Talk the talk: Learner‐generated podcasts as catalysts for knowledge creation

Abstract

Podcasting allows audio content from one or more user-selected feeds or channels to be automatically downloaded to one's computer as it becomes available, then later transferred to a portable player for consumption at a convenient time and place. It is enjoying phenomenal growth in mainstream society, alongside other Web 2.0 technologies that enable Internet users to author and distribute rich media content quickly and easily. Instead of using the technology for the mere recording and dissemination of lectures and other instructor-centred information, the project reported on in this article focused on enabling students to create their own podcasts for distribution to their peers. The article describes how engaging in the podcasting exercise promoted collaborative knowledge building among the student-producers, as evidenced through focus-group interviewing and an analysis of the products of their shared dialogue and reflection. The findings suggest that the collaborative development of audio learning objects enabling student conceptualisations of disciplinary content to be shared with peers is a powerful way of stimulating both individual and collective learning, as well as supporting social processes of perspective-taking and negotiation of meaning that underpin knowledge creation.

Interviewing the Experts: Student Produced Podcast

“…The authors of the present paper agree with other researchers (see, for example, Lee, McLoughlin, & Chan;2008) that "the true potential of podcasting technology lies in its knowledge-creation value, and its use as a vehicle for disseminating learner-generated content." This view is shared by Miller (2006) as well as Atkinson (2006), the latter of who believes that podcasting has limited impact as a mere method of distribution and that "the emerging developmental and research direction seems ... to be learning through creating podcasts and similar, in contrast to learning from podcasts."…”

Technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: what is ‘enhanced’ and how do we know? A critical literature review

“…Extensive changes were also necessary when interventions involved the generation of TEL resources by students (e.g. Hakkarainen et al 2007;Lee et al 2008). In all these cases technology had contributed to the redesigned teaching and learning activities.…”

“…Collaboration, knowledge-building and meaningful learning were expected from interventions that involved the generation of TEL resources by students (e.g. Lee et al 2008).…”

Pol-Casting: The Use of Podcasting in the Teaching and Learning of Politics and International Relations

“…We also asked students to produce their own podcast summaries of the seminar discussion. This mirrors work elsewhere, which has produced favourable feedback (see Lee et al, 2008). Asking students to summarise seminars can be seen as them participating in their own learning, or active learning (see Powner and Allendoerfer, 2008).…”