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Enhancing Students’ Collaborative Learning Through
Podcasts
LIBBY ROTHWELL Kingston University
MING NIE University of Leicester
GILLY SALMON University of Leicester
Abstract We report here on a study at Kingston University which
sought to integrate informal podcasts with formal face-to-face teaching
to support students’ collaborative learning. The impact of podcasts on
students’ learning experiences was captured through focus groups,
personal interviews and an end-of-semester questionnaire. Findings of
the study indicate that the conversational style of the podcasts
appealed to students. Students felt that the topics and content of the
podcasts were interesting, relevant and useful. Students also
highlighted how podcasts helped them to learn by drawing together
different viewpoints from fellow students, mentors and tutors.
Introduction
The study was conducted at Kingston University during 2006, within a level
one core module in the English Language and Communication degree
programme. Sixty-five students from Journalism, Literature, Creative Writing,
French, Drama, Business and Sociology took the module, which embeds
academic skills development activities within an introduction to the study of
intercultural communication. The module was delivered in face-to-face
lectures and seminars and assessed by portfolio tasks. Five trained student
mentors from level three worked with staff to support students’ learning
throughout the module.
In order to encourage students from different subjects to learn from each
other and to form a learning community, six podcasts were developed. These
podcasts were 10-minute audio files delivered via Blackboard VLE. Each
podcast consisted of a variety of elements: staff summaries of key concepts,
interviews with students, discussions and conversations on assessment tasks
between students, mentors and tutors, top tips on presentation and research
skills given by mentors, and local resources on personal development. One
podcast was generated entirely by the mentors.
The study was conducted within the Higher Education Academy funded
research project called IMPALA (Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning
Adaptation). IMPALA investigates the impact of podcasting on student
learning in HE. It aims at delivering a testable and transferable model of
podcasting, developing subject-specific exemplars and user cases, and
providing guidelines for integrating podcasting into different disciplines.
Podcasting for Education
With increased broadband connections, freely downloadable software to
create sound files, and the popularity of portable MP3 players (EDUCAUSE,
2006), podcasting has captured the attention of academics and practitioners
in education. The adoption of Web2.0 applications that enable users to
generate and share content and form online communities have also
contributed to the popularity of podcasts (Edirisingha & Salmon, forthcoming).
Currently, there are many experiments being carried out in the UK universities
to explore the potential of podcasting in supporting student learning in higher
education. However, few evaluations have been done to examine the impact
of podcasting on the student learning experience. Chan and Lee’s (2005) pilot
study shows that informal podcasts can help address students’
preconceptions and alleviate their pre-class anxieties. Chinnery (2006) reports
on a study of using podcasts to bring an authentic cultural experience to
students learning foreign languages. Edirisingha et al., (2006) demonstrate an
example of integrating informal podcasts with Virtual Learning Environments
(VLEs) to support student online learning in an engineering module. Brittain et
al. (2006) report an experiment in which students were provided with podcasts
of lectures. They note that podcasting lectures could give students an
opportunity to review the lecture materials and help them improve their
retention of the information presented in the lectures. The potential to
integrate podcasting within different disciplines and to support different
learning aspects in higher education needs further exploration.
This paper demonstrates an example of integrating podcasting with face-toface teaching to enhance student collaborative learning.
Dialogue for Education
Dialogue plays a significant role in teaching and learning processes (Webb et
al., 2004; Allen, 2005). Laurillard (2002) emphasizes the importance of
dialogue for university education and proposes a Conversational Framework,
which considers the teaching learning process as ‘an iterative conversation’.
According to Webb et al. (2004), dialogue includes instructions, guidance and
feedback from teachers, interactions with fellow students and other people,
and dialogue with the learner himself.
The philosophy that dialogue is important for learning was originally derived
from Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory of learning which emphasizes that
learning takes place through social interaction. In particular, Vygotsky (1978)
develops the notion of Zone of Proximal Development which measures how
social environment and peer collaboration influence individuals’ thinking and
learning. He defines Zone of Proximal Development as:
The distance between a child’s actual developmental level as
determined by independent problem solving and the higher level of
potential development as determined through problem solving under
adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.
(Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86)
Wenger (1998) proposes another social theory of learning which perceives
that learning takes place in a “Community of Practice”. The concept of a
community of practice refers to a group of people who share common
problems or interests, and work collaboratively to exchange ideas towards
better solutions.
Webb et al. (2004) comment that Wenger’s work emphasizes learning as an
active participation process which combines “doing, talking, thinking, feeling
and belonging”. Allen (2005) suggests that community members who can
share each others’ viewpoints and perspectives through discussion and
debate will come to a better understanding of problems. Therefore, fostering
such communities of practice between students, tutors and others through
collaborative work can significantly contribute to students’ learning (Taylor,
2003). Webb et al. (2004) conclude that for these communities, dialogue
seems to be an essential component.
Both Vygotsky’s and Wenger’s work emphasize the importance of social
interaction on individuals’ learning. Educational researchers have criticized
that the approaches to teaching and learning adopted by many higher
education institutions are based on the perception that learning is an
individual process (Wenger, 1998; Allen, 2005). Allen (2005) stresses that the
composition of learning groups and an emphasis on the interaction of learners
with one another can substantially contribute to individual learning.
With the advent of online teaching and learning technologies, electronic
communication are increasingly being embedded within learning
environments, which has resulted in new opportunities and challenges for
supporting learning through online communication and dialogue (Webb et al.,
2004). Barker (2002) suggests that any online communities must provide
communication mechanisms to promote knowledge and understanding
through dialogue, discussion and debate. Allen (2005) looks into the ways in
which conversation can be used as an approach to design online communities
and support online learning.
With the development of digital technology, digital audio files in the format of
MP3 are increasingly available to be downloaded and used for educational
purposes. There is a growing interest in digital audio files loaded onto
students’ own mobile devices, especially MP3 players, which may offer
platforms for a variety of services with potential impact on teaching and
learning in HE (Edirisingha & Salmon, forthcoming). The use of digital forms
of dialogue in learning and teaching processes needs further exploration.
This paper reports on a study exploring the use of podcasting dialogue to
support student learning.
Methodology
The impact of podcasting on students’ learning was captured through
qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative data was captured through
an end-of-semester questionnaire with thirty-five students, developed to
gather data on students’ pattern of listening to podcasts. Questions included
how many podcasts students listened to, when and where they listened and
reasons for not listening. The data was analyzed using Excel and employing
descriptive methods.
The qualitative data was captured through two focus groups with eight
students in the middle of the semester and personal interviews with six
students at the end of the semester. Student interviews, lasted about an hour,
and were conducted using a semi-structured interview schedule developed to
explore how student learning is supported by podcasts.
Staff experience of developing podcasts was gathered through a personal
interview with the lecturer who developed the podcasts. Information gathered
included the pedagogical rationale for using podcasts, the development
process, and issues encountered.
All interviews with both students and staff were recorded on a digital recorder
and transcribed verbatim for analysis to identify key themes and issues. The
qualitative data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach and went
through three stages: open coding, axial coding and selective coding (Strauss
& Corbin, 1990). The key findings are presented below.
Results
Enhance collaborative learning
Many students reported that the podcasts based on conversations and
discussions on assessment tasks between students, mentors, and tutors were
very useful.
One of the students found that the podcast with tutor’s advice on how to do
presentations very useful because she would know exactly what the tutor
expected her to do.
“Yes, because I had my presentations to do. I had two presentations
to do. And I really need some advice. I really need to know what the
tutors expected from me. So I really want some advice I could get,
of course by podcasting, listening to it.”
Another student found that one particular podcast in which mentors gave out
advice on how to do presentation very useful. He felt that the opinions and
experiences from mentors valuable because they had been through the same
module before. The particular podcast provided him with “top tips“ and helped
him to build up confidence in doing the presentation.
“And we had the mentors advising us because they are second
year students, so they have been doing presentations, so they knew
about it, they have already done it. So they have been advising us
how to do presentation.”
“Useful, it cleared up some points. It just helps me to guide myself
along a bit, so be more confident.”
Other students found the podcasts in which mentor students discussed how to
do portfolio tasks very helpful. Students reported that these podcasts helped
them to do the assessment tasks. In particular, they helped students to learn
by drawing together different viewpoints from different parties.
“The third one was really useful because…mentor students, they
were talking about the portfolio task, which one you have to write,
the assignment, so it’s very useful…and they show you their point of
view, so you can have the different or you can have the same…so I
find it very useful.”
“I didn’t know how to write this portfolio, I didn’t finish. It’s like in
progress. So they gave me like a different view about one point, like
from both of them, so they might have the same idea as I, and I can
compare it, or they’ve got a different one. So it’s more like, you
know, you can see the difference.”
“And also the assignment, there was a task in assignment to be
done, and I have already done it. When I saw on Blackboard the
podcasting about second year students and tutors discussing about
this assignment, I just click and listen to it because I wanted to know
what the other points I didn’t mention. So that’s why.”
“Also they (mentors) have been discussing a question, so we’ve
been given a task or assignment to do on Intercultural
Communication itself, so they have been discussing it. And it was
quite different from our point of view because we were first year, all
first year students, and they are second year students, so their point
of view is a bit more elaborated, a bit more contrast to me.”
Listening to dialogue is motivational
Listening to podcasts had an added benefit, beyond just the preparation of the
assessment. Many students described their feeling of listening to podcasts as
motivational. Students commented that the informal conversational style
makes the podcasts interesting and alive.
“I really appreciate the discussion format, I mean the lecturer and
the mentors, they discuss about how to do presentations, and giving
tips and advice and everything. This I really like.”
“Yes, it does make it interesting because it’s proper discussion…It’s
interesting because you’re gaining a lot information from a little
discussion on the subject.”
“I think if just someone sitting there and reading the notes, I think
then obviously it’s not going to work. You just got bored I suppose.
But if it’s like when you have two students communicate, that was
really interesting.”
“Yeah, that’s it, because listening to podcasts, I think it must be
alive. It shouldn’t like a person just reading because otherwise, I
don’t think students will be interested in listening to someone just
reading. It has to be some kind of debate, conversation, active,
alive, and inviting the person, draw the attention of the person, and
try to really put that person in the mood to listen to you.”
Revisiting materials
In addition to the aspects that listening to pocasts was motivational and
enhanced student collaborative learning, there are other beneficial effects that
podcasts offered to student learning.
Many students commented that listening to podcasts with reviews of key
concepts very useful because they provided students with an opportunity to
go back to the lecture material.
One of the students found that these podcasts can be particularly useful for
students who missed lectures for various reasons. This student had joined the
course later. She found that the podcasts helped her to catch up the key
points of the lectures she missed.
“But I found it quite useful because for the first three weeks I was
doing History with Journalism rather than English Language. So I
joined the course later… So having missed a few lectures, it made it
a lot easier to sort of download the podcasts, just to get that brief, a
review of what I missed, not feel like that I missed a lot…having that
podcast is just an extra bit of information you might have missed,
they might not be in that paper.”
Some students also found that the podcasts with reviews of key concepts
helped them to take notes easily. One of the students described how being
able to listen to key concepts again helped him to fill in the gaps in his notes.
“If I was in first year, I think it would be useful because when the
things done in the lectures you don’t always get everything written
down, the lecturer is talking quite quickly, so you don’t have an
opportunity to go back and listen to the main points again. And with
podcasts, it’s great. It will make you feel probably more secure if I
haven’t got everything written down.”
Offering flexibility in learning
Based on data collected from questionnaires, most students (61%) listened to
podcasts off campus, indicating the potential of podcasts for delivering
learning material to students beyond the formal educational setting.
Many students commented that listening to podcasts was flexible and
convenient because they can do it anytime when it suits them and they can do
it at their own pace. It was totally in students’ control.
“But I found it a solution though, for example because I work so
hard, my body sometimes just can’t make it into the class to pay
attention. So when I’m ready to devote all my entire attention to a
lecture subject, then I find it a solution to sit at home quietly, relaxed
and listen to the course material.”
“In lectures you have to take notes down pretty quickly because they
move to the next points in the time…and this podcast, you can stop,
take notes down, continue whatever you like…and I think that allows
the person who’s listening to learn at their own pace instead of
being set by the lecturer.”
Listening is easier than reading
Listening to podcasts also offered a psychological benefit; many students
perceived that listening is effortless and requires less concentration than
reading.
“Listening is easier. It requires less concentration on your part. It just
happened, you know. So you may not get all of the points, but you
may be more willing to do it. I don’t know, for example, to sit down
and read, for example, for Media Cultures is very demanding, you
have to be really concentrated. So it’s quite taxing and audio might
not be much as that. It might be easier to do.”
“My mind has to wonder if I’m reading. But if someone talked to me,
so being told, being spoken to about the subject, I found it lots
easier because you can make notes when you listen to rather than
you have to read something and make notes, read a bit more and
make more notes. I found it lots easier, it just flowed.”
Discussion
The key objective of using podcasts within this first year undergraduate
module was to foster a learning community in which students from different
disciplinary areas can share and exchange ideas through conversation and
discussion with each other. The results of the study proved successful in
supporting student collaborative learning through dialogue. Students
highlighted the benefits gained from podcasting dialogue: getting advice from
tutors, being able to share valuable experiences from senior students, being
able to learn by drawing together different viewpoints from different parties,
and being more motivated to learn. More interestingly, one of the students
suggested that podcasts can be used to promote effective cross-cultural
communication. This particular student suggested getting students with
different cultural backgrounds together for discussion of specific topics, to
help them understand cultural differences and learn from each others’ cultural
perspectives.
The results of the study also showed that podcasts offered other beneficial
effects on learning: providing students with an opportunity to revisit learning
materials, offering flexibility in student learning in terms of time, place and
pace, and offering psychological benefit that listening is easier than reading.
The experience of learning with podcasts proved successful for those who
listened to them. However, although the questionnaire survey showed that
50% of the students listened to at least one podcast, another 50% of the
students did not listen to any of them. The main reasons for not listening
varied: 40% students reported that they were too busy to listen, 20% students
reported that they did not know the availability of podcasts, 20% students
reported that they had technical difficulties in accessing the podcasts, and a
further 20% students reported that they did not see the relevance of podcasts
for their learning in the module.
This result suggests that all students in the module would benefit from
listening to the podcasts. The podcasts were not compulsory, which means
students could complete the assignments and pass the module without
listening to them. However, for those students who did listen to them, the
podcasts were perceived as adding value.
In order to promote podcasts, the lecturer may take two key factors into
consideration. On the one hand, she needs to investigate students’ needs and
identify a way to attract their attention and interest. On the other hand, she
could spend some time introducing students to podcasts. The induction
should not only cover general and technical aspects (such as where the
podcasts are located and how students can access them), but also their
pedagogical impact on student learning. In this way, students could
understand the main added value and possible benefits of using podcasts.
Conclusions and Future Work
Podcasting as a vehicle for delivering content in educational settings has
attracted much recent interest and debate. However, few studies have
focused on the impact of podcasting on the social and communicative
dimensions of student learning. Findings of this study suggest that integrating
informal podcasts with the formal educational setting can successfully
facilitate learning by dialogue.
Further studies will be needed to explore in more depth the ways in which
new learners identify with the podcast dialogues and student-generated
discussions. These insights may be of particular relevance in the design of
podcasts to support students from different cultural contexts to learn from
each other.
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Biography
Libby Rothwell: Principal Lecturer, School of Humanities, Kingston University, UK.
Libby is Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator for the Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences and also Co-Manager of ASC, the Faculty’s Academic Skills Centre. She is
currently involved in a collaborative project to develop materials for use in mobile and
classroom learning, to enhance students’ understanding of academic writing in their
discipline.
Ming Nie: Research Associate in E-learning, Beyond Distance Research Alliance,
University of Leicester, UK. She is currently involved with a Higher Education
Academy funded project called IMPALA (Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning
Adaptation). IMPALA investigates the impact of podcasting on student learning and
how the beneficial effects can be achieved through podcasting. The project aims at
delivering a testable and transferable model of podcasting and developing subjectspecific exemplars and user cases.
Gilly Salmon: Professor of E-learning & Learning Technologies, University of Leicester.
Gilly is known for her research and practice in the arenas of development and change
for successful e-learning processes and preparing for Learning Futures. Her research
and practice spans the role of ICT in enabling change in Higher Education, through the
development of research-led e-learning strategy, to pedagogical innovation in a wide
variety of forms including mobile learning, wikis and blogs.