In the dynamic field of mobile technologies in learning, a common trend is that of podcasting. Of all the new tools and technologies now available to be exploited in teaching and learning, the world of the podcast is the least intimidating and least expensive but also one with immediate results.
Podcasts can be made with relatively little investment, a microphone, a software program (such as Audacity which is free to download, see: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) and a willing lecturer, and you're pretty mcuh ready to record your first show.
This particular Web 2.0 technology is currently used by a number of Schools and Faculties here at Liverpool John Moores University allowing students to experience learning 'on-the-go' at a time and in a format that suits their lifestyles. Whether they are travelling home from lectures on the bus or holding out for a more subliminal method of learning and listening to a lecture as they drift off to sleep, podcasts are an interesting way to tap into the student mind and make the most of the odd 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there, when the traditional textbook method isn't wholly appropriate.
One particualr lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University converted half of his lectures for one particular module to podcasts and informal feedback from his students proved positive. Obviously a more formal approach needs to be taken to evaluate this new use of technology in learning in order for us to gauge the appropriateness and success across different Schools and Faculties throughout the University.
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have you meet Alex Spiers who is running the LJMU podcasters, they have a forum in a couple of weeks
ReplyDeleteI think students don't seem to have made the connection with the idea that you can download this stuff, the research i have read seems to say that they listen online and rarely download stuff onto their ipods, i wonder if it is that personal space thing, where their ipod is looked on as fun and not 'work'
Yes definitley - as part of the project I will be talking to a number of students and this is one of the key issues I want to address. If the students don't want lecturers on their ipods then its no wonder the number of downloads for this kind of thing is sparse!
ReplyDeleteI have met Alex previously but will definitley get in touch with him agin!