Why+Use+Podcasting

Why Use Podcasting
The rising popularity of podcasting could be attributed to the increasingly widespread ownership of MP3 players (Huann & Thong, 2006). MP3 players have become wildly popular; according to the United States Census sales of MP3 players rose 1400% during the period between 2003 and 2007 (United States Census Bureau, 2007) and 63% of people own a handheld device (MP3 player or cell phone capable of MP3 playback) as of June 2008 (The Nielsen Company, 2008). 31% of children aged 6 to 10 now use digital-music players (Bulik, 2008). The podcasting also has the advantages of ease of publication (individual podcasters can create and distribute files), ease of subscription, and ease of use across multiple environments (Cambell, 2005; Huann & Thong, 2006). According to Huann & Thong (2006), “by viewing the podcasting process through a pedagogic lens, podcasting can be meaningfully viewed as a learning process comprising three phases namely, content-creation, publishing and subscription” (p. 7). Students learn real-world surviving skills, such as communication, collaboration, time management, and problem solving during the process of creating a podcast. The publishing phase motives students to reflect on their own performance and improve their final product to reach their satisfaction. The subscription phase offers students an unlimited opportunities to listen and review the objected content and more time to organize their thoughts and analyze the concepts. This is the critical phase where teaching and learning products are harvested and universal learning occurs.

Heck (2009) suggested that cognitive theories of multimedia are the fundamental justifications of using podcasting in teaching and learning. Podcasts provide both audio and visual presentations of content delivery, which benefits students with different leaning styles. When images accompanied with human voices, people tend to pay more attention and it seems easier to digest the information. This method has been widely and successfully used in DIY (Do-It-Yourself) markets, such as adult learning DVDs and TLC TV channel. However, the traditional classroom teaching fails to attract and attain the new generation’s attention. With podcasting, students have the choices of when and where to download and replay the materials. This feature offers students tremendous freedom and self-control. “ From a user-creator perspective, Podcasting offers a degree of self-empowerment, control and autonomy” (Dale, 2007).

When integrated thoughtfully, podcasting can be a powerful and effective teaching tool to connect teachers with their students. As a result of the learning process, students don’t just pass the content tests, but master the knowledge for applications and producing meaningful products (Richardson, 2009).