The Effectiveness of Using a Content Acquisition Podcast to Teach Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonics to Preservice Special Education Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using a content acquisition podcast (CAP) to teach phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics (PA) to preservice special education teachers. Fifty undergraduate preservice special education teachers over 2 years were randomly assigned to either the CAP group or a comparison group during a semester-long course on language development. The CAP group watched a 10-min CAP on PA, and the comparison group read a practitioner-friendly article. As part of the course, both groups were instructed to complete a required textbook chapter reading before class and received an expert guest lecture on these topics following the experimental conditions. There were no pretest differences between groups, years, or between students who completed the required textbook reading and those who did not. Results indicated that the CAP group significantly outperformed the comparison group on declarative knowledge and application items in PA and grew in their learning at a faster rate. CAPs offer an effective and efficient method for teaching PA and, in this study, were more effective at teaching PA and at helping students apply that knowledge than reading alone.

Content acquisition podcasts’ impact on preservice teachers’ understanding of language and disability

“…This multimedia focuses on one specific topic in one concise presentation and is designed to be viewed several times (Peeples 2516British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 51 No 6 2020. Furthermore, CAPs are able to blend the desirable features of podcasts (eg, increased accessibility) with validated instructional design principles and content developed by experts (Carlisle, Thomas, & McCathren, 2016). The uses of these instructional design principles, which are drawn from Mayer's (2008) Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML), make CAPs quite distinct from typical podcasts.…”

“…Numerous studies have used this framework to develop and disseminate CAPs to a variety of professionals in the field of education (Kennedy et al , 2016). For example, Carlisle and colleagues (2016) conducted an investigation that examined the effects of using a single CAP to teach 25 special education undergraduates on the topic of language development when compared to another group that read a practitioner‐friendly paper ( n = 25). Both groups were tested prior and after the intervention was implemented.…”

Toward a Model of Learning and Transfer: A Review of Instructional Methods and Learning Outcomes in Special Education Teacher Preparation

“…CAPs are not intended to replace classroom instruction, but instead supplement it (Carlisle et al, 2016). Carlisle et al (2016) compared the use of CAPs with text-based instruction (i.e., reading a practitioner-friendly article) on the topics of phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Participants completed a multiple-choice test to measure knowledge acquisition, which the authors referred to as “declarative knowledge items” such as “phonology refers to the rules for:” followed by four choices (p. 91).…”

Special Education Preservice Teacher Knowledge of Mathematics Methods: The Effects of Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs)

“…CAPs have also been used to build preservice teachers’ knowledge of phonological awareness skills (Carlisle, Thomas, & McCathren, 2016; Kennedy, Driver, Pullen, Ely, & Cole, 2013). For example, in the Kennedy and colleagues’ (2013) study, undergraduate students were assigned to one of two conditions: (a) reading an article on phonological awareness or (b) watching a CAP on phonological awareness.…”