which offer more depth. Our podcast delivery is also unique because we offer many of the presentations in multiple languages including, Spanish, Polish and Chinese.”
Dr. Danneberger began publishing Buckeye Turf Podcasts in August of 2006. The website now boasts more than thirty different presentations, many of which are available in multiple languages. By collaborating with graduate students and visiting scientists to convert the audio of the module into another language, Professor Danneberger has developed an innovative method for creating an international turfgrass educational tool. Visiting research assistants Aneta Studzinska (Poland) and Marcela Munoz (Chile) perform the voice-overs on the Polish and Spanish versions of the Buckeye Turf Podcasts. OSU doctoral candidate Jia Yan delivers the Chinese version of the podcasts.
In addition to her weekly SportsNotes and International SportsNotes educational postings, Ohio State Sports Turf Extension Specialist Pam Sherratt is a regular contributor to Buckeye Turf Podcasts who focuses on modules appropriate for athletic field managers. Sherratt has published in-depth podcasts on the renovation of Ohio Stadium, overseeding methods for cool season turf, and the effect of biomass accumulation on a Kentucky Bluegrass stabilizer system.
Podcasting uses Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology to deliver content directly to those who subscribe to a feed of content. RSS web syndication is thus similar to a newspaper being delivered to your house each day. With automatic updating via the free subscription, turfgrass professionals can “catch” syndicated packages, instead of searching/browsing websites for new content. Subscribers to the Buckeye Turf Podcasts automatically get the latest learning module podcast downloaded to their computer.
Over the years the OSU Turfgrass Science Program has worked closely with the inVirtual Perspective Technology Team to implement new communication technologies. Team leader Dr. Tim Rhodus encourages turfgrass professionals to use Apple’s iTunes software to manage their all their podcast subscriptions. This greatly simplifies the subscription process. For example, Subscribe to Buckeye Turf Podcasts can be presented as a simple hyperlink in any news story or email message. The iTunes software allows users to organize the podcast files and through synching with an iPod, these podcasts become portable learning modules which users can access away from their desktop computer. Users can also watch a full-screen version of the learning module directly from the Buckeye Turf Podcasts posting. To play the presentation file directly from the website requires QuickTime software.
Because the Buckeye Turf Podcasts website uses blogging software, the most recently published podcast appears first on the Buckeye Turf Podcasts blog. However, all the podcast learning modules are organized under given topic areas that are archived in the Categories heading along the right hand side of the website. Categories inlcude cultural practices, diseases, insects, research reports and more. Recent postings and podcasts include presentations on Winter Overseeding of Bermudagrass Fairways & Greens, Fairy Ring, Pythium Blight and Foliar Anthracnose.
This project was partially supported through a grant given by Dr. L.H. Newcomb, College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences Senior Associate Dean and Price Chair in Teaching, Advising and Learning.