Recasting lecture material using podcasts: an educational psychology case study

The aim of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of effective podcasting in an educational psychology class. Given the practical context in which the investigation was embedded, an action research approach was used. In Cycle One, a How To procedural lecture was recast as a series of 37-min podcasts. Students surveys demonstrated that the podcasts led to enhanced enjoyment and understanding of the assignment procedures being scaffolded. In Cycle Two, a traditional live lecture was withdrawn from the curriculum. Instead, students were required to access the lecture podcast that had been recorded using iLecture 1 year earlier. Students rated the podcast less favorably than they did podcasts for topics in which a live lecture was also available. To investigate these somewhat discrepant findings, a participatory approach was used in Cycle Three. A student focus group identified two key factors driving their perceptions of podcasts: the provision of choice and the lecturer’s intent. Students felt disengaged when they perceived that no effort had gone into the preparation of the lecture. In contrast, they were engaged when they perceived that sufficient scaffolding and support had been provided. Together, the findings suggest that supplementary podcasts are an effective tool for facilitating student learning. When podcasts are used as the primary method of instruction, however, efforts must be made to address students’ perceptions of lecturer intent.