Purpose and preference in educational podcasting

The application of podcasting for educational purposes is growing fast in universities. There are several benefits of this asynchronous, direct communication and interaction between teacher and student. Nonetheless, the benefits, the pedagogical value of podcasting the traditional lecture format, have come into question. Furthermore, issues have been raised regarding lengthy and costly download times, and the fact that students need to make time to listen to them. For these reasons, using short 3–5‐minute podcasts that summarise the lecture have been suggested. This paper explores how students interact with different types of podcasts. The study compares download and course evaluation data of a series of short‐summary podcasts with full‐lecture podcasts produced for the same university course. The findings show that students value full‐lecture podcasts as highly as the short‐summary podcasts, despite the fact that full‐lecture podcasts are downloaded to a markedly lesser degree. The cause of this anomaly appears to lie in the different purposes that dictate podcast use. The paper concludes by noting that both full‐lecture and short‐summary podcasts serve as useful tools for student learning in university contexts.     

Podcasting in higher education: What are the implications for teaching and learning?

A podcast is any digital media file, or series of files, distributed over the Internet for playback on portable media players and personal computers. This study explored the attitudes, perceptions, and use of podcasting as reported by instructors and students at a large American Midwestern university. The results of two online surveys were examined, focusing specifically on items related to teaching and learning. Findings suggest that students use podcast materials largely for reviewing concepts and issues raised in lectures that they have previously attended. While instructors and students agree that podcasts help students learn, students are less sure about whether podcasts improve instructors' teaching. The authors argue that podcasts can help instructors change face-to-face instruction from traditional didactic lectures to more constructivist learning practices.     

Podcasting syndication services and university students: Why don't they subscribe?

Partly owing to the status of podcasting as a buzzword and subject of much recent media attention, educational technology researchers and practitioners have been using the term very loosely. Few studies have examined student perceptions and uptake of “podcasting” in the true sense of the word, whereby a syndication protocol such as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is used to allow students to subscribe to podcast feeds or channels, facilitating the automatic download of new content as it becomes available. The small number of studies that have covered this aspect of podcasting suggest that students generally do not tend to make use of this functionality, but instead prefer to simply download the media files manually. By drawing on research into the usage of RSS and podcasting both inside and outside the field of education, as well as extant literature on university students' usage patterns and behaviors with respect to information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet, the authors postulate a number of possible reasons why podcasting syndication services have not experienced substantial levels of uptake among students to date. They argue that it is premature to dismiss RSS as a distribution mechanism for digital audio content in teaching and learning, and describe a number of examples of educational applications that could potentially make the use of such services worthwhile and valuable to both teachers and students. The authors conclude with suggestions for research to test the theories set forth in the article.     

Can creative podcasting promote deep learning? The use of podcasting for learning content in an undergraduate science unit

This paper examines the effect of a podcasting task on the examination performance of several hundred first‐year chemistry undergraduate students. Educational researchers have established that a deep approach to learning that promotes active understanding of meaning can lead to better student outcomes, higher grades and superior retention of knowledge over time. We attempted to promote such an approach by setting a task that involved student collaboration, contextualisation of content, and communication through new media, specifically creative podcasting. Examination results were used as a source of empirical evidence of changes in understanding and retention that occurred for students who completed this task. In comparing results across 2 years on similar questions related to the podcasting topics, we found a statistically significant improvement after introduction of the podcasting task on the questions related to one of the topics on which students had actively created their own podcasts (“acids & bases”), but not on the other (“oxidisation and reduction”). Improved learning outcomes in the form of better understanding and retention over time in at least one case suggest that under some circumstances creative podcasting may indeed help to promote a deep learning approach.     

Podcasting in a virtual English for academic purposes course: learner motivation

In this study we explored the effect of podcasting on the motivation of the students in an online English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course at the university level (N?=?179). By using a mixed-method approach, we analyzed the data collected on the learners' impressions about using podcasts as a learning tool. The particular aim of this study was to help learners do research in English in their specific academic field. In their EAP course the learners are expected to study various types of English texts, listen to media and give lectures on their academic findings. The findings of this study revealed that males found podcasting significantly more relevant and attractive than females. Females, on the other hand, were significantly more satisfied with using podcasts in their EAP class. Further, results showed that learners who had no prior experience of podcasts for academic purposes outperformed the learners with medium experience. For further qualitative investigation, several sources were used for data collection including interviews with the learners, the course forums, emails, the class groupblog, podcasts and open-ended questions. Overall podcasting proved highly effective in motivating the students to learn in the online environment.     

Diffusion of innovations: Smartphones and wireless anatomy learning resources

The author has previously reported on principles of diffusion of innovations, the processes by which new technologies become popularly adopted, specifically in relation to anatomy and education. In presentations on adopting handheld computers [personal digital assistants (PDAs)] and personal media players for health sciences education, particular attention has been directed to the anticipated integration of PDA functions into popular cellular telephones. However, limited distribution of early “smartphones” (e.g., Palm Treo and Blackberry) has provided few potential users for anatomical learning resources. In contrast, iPod media players have been self‐adopted by millions of students, and “podcasting” has become a popular medium for distributing educational media content. The recently introduced Apple iPhone has combined smartphone and higher resolution media player capabilities. The author successfully tested the iPhone and the “work alike” iPod touch wireless media player with text‐based “flashcard” resources, existing PDF educational documents, 3D clinical imaging data, lecture “podcasts,” and clinical procedure video. These touch‐interfaced, mobile computing devices represent just the first of a new generation providing practical, scalable wireless Web access with enhanced multimedia capabilities. With widespread student self‐adoption of such new personal technology, educators can look forward to increasing portability of well‐designed, multiplatform “learn anywhere” resources. Anat Sci Ed 1:233–239, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.     

Developing Videos to Better Inform Middle School Students About STEM Career Options

Student perceptions of science-oriented careers and scientists have been shown to be largely inaccurate. Through an instructional design and development process we have developed a method for offering students more accurate information about science-oriented careers. This paper follows the steps involved in developing a volume of podcast/interviews with STEM professionals and implementing the podcasts in middle level science classes. The purpose of the podcasts is to better inform middle school students about STEM career options. We present the challenges and successes of the development process as well as the efforts to create a second volume of podcasts, planned improvements and efforts for larger scale implementation, and the results from a pilot study involving the podcasts.     

PISA as a Political Tool in Spain: Assessment Instrument,Academic Discourse and Political Reform

This study examines to what extent there is a sort of “political appropiation” by political parties when they seek to set a discourse about the Spanish PISA outcomes. We have consistently found that programs for assessing the competencies of students, especially PISA, have become tools of rationalization and the legitimization of education policies in both the national and territorial contexts. Furthermore, each regional government focuses its discourse on what it feels to be its strong points, that is, a clear “self-justifying reading” of PISA outcomes.     

The cultural politics of national testing and test result release policy in South Korea: a critical discourse analysis

This paper examines the ideological construction of educational discourses embedded within the South Korean print media. Significantly, these discourses have recently promoted the resurrection of a sweeping national testing and test results release policy. Through careful examination of the “test plus release” policy, the authors show how the government has achieved hegemonic power by shaping public opinion through the national testing contexts. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of educational policy texts from the government and top 10 print media sources, this paper analyses how discourses on “accountability”, “the right to know” and “the fairness of the tests” have been produced, reproduced and recontextualized to favour particular perspectives. The authors also examine how government and influential print media discourses interact with political and cultural factors such as “acclaiming the evaluative state”, “education fever” and “meritocratic beliefs” to achieve public consent for the new “test plus release” policy.     

Adrian Peterson and the “Wussification of America”: Football and Myths of Masculinity

Twitter has become a unique site for making sense of public discussions about authority and morality in the United States. This article addresses these discussions by analyzing the elements of conservative discourse that claim the health of the nation is in decline because of a diminished emphasis on masculine leadership. There is a long tradition of conservative politicians in the United States warning against “soft” or “weak” figures of authority. Such conversations take place within a range of contexts, including the sport of football. As a means to engage hegemonic masculine authority from a critical perspective, this article investigates Twitter users’ various reactions to Adrian Peterson’s suspension due to his disciplining his child with a “switch.”     

Voice over distance: a case of podcasting for learning in online teacher education

This paper reports on a case study of an online pre-service teacher education course in a New Zealand university aimed at exploring the potential of student-generated podcasts as a form of interactive formative assessment at a distance. The study was part of a wider two-year funded project with the overall goal of documenting, developing, and disseminating effective and innovative e-learning practice. Findings from lecturer and tutor interviews, student focus group (FG) discussion, and course evaluations indicate that the podcasting task provided opportunities for the course lecturer, tutors, and students to learn and share ideas with one another. The experience empowered students to develop the skills and confidence to initiate more independent inquiry into technologies to support their pedagogical purposes. The study contributes to a better understanding of the skills, dispositions, and knowledge needed to prepare teacher candidates for teaching-learning contexts where information and communication technologies are increasingly pivotal.     

Ideology and social formation in teacher education

Teacher education contains codes of culture that are shaped by two important dynamics of American life. One is the process of professionalization: Certain occupations have cultural and social authority in controlling realms of meaning and definitions of reality. The second is the predicament of schooling: Social issues of power and interest are incorporated into the discourse of pedagogy and give direction to teacher education. The realization of administrative control and “practical” reasoning occurs within contexts of power that relate to these two dynamics.     

Troubling “understanding mathematics in-depth”: Its role in the identity work of student-teachers in England

In this paper, we focus on an initiative in England devised to prepare non-mathematics graduates to train as secondary mathematics teachers through a 6-month Mathematics Enhancement Course (MEC) to boost their subject knowledge. The course documentation focuses on the need to develop “understanding mathematics in-depth” in students in order for them to become successful mathematics teachers. We take a poststructural approach, so we are not interested in asking what such an understanding is, about the value of this approach or about the effectiveness of the MECs in developing this understanding in their participants. Instead we explore what positions this discourse of “understanding mathematics in-depth” makes available to MEC students. We do this by looking in detail at the “identity work” of two students, analysing how they use and are used by this discourse to position themselves as future mathematics teachers. In doing so, we show how even benign-looking social practices such as “understanding mathematics in-depth” are implicated in practices of inclusion and exclusion. We show this through detailed readings of interviews with two participants, one of whom fits with the dominant discourses in the MEC and the other who, despite passing the MEC, experiences tensions between her national identity work and MEC discourses. We argue that it is vital to explore “identity work” within teacher education contexts to ensure that becoming a successful mathematics teacher is equally available to all.     

Pervasive,lifestyle‐integrated mobile learning for distance learners: an analysis and unexpected results from a podcasting study

This article opens with a discussion of how and why mobile learning (m‐learning) is purported to be the next step in the evolution of distance education, before looking at various perspectives on what m‐learning constitutes. It critically examines the degree to which ‘true’ m‐learning has been achieved, by offering pedagogical value beyond the mere use of mobile devices to deliver e‐learning content. The authors argue that podcasting, in combination with a variety of portable MPEG Layer 3 (MP3)‐capable devices that are increasingly ubiquitous, can be used to deliver a form of m‐learning that offers a higher degree of lifestyle integration than many current ‘state of the art’ m‐learning applications, despite not being as technically complex. They present an example of a study in which podcasting was used to deliver supplementary listening material to distance learners undertaking an information technology subject. An end‐of‐semester survey yielded extremely positive feedback about uptake levels and the perceived effectiveness of the podcasts in aiding the students’ learning of the subject matter. However, it also produced interesting results on the ways the students made use of the podcasts, which deviated from the researchers’ original intentions for ‘anytime, anywhere, any device’ learning. The results are discussed in the light of possible influencing factors, supported by follow‐up interview data. The study may have broader implications for the still nascent field of m‐learning.     

Narrative authority vs. perjured testimony: Courage,vulnerability and truth

This paper outlines a method for describing and analysing discursive practices in education. Discourse analysis exposes and clarifies the discursive practices by which and through which all aspects of education are carried out. An analysis of representative “classic” texts of radical educational theory was undertaken in order to study the discursive construction of knowledge. The case‐studies reveal a discursive operation of recontextualization,where a paradigm‐shift away from the functionalist discourse of education is effected. This operation involves “translating” the categories of “education” and “schooling” from their familiar discursive contexts to a new context where they enter into new relations with unfamiliar terms and categories. The radical education critique and the knowledge organized around and through it fall into a pattern which echoes the sermon genre of the jeremiad, which facilitates the construction of knowledge in terms of the gap between “full humanity” [Freire] or the Jeffersonian ideal [Bowles and Gintis] and the actual present state of alienation. Radical discourse in effect both constructs that gap and determines the means by which it can be closed.     

The enactment of literacy curriculum policy by early childhood teachers in two Australian schools

Since the early 2000s, literacy education has become an area of intense focus in Australian education policy, positioned to have a role in Australia's pursuit of enhanced international competitiveness in the “global knowledge economy”. Policy called for improvements in literacy outcomes, monitored by mandated annual assessments, and policy statements recognised the need to establish solid literacy foundations in early childhood to facilitate learning, and desired improvements, in later years. This article is derived from a larger study that investigated the production and enactment of literacy curriculum policy by early childhood teachers in Australian schools. It focuses on the school level within the State of Western Australia, presenting findings derived from thematic and critical discourse analysis of participant interview and documentary data collected in two case‐study schools. Comparative analysis revealed that literacy curriculum policy processes in both case‐study schools were focused on achieving improved test results in mandated testing regimes. This was impacting upon literacy curriculum in the early childhood years of schooling, in Australia deemed to involve children up to 8 years of age, in many, possibly adverse, ways. These findings may offer insights in other contexts about literacy curriculum policy processes that are focused on enhancing competitive positioning.     

Podcasts are not for everyone

Twenty‐first century students are expected to utilise emerging technologies such as lecture podcasts as learning tools. This research explored the uptake of podcasts by undergraduate students enrolled in two very different cognitively challenging subjects in the second year of the nursing programme and in the first year of a business programme. Regardless of the semester, the different content being studied and the statistically significant demographic differences between the nursing and business cohorts, striking behavioural similarities emerged. Students from both cohorts in each semester under investigation spent similar amounts of time studying regardless of gender, age, Internet access and time spent on paid work. The patterns of podcast usage by responding nursing and business students were not significantly different. Non‐listeners in both cohorts did not differ significantly from podcast users (listeners) either demographically or with regard to personal access to computers, the Internet and MP3/4 players. Non‐listeners utilised lecture notes, text resources and the learning management system in a similar way to listeners. The only significant difference was the longer hours spent in paid work by non‐listeners. These findings reinforce the emerging concept that podcasts are not embraced by everyone. Despite the flexibility and mobile learning opportunities afforded by podcasts, significant numbers of students prefer to learn in face‐to‐face environments and by reading and/or listening in set study environments.     

Using phenomenology to conduct environmental education research: Experience and issues

Recently the environmental movement has seen much success and progress under a newly-framed green paradigm. Yet, despite the proliferation of national attention to, and public interest in, the go-green mentality, environmental education still seems to be stuck within the old environmental paradigm. This critical essay shares lessons that environmental education can learn through incorporating a human benefits approach. Ultimately, this essay calls for a reflection on environmental education's presence within the budding sustainability movement and calls for the “humanization” of environmental education discourse and pedagogical practice.     

Exploring the Use of Podcasts and Vodcasts: Multimedia Tools for Word Learning

The study investigated the impact of podcasts and vodcasts accessed through an iPod on fourth- and sixth-grade students’ vocabulary acquisition. Students were randomly assigned to either a podcast group or a vodcast group. Regardless of group assignment, each student completed three six-minute podcasts or vodcasts a day for three days. On average, students learned four out of nine words taught regardless of group assignment. The vodcast group learned significantly more words compared to the podcast group at the receptive level and at the expressive level. Student comments indicated that iPods should be used to teach and to review words.