Ms. Maher Palenque,

Thank you for writing this perspective. I teach online courses and admire your work on the integration of new technology to support andragogy. In reference to the benefits (at the start of your essay), where do you place the podcast within the online classroom? Moreover, in your experience, how do students listen to the podcast? Are you able to track which students obtain and listen to the podcast(s)?

I have found significant relevance and support for the use of asynchronous video sharing with students. I am enamored with the leverage these benefits have on the learning. In your experience, where do you use the podcasts the most? You mention use of assignment feedback. In your research, did you find this level of support had positive effects on the overall objectives of the topic/course and student performance?

Do you believe this level of supplemental support depends on the program of study of the student and/or level of online modality proficiency on behalf of the student and instructor? Thank you again for writing this research study. Your work is encouraging for future exploration with this unique approach to learner engagement.

Brandon C. Juarez, M.Ed.

Good afternoon, Mr. Juarez

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. With the newest podcasting software one can not only record narrative comments, but edit, insert tags and create RSS feeds. When considering our LoudCloud system here at GCU, we can embed or copy links to our podcasts in Announcements or Discussion Forum posts. Instructors might also consider creating a “bank” of podcast links that students may access throughout the duration of the course.

Based on personal experience with alternative online learning systems, short narrative audio files may be inserted as a “feedback file.” This is an option with Turnitin, although I believe there are issues with LoudCloud that prevent us from using this feature at GCU. When tested on another LMS, I noticed a sharp increase in positive student responses to their feedback when I attach audio files. I believe more students read/listened to their audio feedback on rough/first drafts, and it followed that the quality of final drafts improved significantly.

While I cannot speak for other content areas or levels of study, I am encouraged by the positive effect I have seen in the online English/Writing classroom. Thank you, again, for your comments and encouragement.

Stephanie

Relevance - This paper does highlight a relevant impact that podcasting can have on post-secondary instruction, especially since the author showed from her own experience how it has been effective.

Significance - Within the context of higher education this  paper does have value because it is a concern of many online instructors that their students might not be reading or understanding written feedback on assignments.

Originality - This is perhaps the weakest dimension of the paper because I tend to think something that would be original would be to use a screencasting video which records the instructor discussing certain parts of the assignment while the assignment is on the screen. A video such as this would help the student both see and hear the instructor walk through the assignment. Podcasting, to me, is merely a new, improved method of dictation to a tape. Although the podcasting idea is original if one were comparing it only to written feedback. I realize that is what the author was doing, but the paper did make me wonder if recorded video feedback would be even better.

Methodology - The methods of inquiry and interpretation were appropriate.

Generalizability - I am not sure how widespread this method could be across disciplines. The author mentioned that podcasting was effective as it related to the improvement from rough draft to final paper in writing courses. It seems to me that classes that are not strictly writing classes do not afford students an opportunity to submit a rough draft (and receive feedback) before they have to submit their assignment.

Theoretical Grounding - The paper cited reputable sources and was well-grounded with other literature and was relevant to it.

Clarity - The author did a great job of communicating the information in a clear, cohesive fashion.

I enjoyed reading the paper and appreciate all the research that went into it. It certainly does bring up a good idea and approach to helping students get the most benefit out of instructor feedback. I can see how instructors who prefer talking over writing could make good use of podcasting their feedback.

Ms. Thomas,

Thank you very much for your detailed comments. I am happy that you enjoyed the paper! In reference to your comments regarding the novelty of podcasting, I completely agree. This technology is not new, and certainly not as new as screencasting. However, in this paper my target audience is the online instructor who has not yet tried this valuable technology in the online classroom. Screencasting takes this interactive quality to the next level, and is certainly an area ripe for future research!

Thank you, and God bless,

Stephanie

Hello Ms. Palenque,

Thank you for sharing this paper. I enjoyed reading the content and I look forward to applying some of these concepts to my own online classroom. The usefulness of this method of supplemental instruction cannot be overemphasized. I know many of my students will greatly benefit from this structure of feedback as they do not always take the time to read and apply written comments in their essays.

The more ways we as instructors can differentiate learning in the classrooms will only serve to strengthen our ability to reach a wider array of students. Your research was well rounded and cited many of the leaders in this field of Constructivist theory.

Thank you for sharing this practical and helpful paper!

All the best,

Amy Wortley

Hi Stephanie,

Your article does a great job of explaining the benefits of using podcasts in the online classroom in mini-lectures and assignment feedback. I was struck by your comments regarding the use of podcasting to provide students assignment feedback as I have had many students ask why they received a grade when they have not read the feedback I provided in the embedded and summary comments in their graded assignments. From your explanation, the use of podcasts could eliminate some of this tendency and provide students with the information instructors have spent considerable time injecting into the graded assignment. You research would be enhanced with a statistical analysis of how many students that do not "read' the feedback they get on their assignments "listen" to the feedback. What is the extent of student engagement in this process?

Your research would also be benefited by analyzing the time demands on the instructor to produce these podcasts in relation to the time required to include imbedded comments in the assignments, and rather or not universities consider the podcast system as measuring up to university requirements in grading.

The use of podcasts seems to have a tremendous upside in mini-lectures that zero in on difficult concepts in the classroom. You indicated that some students have indicated they listen to the podcast more than once and take notes on the lecture. Have you researched the benefit of including lecture notes that students can download to use when listening to the podcasts?

Yours was a very thought provoking article! Thank you for the effort you invested in providing some insight into a helpful tool for the online classroom

Blessings,

Ron

Good analysis.  Your suggestion for podcast usage would definitely engage generation x--a technology driven coculture.  As this article states, podcasting is not a new phenomena, but rather somewhat newly introduced to the online classroom.  For those reasons--some argue-- it has yet to be perfected.  I agree, using short podcast to supplement course material is more suitable than it simply taking the place of an entire scholastic lecture.

The topic of podcasting is an important one for educators especially for online learners and for ground classes where students may want to review particularly challenging areas and need the visual and auditory to assist their learning process. Stephanie Maher Palenque does an excellent job of reviewing the literature and creating a case for the use of podcasting in education.

In the online teaching modality, I really think I could enhance my instruction with podcasting and a sprinkling of conference calls with students.  I will need to learn how to podcast but once that skill is achieved, then chunking material down to the best size for podcasting would be the challenge.  I think this is the next best thing to engage our learners and help meet them where they are which is on their devices anywhere, anytime.  This would truly support student achievement and success.  This would foster and support student centered learning.

Excellent research here on the contribution of podcasting to higher education.

Regards,

Gloria Bravo-Gutiérrez, Ph.D.