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Australasian Journal of
Educational Technology
2009, 25(3), 309-321
A review of podcasting in higher education:
Its influence on the traditional lecture
Oliver McGarr
University of Limerick
This paper examines the possible influence of podcasting on the traditional lecture in
higher education. Firstly, it explores some of the benefits and limitations of the lecture
as one of the dominant forms of teaching in higher education. The review then moves
to explore the emergence of podcasting in education and the purpose of its use, before
examining recent relevant literature about podcasting for supporting, enhancing, and
indeed replacing the traditional lecture. The review identifies three broad types of use
of podcasting: substitutional, supplementary and creative use. Podcasting appears to
be most commonly used to provide recordings of past lectures to students for the
purposes of review and revision (substitutional use). The second most common use
was in providing additional material, often in the form of study guides and summary
notes, to broaden and deepen students’ understanding (supplementary use). The third
and least common use reported in the literature involved the creation of student
generated podcasts (creative use). The review examines three key questions: What are
the educational uses of podcasting in teaching and learning in higher education? Can
podcasting facilitate more flexible and mobile learning? In what ways will podcasting
influence the traditional lecture? These questions are discussed in the final section of
the paper, with reference to future policies and practices.
Introduction
Podcasting refers to the distribution of audio/video files in digital format. These
resources can be manually downloaded from the Internet or distributed automatically
to subscribers. These files can be accessed directly from the desktop or transferred to a
portable media device such as an MP3 player to be listened to ‘on the go’. The term
podcasting emerged from the use of Apple’s portable audio player, the iPod. Despite
the proliferation of a range of portable audio, and more recently video, players by
other manufacturers, the term podcasting remains the term used to describe the
broadcasting of all audio/video files across the Internet in this manner. Podcasting has
seen significant growth in education in recent years driven by claims of its value in
supporting mobile learning and enhancing the student’s experience. In higher
education, podcasts are used frequently to deliver information that was once the
preserve of the traditional lecture. Given the potential of podcasts to distribute
recorded video and audio across wide networks of learners, it is reasonable to ask
what its impact on the traditional lecture will be. Higgins (2003) notes that teachers
often adopt innovations without always being able to understand their full
implications for teaching and learning. Will it diminish the value and significance
given to the traditional lecture? How will podcasting influence the traditional lecture
in higher education? Through a review of recent literature, this paper explores the
current use of podcasting in higher education in relation to the traditional lecture. This
review aims to examine three key questions:
310 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2009, 25(3)
• What are its educational uses in teaching and learning in higher education?
• Can podcasting facilitate more flexible and mobile learning?
• In what ways will podcasting influence the traditional lecture?
Before examining specific literature related to the use of podcasting, the benefits and
limitations of the traditional lecture will be examined. Following this review, the key
questions are revisited and discussed.
Examining the traditional lecture
According to Edwards, Smith and Webb (2001) lecturing is the main teaching method
used in universities. They note that its dominance has influenced the very architecture
of the teaching spaces used with fixed point podiums and tiered seating for large
numbers of students. Such is its centrality in university teaching the term lecture is
used synonymously with teaching. Behr (1988) notes that the term lecturer is preferred
by most academic staff to the term of teacher. The origins of the lecture can be traced
back over two millennia. Kozma, Belle and Williams (1978) note that its evolution as
the main instructional system in European universities emerged in medieval times as
the most effective method of transferring information stored in expensive and rare
books to large groups of students. Today the lecture remains the most common form of
communication in universities:
… the established routines that treat lectures as the main medium for communication
and education are still strong. Lectures as educational episodes are still likely to
represent among the most robust methodologies used by institutions to educate their
students. (Moore, Armstrong & Pearson, 2008, p. 18)
Forty years ago Fitzgerald (1968) asked, ‘Is there any point in the lecture as a form of
university teaching? After all, if information is what the students want, then surely a
well stocked library is the answer.’ (p. 11). The question has even more relevance today
in a digitally rich society with instant access to information in many forms. Yet despite
the emergence of various technologies over the centuries, there are numerous reasons
why the lecture has remained. Kozma et al. (1978) argue that from an economic point
of view the lecture is relatively inexpensive, they also note that it has survived the
competition of technologies such as television and film because of the relatively low
preparation time in comparison to other media.
There are several educational advantages to lectures, particularly if it is seen as more
than a method of information delivery. Edwards et al. (2001) note that while poor
lectures can leave students bored and frustrated, good lectures can inspire. Dolnicar
(2005) claims that effective lectures can provide the excitement of intellectual discovery
through the presentation of challenging and provocative ideas. She further adds that
the lecturer can relate the lecture content to his/her students’ prior knowledge and
relate it to real life examples, thus making the knowledge more meaningful. The
lecture can also be seen as a way of opening up a subject to a student helping them to
find their way through a large body of complex knowledge and providing the most up
to date knowledge in a particular field (Laing, 1968). Moore et al. (2008) note that
lectures:
… provide important signposts to students, that explain the rules of engagement that
many of them find it otherwise difficult to learn, and that help them to understand the
areas and tasks that they need to focus on most in order to navigate their learning
experiences more successfully (p. 17)
McGarr 311
Yet, despite these benefits there are drawbacks to the lecture as a form of teaching.
Williams and Fardon (2007) argue that “the role and effectiveness of the lecture in
higher education is a highly debated topic” (p. 1085). Isaacs (1989) observes that
lecturing is often characterised as the transfer of the lecturer’s notes to the students’
notepads without any thinking or processing of the information. This low level of
engagement in lectures, according to Kozma et al. (1978), encourages intellectual
passivity. This view is supported by Black (2005) who believes that the over-emphasis
on the teacher rather than the students contributes to the student’s isolation and
disengagement from the lecture, which discourages critical thinking and analysis of
the content. Similarly, Gibbs, Habeshaw and Habeshaw (1987) believe that lectures
induce a passive, reproductive mental set in students. Coupled with these problems is
the ‘shift towards pragmatism among students’ (Dolnicar, 2005, p. 103), who see the
lecture as simply a form of information transfer. Research by Moore et al. (2008) into
the reasons for lecture non-attendance of 230 undergraduate business students in an
Irish university, found that the students;
… do not articulate a sense of obligation to attend lectures, despite the messages,
assumptions and convictions that faculty members may share about the importance of
such attendance. Among this sample of students, at the very least, occasional lecture
absenteeism is the norm and, for many, absenteeism is a relatively regular occurrence.
(p.20)
The generally passive role of students in most lectures is at odds with current thinking,
which emphasises the need for more student centred learning strategies. Tormey and
Henchy (2008) claim that traditional lectures take little account of this contemporary
thinking. Over 20 years ago Gibbs et al. (1987) observed that, ‘there is an accelerating
trend in teaching methods in higher education away from teacher centred pedagogy
towards learner centred approaches’ (p. 11). However they also noted that this trend
was restricted by resource constraints, and that in many institutions large lecture
classes remain, because of their resource efficiency rather than their effectiveness.
Despite the apparent immunity of the lecture to changes over the decades, the
development of digital technologies is opening up many possibilities. The use of
podcasting as a method to enhance the lecture has emerged as growing technology.
The following section will examine this recent interest.
Recent interest in podcasting and its proposed benefits
Much that is written about podcasting refers to its ability to enhance convenience,
flexibility and accessibility to learning (Frydenberg, 2006; Nathan & Chan, 2007). It
appears that when one examines the purpose behind the use of podcasting, it falls into
three broad categories: enhancing the flexibility of learning, increasing accessibility to
learning (particularly in relation to enabling mobile access) and enhancing the
student’s learning experience (particularly in on campus courses through the use of
more blended learning experiences).
Increasing flexibility
The distribution of course material in video and audio formats, to provide greater
flexibility to learners, has been a common characteristic of distance learning programs
for a number of years. Digital technologies have enhanced this process through the use
of digital audio and video recordings that can be distributed across the Internet
directly to learners’ desktops. More recently, students can subscribe to automatic
312 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2009, 25(3)
downloads of new material as it becomes available, so it can be accessed by the student
in their own time and place. This form of automatic distribution of material certainly
increases the learner’s flexibility in accessing the course content.
Increasing accessibility
The ability to access this material on portable devices such as MP3 players can enable
more mobile access to the material. Evans (2008) argues that the increasing demands
on modern learners’ time means that they are often forced to study when the
opportunity arises, this may be on the bus, train or car, at evening or weekends or
during lunch breaks. These demands bring with them the need for portable
technologies that enable them to transport their learning materials to access when they
can. This ‘mobile learning’, or m-learning for short, is used widely in distance learning
programs because of the relative ease in which the digital resources can be produced
(Bongey, Cizadlo & Kalnbach, 2006) and because they facilitate the needs of the learner
and enhance their learning experience;
m-Learning is a natural match for distance education, since it has the potential to fit in
with the unique work-style requirements of the mobile workforce, who form a large
proportion of current and potential distance learners … by harnessing the idle
moments they have in their day waiting or travelling on public transport, allowing
them to undertake learning in conjunction with other tasks, or when on the move for
extended periods of time, such as during business trips. Many of them are
‘continuously connected’ by mobile phones, laptops and hand-held devices. (Lee &
Chan, 2007, p. 202)
Yet, despite the perceived value of the role of podcasting in facilitating m-learning, Lee
and Chan (2007) question this assertion. In examining these trends they ask ‘Is m-
learning nothing more than the new flavour of the month? Does it actually have
anything new to offer us in the way of improving and/or enhancing the way we teach
and learn?’ (p. 203). Questions linger in relation to its true educational value, the ways
it can be best utilised to support teaching and learning, and its affect on attendance
and student engagement.
Enhancing learning
As well as its increased use in distance education programs, podcasting has also
become popular with on campus courses. Kennedy, Judd, Churchward, Gray and
Krause (2008) note that the use of podcasts in education is gaining acceptance rapidly.
They further add that the degree to which students are using new and emerging
technologies in their daily lives opens up several opportunities to embed these
technologies into the university experience. Similarly, Harris and Park (2008) note that
the increasing use of podcasting in education has the potential to significantly change
the teaching and learning experience of students. They note:
Podcasting is being utilised not only to provide a repeat or summary of a lecture given
but also to provide timely academic material such as law-related news to students.
Such usages could create the relationship that is based on continuous communication
and interaction between teachers and students by having students engage in academic
debate and in accessing timely academic research (p. 549)
Copley (2007) notes that a number of universities have begun to use podcasts to
‘deliver supplementary lecture materials for campus-based students’ (p.388). He
claims that the most common use of podcasting involves the distribution of lecture
McGarr 313
recordings for students to review and revise. This approach he argues, is not too
dissimilar to the distribution of lecture notes in PowerPoint or similar formats to
students. As well as offering greater convenience, connection and control for the
learner, Williams and Fardon (2007) argue that the opportunity to replay and review
past lectures through podcasting aids revision and comprehension. Lazzari and Betella
(2007) have also noted this trend towards the use of podcasting to distribute learning
materials, but they also note that the literature is not well-supplied with examples of
case studies and evaluations of their use.
Having briefly examined the proposed advantages in using podcasts in education, it is
important to examine studies of its actual use, in order to gain an insight into the
reality of its use and attempt to answer the three questions outlined in the introduction
section.
Reviewing the literature on podcasting
Being a recent technology, it is perhaps understandable that research into the area of
podcasting in education is limited. Lazzari (2008) notes that there remains a paucity of
research, case studies and evaluations of the use of podcasting in education. Those that
exist, according to him, are mostly surveys into users’ acceptance of the innovation
rather than studies examining its effect on the students’ learning. Others appear to
focus on the technical aspects of the innovation, for example audio or video quality
and issues of bandwidth (Lazzari & Betella, 2007). Yet there are a number of studies
that provide an insight into some of the pertinent issues relating to its use in higher
education and its influence on the traditional lecture.
Lee and Chan (2007) report a study in which podcasting was used to deliver
supplementary material to distance learning students in an Australian university, their
research aiming to examine the level of uptake, the perceived value of the podcasts
and the students’ preferred way of using the podcasts. This case study used podcasts
structured as short 3-5 minute talkback radio style segments. The research employed
an online survey distributed to all 39 students on completion of the program.
Following the survey, a small random sample of students were selected for semi-
structured interviews. Of the 18 respondents to the survey all reported downloading at
least 8 of the 9 available podcasts, and 89% of them reported listening to at least three
of the podcasts multiple times. Unlike the uses reported in the literature, which claims
that students can access and learn from the material on the go, the students in the
study preferred to listen to the podcasts using a computer at home during a dedicated
study time. The authors further note that;
It was evident from most of the interviewees’ responses that they did not multitask
their listening of the podcasts with other tasks because they treated it as a learning
activity that formed part of formal, deliberate study efforts demanding undivided
attention and concentration within a designated study location (usually in the home).
(Lee & Chan 2007, p. 211)
They further argue that the usage reported in their research is at odds with the views
of m-learning portrayed in the literature. They add that further research into the issue
of multitasking is required since the concept of m-learning is based on the premise that
the learner has the capacity to deal with the cognitive load of focusing on the audio
podcast and attending to other tasks in parallel. This finding is supported by a study
by Evans (2008) into the use of podcasts by 196 undergraduate business and
314 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2009, 25(3)
management students in a United Kingdom university. The study involved the use of
three revision podcasts provided to the students on completion of a course on
information and communications technology but prior to the examination. In order to
access the final podcast, participants were required to complete an online
questionnaire that explored their experience and attitudes towards the various
technologies used to assist the delivery of the course. Similar to Lee and Chan’s (2007)
study, 80% of the students in Evan’s (2008) study listened to the podcasts on a PC
rather than a mobile device. While participants of the study were not asked whether
they owned a portable media device to play the podcasts, a survey of level-two
students in the same institution revealed that 70-80% of the students had portable
media devices. This suggests therefore that a similar level of ownership was likely in
the participating group. In addition to how they used the podcasts, the students also
reported finding them useful as part of their revision. In light of these findings Evans
(2008) notes that:
This suggests that podcasting can fill an important needs gap by allowing learners to
continue the learning activities when it might not normally be possible. However,
podcasts did not appear to offer much in the way of facilitating multi-tasking, with
most people claiming that they did not undertake any other activities whilst listening
to podcasts. (p. 495)
A study by Huntsberger and Stavitsky (2007) into the use of podcasting in a United
States university found similar types of use. The research, which aimed to explore
students attitudes towards podcasting and how they used it, investigated five course
revision podcasts of 15 to 28 minutes in duration, providing chapter summaries and
syntheses of course material at stages during the program. The podcasts were
provided to 249 students of an introductory journalism course. Students were invited
to complete an online survey and contribute comments and opinions to an online
discussion forum. The survey obtained 209 responses from 249 students (89%; the
authors note that students were offered extra credit towards their final course grade as
an incentive to participate). The research found that 87% of the respondents listened to
all podcasts at least once and that 91% of the respondents accessed the podcasts
“during their regular study sessions” (p. 403), rather than while engaged in some other
activity. While students found the initiative beneficial, the authors note that 40% of the
students used the podcasts as a replacement to the textbook rather than additional
revision material to supplement it. In light of this finding the authors noted that:
the instructor is faced with divergent approaches: rethinking how to make the
podcasts complement the readings without providing enough detail to make the text
seem unnecessary, or conceptualising the podcasts as a substitute for the text as, in
effect, an aural packet of readings, augmented perhaps by online sources. (p. 407)
Willams and Fardon (2007) conducted a study into how and why students used
portable media players to watch or listen to lecture recordings in an Australian
university. Their research involved the use of an anonymous online student survey
and focus groups. A total of 1,074 responses were received from the online survey,
however the authors do not highlight the number of focus groups conducted or the
response rate of the online survey. The university provided recorded lectures in
various formats, streamed, downloadable and podcasted. As with the previously cited
studies, the recorded lectures were seen as helpful. The study found that 71% of the
respondents indicated using the lectures for revision and review, while 47% of
respondents used them because of timetable clashes, and 43% because of work and
family commitments. About 28% indicated they accessed the recordings as they
McGarr 315
preferred them to the actual lectures. The authors note that, unlike other studies in the
literature, the portability of the recording format was seen as important by a high
proportion of the surveyed students. The reason for this, they suggest, is the nature of
the university which tends to have a very high proportion of students that commute to
the campus rather than living on or near it. The ease of access to MP3 files rather than
streamed audio was also suggested by the authors as a possible reason for this
preference.
The students’ preference for the ‘real’ lecture, as opposed to the recorded podcast, was
also apparent in a study by Copley (2007) into the use of supplementary material
delivered through video and audio podcasts to 283 undergraduate and postgraduate
science students in the United Kingdom. Using an online survey as the primary form
of data collection and through analysis of the students’ download patterns, Copley
found that students tended to use the podcasts for revision purposes rather than a
replacement for the lecture;
Patterns of downloads in time show clear peaks immediately after the podcasts were
made available, followed by sustained low-level download activity throughout the
semester and additional peaks immediately before exams or assessments (p. 390)
As with the previous studies there was a high level of enthusiasm for the future use of
podcasts with 93% of the respondents indicating that they would like to see greater use
of them. In line with previous studies referred to earlier, the study also found that 94%
of the respondents who downloaded the audio podcasts played them mostly on a PC
and that 87% who played the audio podcasts referred to lecture notes when reviewing
them. Only 13% of the respondents listened to them while doing other things. Copley
(2007) concludes that ‘Very few students indicated that they used the podcasts in an m-
learning context, reviewing their content while engaged in other tasks’ (p. 398).
Not all examples report high levels of pupil interest. Lazzari (2008) conducted research
into the use of podcasting to deliver supplementary recorded material to 47 students
studying a course in multimedia communications at an Italian university. The 10-15
minute recordings ranged from discussions to syntheses of material covered. The
research study analysed students’ test scores, distributed surveys and collected data
from student colloquia. The study found that students had a positive view of the use of
podcasting as part of their learning but found ‘a significant preference for notes rather
than podcasts as a quick tool for revising’ (p.5).
Bongey, Cizadlo and Kalnbach (2006) conducted research in a United States college
into the use of recorded podcast lectures. Their research aimed to examine the effect of
podcasts on student attendance, the students’ preferred use of podcasts, and the
students’ perceptions of their academic impact. The research utilised observations,
attendance records, server statistics and a survey distributed to the 246 participating
biology students (response rate 67%). The study found that the availability of the
podcasts did not lead to declines in attendance, with 95% of students indicating that
they did not attend class less often. This self reporting was supported by observations
of attendance. While 70% of the survey respondents indicated that they had used the
podcasting to improve their understanding of the course content, similar to the
research by Lazzari (2008) referred to previously, 94% of the respondents indicated
that they preferred the lecture over the podcast. The authors concluded that:
316 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2009, 25(3)
All of these findings seem to indicate that students perceive the podcasts as really
useful additional resources available to help them succeed in their courses rather than
as a substitute for more traditional methods of learning. (Bongey et al., 2006, p. 362)
These findings concur with a study by Hove and Corcoran (2008) into the effect of
lecture presentation availability on class attendance and academic performance. The
research was conducted with 365 students studying an introductory course in
psychology in a large Midwestern university in the United States. It found that the
availability of recorded lectures for students “did not reveal significant differences in
attendance rates” (p. 93). Comparing students' test scores with attendance among two
groups of students, one with unlimited access to recorded lectures the other without
access, the authors also noted that:
Our findings suggest that the supplemental class format was particularly useful for
students with lower attendance, whereas among students with higher attendance,
class format was not influential in determining course grades. (p. 93)
However, the authors noted that they viewed the study as a preliminary investigation
and that further research is required to examine in more detail the causal relationship
identified in their study.
While the studies referred to up to this point have focused on the instructor/teacher as
the producer of podcasts, some studies have examined the creation of podcasts by
students. Lazzari (2008), referred to previously, gave fulltime students in a multimedia
communication program three course tasks which involved the development of their
own podcasts. The first task involved the students in editing an audio file provided to
them. In the second task the students had to record their own answers to the original
questions in the first audio file and replace the original answers with their new
recordings. The final and most challenging task, required students to work in small
groups to prepare a podcast on one of the themes of the theoretical course studied.
Lazzari concluded that:
… by data and observation we can say that podcasting design, recording, and editing
spurred the development of reflective learning skills, stimulated students to go deep
into the questions they had to face, and fostered positive collaborative behaviours,
promoting the growth of students’ collaborative learning skills. (p. 6)
Similarly, a study by Frydenberg (2006) into the use of student generated podcast
summaries in a business college in the United States found that, while podcasting is
useful in disseminating course information, its use becomes more beneficial when
students are challenged to become creators of the material to be disseminated.
Frydenberg noted that as well as developing critical thinking skills, students must also
have a comprehensive understanding of the material in order to create the podcasts.
The nature of the activity therefore leads to a very engaging and worthwhile learning
experience.
Issues emerging from the review of literature
The exploration of the use of new and emerging technologies in education is an
ongoing pursuit. Huff (1991) believes that this urge to use the latest technologies is
understandable, even commendable, but he believes that their use should be grounded
by sound educational goals rather than ambitious expectations. The educational use of
podcasting has been accompanied by similar expectations, but what is the reality? The
McGarr 317
use of podcasting in education is a relatively recent innovation and much of the use
reported in this review captures a time of exploration and experimentation. Yet this
brief review has raised a number of issues which shed further light on its implications
for policy and practice. In returning to the three questions several issues emerge.
What are its educational uses in teaching and learning in higher education?
Given the limitations of using podcasting to support ‘mobile learning’, and the
students’ preferences that emerge from the studies reviewed, what are the ways in
which it can be used? The uses outlined in the previous studies point to three broad
categories along a continuum of use: substitutional use, supplementary use and
creative use. At a most basic level podcasting can be used as a substitute to the
traditional lecture where students can access an entire recording of the lecture. While
there is educational value in providing recordings of lectures for the purposes of
revision and review, if used exclusively as a substitute for traditional lectures such use
may further reinforce students as passive recipients of information.
Podcasting can also be used to provide supplementary material to assist learning. It
appears that there is significantly more educational value to podcasts when used in
this way. However, supplementary material can be in two very different forms. The
first, and most common form, is their use in providing summaries or syntheses of
course material, for example, summaries of lectures and syntheses of core readings.
Primarily using podcasts to provide summaries of material covered previously can,
like the substitutional use outlined above, add to the passivity of students and may
ultimately encourage less engagement in traditional lectures. This was apparent in
Huntsberger and Stavitsky’s (2007) research, referred to above, where 40% of the
students used the revision material supplied in the podcasts rather than reading the
core texts. As well as providing revision and summary material, supplementary
material can also be in the form of additional material which may broaden or deepen
the student’s understanding. This type of use can facilitate higher cognitive learning
outcomes since the provision of supplementary material can provide students with
alternative perspectives on content previously delivered or enable further and deeper
exploration of topics.
The final and least frequently mentioned use of podcasts in education, is what could be
described as creative use, wherein students become more engaged in the learning
through constructing knowledge rather than simply receiving it. The student is
required to have a deep level of knowledge of the subject matter if they are to
successfully construct a suitable podcast, and therefore this type of uses challenges the
student to critically examine the material they have been exposed to previously. This
type of use can also develop students’ ICT skills through the creation and
manipulation of digital media. When provided as a group task, other important social
skills, such as the student’s ability to collaborate and participate effectively in a group,
can be developed. Use of this student generated content can also facilitate peer
learning and contribute to a supportive and constructive class environment. Lee et al.
(2008) believe that ‘the true potential of podcasting technology lies in its knowledge
creation value, and its use as a vehicle for disseminating learner generated content’ (p.
504). Used in this way students can become knowledge creators rather than simply
knowledge receivers. However, it must also be noted that the completed student
summaries could be used as substitutes for deep learning by other students when
distributed to the larger group of course participants. This spectrum of use is
summarised in Figure 1.
318 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2009, 25(3)
Figure 1: Educational uses of podcasting in supporting/enhancing the lecture
Can podcasting facilitate more flexible and mobile learning?
As outlined at the beginning of the paper, podcasting is commonly seen as a way of
supporting m-learning since it enables learners to access course material on portable
devices in any location. This opens up possibilities of accessing the material at
opportune times such as during commuting. Yet the evidence from the research
studies presented highlights that the majority of students did not access the material in
this manner, and instead used it during designated study times when they had access
to additional notes and texts. Following a literature review of m-learning by Lee and
Chan (2007) they claimed that they were unable to locate research conducted into
students’ abilities to multitask their listening of podcasts with other activities. Laing
and Wootton (2007), referring to the university of Wisconsin’s guidelines on
podcasting, note that an important pedagogical consideration in the use of podcasting
is the nature of the content delivered:
The learner will probably be listening to your podcast whilst carrying out another task
such as walking, sitting on a bus or exercising. Therefore, avoid dense complex
material which is better covered in a lecture. (p. 8)
The level of concentration and processing that is required to deconstruct and
understand information delivered appears to limit the use of podcasting in this mobile
way, particularly its ability to deliver complex material. There appears to be a
considerable difference between the anticipated use of podcasting in this mobile way
and its actual use. Lee and Chan (2007) note that rhetoric, rather than actual research,
is often used to justify the use of modern mobile technologies in education:
… educators and technologists must be wary about claims that new technologies and
devices can be used for learning anyplace, anytime—pedagogical, technical, logistical,
usability and social constraints must be given due consideration. (p. 215-216)
In what ways will podcasting influence the traditional lecture?
The effect of podcasting on the traditional lecture is ultimately dependent on how the
traditional lecture is viewed. If seen as a mechanism to deliver information to a large
audience of students, one could argue that a recorded lecture would be as effective.
Lee, McLoughlin and Chan (2008) note that most use of podcasting is as a ‘distribution
Supplementary
Substitutional
Creative
Receiving
complete lecture
recordings
Creating podcasts
to be distributed to
peers and other
learners
Accessing
summaries of
lectures and
course content
Accessing
additional
learning
material
Educational uses in supporting/enhancing the lecture
Passive receivers
of information
Active constructors
of knowledge
McGarr 319
mechanism to replace face to face teaching’ (p. 517). A concern frequently expressed
about this type of use is the potential effect on student attendance. Yet as a number of
the studies have indicated, this does not appear to have a negative effect on student
attendance. On the contrary, students appear to prefer the ‘real’ lecture (Hove &
Corcoran, 2008; Frydenberg, 2006; Bongey et al., 2006). Students’ preference of the
traditional lecture, and the limited impact on attendance when used in this way,
suggests that its impact on the traditional lecture may be limited. There are a number
of possible reasons, alluded to earlier, that may explain this. The lecture can be much
more than the transfer of information. While at a very basic level it performs this
function, it can also inspire and enthuse students. The lecturer’s insight and
knowledge of the subject area can also assist them in understanding the complex
material and provide them with guidance through the topic (Moore et al, 2008). Seen in
this way the lecture initiates and enhances the student’s learning rather than being the
learning experience.
In addition, the lecture is also a social event; students attend together and experience
the speaker’s opinions and perspectives. This shared experience can initiate debate and
discussion among students that may not be possible when delivered in other ways.
Conclusion
In conclusion, podcasting has the potential to enhance learning, but the reason given to
justify its use in education, namely as a tool to support mobile learning, does not
appear to be apparent in the studies reviewed. Educators need to be cautious of the
claims made in relation to new and emerging technologies, particularly in the
assumptions made by proponents of the technologies. The development of future
policies in institutions should be cognisant of the limitations of the technology in
supporting a more mobile form of learning, since it appears to be used by students in a
more traditional way to support and enhance their normal modes of study.
When used to enhance the students’ learning experience, there are a number of issues
that need to be considered. If used to provide access to records of previous lectures, or
to provide summaries and syntheses of course material, careful consideration should
be given to how the students should use the material. If seen as the primary source of
material and learning by the students, this type of technology may diminish the
students’ learning experience. In this context, it is important to ensure that students
possess the study skills needed to use the support material effectively.
As this review has highlighted, the use of podcasting can range along a spectrum, from
being used as a substitute to the traditional lecture, to being used as a tool to enable
student generated content. While podcasting has the potential to enhance the students’
learning experience, it also can reinforce the worst aspects of the transmission model of
learning. For this reason, future use of these technologies should be learner led, rather
than technology led. Will they enhance or augment aspects of the students’ experience,
or will it be a technological solution in search of an educational problem? Future uses
of the technology should be guided by sound educational goals that aim to improve
the students’ existing experience, rather than being guided by vague claims of
revolutionising it.
Similar to many other educational technologies in the past, the ultimate use of
podcasting and its influence on the traditional lecture may not be determined by the
320 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2009, 25(3)
potential of the technology, but rather by the way in which it is perceived within the
institution, by both teachers and students. Its use will be strongly influenced by the
dominant pedagogies employed in these contexts.
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Dr Oliver McGarr, Department of Education and Professional Studies
Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Email: oliver.mcgarr@ul.ie Web: http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Faculties/
Education_%26_Health_Sciences/Departments/Education_and_Professional_Studies
