Can Podcasting help to Personalise Learning?

The 2020 Vision Report was commissioned by Ruth Kelly to consider and present a vision for personalising learning in 2020, making recommendations as to how this could be achieved. The group charged with the remit was chaired by Christine Gilbert and the report was published in December 2006.

The review group offered this definition of personalised learning:
"Personalised learning means taking a more structured and responsive approach to each child’s learning, so that all pupils are able to progress, achieve and participate" (2020 Vision Report of the Teaching and Learning in 2020 Review Group).

One of the key recommendations of the report was that "all schools should reflect a commitment to personalising learning in their learning and teaching policies and plans, indicating the particular strategies the school is exploring to fulfill the commitment for all children." (2020 Vision Report of the Teaching and Learning in 2020 Review Group).

In an effort to reduce the number of learners leaving school without a basic grounding in Maths and English Gilbert also suggests that Schools should be providing extra personalised support in addition to that already provided by the school.

The Department of Education and Skills has identified the following areas that Teachers and Educators need to enable within their organisations if personalised learning is to become a reality.

• Embed assessment for learning in their teaching making sure that they have identified what every learner needs to do to enable them to progress at their own pace and achieve their full potential.
• Embrace and increase their repertoire of teaching and learning strategies that actively engage their learners and provide them with a sense of ownership of their learning and an awareness of how they are progressing.
• Create a flexible curriculum that is relevant to their learners providing an entitlement that enables breadth of study and at the same time appropriate career pathways.
• Foster a creative approach to School/College organisation which supports a learner centred environment which enables performance and embraces inclusivity.
• Create strong partnerships beyond the school and classroom which will enhance their learning.

What role might podcasting play in achieving this agenda?

• Podcasting has a part to play in the personalisation agenda primarily because it enables learners to access their work at any time or place. They have the opportunity to review and re-visit their learning as frequently as they need to.
• Teachers can more easily differentiate and personalise the individual learner’s work which accommodates the learner who needs more support as well as providing stretch and challenge for the more able.
• Making the most of this teaching and learning tool does rely upon a commitment to explore the potential benefits of the emerging mobile technologies - podcasting perhaps being one of the more accessible.
• There needs to be a willingness to support these changes with funding and time being made available for relevant staff to “get to grips” with the technology.
• Teachers need to be willing to make changes to their approach to teaching and to embrace the notion of the extended classroom.

Teachers need to consider the following questions when deciding whether to use a podcast as a resource to support personalised learning.

• Will podcasting enable the learning objectives to be met?
• Will podcasting reflect the learning styles of the group or individual learner?
• Will podcasting enable the learners to develop their understanding or improve their skills?
• Will it encourage collaboration or independent learning?
• Will it bridge or increase the digital divide amongst the group of learners?