Audio/Video Podcast: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

I am an individual who would much rather watch a podcast than create one. TED Talks are one of my favorite ways to increase motivation and YouTube is my favorite way to learn. I especially appreciate YouTube for hands-on skills such as learning a new crochet stitch or pattern.

After some reflection, I realized that I create 'almost-podcasts' each week when I teach my students. I create a recording of my teaching for students whom were absent to view. They are able to access past classes from their homepage and review as often as needed.Obviously, this is not a podcast because it is follow the typical formula of digital audio, RSS Feed, and internet accessibility. It is possible that it could be considered as lecture webcasting, although it is only available to a closed circuit (King & Cox, 2011).

A benefit of assigning podcasts as assignments is to encourage students to broaden their horizons when it comes to digital technology. This past week's assignment definitely forced me out of my comfort zone, as I was originally uncomfortable creating a podcast. Another benefit, as I referenced in the use of YouTube, is using podcasts in tutorial form. It is much easier to learn, at least for me, with a visual demonstration which can be stopped and started as many times as needed.

While the assignment of podcasts can be a benefit, it can also be a drawback. This is especially concerning in large classes with limited time. An instructor may not have the resources available to instruct and troubleshoot with students who are experiencing this technology for the first time.

As I mentioned, my favorite use of podcasts are for teaching myself crochet. The following link is a crochet podcast site hosted through PodBean which is a platform to explore and create podcasts.
The Crochet Circle is a good example of a simple podcast/blog site. They have the episodes listed down the right hand side and the ability to subscribe through RSS. If crochet isn't one of your interests, you can return to the PodBean hosting platform and select podcasts from a menu including comedy, music, education, and more.


King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC:

Information Age Publishing.

The Crochet Circle. (2016). http://thecrochetcircle.podbean.com/

Interview Podcast

Hello!

I decided to use Prezi coupled with Sound Recorder to create my audio podcast interview.

Please follow this link  to check it out!

Be sure to press the 'play' button and turn your sound up. I can't wait to hear back your thoughts. If you have any suggestions on how I could have made this even better, please let me know in comments.

Have a great week!

8 Week Lesson Plan

8-Week Undergraduate Course – Literary Theory

Students in English Program – Prerequisites Required

Objectives:

Identify elements of different literary theories

Apply literary theories to literature studied throughout this course

Demonstrate the ability to synthesize ideas in literary form and use literary terms in historical and theoretical contexts

Analyze literature using a specific theoretical framework

Collaborate with group members to construct a cohesive document regarding a literary theory

Rationale for Wiki Project: To foster collaborative learning, and allow for application of literary theory to required literature.

Assessment: Students will write a reflective essay on the utilization of a wiki project in relation to literary theory. Facilitator will grade wikis using criterion for both collaborative effort and accuracy of wiki produced. Students will complete survey ranking collaborative effort of team members. 

Wiki Project: Students will be split into five groups with approximately 4 team members. The group will be assigned one of the following literary theories: reader-response, psychoanalytic, Marxist, new criticism, feminist. Students will be required to provide an overview of assigned theory, key contributors, and application to literature. 4 media items will be required – video, recording, interactive. 4 different literature excerpts (studied during this course) must be provided with the group’s interpretation using assigned theory.

Timeline:

Week 1- Wiki Survey, Get to Know You Discussion Board, 2 assigned readings

Week 2- Wiki Groups Assigned, 3 assigned readings - Students must choose one excerpt to analyze using either Gender or Race Context theory – this will be posted to the Discussion Board

Week 3- Wiki Groups – First Meeting, 2 assigned readings, Students must choose one excerpt to analyze using Deconstructive theory – this will be posted to the Discussion Board

Week 4- Wiki Construction – Students must identify 1 reading from anthology – not assigned in the course – to analyze using New Criticism – this will be posted to the Discussion Board

Week 5-Wiki Construction – No new items assigned, to allow for students to spend maximum time working together – One synchronous meeting of each group required this week.

Week 6- Wikis Due – Students must finalize all wiki construction by end of week. Group members must complete a survey ranking contribution to wiki project for facilitator reference. 3 readings assigned, Students must choose one excerpt to analyze using Moral Criticism - this will be posted to Discussion Board. 

Week 7- Wiki Walk – Students must provide constructive comments on each of the wiki pages.

Week 8- Wiki Reflection Paper Due – Students will write a 1-2 page paper reflecting on project..


This project will increase collaborative learning among the students in the course. It will provide real-world application of learning theory to various literature selections. Students will become familiar with wiki technology and the art of embedding media in a constructive manner. 

Reference:

West, J. & West, M. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wikis: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

I must preface this post with the fact that I really do not enjoy wikis (sorry, Dr. K!). I blame my English teaching background and my absolute distaste for Wikipedia. It must somehow be leaking through to the wiki assignments.

With that being said, I think wikis are an excellent medium to promote collaborative learning in the adult classroom. Wikis are very open-ended. Essentially, there is no template, yet they are simple enough that even an adult with little technical background can quickly learn to manipulate them. As Stavredes (2011), highlights, "because of the asynchronous nature of wikis, learners can engage in the activities according to their own schedule. An additional benefit is that learners can control the space, which can enhance their sense of responsibility" (p. 177). This sense of responsibility can lead to a stronger feeling of ownership in one's learning, leading to a higher satisfaction with the course.

One dissatisfaction I have with wikis, which is ironically one of the benefits, is the lack of creativity one can implement - especially in the new wiki platform we are using. Yes, one can embed videos and graphics, but the headings are rather limited in nature. By linking to external content, though, they can become a nice cache of resource material. As referenced earlier, King and Cox (2011), indicate "wikis can be very useful in educational setting, but the limitation of this tool is that it can be edited by any individual who may post inappropriate or irrelevant content to the wiki, which in turn may take away from the focus of the wiki" (p.123). If one is able, password protecting the wiki can prevent manipulation of content.


 Cox T.  & King, K. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bas

Blogging: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

Stavredes (2011), succintly defines discussion forums as, "the most common communications toll used in online learning. They provide a way for learners to interact asynchronously one-to-one or one-to-many to discuss topics and freely exchange thoughts and ideas" (p. 175). She proceeds to define blogs as, "individual collections of writings from an individual with the capability of allowing others to comment on the writings and ideas of the author of the blog, thus establishing a sense of involvement" (p. 176). The essential difference existing in the purpose of a discussion board to encourage communication between two or more parties, while blogs are more similar to a monologue with other parties contributing if they so choose. While the 'sense' of involvement can be present in a successful blog, it is not as consuming as the interaction of a discussion board.


Blogging, similar to other types of journaling, is an excellent choice for reflective writing. As Stavredes (2011), indicates, "blogs are an excellent reflective tool for learners to communicate about their learning experiences in the form of an online journal" (p. 176). Reflective journals, through the use of blogging, "has the potential to expand a learner's network of colleagues and professional relationships through the creation of a community of virtual colleagues, mentors, and coaches" (King & Cox, 2011, p. 93). An obstacle that is encountered by faculty, when assigning a blog, is the large time commitment that is required for grading, reading, and commenting on student blogs (King & Cox, 2011). However, one can find a partial solution to this obstacle, by requiring students to comment on each other's blogs, thus reducing the amount of feedback required from the instructor. 


References

 Cox T.  & King, K. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.