The Myth of Mobility?
One of the interesting themes that has popped out of my research on podcasting runs against some of the original hype related to podcasting. Specifically, the idea that students can listen to your course podcasts any time, any where, while they are on the move, or engaged in other activities. Several studies are confirming what I suspected: When students study, they prefer to listen to podcasts while at their PC rather than when they are on the go, or engaged in other activities requiring focus and concentration.
These findings have implications not only for podcasting, but for mobile learning in general. And, we should not be surprised.
A large number of studies conducted in the 1980s brought to light important factors related to learning, concentration, and digital media (e.g. Mayer & Moreno, et al). Added to those studies are more current studies on brain research which has begun to describe the strengths and limits of human information processing.
The bottom line: People learn best when they are able to concentrate and focus, with few distractions as possible. Check out some of the studies below.
Copley, J. (2007). Audio and video podcasts of lectures for campus-based students: Production and evaluation of student use. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(4), 387-399.
Gorra, A. & Finlay, J. (2009). Podcasting to support students using a business simulation. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 7(3), 257-264.
Lee, M. & Chan, A. (2007). Pervasive, lifestyle-integrated mobile learning for distance learners: An analysis and unexpected results from a podcasting study. Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 22(3), 201-218.
Lee, M. J. W. & Tynan, B. (2008). Podcasts and distance learning. In Salmon, G. & Edirisingha, P. (Eds.), Podcasting for learning in universities. New York, NY: Open University Press, (p. 92-102).
McGarr, O. (2009). A review of podcasting in higher education: Its influence on the traditional lecture. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(3), 309-321.
Robson, N. & Greensmith, J. (2009). Educational podcasts: Some early evidence and thoughts. International Journal of Management Education, 8(3), 107-117.
Walls, S. M., Kucsera, J. V., Walker, J. D., Acee, T. W., McVaugh, N. K. & Robinson, D. H. (2010). Podcasting in education: Are students as ready and eager as we think they are? Computers & Education, 54(2), 371-378.
