Podcasting (and more), the final frontier...

Captain's Blog supplemental, earth date...

Okay this week's blog is a little late coming but between sicknesses and conferences I honestly thought last week's blog was the final.

I took a slightly different perspective since to me podcasts overlap with other video and audio formats.  Are podcasts just pure recordings?  Are they lectures recorded either in audio format and/or video?  Are they an actual media or method for lesson delivery?  As King (2011) notes podcasts include a wide variety of different media and lesson methods (p. 33).  Because of this I have chosen to structure the blog as per four chapters found in King and Cox.  Podcasting in itself does not stand out as a distinct technology or instructional method, more of a concept inclusive of other technologies.

Therefore, my blog this week looks at four very powerful potential technologies/concepts, especially for distance learning and/or multi-media supplementals for face-to-face classes:
1. Podcasts
2. Audio feedback
3. Videos
4. Narrated presentations

As mentioned in my other blogs, it starts with the design of the course, what are the learning objectives?  These should take into account the environment and type of course.  Selection of one of the technologies or all, can really add to the benefits of  a course.

PODCASTS

Some of the challenges facing an online course can be the lack of familiarity.  As adults learning in a variety of different settings and from various backgrounds, a certain lack of interest and hence loss of motivation can develop when learners feel isolated.  In an asynchronous environment, one of the potentially powerful ways to combat this is through podcasts.

Podcasts can put a human face on the instructor.  More importantly it can enable the learners "see" each other and not have to always be present for an online synchronous chat.  However, podcasts as any technology, has its limitations and drawbacks.

Learners who are not comfortable recording themselves may feel alienated by assignments forcing students to podcast.  It takes a certain nerve to record yourself or interviewees for the world to see.  Of course, so of this can be eliminated by hosting private sites, but this then raises other barriers.  Also, podcasts while enabling a more personalized learning tool is none-the-less a one way conversation.  It is not dynamic.  Yes, people can either leave comments or podcast a response but this still does not entirely address the disconnection distance learners may feel or create a dynamic learning environment.

Some of the more noted educational examples of video podcasts include the TED talks series and some of the Kahn Academy.  Currently some leading edge universities make use of podcasts in the form of MOOCs (see my previous blog on this subject).  MOOCs offer online courses for the masses and professors make use of the podcasts to get across the basic information in lecture format using the assistance of a virtual white board.  Some go beyond this simple concept.

For me one of my favourite podcasts is Hong Kong Today.  I really miss living in HK and this podcast at least lets me keep up to date on what is going on in Hong Kong!

http://podcast.rthk.org.hk/podcast/item.php?pid=78


AUDIO FEEDBACK

Like the podcast, audio feedback can provide a much more personalized learning experience for the distance learner.  As cited in King and Cox (2011), Ice et al. in 2007 did a study where "researchers found that graduate online learners though audio was far better than text-based [feedback] in conveying nuance and helping student retain and apply course content" (p. 58).  The audio provides the tone and other subtleties that text lacks.  It provides context, which is important for adult learners to frame their learning experiences.

Audio feedback does have limitations however, again if learners are not comfortable using the technology then it can be limiting.  Also, the complexities of using the correct codecs and having the right players that recognize these codecs might be an issue for some.

The author of this blog attended the Desire to Learn Conference in Memphis Tennessee in July 2008.  One of the presenters at a workshop was a Spanish instructor from one of the Tennessee State University affiliated colleges.  She taught Spanish via distance learning in an asynchronous environment.  Students would have to record themselves reading certain passages prescribed by the instructor.  The instructor would then provide feedback via a recording.  She would record the proper way to pronounce the word, replay the student pronunciation, and provide further help all via audio feedback.  Once a week there would also be synchronous conversation but a large part of the course was built on the audio feedback.  The instructor testified that she had good success using this methodology and most students were successful.  It was not for everyone and some learners did not find it completely conducive for learning oral Spanish.

VIDEOS

Are a wide reaching subject.  It can be used for synchronous or asynchronous classes.  As mentioned before technology impaired instructors and learners may find it challenging to create videos.  However, as per King and Cox (2011) "resources needed are few and inexpensive, and free software can do everything you need" (p. 86).  Thus, some of the traditional limiting aspects of video creation are nullified by today's software and other online resources.

Video creation can also enable learners and instructors alike to unleash there full range of creativity.  The only limiting aspect for either might be course objectives or their own imagination.  They also offer professors a means to capture classes or lectures that may otherwise have been missed.  Today, new video software offers instructors more creative means to capture lessons compared to the old video camera recording a live lecture.

NARRATED PRESENTATIONS

PowerPoint while often cited as the most overused and misused technology available, it still offers a powerful platform enabling a speaker to integrate audio, film, text, and websites.  It can also be accessed over a live broadcast to students or audience members in a remote location.  One drawback for  online learners is good PowerPoint presentations are often designed with a speaker in mind.  Thus, viewing a standard PowerPoint from a professor online may not capture the full essentials or nuances of the lesson.

A narrated presentation can make use of a PowerPoint of similar presentation software to provide an enriched learning experience for asynchronous distance learners or for students who wish to replay the course material.   Just like audio feedback, a narrated presentation can provide the enriched experience provided by a human voice that offers the learner context and nuance based on the tone and direction of the voice.  A more engaged learner provided a context will have a higher retention rate compared to observers of a recorded PowerPoint (or similar) technology.  As Benjamin Darrow said "bring the world to the classroom, to make the universally available the services of the finest teachers" (as cited in Mayers, p. 9).  Video (and similar technology) permits the instructor to be free of the confines of their environment and reach a far wider network of learners.

SUMMARY

Each learner will have their own needs and requirements with respect to learning style and retention.  The aforementioned technologies (podcasts, audio feedback, videos, & narrated presentations) offer a powerful tools to instructors that can address some of the shortfalls of distance, asynchronous, and traditional face-to-face learning environments.  It is important to know the limitations of the technology and be clear about what you, as the instructor are trying to achieve, by use of this technology.  Remember the right tool for the right job!

References

King, K.P. and Cox, T.D., eds.  (2011).  The professor's guide to taming technology.  Charlotte, NC:  Information Age Publishing.

Mayer, R.E.  (2001).  Multi-media learning.  Cambridge, UK:  Cambridge University Press.