I've written quite a bit about podcasting in education, and it seems that this movement is spreading like wildfire. A recent article from the chicago sun times discusses the many ways podcasting is used in college classrooms:

"At some colleges and universities, students produce their own podcasts as part of their assignments. Students at Duke University in Durham, N.C., have been assigned to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language via a podcast and create short movies showing scenes they imagine from a Jane Austen novel, said Lynne O'Brien, director of academic technology and instructional services at the Duke library.

Students and faculty who produce podcasts must be patient in learning the new skill, because it can be slow at first, O'Brien said. Yet, she said, students who listen to teachers' podcasts appreciate no longer having to scribble notes on every lecture."

Podcasting is a particularly helpful tool for online learners who benefit from having class material available in a "to-go" format.