Presented at the CPUT RITAL conference in Decmeber 2013 and at Heltasa at the UNISA in November 2013

1. Podcasting at CPUT –
technology for everyone?
Daniela Gachago
Candice Livingston
Eunice Ivala

2. What is podcasting?

3. Benefits of podcasting
• Students take more active role – explore / create podcasts on
their own (e.g. Ng’ambi and Lombe, 2012:191)
• Different learning styles: learning through listening (e.g. Clark and
Walsh, 2004:4, Scutter et al., 2010:181 and Dale, 2007:3)
• Access: wherever and whenever (e.g. Lee and Chan, 2007:207 and
Ng’ambi and Lombe, 2012:191)
• Listening to archived lectures (e.g. Guertin, 2010:6)

4. Benefits ctd
• Alleviates anxiety
(e.g. Chester et al., 2011:245)
• Improves reflection and engagement (e.g. Lee
and Chan, 2007:216)
• Especially useful for ESL students
(e.g. Ng’ambi and Lombe 2008)

5. Challenges and limitations of
podcasting?
• Lecturer workload (e.g. Sloan, 2005, Menzies, 2005 and
Blaisdell, 2005)
• Barrier for students or lecturers who are technically
challenged (e.g. Moss, 2006) or available technical
support (e.g. Chabolla and Leh, 2009: 126)
• Ability of receiver to decode messages (e.g.
Heinich, 1982)
• Socio-economic barriers – access to equipment

6. • Decrease in student attendance (e.g. Chabolla and
Leh, 2009: 126) although Lonn and Teasley (2009:91) found
otherwise
• Shortcomings in the area of providing complex
and/or detailed information that needs to be heavily
processed, logically deconstructed, committed to
memory, or otherwise requires a great deal of
concentration (e.g. Chan and Lee, 2005:64)

7. Examples of use from our project
• Recording of lectures – later edited and made
available on Blackboard:
– Health Sciences, Education and Engineering
• Provision of introductions / summaries
– Food Tech and Programming
• Feedback on group assignments
– Accounting

8. Old hat?

9. Socially inclusive technologies?
a technology that does not exclude any
learner, neither based on their gender, nor
age, nor socioeconomic/racial background

10. Podcasting as socially inclusive
technology?
Studies have been conducted in the arena of
-
Distance learning (Bolinger et al.,2010:718),
Economics (French and McDonald, 2008:7) and
Reading theatre (Vasinda and McLeod, 2011:495)
Students with disabilities or who need extra support (e.g.
Tapp, 2013:5)
which indicate that podcasting proves to be
inclusive.

11. 2012/2013 PODCASTING IN HE - STUDY

12. Context
•
•
•
•
UoT in Western Cape
Merger of a variety of Technicons and Colleges
Lowest fees in the Western Cape
Large amount of ‘disadvantaged students’ or
Non-Traditional Students (first ones to
University, ill prepared, mature, working, ESL)

13. The study
•
•
•
•
•
RIFTAL funded
2012/2013
6 lecturers, 8 courses
434 students
Survey (closed ended and open ended)

14. Course Title
Abbreviation
Level
Focus
Programme
Faculty
FOOD
Year 2
Theory
N.D Food Technology
AS
ACC
Year 4
Theory
SS
Year 2
Practical
NHC: Financial Information
Systems
BUS
Communication Skills
COMM
Year 1
Theory/practic
al
ECP (Electrical Engineering)
ENG
Cell Biology (2012)
CELL12
Year 1
Theory
BHSc Medical Laboratory
Science
HW
Molecular Biology (2012)
MOL
Year 4
Theory
BTECH
HW
Molecular Biology (2013)
CELL13
Year 4
Theory
BTECH
HW
EDU
Year 1/2
Theory
BED
EDU
Food Technology 1
Accounting
Software Skills 1
English first additional
language (2013)
BUS

15. Course Title
Abbreviation
Level
Class size
Surveys
completed
Response rate
FOOD
Year 2
105
67
64%
ACC
Year 4
45 FT
(31 PT)
24
53%
SS
Year 2
48
47
98%
Communication Skills
COMM
Year 1
84
12
14%
Cell Biology (2012)
CELL12
Year 1
56
49
88%
Molecular Biology (2012)
MOL
Year 4
33
21
64%
Molecular Biology (2013)
CELL13
Year 4
250
115
46%
EDU
Year 1/2
120
99
83%
Food Technology 1
Accounting
Software Skills 1
English first additional
language (2013)
Total
434

16. Research questions
1. Access and use for differently positioned
students
2. Models and perceived usefulness
3. Benefits and challenges of podcasting

17. RQ1: USE AND ACCESS FOR
DIFFERENTLY POSITIONED STUDENTS

18. Gender
2012
%
2013
%
Total
%
Female
140
66
178
88
318
77%
Male
71
44
24
12
95
23%
Total
211
413
100%
Age
2012
%
2013
%
Total
%
under 18 yrs
2
1
0
0
2
0%
18-23 yrs
4
2
125
61
129
31%
24-30 yrs
36
17
49
24
85
21%
over 30 yrs
166
80
32
16
198
48%
Total
208
414
100%
Home language
2012
%
2013
%
isiXhosa
80
38
22
12
102
26%
English
43
20
20
11
63
16%
Afrikaans
31
15
117
66
148
38%
French
27
13
0
27
7%
Other African
25
12
11
44
11%
Other
4
2
0
4
1%
Total
210
388
100%
202
206
19
178
Total
%

19. Use of podcasts
64%
of students
listened
to podcasts
gender
home language
75%
24-30
years

20. Level of engagement (amount)
listened
to all or most
podcasts
43%
50%
gender
African home
language
84%
30+

21. Level of engagement (intensity)
listened
three times
or more
47%
60%
gender
African home
language
78%
30+

22. Access
80%
52%
51%
Accessed
on LMS
gender
Off campus
access
Listened
from laptop

23. RQ2: PERCEPTION ON / IMPACT OF
COURSE DESIGN

24. CELL/MOL COURSE
used
podcasts
81%
69%
65%
listened to all/
most of podcasts
Listened to three
or more of podcasts

25. Is podcasting only useful for revision?
28%
42%
30%
before
exam
regular use
during semester
no specific
pattern

26. Does podcasting encourage passive
learning?
51%
33%
22%
take
notes
visit
course notes/
modules
do nothing

27. RQ3: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES
OF PODCASTING

28. Benefits of podcasting
60%
56%
59%
Provision of
intro/summaries
Revision
tool
Guidance in
how to prepare
for exams

29. Podcasts helped me…
65%
stay
focused
structure weekly
learning activities
64%
39%
make good use
of my time

30. Podcasts …
62%
Liked format
Helped
stimulate
interest
60%
58%
Were
Enjoyable/
motivational

31. when I listen to the podcasts it helps me to
understand the work, it unconfuses me
(female, 18-23, Afrikaans)
Help me catch up for the days was feeling sleepy at class and
the days I was not present at class
(female, 18-23, African language)
I could access them anytime, if the lecture
went by too quick I could always go back. The
fact that it feels like I'm in class again …
(female, 24-30, African language)
I liked the fact that in class it is not easy to stop the
lecturer and ask her to repeat stuff for me but on
podcasts I could stop, pause, rewind, fast forward
anytime I wanted to. (female, 18-23, African language)
I understand it better than normal speech
(female, 18-23, Afrikaans)

32. it is really like you are in the same room with the lecturer
(female, 18-23)
Its like you are still in class. I also go back and
relate to it. I wish I had used it since the start
of the first term (female, 18-23, African language)
Taught me how to manage time
regarding school work and how
to be time conscious
(female, 18-23, African language)
Reminded of being in the lecture.
Triggered my memory of what was
said before It helped me as i am
audio learner (female, 18-23, English)

33. Podcasts for ESL students?
37%
said podcasts
are particularly useful
for ESL students
75%
of African
home language
speakers

34. Reasons for Non-Use?
47%
25%
17%
11%
No relevance
Lack of knowledge
Technical difficulties
Lack of time

35. Limits of podcasting
I don’t find it interesting. I prefer sitting in a
class listening to a lector, and be able to ask
questions. Podcasts are more like a one way
thing to me. (female, 18-23, Afrikaans)
what could be improved in the podcasts that i
have listened to is that the teacher could ask for
more student participation because right now
all we hear is just our teachers point of view and
no student input. (female, 24-30, Afrikaans)
if they do the podcasts ,they can put in visuals to make it easier to
remember what’s been said. instead of just listening who can also
see the work and then you will remember better
(female, 18-23, Afrikaans)
Podcast makes it easy for students to stay
away from class. They simply listen to the
podcast and get all the information we get in
class. (female, 18-23, Afrikaans)

36. Discussion and conclusions
• Definition of emerging technologies:
context-based (Veletsianos 2010)
• High amount of disadvantaged
students / proliferance of African
home language and resulting
challenges with academic
preparedness
• Call for basic / inclusive adoption of
technology – Low threshold
applications (Gilbert, TLT group), socially
inclusive technology
• Particular focus on female, mature
and African home language speakers
(Non-traditional students)
I wish all subjects had podcasts
especially theory subjects. We
want More!!! (male, 18-23, African
home language)

37. Conclusions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Most important: timely upload of
podcasts
Cater for different learning styles
(auditive, visual, textual)
Content heavy modules
Learning beyond the classroom /
improved student engagement
Not a ‘totally mobile’ technology –
used in usual study
context, quiet, ability to take notes
Allowing for cognitive strategies
synonymous for self-regulated learning
Performativity or style of lecturing
important
The podcasts are a very good
motivational way of studying, they
are understandable and just
awesome. I love them
(female, English, 18-23)

38. ANY QUESTIONS?

39. References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bollinger, D. U., Supanakorn, S & Boggs, C. 2010. Impact of podcasting on student motivation in the online learning environment. Computers and
education, 55: pp. 714-722.
Chan, A., Lee, M.J.W. and McLoughlin, C. 2006. Everyone’s learning with podcasting: A Charles Sturt University experience. Proceedings of the 23rd
annual ascilite conference: Who’s learning? Whose technology. The University of Sydney: Sydney, pp. 111-120.
Chester, A., Buntine, A., Hammond, K. and Atkinson, L. 2011. Podcasting in Education: Students Attitudes, Behaviours and Self-Efficacy. Educational
Technology & Society, 14(2): 236-247.
Clark, D. & Walsh, S. (2004). iPod-learning. [White paper]. Brighton, UK: Epic Group.
Creswell, John W. 2003. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Dale, C. (2007) Strategies for using podcasting to support student learning. Journal of hospitality, leisure, sport and tourism education, 6(1):49-57.
Dearman, P. & Galloway, C. (2005). Putting Podcasting into Perspective. In S. Healy, B. Berryman & D. Goodman (Eds.), Radio in the world: Papers
from the 2005 Melbourne Radio Conference. (pp. 535–546). Melbourne: RMIT Publishing.
Edirisingha, P., Hawkridge, D. & Fothergill, J. 2009. A renaissance of audio: podcasting approaches for learning on campus and beyond. European
Journal of open, distance and e-learning www.eurodl.org/?article=393
French, E. L. and McDonald, P. K. 2008. Embedding inclusivity in Business Curricula. Papers from the 2008 International Conference of Learning and
Teaching (pp. 1-8). Malaysia: QUT Digital Respository http://eprints.qut.edu.au/
Guertin, L. A. 2010. Creating and using podcasts across disciplines. Currents in teaching and learning, 2(2), Spring. Pp. 4-12.
Kazlauskas, Alanah, and Kathy Robinson. 2012. “Podcasts Are Not for Everyone.” British Journal of Educational Technology 43 (2) (March 2): 321–330.
Kuh, George D. 2009. “The National Survey of Student Engagement: Conceptual and Empirical Foundations. New Directions for Institutional
Research.” New Directions for Institutional Research (141) (March). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ir.283/pdf
Lee, M.J. & Chan, A. 2007a. Pervasive, lifestyle-integrated mobile learning for distance learners: an analysis and unexpected results from a podcasting
study. Open learning, 22(3):201-218
Lee, M. J. W. & Chan, A. 2007b. Reducing the effects of isolation and promoting inclusivity for distance learners through podcasting. Turkish online
journal of distance education, 8(7): Retrieved: 23 October 2013 tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde25/articles/Article_7.htm.
Mayer, R. and Moreno, R. 2003. Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia leaning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), pp. 43-52.
Ng’ambi, D. (2008). Podcasts for Expansive Learning: A Case of Reflective Student Stories Student Stories. SACJ, 42, 913.
Ng’ambi, D and Lombe, A. 2012. “Using Podcasting to Facilitate Student Learning: A Constructivist Perspective.” Educational Technology & Society 15
(4): 181–192.
Ralph, J., Head, N. and Lightfoot, S. 2010. Pol-casting: the use of podcasting in the teaching and learning of politics and international relations.
European Political Science, 9: pp. 13-24. www.palgrave-journals.com/eps/
Scutter, S., Stupans, I., Sawyer, T. & King, S. 2010. How do students use podcasts to support learning? Australasian Journal of Educational
Technology, 26(2):180-191.s
Strydom, J F, and M Mentz. 2010. Focusing the Student Experience on Success Through Student Engagement. Pretoria: South African Council for
Higher Education. http://www.che.ac.za/documents/d000208/SASSE_2010.pdf.
Swain, H. (2006) ‘Let them tune in’, The Times Higher, 3 February. Summarised on http://
www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/news/7196/.
Vasinda, S. and McLeod, J. 2011. Extending Readers Theatre: A Powerful and Purposeful Match with Podcasting. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), pp. 486497.
WOODS, R., & KEELER, J. (2001) The Effect of Instructor’s Use of Audio E-mail Messages on Student Participation in and Perceptions of Online
Learning: a preliminary case study, Open Learning, 16, 3, pp. 263-278.