'P' is for Podcasts

This week I explored podcasts which are sound files that you share with other people (or in my case, with students) online.  Podcasts are another great form of multimedia learning/ teaching.

What I have done with Podcasts

I have worked with podcasts before. One particular example of my experience with podcasts was when I worked on a news blog for my journalism degree. For one of my stories, “Davis DNA still waiting” I used Audacity to edit a podcast from an interview I had with Lynne Weathered from the Griffith University Innocence Project. Once the podcast was ready I then uploaded it as a sound file onto youtube.

Two other examples of my work with podcasts for this course can be seen on my wiki page, which has been set out like a mock unit on Family Law for a legal studies class. Firstly you will see on the Property Division page I have uploaded an audio recording. Secondly, on the Parenting Matters page I have created a voki (please excuse the irritating voice, haha) which sets out a task for the students on another page on the wiki site. I think vokis are a great idea for engaging students and I plan to use them a lot in my lessons.

How can Podcasts aid learning?

As a form of multimedia, podcasts are a great way of enhancing the way students naturally learn and form knowledge. This is because multimedia embraces what is known as ‘dual coding’ theory, (Alty, 2002, p2), whereby one channel of the brain processes verbal information and another processes visual information (Paivio, 1991, in Swisher, 2007, p15).

According to Mayer and Anderson (in Swisher, 2007, p2) learning is improved when it passes through two channels of the brain instead of one. Therefore, by using podcasts in conjunction with visual stimuli such as words or images, students are likely to learn more.

Podcasts are also an excellent example of utilising the connectivism learning theory (Siemens, 2004) because they can be downloaded from endless amounts of places on the World Wide Web.

How will I use podcasts in legal studies and English???

There are podcasts out there for almost every imaginable topic, therefore I should always be able to find something which can be applied to my teaching areas.

Even better than downloading podcasts for lessons though would be getting my students to create their own podcasts.

Some ways I may use podcasts in my lessons may include:

·         For students to publish their work or assignments;

·         For students to teach other students about a topic;

·         As a creative archive of lessons;

·         To interview guest speakers or on excursions;

·         For audio tours around some other work the students have created; and

·         To educate students about a topic (most likely combined with visual stimuli).

My PMI of Podcasts

Plus

·        Engaging;

·        Can allow for higher order thinking if the activities involving student-created podcasts are well scaffolded;

·        Can improve literacy skills;

·        Improves ICT skills;

·        Can be an innovative way of presenting ideas or presentations;

·        Are a quick form of readily available information that requires no reading;

·        Can involve student-centred learning when students create their own podcasts.

Minus

·        Can be pointless using podcasts unless they are combined with good pedagogy;

·        Technology can have its hiccups;

·        Some students do not learn well with podcasts- it may be better to combine with text and images.

Interesting

·        It is ethical to request student permission before uploading any of their work;

·        Students will benefit more from creating their own podcasts than from listening to podcasts (learn by doing).

Reference List

Alty, J. (2002). Dual Coding Theory and Computer Education: Some media experiments to examine the effects of different media on learning.

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm.

Swisher, D. (2007) Does multimedia truly enhance learning? Moving beyond the visual media bandwagon toward instructional effectiveness.