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RSS (really simple syndication)

(Variously known as Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts.
An RSS document, which is called a “feed” or “web feed” contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS is used most commonly to subscribe to blogs and podcasts.

Samples

http://www.teachinghacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/RSS%20Ideas%20for%20Educators111.pdf1

Integration of RSS fees in learning activities using a variety of web 2.0 tools such as social bookmarking, photo sharing, blogs, podcasts and e portfolios.

Source RSS – Ideas to get you started
URL http://www.teachinghacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/RSS%20Ideas%20for%20Educators111.pdf1
Use Integration of RSS fees in learning activities using a variety of web 2.0 tools such as social bookmarking, photo sharing, blogs, podcasts and e portfolios.
Delivery RSS Feeds can be delivered on demand or automatically updated as webcontent changes on the remote site the user in subscribed to.
Customisation RSS Feeds can be customised according to the users interest and subscription
Availability Through any social networking tool that enables an RSS Feed

RSS for Educators

This presentation discusses the use of Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds in education situations as both teaching and learning tools.

Source RSS for Educators
URL

Web site http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=47
Presentation 1 – (Flash workshop presentation)
http://k12online.wm.edu/part1/part1.html
Presentation 2 - (Flash workshop presentation)
Use This presentation discusses the use of Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds in education situations as both teaching and learning tools. Starting from the basics of setting up an online feed reader, explore the use of RSS in weblogs, collaborative bookmarks, content sharing, for research, and audio and video delivery to the classroom.
Delivery Web browser, presentations require flash movie player plug in available from http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
Customisation No, fixed presentation.
Availability This is an online resource designed to support trainers with new ideas in using RSS

Subscribing to Blogs and RSS feeds

This page describes how to use IGoogle to subscribe to and manage RSS Feeds.

Source RSS for Educators
URL

Web site http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=47
Presentation 1 – (Flash workshop presentation)
http://k12online.wm.edu/part1/part1.html

Presentation 2 - (Flash workshop presentation)
Use This presentation discusses the use of Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds in education situations as both teaching and learning tools. Starting from the basics of setting up an online feed reader, explore the use of RSS in weblogs, collaborative bookmarks, content sharing, for research, and audio and video delivery to the classroom.
Delivery Web browser, presentations require flash movie player plug in available from http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
Customisation No, fixed presentation.
Availability This is an online resource designed to support trainers with new ideas in using RSS

Adding RSS Feeds to Moodle Learning Management System

This page describes how to use the RSS feed block feature in Moodle Learning Management System to easily add RSS feeds to your learner’s course area.

Source Adding RSS Feeds to Moodle Learning Management System
URL

http://k12online.wm.edu/moodle01/moodle05.mov
Use This page describes how to use the RSS feed block feature in Moodle Learning Management System to easily add RSS feeds to your learner’s course area.
Delivery RSS feeds delivered to blocks inside Moodle
Customisation RSS feeds can be added easily to Moodle
Availability RSS Feed block within Moodle
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Why include RSS?

RSS enables learners to subscribe to web content of interest and control the flow of information that they receive. RSS feeds can be accessed from a variety of web sites and tools and be concentrated or “aggregated” into a central location through the use of “feed” or “news” readers.

By incorporating RSS ‘feeds’ on your teaching and learning resources, you can gather and publish linked snippets of information relevant to your training topic area and distribute this information to your learners quickly through the use of these “news” or “feed’ readers.

Learners can develop their own blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other web 2.0 and social networking sites as part of the learning process that can be subscribed to by trainers, learners and web users through the of RSS. Content developed in this way that is marked as RSS or XML are RSS feeds. Most Web 2.0 tools include an RSS feed on an account by default. (An RSS or newsfeed is an XML text file that sends information about news items to a newsreader application like the Bloglines or by some browsers including Safari 2, Opera 8 or Internet Explorer 7.) The RSS reader acts as an aggregator, allowing users to view and scan multiple content streams in a timely fashion.

Among a group of learners this information can be shared using their individual account on a feed reader. Using RSS can encourage greater engagement with self-publishing and feedback by all learners.

Features

RSS can:

  1. deliver current information from the internet in our areas of expertise or interest.
  2. provide content for websites and blogs.
  3. bring additional traffic to a website or blog.

RSS feeds have some advantages compared to receiving frequently published content via email:

  • When subscribing to a feed, users do not disclose their email address, so users are not increasing their exposure to threats associated with email: spam, viruses, phishing, and identity theft.
  • If users want to stop receiving news, they do not have to send an "unsubscribe" request; users can simply remove the feed from their aggregator.
  • The feed items are automatically “sorted” in the sense that each feed URL has its own sets of entries (unlike an email box, where all mails are in one big pile and email programs have to resort to complicated rules and pattern matching).
  • Most feed readers enable single items of interest from various feeds to be clipped and characterised for ease of reuse

Popular RSS readers that trainers can use include:

Each RSS feed reader provides the same basic features:

  • Subscription to an RSS feed. Each RSS feed reader has its own method for subscribing to feeds.
  • Reads the RSS feed on a regular schedule to see if there is anything new.
  • Displays all the new items.

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Integrating RSS

RSS Feeds can be used for a variety of purposes including sharing content and as an adjunct to the submission of assessment material by providing links to information research during preparation.

RSS are easily updated and new information can be shared with learners if they are provided with support and demonstration using RSS feeds in conjunction with news readers.

Start by setting up an RSS news aggregator. There are a variety of aggregators available; including websites that act as news aggregators and free software you can download onto your computer.

Design steps

  1. Prepare instructions for your learners on how to develop and manage their RSS feeds
  2. Decide on the RSS reader learners will use to create and manage their RSS feeds
  3. Support learners to subscribe to the specified RSS reader
  4. Commence with only one or two RSS feeds so as to not overwhelm learners in information
  5. Demonstrate how to create an RSS feed for a news search
  6. Demonstrate how to create an RSS feed for a blog search
  7. Demonstrate how to create an RSS feed for a news group search
  8. Demonstrate how to create an RSS feed for a website search
  9. Offer suggestions, constructive remarks, questions, and encouragement on a regular basis.
Show how to collect clippings of useful information for later use from amongst the feed items retrieved.

Assessment

RSS feeds can provide a useful adjunct to assessment tasks by providing evidence in information gathering, collaboraton and research. RSS feeds can be used in conjunction with other web 2.0 tools:

  • Social bookmarking
    Trainers and learners can create bookmarks of internet sites, share them and syndicate these findings
  • Blogs
    Learners can keep their own blogs. Trainers can subscribe to content updates.
  • Photo sharing
    Learners can use digital cameras to record process or assessment tasks. Using a photo-sharing site such as Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) these images can be uploaded and then syndicated. As learners add new images, co learners and trainers newsreaders will update the content.

Generic skills

Some of the generic skills and attributes developed and assessed by the use of RSS feeds are as follows:

  • effective use of technology
  • planning and organising information
  • sorting and assembling information from a variety of sources
  • evaluating and catergorising information
  • lifelong learning.

Technical notes

  • RSS readers require no specific software to be installed (other than a web browser). They are easy to use and update
  • There are a number of different RSS readers. Explore them to find one that suits your needs.
  • Become familiar with the way your particular reader works by using the help pages that accompany the site.
  • Plan to induct the learners into the basic steps for subscribing and managing RSS feeds.

Skills

Good instructional and organisational skills may be required. Learners are likely to require a high level of support, particularly during whilst setting up their RSS reader.

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See also

From the Framework

More resources from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Tools and resources

Social bookmark for this strategy

http://del.icio.us/designelearn/rss

Last modified: 15/9/08