Video podcasts seem to hold immense potential for engaging students in ways that more traditional media can't. Especially in the context of environmental education, with so much content related to exotic ecosystems or hard-to-reach field sites, video podcasts could bring students into the field virtually. The authors of this paper sought to clarify some of the perceived benefits of video podcasts among university students in Britain. The researchers examined student engagement with the technology, students' perceived value of the podcasts, and actual student learning with and without the podcasts in an undergraduate course in Biogeography and Conservation.
The course lecturer prepared six video podcasts that covered course material related to two ecosystems: hot deserts and tropical rainforests. Three 15- to 20-minute podcasts were developed for each ecosystem and included material shot digitally in the field. The students could access the podcasts online from home at any time, and the students also were offered built-in course time to access the podcasts on campus to ensure that the students would not consider the podcasts to be optional, but rather recognized as an integral element of the course.
Following the course sessions supported by the podcasts, the authors administered questionnaires and conducted focus groups, and when the course concluded, the authors analyzed the results of the course's final exam. In general, the students responded positively to the podcasts. The students thought the visual presentation helped them better understand the material, added variety to the course, and was useful as a tool to help review material at the end of the course. The students didn't think the podcasts could replace lectures, but instead viewed them as helpful additional resources.
The podcasts did not seem to affect students' scores on the final exam, however. The authors compared the average grades for the exam questions related to the podcast content in a previous year, when the podcasts were not available, to the scores on the same questions in the year when the students viewed the podcasts. There was no significant difference in the student scores with and without the podcasts.
The authors concluded that while a key benefit of the podcasts is their flexibility, allowing students to review the content at any time at home, a better way to use the podcasts is within the context of the course. The authors note that the students “perceived the primary strength of the podcasts to be helping them remember facts, as opposed to facilitating deeper understanding of processes.” Making this technology more useful in building deeper knowledge requires the social context of the classroom: “Students and teachers still need to work together in a social constructivist mode.”
Based on their results, in subsequent courses, the authors integrated the podcasts into group seminars, using the podcasts to spur dialogue. The seminar leader's goal was to move the students from the realm of factual information to higher-order comprehension, application, and analysis with the technology serving as a starting point.
The Bottom Line
Video podcasts can bring faraway or hard-to-reach ecosystems to life for students. They can also be helpful study tools, because students can access the podcasts at any time to review key information. But this research indicates that the technology does not necessarily improve student performance. The responsibility remains with the instructor to use the technology effectively within the context of the course, leveraging the podcasts to spur interest so that deeper understanding can occur through discussion and reflection in the social context of the classroom.