The effective use of Podcasting in the classroom

Podcasting is another really useful tool in a teacher’s repertoire, it will not replace reading, live teacher explanation and presentation - or any of the many other ways information is transmitted to learners - but it can enhance and enrich the learning experience.

It is particularly useful in the following contexts:

• Supporting Auditory Learners - using podcasting can help audio learners retain the information that has been covered in a lesson.
• Learners with other learning preferences can also benefit from podcasts because it can support notes or key information they have learned in a previous lesson.
• Where English is not a learner’s first language – it can enable them to revisit the information, to check their understanding and develop their "ear".
• Teaching Languages - providing opportunities to develop listening and comprehension skills.
• Teachers can also find them useful to self-assess their own teaching style and can then adapt and modify what they do.
• Podcasting can be used to flag up what a lesson will cover and provide information that the learner can respond to prior to the lesson. This can make the learner more confident because they feel better prepared particularly with new topics.
• Engaging learners in collaborative activities in pairs or groups.

How can podcasting be used for to provide feedback to learners?

Podcasting can be used as a medium to deliver feedback to learners and when teachers become familiar and comfortable with podcasting then giving feedback in this way has benefits for both the teacher and the vocational learner - particularly those near the pass/fail borderline.

Potential Benefits

• Spoken feedback is likely to provide greater detail if only because it tends to be less onerous and more intuitive than written feedback.
• It can be easier to make the feedback more targeted and specific.
• It is easier and more natural for the teacher to personalise the feedback.
• From the learner’s perspective it may feel more personal almost like a one-to-one tutorial.
• Feedback delivered in this way can be far more accessible, the student can receive it at any time or place and even if absent from school/college.
• The potential problem of reading a teacher’s handwriting is overcome.
• Learners with specific learning difficulties e.g. visually impaired are not disadvantaged.
• The learner may find spoken feedback more accessible because of the tone of voice or the way the voice stresses the importance of certain points.
• The ability to choose when and where to listen to the feedback- for example at home in the learner’s own study space may lead to better engagement with the feedback - and a greater willingness to accept any issues being raised.
• The grade or mark is not "visible" and therefore the learner is more likely to listen to the feedback more intently because the grade need not been given until the end of the feedback.

Aspects the teacher will need to consider

• The feedback in the spoken form can have a greater impact upon the learner – particularly when the work is not of the required standard. The teacher will need to choose their words carefully and think about the tone of their voice.
• The assignment/coursework and the feedback are separate so it is important the teacher clearly identifies the work being commented upon.
• It can be more difficult to feedback verbally on spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and sequence of work.
• Be wary of making the feedback too long - it could reach a point when the learner looses interest in what is being said.
• Feedback via a podcast needs more organisation and planning than written feedback and initially may be more time consuming.