Nov
30
Use of Podcasts as a Learning Tool
November 30, 2007 |
Online Educa 2007 - Session 2a November 29
Speaker Dr Ming Nie, Dr Palitha Edirisingha – Uni of Leicester
The project here looked at how podcasts could be used for geography, earth science, and environmental science (GEES subjects). The IMPALA project covered a range of projects of which 5 were related to geography implying that podcasts may well be well adapted to geography. There are 10 UK institutions involved in the Impala work
There seemed to be six different models for using podcasts
o Lecture support (screencasts, short summaries, vid podcasting)
o Support field work – location based
o Practical based learning – visual guides to GIS software replacing written instruction, videos cast for specimens examination
o Topical issues
o Means for assessment – student podcasts instead of fieldwork reports
o Providing feedback to student assignments or assessments
The impact on learning was felt to cover:
o Flexibility and learner control – students look at podcasts in own time, do work piece by piece
o A new way of assessment
o Enhanced understanding of subject related materials – can revisit materials
o Capture informal knowledge
o Personalised learning experience
Future work will cover multiple learning spaces (theory learning, practical and lab based learning, field based), digital repository for podcasts, and tackle more difficult areas
There will be a launch of Media Zoo on Second Life in December and a Learning Futures Conference in January 08 in Leicester
