Running head: EXPLORING RSS IN AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING

Exploring RSS in an educational setting

Daniel L. Rand
EDCI 750: Learning Technologies
Kansas State University
Dr. Clark Harris
April 25, 2014

Exploring RSS in an Educational Setting

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Introduction
RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is an emerging tool in educational
technology that is reshaping the way content is consumed and distributed. According to Will
Richardson (2010), RSS is the hottest thing in Web communication and if youre an educator
its the one technology that you should start using today, right now, right this minute (p.71).
Despite RSS potential to create deep, rich and relevant learning experiences, it remains the poor
cousin of web 2.0 technologies. This is due in part to the fact that very few educators understand
what a syndicated website is and how it can benefit them inside the classroom (Lee, Miller, &
Newnham, 2008). As the web continues to grow and evolve it becomes of paramount
importance that so too must educators. Teachers must become connected and engaged with the
learning technologies of tomorrow. The aim of this paper is to explain what RSS is, how it
works, and how its many benefits will help develop 21st century learning skills in our students.
Defining RSS
Websites that publish content and do so regularly want information pushed out to users in
a fast and streamlined manner. An RSS file, also known as a feed, is the technology that enables
users to receive live, instantly released content, from any web site they wish. This is done, by
definition, through eXtensible Markup Language (XML). RSS is an XML file format that uses
the Resource Description Framework (RDF) for representing information about resources on the
World Wide Web (DSouza, 2006). What this means for the average consumer, is that instead of
having to spend numerous hours scouring the internet for blogs, news, weather, or updated
podcasts, the information is delivered straight to you through web syndication. In other words,
information comes to you rather than you going to it. RSS is the quintessential tool used to save
time. By leveraging RSS users no longer have to manually plough through multiple sites for

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relevant content, nor is there a need for the tedious process of continually monitoring these sites
for updates and additions (Lee et al., 2008).
RSS needs several things in order to work: an aggregator, feeds, and syndication.
Aggregators, also known as feed readers or RSS readers, are special computer programs that are
designed to poll, collate, and display content (Armstrong, 2007). Its important to note that there
is a variety of applications that can act as aggregators. There are some that are quite
sophisticated (such as Netvibes) and there are some that only collect, translate, and republish
information (such as FeedReader). Deciding on an aggregator will depend on the needs and
comfort level of the individual as well as the task requirements for a particular project. It is wise
for beginners to take several readers for a test-drive so as to become familiar with each
applications unique features (Richardson, 2005). Users should be aware that aggregation
features exist in email applications (Outlook and Lotus), in desktop variants (LB Desktop and
FeedDemon), in web browsers (IE, Mozilla, Safari, and Opera), as well as being built into web
portal sites (Bloglines, Digg Reader and Feedshow).
The next element that is required to make RSS work is feeds. Users must populate their
aggregator with content. An aggregator will take whatever parameters you program into it, to
include scanning for updated content every 3-5 seconds, for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
(Richardson, 2005). Feeds can be aggregated in the form of online newspapers, blogs, podcasts,
videos, weather, and photos (Lee et al., 2008). When subscribing to feeds users need to pay
attention to the little radar-looking symbol or little orange buttons with the letters RSS, XML, or
ATOM. When you see these icons the web author is letting you (the consumer) know that the
information is available for you to subscribe to. Simply click the icon, click subscribe, and the
feed will be added to your aggregator. For web based readers, after you click on the icon you

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will have to copy the URL, switch over to your application, locate the add new feed feature, and
paste the URL. Users may elect to do this as many times as they wish, aggregating any and all
feeds they may come across. To make the subscription process easier, try using a search engine
that has been designed to find RSS feeds. Several of the more popular search engines to locate
RSS feeds are Technorati, RSS Micro (the beta version), and Blog Search Engine.
The final component required to make RSS work is syndication. A web site must be
syndicated for you to be able to subscribe to it. This means that somewhere on the site you have
to identify the HTML markup. This can prove to be tricky because some sites dont display any
RSS icons or logos. When this is the case you can rely on one of two methods, your browser or
trial and error. In the trial and error method, if you really like the site your on you can copy the
URL and paste it into your reader. The feed may or may not populate depending on how the
content is produced. The other option is to download the most recent versions of either Firefox
or Internet Explorer. Each one of these browsers has a built in feature, in the command bar,
letting you know if the content is syndicated. If you see the RSS radar light-up that means there
is an RSS feed. Simply click on the radar-looking icon and you will get the details of what you
are subscribing to. This process will ONLY save the feed to your browser, remember to copy the
URL and paste it as a new feed in your aggregator.
The benefits of RSS in education
Alerting users to new electronic resources
Libraries recognize that users are not as likely to come into a physical space to learn
about new products and services, nor are they likely to begin content searches from the libraries
Web site (Armstrong, 2008). As such, libraries are committing larger and larger portions of their
materials budgets to electronic content. As their resource database continues to grow, libraries

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are taking advantage of RSS technology to inform users about XML content that facilitates
distributed news content, simple searching techniques, ease of use, and accessibility. RSS has
been the impetus for libraries to implement a critical design step that alerts users to new
electronic resources.
Digital literacy
Will Richardson notes, The speed of reading in the age of the digital has changed.
Reading literacy can no longer be about how well students can decipher text on a page. We have
to prepare them for this much more complex world. We must prepare students to filter out the
good from the bad (p.77). The point here is that the Web is a big and scary place. Students are
faced with the monumental task of having to navigate and determine which information is
relevant, reliable, and applicable. The benefit of RSS is that it makes research easier for the
student. The Web becomes much less intimidating when students customize their aggregators to
act as personal resource guides. Students can actually leverage their aggregator to act as a source
discriminator. They can program their aggregator to poll peer reviewed journals, online
databases, custom search inquiries, or major new outlets. Leveraging RSS technologies not only
promotes digital literacy but encourages habits that will assist students in becoming informed
and cultured lifelong learners (Harrsch, 2005).
Sharing of information
Sharing OPML files is a great way for beginners to get started and feel comfortable with
RSS. An OPML file is essentially a conglomerate of individually collected RSS feeds (Stephens,
2012). The conglomerate is characterized and coded as a list and then imported and shared
through outline processor markup language (Tunks, 2012). What this means for students and

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teachers is that files can be migrated from one location to another and can be shared across
multiple platforms. This can be a tremendous collaboration asset when students have group
projects or shared responsibilities. Students that are fast-tracking can invite other students to
view what they are reading by sharing and swapping OPML files. Students may be encouraged
to create a linked list of all their subscriptions (feeds) on a particular topic, and then publish it to
one central space, so that similarly tasked students can benefit from the same information and the
same feeds. Students should be encouraged to share and discuss their findings when using RSS.
They should communicate with each other about what feeds provide the most relevant and
engaging material. As Richardson notes, (2005) Part of the joy of unearthing a new learning
technology is not sitting on it as if it were a golden egg, but rather delighting in being able to
share your findings with your peers (p.12).
Saves time
Many consumers use RSS feeds as a way to keep current on topics that are of interest to
them. Rather than manually checking websites or blogs the RSS aggregator does it
automatically. When something new is posted to a site, for example if a new blog is posted, or a
new podcast is produced, or a news station delivers a breaking headline, the content is delivered
automatically. Subscribing to RSS feed saves the time of checking every single site that you
access during a normal work day (DSouza, 2006). Stephens summarized the time matter best
(2012), People overwhelmed by the plethora of sites you must monitor for both personal and
professional news, might be better served spending a couple of hours subscribing to and
organizing RSS feeds. This just might end up being an investment in 21st-century sanity (p.
41).

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RSS can also save you time and effort if you wish to produce and disseminate
information. The read/write web allows people to comment and share information in whatever
way the wish. There is no denying there has been a tectonic shift from a World Wide Web that is
read only to a Web that is being described as the Read Write Web. Instead of content that
was for the most part static, is now being remixed and published in different ways. Consumers
have the ability to access this information in whatever manner they wish be it blogs, wikis,
podcasts, or social media. What this means for those who are designing and creating content, is
your information can reach a wider audience if you publish your content with an RSS feed.
Producers of information, who dont use RSS, will have their content, stymied by the limitations
and shortcomings of even the most sophisticated search engines (ranking of websites,
manipulated key word surfing, commercial interests/paid advertisements). RSS is a time saving
technology that can also make publishing, producing, and sharing information efficient and
methodical.
Separating signal from noise
One of the greatest features of RSS feeds is their straight forward streamlined nature.
There is nothing to bog teachers or students down in terms of advertisements, side stories,
banners, malware, or spyware. Typically when a feed is populated it is delivered in the form of a
headline, a one or two sentence description, and a hyperlink. There may be a video or
lengthened description depending on who provides your content, but generally feeds are short
and concise. This can be a great control measure if you are looking to limit side noise and
potential distractions for your students. FeedReader actually has a built in feature that allows
feeds to populate with the entire story, thereby minimizing navigation and traffic to outside sites.

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Vicki Davis Classroom

Vicki Davis, a highly renowned and devoted teacher at Westwood Schools in Camilla,
Georgia was featured in an online article from Edutopia in which she discusses the benefits of
RSS. Miss. Davis and her freshmen students are leveraging RSS technology to build personal
learning networks (PLN). Miss. Davis breaks her class down into groups and assigns each of
them a project. By taking advantage of RSS, learners develop a network of knowledge resources
that assists them in creating connections throughout the research process (Davis, 2014). Davis
(2014) noted the following:
A PLN becomes a student's virtual locker, and its content changes based on the student's
current course work. When I assign them a term paper, the students comb the Web to sign
up for information that will feed into their personalized Web page to construct a PLN for
that topic. When they get a new project, they assemble another page. (p. 1)
RSS is the technology that enables the PLNs to happen. The XML file is the raw
material that allows students to seek out sources and fill their network with relevant and
engaging content. Through RSS manipulation, students learn to generate their own custom feeds
and make sense of what information they can begin using in their projects. By adding key search
terms, from certain locales or regions, students can be very particular about which content they
use for research purposes. What this creates, as is the case in Miss Daviss class, is a group of
well informed, knowledgeable and conversant students who are able to decipher between
information and sources.
Miss Davis makes the point that kids are able to construct a learning environment that
will benefit them throughout their college and professional career. The construction of PLNs

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does create a more self directed and self regulated learner that is more autonomous and adept at
navigating the information superhighway. Leveraging RSS and constructing virtual lockers is an
essential skill that moves students into the driver's seat of their own learning. This information
management skill is critical in helping kids to succeed in the future (Davis, 2014).
Conclusion
One of the greatest affordances of RSS technology is that it promotes healthy research habits and
encourages students to become avid lifelong learners. RSS encourages students to be active
learners. It teaches kids how to connect, collaborate, and communicate in an interactive manner.
The process of actively engaging oneself in the pursuit of knowledge and learning is one of the
great benefits of RSS technology and should not be understated as educators look at 21st century
learning skills. RSS is a unique tool that has tremendous promise and potential, as such
educators should make a sincere attempt to leverage and implement it in the learning process.

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References
Armstrong, K. (2007). Using RSS feeds to alert users to electronic resources. The Serials
Librarian, 53(3), 183-191.
Davis, V. (2014). Personal learning networks are virtual lockers for school kids. Retrieved
from: http://www.edutopia.org/pln-web-pages#
DSouza, Q. (2006). RSS ideas for educators. Retrieved fromhttp://www.teachinghacks.com/wpcontent/uploads/2006/01/RSS%20Ideas%20for%20Educators1.pdf
Harrsch, M. (2003). RSS: The next killer app for education. Retrieved from:
http://technologysource.org/article/rss/
Lee, M. J., Miller, C., & Newnham, L. (2008). RSS and content syndication in higher education:
subscribing to a new model of teaching and learning. Educational Media International,
45(4), 311-322.
Richardson, W. (2005). RSSA quick start guide for educators. Retrieved from http://weblogged.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf
Richardson, W. (2006). Merrily down the Stream: RSS Makes It Easy to Gather Information.
School Library Journal, 52(7), 40-42.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.
Sage.
Stephens, W. (2012). AMPLIFY YOUR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE THROUGH RSS.
Knowledge Quest, 41(2), 26-28.

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Tunks, K. W. (2012). An Introduction and Guide to Enhancing Online Instruction with Web 2.0
Tools. Journal of Educators Online, 9(2,) 11-30.