NEW HIGHER EDUCATION TRENDS FOR PART TIME LECTURING (1)
When I started school in 1952 I got a little black slate writing bord and a cloth to wipe the chalk scriblings. Today, students have all sorts of electronic devices to down load their lectures from pod casts (read net casts). Voice recordings as well as text copies. Video clips add to the audio visual instructional and learning materials while virtual contacts via cell phone technology link lap top computers to ipods, smart boards and portable key boards. Subsequently, old timers like me have to adapt ourselves to the latest space tchnology trends within Higher Education practices i.e to publish or to perish as the well known saying goes. Fortunateley younger researchers are eager to guide older academe how to make their jobs actually easier with modern technology. The following paper is one such an example that I want to publish on my Blog:
NADEOSA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
WHY PODCASTING IN OPEN HIGHER DISTANCE LEARNING?
Author and presenter: Nico Baird (Instructional Designer, Media)
Co-worker: Kallie de Beer (Director Distance Education)
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY: FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA
ABSTRACT
Throughout history children have been taught by means of stories told by their parents, and for many centuries this was the primary method of tra nsferring knowledge and information. As time progressed, we were spending less time listening to stories, although to this day storytelling is still being used as an education methodology. People of our modern century are used to information received in an audio format. It is natural for us to absorb information through an auditory medium, and since such information transfer takes place on such a personal level, we tend to form a personal relationship with radio presenters. They become like family members who visit every time one turns on the radio.
Podcasting has grown over the past year and is seen as a major leap forward in mobile learning, or as we like to call it, ‘learning-on-the-go”. The learner is able to download lectures or information to her or his iPod or any other MP3 player, and no matter where she or he is or what he is doing he will be able to gain knowledge. Whether the learner is working out at the gym or driving a car, the lecturer is always there with him, allowing the learner to constantly absorb information as it is presented in an amazingly personal way. When lectures are presented in this way, it of course remains the learner’s responsibility to absorb the information made available to them. The whole idea of self-regulated learning comes to the fore and learners actually take responsibility for what they learn and the pace at which they learn.
Lecturers are advised to record their lectures and make them available online as an essential tool in the education process. Language lecturers in particular should use podcasting as the main feature of their courses. Providing learners with a podcast of information on the next face-to-face lecture and having them prepare according to what they have been told in the podcast will truly enhance learning in the lecture room and stimulate discussion. The main aim of all lecturers should be to have their learners prepare to such a degree that all face-to-face sessions become discussion sessions.
The iPod and podcasting have changed the face of Open Higher Distance Education as we use to know it. All we need to do is jump aboard and make the most of the amazing opportunities this paradigm shift is offering.
WHY PODCASTING IN OPEN HIGHER DISTANCE LEARNING?
Introduction
For many years there has not been much of a change in education and the methods used to educate. But there has always been a natural and acceptable method, we just take it for granted to often and tend to forget all about it so easily, but that needs to change. Throughout history children have been taught by means of stories told by their parents, and for many centuries this was the primary method of transferring knowledge and information. As time progressed, we started spending less and less time listening to these stories, although to this day storytelling is used as an educational tool.
People have always been educated by means of information received in an audio format. It is natural for us to absorb information through an auditory medium, and since such information transfer takes place on such a personal level, we tend to form a personal relationship with radio presenters. They become like family members who visit when one turns on the radio.
The value of audio recordings in education has been known for years, yet for some reason it has been neglected as we have all become more computer literate. The year 2003 saw the development of a new technology known as Really Simple Syndication or RSS.
Through this technology the user could subscribe to a feed that would enable him/her to receive information that was added to that specific feed automatically. This made the web and information sharing significantly easier, because if one were subscribed to the feed of a specific website one would automatically receive all updates to that website in a freely available feed aggregator. (A feed aggregator is a software program that can mostly be downloaded free of charge.) The feed information is then entered into the aggregator to allow the user to subscribe to that specific feed.
This technology has been the driving force behind the emergence of blogs and also the development and growth of podcasting. Podcasting has not yet moved to the forefront in South Africa due to various broadband issues and costs that will not be discussed in this paper, but if the trends in other countries are anything to go by, it will become highly popular in a very short period of time.
How does it work?
A podcast is at its very core nothing more than a simple audio file. The file is then placed on a server, and anyone subscribing to the feed receives this file automatically.
The graphic depicts the podcasting process. From recording to delivery and use by the subscriber.
Graphic 1: Podcasting process
As depicted by http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com
Podcasting in higher education
Most tertiary institutions are faced with basic problems they must solve or requirements they must meet, including:
Student instruction
Marketing
Staff development
Communication from management
Research development
Community training and development (short courses and other projects)
This paper concentrates on student instruction through the use of podcasting.
With the expansion and wider accessibility of the internet, students are exposed to a vast amount of information on a daily basis. This has been the case for a number of years now, and students have adapted to be more tech savvy than we tend to think. Lecturers are often still trapped in the notion that the classroom is the place where students gain access to knowledge. The whole “sage on stage” mentality has not yet disappeared. Through the use of podcasting, lectures can be made available to students prior to the classroom phase of the learning experience. The student listens to the lecture before the class and is therefore prepared for class. The class now transforms into a student-centred discussion session and the lecturer into a guide helping the students work through all the knowledge that has been gained and in some cases not quite understood as yet. The work is discussed and if at the end of the lecture the student has not yet made the new knowledge his/her own, the lecture can always be reviewed again after class. In other words, the “sage on stage” becomes a “guide on the side”.
Because audio devices or mp3 players have become part of our daily lives, whether in the form of mp3 players, iPods, or in many cases cellphones with these features built in, we are moving towards a mobile learning (mlearning) setup. In the mlearning world students can access education anywhere. It is pure learning on the go or learning on demand. Whenever a student has time to gain knowledge, the source is always at hand – be it at the gym while busy with a workout or while lounging by the pool. Students can now study and acquire knowledge on their terms and therefore tend to devote more time to their studies.
Due to the automatic nature of the content being delivered to students, notes on tests and discussions before tests can easily be distributed to students a few days before the test or even the examination.
In the period leading up to tests and examinations, lecturers are often overwhelmed by students who for one reason or another are still experiencing problems with certain parts of their courses. This is extremely time-consuming and often the result is that the lecturer has to explain the same work to several students, one student at a time. One solution is to divide the class into groups of about eight or ten students and to ask each of these groups to compile a list of questions they would like the lecturer to answer or explain. One person from each group then presents these questions to the lecturer and, through a process of elimination, students can start answer one another’s questions, thereby stimulating truly effective group discussion. The students will probably discuss most of the problems and solve them in the group. After this discussion the nominated student makes an appointment with the lecturer and asks all the questions as formulated by the group. This conversation is recorded and at the end of the session is placed online for all members of the class to listen to. As with all other recorded lectures, this file would also be downloaded to the students’ computers automatically. Each student would receive all the sessions from all the participating groups, and it is quite possible that problems not discussed in group context would also be effectively addressed.
After year or two of preparation for a podcast enhanced model of education all lectures could be given to a student at the beginning of the year. Because it is such a convenient medium and students enjoy the empowerment that they receive by taking control of their studies it is quite possible that students will be preparing for lectures weeks before the scheduled class session. The student therefore will have more time to think about the work and also to make the new knowledge that was gained his/her own.
In almost all study fields you will find that every year there are quite a number of conferences taking place around the world. Conferences are valuable resources as papers are presented which are relevant to the study field and usually there are many new resources and information to be gained by attending them. Unfortunately students and lecturers do not have enough time and definitely not enough money to attend all these conferences around the world. Again this problem is solved by podcasting. Many conferences have already begun podcasting the papers that were presented at the conference. You therefore have access to all the knowledge and experience gained by the presenters. Some conferences make these resources available within a week of the conference but quite often the presentation is available within hours of the time the paper was delivered.
Inviting guest speakers to institutions have become a very costly exercise. It can not be denied that the advantages of having such a speaker or subject specialist visit the institution and sharing his/her knowledge far outweighs the cost but what if you could have an interview with such a subject specialist telephonically and distribute it to everybody automatically? Or if you are at a conference and you could grab your mp3 recorder and have a conversation with a subject specialist about relevant topics? After the interview you can place that file online and again distribute it automatically to all your students. It is not always easy to gain access to these subject specialists and if you get access you now have the ability to share the knowledge effectively with everybody in the field. Just imagine a class where the students decide on questions that should be asked and a lecturer then having an interview with a specialist telephonically with a subject specialist or maybe even over a cup of coffee. This discussion / interview can then be distributed to all the students and valuable knowledge can be shared. Again by doing this group discussion was stimulated when the group had to decide on the questions that needed to be asked.
Imagine the value of such technology if it was available years back when Einstein was still alive, or the value of such recordings and the questions that students would think of to ask him.
Often students are so busy taking notes in class of what the lecturer is saying, that it would have been better to just read through the work and make notes from a book. If the lecture is available before class the student can make notes at their own pace in their own time and the student can concentrate on the content and the information shared by the lecturer in the class rather than trying to keep up with the taking of notes. The same is true if the lecture is made available after class. The student can then take notes afterwards and at that stage taking notes can also start to serve as revision.
Assessment can also gain from the podcasting technology, especially in courses where students at one stage or another need to do some type of presentation. Not only recording the live presentation but also giving an assignment where a group needs to record a short segment about a specific area of study. When these are recorded students tend to go through a little more trouble when preparing, they feel if they are recorded they need to know the facts. These files from the different groups can then be reviewed and assessed by the lecturer. The files can then be distributed to all the students for peer assessment. Through this peer assessment students are also again exposed to the information and tend to listen more carefully if they need to assess the content. A valuable, course related, library of content can be built over a few years, created by students for students.
Students are often required to do practical work as part of their courses. Usually it is necessary for lectures to stop during this period. Students are placed all over the country and at times all over the world. Using podcasting as a method of content distribution, students can either receive the content before leaving for their practical training or if they have access to an internet connection receive the lectures while on location. Free time can then be utilised more productively by reviewing lectures or listening to other course content.
As the end of the year approaches it is time for students to start reviewing their work and study for examinations. Going through notes that was taken in haste are not always the most effective way of reviewing all the course content, but through podcasting the student actually has the option of “attending” each and every class again. This will not only renew the knowledge that was gained in class but if there are still areas that the student finds to be unclear the student now has the option of reviewing the lecture a number of times or even discussing the problem with the lecturer.
These are just a few applications and advantages of using podcasting as a delivery and support method for educators and students.
We want our students to be life-long learners and in some cases they are forced to be through programs like “continued professional development” in the medical field where doctors have to attend a certain number of hours worth of information sessions in their field to be able to continue practicing. Just think of the advantages of providing these sessions in the form of a podcast. Not only will it cut down on travel expenses but will also make it more of an option through the fact that it can be listened to at the doctor’s convenience.
Supplemental Instruction now has a new and more effective medium for delivery. Not only can more students gain access to it but it can be accessed repeatedly. At times identifying students as candidates to receive supplemental instruction and informing them of this fact can do more harm than good. Making the resources available for all students to access and work through will make it a less embarrassing experience for students who are in need of a little extra. By also adding supplemental resources that are at an advanced level you are also assisting the more advanced students to gain more knowledge and not get bored.
The possibilities and applications of podcasting are just limited by your imagination and even more value is added when implementing podcasting in staff development, internal/institutional communication, marketing and the expansion of the institutions reach for the presentation of short courses and open learning into sub-Sahara Africa.
Through podcasting courses could be presented to thousands of students across the world, and they have the option and ability to access these courses at their own leisure and at times which are convenient to them, empowering them to have control over their own learning.
LIST OF REFERENCES
Baird, NH. 2006. Presentation to Management committee of the Central University of Technology, Free State
Baird, NH. 2006. Presentation, SAAHE Conference, Podcasting in Health Professions Education
De Beer, KJ. 2006. Open and Distance E-learning at the Central University of Technology, Free State. Unpublished article submitted to Progressio. University of South Africa. Tshwane.
http://www.apple.com/education/podcasting/
http://www.masie.com
http://www.downes.ca
http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/ Resources/podcasting.htm
http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education
http://www.edupodder.com/
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/04/16/podcasting_and_vodcasting_in_higher.htm
http://educational.blogs.com/instructional_technology_/2004/10/podcasting_for_.html
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com
NADEOSA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
WHY PODCASTING IN OPEN HIGHER DISTANCE LEARNING?
Author and presenter: Nico Baird (Instructional Designer, Media)
Co-worker: Kallie de Beer (Director Distance Education)
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY: FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA
ABSTRACT
Throughout history children have been taught by means of stories told by their parents, and for many centuries this was the primary method of tra nsferring knowledge and information. As time progressed, we were spending less time listening to stories, although to this day storytelling is still being used as an education methodology. People of our modern century are used to information received in an audio format. It is natural for us to absorb information through an auditory medium, and since such information transfer takes place on such a personal level, we tend to form a personal relationship with radio presenters. They become like family members who visit every time one turns on the radio.
Podcasting has grown over the past year and is seen as a major leap forward in mobile learning, or as we like to call it, ‘learning-on-the-go”. The learner is able to download lectures or information to her or his iPod or any other MP3 player, and no matter where she or he is or what he is doing he will be able to gain knowledge. Whether the learner is working out at the gym or driving a car, the lecturer is always there with him, allowing the learner to constantly absorb information as it is presented in an amazingly personal way. When lectures are presented in this way, it of course remains the learner’s responsibility to absorb the information made available to them. The whole idea of self-regulated learning comes to the fore and learners actually take responsibility for what they learn and the pace at which they learn.
Lecturers are advised to record their lectures and make them available online as an essential tool in the education process. Language lecturers in particular should use podcasting as the main feature of their courses. Providing learners with a podcast of information on the next face-to-face lecture and having them prepare according to what they have been told in the podcast will truly enhance learning in the lecture room and stimulate discussion. The main aim of all lecturers should be to have their learners prepare to such a degree that all face-to-face sessions become discussion sessions.
The iPod and podcasting have changed the face of Open Higher Distance Education as we use to know it. All we need to do is jump aboard and make the most of the amazing opportunities this paradigm shift is offering.
WHY PODCASTING IN OPEN HIGHER DISTANCE LEARNING?
Introduction
For many years there has not been much of a change in education and the methods used to educate. But there has always been a natural and acceptable method, we just take it for granted to often and tend to forget all about it so easily, but that needs to change. Throughout history children have been taught by means of stories told by their parents, and for many centuries this was the primary method of transferring knowledge and information. As time progressed, we started spending less and less time listening to these stories, although to this day storytelling is used as an educational tool.
People have always been educated by means of information received in an audio format. It is natural for us to absorb information through an auditory medium, and since such information transfer takes place on such a personal level, we tend to form a personal relationship with radio presenters. They become like family members who visit when one turns on the radio.
The value of audio recordings in education has been known for years, yet for some reason it has been neglected as we have all become more computer literate. The year 2003 saw the development of a new technology known as Really Simple Syndication or RSS.
Through this technology the user could subscribe to a feed that would enable him/her to receive information that was added to that specific feed automatically. This made the web and information sharing significantly easier, because if one were subscribed to the feed of a specific website one would automatically receive all updates to that website in a freely available feed aggregator. (A feed aggregator is a software program that can mostly be downloaded free of charge.) The feed information is then entered into the aggregator to allow the user to subscribe to that specific feed.
This technology has been the driving force behind the emergence of blogs and also the development and growth of podcasting. Podcasting has not yet moved to the forefront in South Africa due to various broadband issues and costs that will not be discussed in this paper, but if the trends in other countries are anything to go by, it will become highly popular in a very short period of time.
How does it work?
A podcast is at its very core nothing more than a simple audio file. The file is then placed on a server, and anyone subscribing to the feed receives this file automatically.
The graphic depicts the podcasting process. From recording to delivery and use by the subscriber.
Graphic 1: Podcasting process
As depicted by http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com
Podcasting in higher education
Most tertiary institutions are faced with basic problems they must solve or requirements they must meet, including:
Student instruction
Marketing
Staff development
Communication from management
Research development
Community training and development (short courses and other projects)
This paper concentrates on student instruction through the use of podcasting.
With the expansion and wider accessibility of the internet, students are exposed to a vast amount of information on a daily basis. This has been the case for a number of years now, and students have adapted to be more tech savvy than we tend to think. Lecturers are often still trapped in the notion that the classroom is the place where students gain access to knowledge. The whole “sage on stage” mentality has not yet disappeared. Through the use of podcasting, lectures can be made available to students prior to the classroom phase of the learning experience. The student listens to the lecture before the class and is therefore prepared for class. The class now transforms into a student-centred discussion session and the lecturer into a guide helping the students work through all the knowledge that has been gained and in some cases not quite understood as yet. The work is discussed and if at the end of the lecture the student has not yet made the new knowledge his/her own, the lecture can always be reviewed again after class. In other words, the “sage on stage” becomes a “guide on the side”.
Because audio devices or mp3 players have become part of our daily lives, whether in the form of mp3 players, iPods, or in many cases cellphones with these features built in, we are moving towards a mobile learning (mlearning) setup. In the mlearning world students can access education anywhere. It is pure learning on the go or learning on demand. Whenever a student has time to gain knowledge, the source is always at hand – be it at the gym while busy with a workout or while lounging by the pool. Students can now study and acquire knowledge on their terms and therefore tend to devote more time to their studies.
Due to the automatic nature of the content being delivered to students, notes on tests and discussions before tests can easily be distributed to students a few days before the test or even the examination.
In the period leading up to tests and examinations, lecturers are often overwhelmed by students who for one reason or another are still experiencing problems with certain parts of their courses. This is extremely time-consuming and often the result is that the lecturer has to explain the same work to several students, one student at a time. One solution is to divide the class into groups of about eight or ten students and to ask each of these groups to compile a list of questions they would like the lecturer to answer or explain. One person from each group then presents these questions to the lecturer and, through a process of elimination, students can start answer one another’s questions, thereby stimulating truly effective group discussion. The students will probably discuss most of the problems and solve them in the group. After this discussion the nominated student makes an appointment with the lecturer and asks all the questions as formulated by the group. This conversation is recorded and at the end of the session is placed online for all members of the class to listen to. As with all other recorded lectures, this file would also be downloaded to the students’ computers automatically. Each student would receive all the sessions from all the participating groups, and it is quite possible that problems not discussed in group context would also be effectively addressed.
After year or two of preparation for a podcast enhanced model of education all lectures could be given to a student at the beginning of the year. Because it is such a convenient medium and students enjoy the empowerment that they receive by taking control of their studies it is quite possible that students will be preparing for lectures weeks before the scheduled class session. The student therefore will have more time to think about the work and also to make the new knowledge that was gained his/her own.
In almost all study fields you will find that every year there are quite a number of conferences taking place around the world. Conferences are valuable resources as papers are presented which are relevant to the study field and usually there are many new resources and information to be gained by attending them. Unfortunately students and lecturers do not have enough time and definitely not enough money to attend all these conferences around the world. Again this problem is solved by podcasting. Many conferences have already begun podcasting the papers that were presented at the conference. You therefore have access to all the knowledge and experience gained by the presenters. Some conferences make these resources available within a week of the conference but quite often the presentation is available within hours of the time the paper was delivered.
Inviting guest speakers to institutions have become a very costly exercise. It can not be denied that the advantages of having such a speaker or subject specialist visit the institution and sharing his/her knowledge far outweighs the cost but what if you could have an interview with such a subject specialist telephonically and distribute it to everybody automatically? Or if you are at a conference and you could grab your mp3 recorder and have a conversation with a subject specialist about relevant topics? After the interview you can place that file online and again distribute it automatically to all your students. It is not always easy to gain access to these subject specialists and if you get access you now have the ability to share the knowledge effectively with everybody in the field. Just imagine a class where the students decide on questions that should be asked and a lecturer then having an interview with a specialist telephonically with a subject specialist or maybe even over a cup of coffee. This discussion / interview can then be distributed to all the students and valuable knowledge can be shared. Again by doing this group discussion was stimulated when the group had to decide on the questions that needed to be asked.
Imagine the value of such technology if it was available years back when Einstein was still alive, or the value of such recordings and the questions that students would think of to ask him.
Often students are so busy taking notes in class of what the lecturer is saying, that it would have been better to just read through the work and make notes from a book. If the lecture is available before class the student can make notes at their own pace in their own time and the student can concentrate on the content and the information shared by the lecturer in the class rather than trying to keep up with the taking of notes. The same is true if the lecture is made available after class. The student can then take notes afterwards and at that stage taking notes can also start to serve as revision.
Assessment can also gain from the podcasting technology, especially in courses where students at one stage or another need to do some type of presentation. Not only recording the live presentation but also giving an assignment where a group needs to record a short segment about a specific area of study. When these are recorded students tend to go through a little more trouble when preparing, they feel if they are recorded they need to know the facts. These files from the different groups can then be reviewed and assessed by the lecturer. The files can then be distributed to all the students for peer assessment. Through this peer assessment students are also again exposed to the information and tend to listen more carefully if they need to assess the content. A valuable, course related, library of content can be built over a few years, created by students for students.
Students are often required to do practical work as part of their courses. Usually it is necessary for lectures to stop during this period. Students are placed all over the country and at times all over the world. Using podcasting as a method of content distribution, students can either receive the content before leaving for their practical training or if they have access to an internet connection receive the lectures while on location. Free time can then be utilised more productively by reviewing lectures or listening to other course content.
As the end of the year approaches it is time for students to start reviewing their work and study for examinations. Going through notes that was taken in haste are not always the most effective way of reviewing all the course content, but through podcasting the student actually has the option of “attending” each and every class again. This will not only renew the knowledge that was gained in class but if there are still areas that the student finds to be unclear the student now has the option of reviewing the lecture a number of times or even discussing the problem with the lecturer.
These are just a few applications and advantages of using podcasting as a delivery and support method for educators and students.
We want our students to be life-long learners and in some cases they are forced to be through programs like “continued professional development” in the medical field where doctors have to attend a certain number of hours worth of information sessions in their field to be able to continue practicing. Just think of the advantages of providing these sessions in the form of a podcast. Not only will it cut down on travel expenses but will also make it more of an option through the fact that it can be listened to at the doctor’s convenience.
Supplemental Instruction now has a new and more effective medium for delivery. Not only can more students gain access to it but it can be accessed repeatedly. At times identifying students as candidates to receive supplemental instruction and informing them of this fact can do more harm than good. Making the resources available for all students to access and work through will make it a less embarrassing experience for students who are in need of a little extra. By also adding supplemental resources that are at an advanced level you are also assisting the more advanced students to gain more knowledge and not get bored.
The possibilities and applications of podcasting are just limited by your imagination and even more value is added when implementing podcasting in staff development, internal/institutional communication, marketing and the expansion of the institutions reach for the presentation of short courses and open learning into sub-Sahara Africa.
Through podcasting courses could be presented to thousands of students across the world, and they have the option and ability to access these courses at their own leisure and at times which are convenient to them, empowering them to have control over their own learning.
LIST OF REFERENCES
Baird, NH. 2006. Presentation to Management committee of the Central University of Technology, Free State
Baird, NH. 2006. Presentation, SAAHE Conference, Podcasting in Health Professions Education
De Beer, KJ. 2006. Open and Distance E-learning at the Central University of Technology, Free State. Unpublished article submitted to Progressio. University of South Africa. Tshwane.
http://www.apple.com/education/podcasting/
http://www.masie.com
http://www.downes.ca
http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/ Resources/podcasting.htm
http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education
http://www.edupodder.com/
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/04/16/podcasting_and_vodcasting_in_higher.htm
http://educational.blogs.com/instructional_technology_/2004/10/podcasting_for_.html
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com
posted by Kallie (Karel Johannes) de Beer at 5:45 AM
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