Use of rich-media resources by engineering undergraduates

The ability to develop and distribute digital teaching resources in higher education has developed rapidly over the last decade but research into how students use such resources has received limited attention. This study uses questionnaire results, Internet analytic data and semi-structured interviews to examine the use of three types of rich-media teaching resources – lecture podcasts, key-concept videos and tutorial solution videos – by engineering undergraduates. It is found that students value all three types of resource, especially for revision and as a supplement to lectures. Students find short, focused resources more useful than longer ones. Non-native English speakers and those with disabilities derive particular benefits from the resources. The effect of rich-media resources on lecture attendance is found to be small, and two-way.     

The introduction and refinement of the assessment of digitally recorded audio presentations

Abstract

This case study critically evaluates benefits and challenges of a form of assessment included in a final year undergraduate Religious Studies Open University module, which combines a written essay task with a digital audio recording of a short oral presentation. Based on the analysis of student and tutor feedback and sample assignments, this study critically examines how teaching and learning practices linked to this novel form of assessment have been iteratively developed in light of the project findings over a period of two years. It concludes that while this form of assessment poses a number of challenges, it can create valuable opportunities for the development of transferable twenty-first-century graduate employability skills as well as deep, effective learning experiences, particularly – though not exclusively – in distance learning settings.     

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.     

Action Research: Methods That Make Sense

Abstract

This article outlines five Web 2.0 resources and looks at the use of these tools among medical and nursing professionals and students at the Hospital, Medical School, and Nursing School of the University of Pennsylvania. Questionnaires showed that a majority of the individuals surveyed were unfamiliar with Web 2.0 resources. Additional respondents recognized the tools but did not use them in a medical or nursing context, with a minimal number using any tools to expand their medical or nursing knowledge. A lack of time to set up and use the resources, difficulty of set-up and use, skepticism about the quality of user-generated medical content, and a lack of perceived need for Web 2.0 resources contributed substantially to non-use. The University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Library is responding by increasing the availability of basic, quick, and easy-to-use instructional materials for selected Web 2.0 resources.     

Integration of virtual microscopy podcasts in the histology discipline in osteopathic medical school: Learning outcomes

Virtual microscopy podcasts (VMPs) are narrative recordings of digital histology images. This study evaluated the outcomes of integrating the VMPs into teaching histology to osteopathic medical students. The hypothesis was that incorporating virtual microscopy podcasts as supplementary histology resources to the curriculum would have a positive impact on student performance and satisfaction. Sixty-one podcasts of dynamic microscopic images were created using screen recordings of the digital slides. The VMPs were integrated as supplementary histology resources in multiple courses during the first and second years of the medical curriculum for three classes, a total of 477 osteopathic medical students. A voluntary and anonymous survey was obtained from the students using a questionnaire that included two open-ended questions. The overall performance of the three classes on the histology content of the preclinical course examinations was compared to historical controls of the previous two classes that did not have access to the VMPs. Most students indicated that the podcasts enabled more efficient study time and improved their confidence in the histology content on examinations. The findings indicated a positive association between podcast viewing and efficient study time utilization and class performance. The class average scores of the three consecutive cohorts that used the VMPs progressively increased by 7.69%, 14.88%, and 14.91% compared to the controls. A summary of students' feedback and academic performance supported that integration of the VMPs into Histology teaching improved the learning experience. The findings align with previous studies on the effectiveness of multimedia-based teaching in histology laboratory modules.     

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.     

New technology,new pedagogy? Employing video podcasts in learning and teaching about exotic ecosystems

This paper examines the experiences of undergraduate university students in response to the employment of video podcasts to support learning and teaching about exotic ecosystems. Six, 15–20‐minute podcasts were made accessible to students through a virtual learning environment, either online or to download to mobile technology. The students were free to watch the podcasts whenever and wherever they chose to. The perceived and actual effectiveness of the technology was assessed by written questionnaire, focus groups and summative assessment results. Students agreed that the podcasts were effective in supporting learning and teaching on the course, largely by offering a flexible and visual learning experience. The podcasts were also perceived as a useful resource for revision and assessment, providing visual images that stimulated factual recall and highlighted knowledge gaps. There were no significant differences, however, in examination essay grades comparing cohorts prior to and post adoption of podcasts. The key to improving the student learning experience appears to lie not in adopting new pedagogy, but in reflexively developing the existing pedagogic strategies employed by both teachers and learners. Of primary importance is uniting the individual learning experience of podcasts with group exploration and critical discussion in a collaborative learning framework.     

Student-generated content: an approach to harnessing the power of diversity in higher education

Internationally, classes in higher education institutions are becoming larger and more diverse. Support for ‘non-traditional’ students has often taken the form of additional remedial classes offered outside the main curriculum, which has met with limited success. Sociocultural theories of learning argue that the potential clash between the sociocultural context of disciplinary knowledge and the very different home contexts of many non-traditional students needs to be acknowledged. One way to achieve this is to use student-generated content, which allows teachers to bring student experiences and voices into the community of practice and acknowledges the importance of their prior experiences in knowledge production. Building on such sociocultural approaches to teaching and learning, this paper focuses on the use of student-generated podcasts as a means to harness the diversity of student experiences in a large (nearly 600 students) first-year Economics class at a South African University.