Podcasts and Education

            The use of podcasts in education is relatively new, but can be effective when use of those podcasts help students prepare for lectures or lessons. Popova, Kirschner and Joiner state that podcasts listened to by students before lectures can help the learning process. 'Student-generated podcasts have a special place in research; as they engage students in their learning, promote deep learning and reflection' (Popova et al., 2013). These researchers also believe that a podcast can aid the students by helping produce prior knowledge to be used during class time. When students come in to class with that prior knowledge learned when listening to the podcast they will be more prepared to delve into the subject.

During the ITLS Foundations course taught at Utah State University, Dr. Brian Belland puts vodcasts (video podcasts) to good use, asking his students to watch one each week before the class meets. Belland ensured that the material being learned through course readings and lectures were summed up in these vodcasts giving the students a chance to brush up on the lesson before it was taught. Students were able to get a preview of what would be discussed in class, this encouraged the students to come to class better prepared and ready to learn.

            Podcasts can be used in many ways in relation to enhancing education. The idea that a course lecture can be introduced before the planned course time offers an interesting way to introduce new material and give students a chance to contemplate their conclusions about readings and/or assignments. Podcasts can also be conversational. Some of the best I have heard offer many perspectives, which can enhance the learning experience.  For my podcast I decided to team up with a classmate and provide instruction on what we think is a fun topic. In any kind of education the topic should be interesting, if not it should be taught or talked about in a way that is engaging. Erin Buttars and I downloaded Audacity and each recorded our own podcast while including the other for a new perspective and good conversation.

            Audacity was easy to download, and hitting the record button was simple enough, but editing the podcast had its challenges. I wanted to add music to mine but could not initially figure out how to do that, so I found a tutorial on YouTube that assisted me with this feature. So, with music loaded and conversation recorded we needed to get those .wav files converted to .mp3, that took a more time, but eventually we figured it out.

            Overall I like the fact that podcasts can add to the learning experience and create a sense of community even though the speaker and listener are not in the same place. Questions can always be submitted and address in he next episode of the podcast. There are a few limitations to this technology such as the lack of face-to-face interaction; the editing, publishing and playing could be difficult for those who do not have the necessary experience, but that can be quickly remedied.

In agreement with Popova et al., podcasts can add something extra to the learning experience. Whether you add a podcast to your after-class activities or encourage your students to listen before coming to class, they will bring an instructors curriculum to a fun, new level.

Works Cited

Popova, Anguelina, Paul A. Kirschner, and Richard Joiner. "Effects of Primer Podcasts on Stimulating Learning from Lectures: How Do Students Engage?" British Journal of Educational Technology 45.2 (2014): 330-39. 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 May 2014.