In our last class [14^th May 2008] a group presented on the topic of Podcasts and Vodcasts and their educational uses, benefits and disadvantages. Following the presentation, a group discussion took place regarding which tool was more effective for learning purposes. Sam, one of the presenters, argued that he felt he learnt more from a vodcast as he was a visual learner and that the podcast just sounded like an annoying voice in the background. Others in the class argued that the lack of images in the podcast forced them to listen more intently and therefore engage in more effective learning. I found that this discussion reinforced the notion that each learner has their own preferred learning style, and when designing learning programs, it is important to take this notion into consideration.  During the discussion, I began to think about what type of learning style I preferred and attempted to make a decision as to which method of instruction was more effective- podcasts or vodcasts. Personally, I found both methods distracting yet effective at the same time. With the vodcast, I tended to watch the movements in the video rather than listen to the content being presented but it forced me to pay attention to the presentation for the whole duration. And with the podcast, I found myself to drift off occasionally. However, this was a reduced thanks to the vocal variety incorporated by Sam and the humour portrayed in the speech.  

Over the past few weeks I have been reading about different learning theories and how they are applied in an educational context. During the presentation I found myself thinking of the elements of these theories and tried to apply them to myself. Similar to the cognitivist-Gestalt and humanist theories, I was linking my past experiences and knowledge to create meaning from the content of the learning program.  The presentation reminded me of an activity I undertook earlier during the semester, which sort of relates back to this. One of the modules asked us to watch, or listen to a video, by Stanton Wortham, who described the different learning theories. On the website, you had the option of either watching the video or reading the transcript. I tried to use both options separately but found that, like the podcast, I tended to drift off or could not keep up with the presenter, and therefore could not gain a deeper understanding of the content being presented. When I attempted to read the transcript, due to the lack of grammar used, I could not understand what was written-it was too conversational.  However, when I combined both methods, I developed a blended learning approach that allowed I used a number of senses and understood the content of the presentation. According to Burns [2002 p.289] “Between 50% and 80% of people remember what they hear and see”. And from experience, I agree with this.   

Reference

 Burns, R. 2002, The Adult Learner at Work, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest