The growth of iRadio OUM as a quality audio learning material provider

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the progress of iRadio OUM over the years, the evolution of technology used and its overall significance to OUM’s continual growth and development. Design/methodology/approach - Reports the results from web analytic data from previous years in terms of listening and downloading habits and trends. Reviews of how other institutions and/or organisations use podcasting or audio learning material in the teaching and learning process are also included. Findings - Outlines the progress of iRadio OUM through the years in terms of content development, listening and downloading trends as well as research and development carried out. This paper summarises the changes in how segments are structured, produced and delivered. It also outlines the evolution of the technology used, mainly in terms of how content is delivered to the audience. Research limitations/implications - The scope of the paper is such that it only highlights the experiences of iRadio OUM alone. Practical implications - Offers practical advice in terms of the planning, development and implementation of an educational internet radio for higher learning institutions. Originality/value - This paper is written by key team members of iRadio OUM itself and highlights the experiences and ultimately the best practices discovered by actual web-broadcast practitioners and audio learning materials instructional designers.

Keywords

• mobile learning
• audio learning materials
• internet radio
• learning podcast