Pros and Cons of Audio/Video Podcast into our Adult
Students.
A
podcast is one of the powerful ways to deliver information to the audiences who
love to listening more than reading. Nowadays, smartphones and other listening
device allows users to listen to their favorite podcasts (King & Cox,
2011). The pros of podcasts various depend on the users’ needs. One of the
great advantages is using a podcast as learning materials. For example,
international students who are interested in learning the English language
would follow podcast about learning English. In addition, teachers can use a
podcast for frequently asked question. I believe having a podcast about the
important questions it would save teachers and students time (King & Cox,
2011). Personally, I would love to use this idea in a higher education
setting. Another benefit is to use a podcast for tutorials. King
mentioned that instructors could meet the students’ need by providing
information related to the learning content. It allows students to have access
anytime and anywhere instead of waiting for an email or meeting face to face
(King & Cox, 2011).
Besides
all the advantages of podcasts, there are some disadvantages that users faced.
First of all, making a podcast is time-consuming. It requires multiple steps to
create a great product such as clear sound and quiet place to record. In
some cases, you have to record again if there is a problem. Another issue is
the formatting differences between new and old device. For example, if you
download a podcast with the old format it might not work in the new
smartphones. Finally, one of the big limitations of podcasts is the lack of
interactions. Users just listen to the files they cannot ask questions
(Billings & Kowalski, 2007).
Billings & Kowalski (2007). Using Podcasts for
Nursing Education. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 38(2), 56–57.
Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=507962167&site=ehost-live
King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s
guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Hi, Tariq—I appreciate this post on the pros and cons of audio/visual technologies in adult education. I’m drawn to the statement from Billings & Kowalksi (2007) regarding incompatible formats. While it can exist, I wonder if it’s really such an issue? Evans (2008) noted the unlikeliness that “any limitation to the growth of podcasting as a learning technology can be explained in terms by the absence of suitable devices (p. 492),” since so many compatible devices exist.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Billings & Kowalksi (2007) that creation of new content, as in podcasts, is timeconsuming. This can be combatted effectively first by repurposing existing content (King & Cox, 2011) as well as finding already created content on websites such as YouTube (ibid). Efficiencies can also be gained by curating a collection of multimedia resources and reusing them in subsequent courses or sessions (King, 2011).
Thank you for sharing your perspectives, and listening to the thoughts they created for me!
Best
--Les
Reference
Evans, C. (2008). The effectiveness of m-learning in the form of podcast revision lectures in higher education. Computers and Education, 50, pp. 491-498.
King, K. P. (2011). Podcasting: Learning on demand and content creation. In King, K. P. & Cox, T. D., Eds. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
King, K. P., & Cox, T. D. (2011). Video development and instructional use: Simple and powerful options. In King, K. P. & Cox, T. D., Eds. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Hello Les,
DeleteThank you for your feedback and interaction with my post. I appreciate your perspective.
Best,
Tariq
Tariq - I enjoyed your summary of the pros and cons of podcasting in the classroom, and agree with much of what you said. However - I don't find that podcasts are just for learners who love listening more than reading. My own personal experience is very conflicted with the rise of audio content - I adore books and could read non-stop for days. Lately I've had a hard time deciding between reading, listening to audio books, and listening to podcasts in my spare time. I often have many books and podcasts that I work through simultaneously on each platform!
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do think being able to listen while in transit is a huge perk for podcasting. I can listen to a podcast while walking to work but cannot navigate city streets with a book in hand.
Your point about dated files is interesting. I find that it is becoming less and less of an issue in the field of technology. Old files used to be incompatible because of the hardware required: no longer could you use a floppy disk when your new device only took USB. But with cloud-based, edge to edge networks file compatibility is less of an issue. There are many tools to transfer files between formats - another perk of the rapid rate of innovation in this space!
Appreciate your thoughts, thanks for sharing!
Hi KLM,
DeleteI like your idea that "I can listen to a podcast while walking to work but cannot navigate city streets with a book in hand". Thank you for your comment and appreciate your perspective.
Best,
Tariq
Tariq,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the cons that you outlined, concerning the ideal environment needed to record, and the time it takes to create one. And it is definitely true that the speed of technology can make it difficult to access older formats with new technology. Just the other day someone came in with a "floppy disk" and everyone stood in awe as they requested we find a way to access the files on it. How were we ever going to find a reader for it! It turns out that there is equipment stored for just that purpose, but it had to be a very particular set up with computer, monitor, everything that would be needed in that point in history to run it. I am sure that future online formats will be no different.
I also appreciate your comment concerning only being able to listen, and not interact. I think that this is one area where some generations feel there is a disconnect. While they want access to the information, without the feeling that there is "someone on the other end" I am sure that they feel at a loss in some learning environments and may not even consider them based on that fact.
Thank you for your great post!
JaiMenon,
DeleteI like your point that "future online formats will be no different" I would say for people who use technology a lot would not face a problem because they have enough experiences to find the right program to use with each format.
Best,
Tariq
You mention the different functions for podcasts. It really amazes me how versatile they really are - the average adult learner likely utilizes podcasts for learning for more than they even realize. For example, I regularly listen to podcasts when I get ready in the morning. I use to spend a lot of time listening to music and then I realized that I have at least 20 minutes a day where I could be getting ready and also learning something at the same time and thanks to podcasts I am able to do so! It makes me wonder what the future holds for podcasting and audio learning - I can only imagine that podcasts will continue to grow in popularity.
ReplyDelete