Running Head: PODCASTS & THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN THE COLLEGE

CLASSROOM

Podcasts and their Effectiveness in the College Classroom

Nicolette McCarthy

Monmouth University
PODCASTS & THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM 2

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which podcasts can be an effective

tool in the composition classroom. The paper will begin with an explanation of what a podcast is,

exploring the rise of the technological tool as well as the influence it has had in the college

classroom setting. The impact of podcasting in the classroom will then be discussed, going over

the many ways in which professors can implement the multimodal tool in the classroom. Going

off this, the advantages and disadvantages of the tool will be further analyzed, leading off to the

general theory that podcasting in the composition classroom should be implemented solely as an

academic, supplementary tool for rather than taking away the face-to-face classroom. This

hypothesis will then be backed up by a scholarly study, as well as a study of my own on the

students of Monmouth University, which will lead to the overall conclusion and thoughts on the

topic of podcasts in the college classroom setting.

Keywords: podcast, technology, supplementary tool, education, student learning, students

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INTRODUCTION TO PODCASTS AND THEIR RISE TO POPULARITY

Introduction to Podcasts

Podcasting is a type of push technology classified as “an audio or video file distributed to

an appropriate media player over the internet”, creating a community where people listen to

podcasts that connects to their interests (Frydenberg 2008). Within Principles and Pedagogy:

The Two Ps of Podcasting in the Information Technology Classroom, the article explicates that a

podcast follows a publishing and subscription model, in which the media producer creates and

publishes the content, followed by users subscribing to the series of podcasts made by the

producer. The process of the publishing and subscription model can be broken down even

further, in order to get a better understanding of how a podcast goes from the drawing board to

the ears of millions. The following is a much more explicit description of how a podcast is

created:

“The podcasting process begins with the creation of content through the use of

audio capturing and editing tools (i.e., a personal computer, a microphone, recording

software, audio editing and compression software). Producing a podcast is recognized as

the most challenging part of the process. The created File (e.g., MP3 file) is then

uploaded to a publicly-available webserver on the Internet. This file is referred to as one

episode of a podcast” (Gribbins 2007).

It is also important to recognize that the use of a Really Simple Syndication technology, which is

“most widely used for the instant organization and distribution of a wide variety of information”,

is important for the subscription procedure since it makes holding all episodes of one podcast

within a single file possible (Glotzbach 2009).

The Rise to Popularity

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Since the establishment of podcasting, its popularity has increased expeditiously

overtime. It has been estimated that by the end of the decade, around 56.8 million people in the

United States can be considered as “podcast users”

(Gribbin 2007). This estimated statistic demonstrates

that podcasts are a part of many people’s daily lives,

proving the success of podcast usage in today’s

society. The attractiveness of podcasting can be Figure 1: Monthly Podcast Listeners from 2008 to 2019

influenced by “pervasive internet activity, growth in broadband internet access, access to

multimedia capable personal computers, a blur between streaming and downloading media

content, and the rapid adoption of portable MP3 playback devices” (Gribbins 2007). This

immense power podcasting has in technology has even extended to academics, specifically in

higher-level educational settings. In order to associate to better students, professors of post-

secondary institutes all over have integrated the use of podcasts, or the “tremendous classroom

adjunct”, in the class curriculum (Lum 2006). A study done in the United States revealed “more

than 80 percent of college students own at least one device that can download and play

recordings”, making this concept teaching methods possible for professors (Lum 2006). Not only

that, but schools such as Duke University, Arizona State University, and the University of

Denver used school funding to provide technological means, such as iPods, to students in order

to make podcasting in the college classroom setting possible.

PODCASTS IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM

Podcasting in the classroom is essential in that teachers must keep up with the

technological advancements in order to grasp interests of students. “As technological innovations

in the form of social participation media such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, really simple syndication
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(RSS) feeds and social tagging becoming increasingly central to the functioning of modern

society and to student’s daily lives, there is growing interest in their use in formal education

applications” (Zacharis 2012). However, many critics of podcasts have questioned their validity

in the classroom, since the idea of podcasts in the college classroom has not been well

understood and unexplored by many. With that being said, it is important to first discuss the

many different ways in have been and continue to be incorporated within the classroom.

First off, it must first be understood that the uses of podcasts “are commonly divided into

three categories: “substitutional” podcasts which involve recordings of in-class content,

nonessential “supplemental” podcasts which provide review of in class content; and “integrated

podcasts which provide unique content such as guest interviews, podcast only lessons, and

roundtable discussion (Drew 2017). The following chart is a breakdown of the specific uses of

podcasts in the classroom:

Ways Podcasting Can be Used in the College Classroom
Lectures Interviews Student projects Highlighting information
Synthesis of core readings Discussing homework Sharing announcements Evaluations/feedback
Figure 2 Benefits of Podcasting in the College Classroom (Zacharis 2012)

Along with the improvement of learning, podcasting has also been seen as a way to

“address preconceptions and anxiety on student learning” making the learning environment more

positive and comfortable (Frydenberg 2008).

THE ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES OF PODCASTS AND THESIS

“Always find different ways to accomplish the mission. Then run a counter-analysis and list the

advantages and disadvantages. When you have done that, you are ready to make a decision.”

- Colin Powell

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Podcasts

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As discussed prior, podcasting can offer many advantages to the college classroom, but

can also trigger many challenges as well. The chart below reveals both the pros and cons of

podcasting in an educational setting:

The Benefits & Disadvantages of Podcasting in the Classroom

Benefits
 Allows for spatial and temporal flexibility by
giving the listener control of where and when
to listen (Gribbins 2007)
 Enable educators to rapidly address student
needs and concerns (Gribbins 2007)
 Significant learning aid to auditory learners
(Gribbins 2007)
 Enables students to reflect on their own
learning (Frydenberg 2008)
 Good for recording lectures (Frydenberg
2008)
 Great for distant learning (Frydenberg 2008)
 Useful for supplementary material or
explanations (Frydenberg 2008)
Figure 3: The Benefits & Disadvantages of Podcasting in the Classroom
Disadvantages
 Limited usefulness for the hearing impaired
(Gribbins 2007)
 Not designed for two-way
interaction/audience participation (Gribbins
2007)
 Inability to search an audio for a key term
(Frydenberg 2008)
 Additional time for instructor to create
outside of classroom setting (Frydenberg
2008)
 The recording process – hard to be done in
the classroom (Frydenberg 2008)
 Negative impact on classroom attendance
(Frydenberg 2008)
 The attention of students – who will listen to
an academic podcast that’s a full hour?
(Frydenberg 2008)

Thesis

When acknowledging both the benefits and concerns of the technological tool, I had

determined my own proposition as to how podcasts should be used in the classroom. What had

stood out to me when researching was the idea of podcasting in the classroom could potentially

take away the face-to-face classroom experience, not providing that teacher to student

relationship causing distance between the two. This could potentially decrease student learning,

student motivation, and even deteriorate social skills as being in the classroom is a consistent

factor in a college student’s live. When considering that concept in comparison to the other

methods of podcasting in the classroom, it allowed myself to determine that the best way to use

podcasting in the college classroom should be implemented solely as an academic,

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supplementary tool. That way, we can keep that student to teacher relationship, while allowing

the podcasting tool to be used when needed.

RESEARCH

Nick Z. Zacharis’ Predicting College Student’s Acceptance of Podcasting as a Learning Tool

Within the following study, the overall purpose of the research was to “explore the

adoption of podcasting technology as a learning tool, from the perspective of college students”

(2008). It is important to recognize that the student response to podcasting gives a better

understanding onto whether podcasting is truly effective. This study had primarily focused on

three behavioral variables of the students: the perceived ease of use (PEOU), the perceived

usefulness (PU), and the perceived enjoyment (PENJ). the following terms represent these

specific factors of the study:

“PU – The users’ perception that podcasting enhances their learning performance (Zacharis 2008)
PEOU – individuals attempt to minimize effort in their behaviors, which in the case of new system implies that
the easier the system is to use the more useful it is thought to be (Zacharis 2008)
PENJ – the usage of an information system for no apparent reinforcement other than for the sake of using it.
When the interaction with the system is perceived to be enjoyable by itself” (Zacharis 2008)

The study focused on 122 18-19-year-old computer science and engineering majors who

enrolled in an introductory information system course, with 52 of those students being female,

while 70 are males. Over a 14-week period, the students were given a sequence of 22 podcasts

over the semester, with a length of 12 minutes for each podcast that covered specific content in

regard to the course. All the students participating within the experiment had used a survey

instrument, which focused on the PU, PEOU and PENJ factors in order to test the research model

of using the podcasts.

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As a result of the study, it was concluded that “[Students] do not see podcasts
students are interested in using podcasts for their as a replacement for existing
face-to-face activities.”
learning, but simply as an aid in the classroom. While - Nick Z. Zacharis, 2008

their perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use was clearly exemplified within the survey, it

was the perceived usefulness that was not a strong determinant within the study. This not only

“emphasizes the need for educators to shift their focus on how to effectively apply this

entertainment-oriented technology to conventional learning activities”, but also has us conclude

that a reason for the weak PU factor “lies I the fact that students are perceiving in class structures

as more useful for their learning and they do not see podcasts as a replacement for existing face-

to-face activities” (Zacharis 2008).

Personal Study with Monmouth University Students

I thought I would take this research even further, and put it into my own hands and

survey Monmouth University students in regard to their thoughts on podcasting. I had taken my

own study into two directions. First, I surveyed the overall use of podcasting through three

factors: if they listen to podcasts, would they enjoy seeing

podcasts being used in the classroom as a supplementary tool, and

if they would like to see podcasting as the main basis of

classroom. Second, I had surveyed a number of students who had

taken an online-type courses that involved video-podcasting

interactions with their professors, and had asked if they found this
Figure 4: Students filling out survey at
Monmouth University
method of teaching to be effective to their learning. It is also

important to recognize that I did not survey the class that this paper is made for, as I thought it

would be conflict of interest for my research.

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For the first survey, I had researched a total of 25 people, with 18 of them being female,

while 7 being male. I had provided them a survey asking the following questions, and below are

my statistical results:

Questions Yes No Why?

Do you frequently listen to 60% 40% N/A for this factor
podcasts? Yes or no?
Would you like to see podcasts Yes: majority reason – auditory learners;
being used in the classroom as a will help them in regard to studying
supplementary tool? Yes or no and 84% 16% No: majority reason: Do not see it
why? necessary; won’t benefit their learning

Would you like to see podcasting as
a main basis of learning in the
classroom? Yes or no and why?
Figure 5: Survey One Graph
Yes: majority reason: t means they will not
20% 80% have to go to class; can just look back at it
later
No: Majority reason: they will not learn

As evident, these results reveal conclusions similar to Zacharis’ study. While podcasts are

frequently used by some of the selected students at Monmouth University, their main concern of

its incorporation in their studies is the classroom experience. It was shown that the majority had

felt that using podcasts as a supplementary tool was much more beneficial to their learning in the

classroom, rather than having it as the main basis of learning. Had the classroom been a podcast-

only setting, the students believe there would be no true learning involved since students felt it

was a way to not attend class and get an easy A since the podcasts would always be available for

them to look back to. This is why they find podcasting as a supplementary tool to be the better

choice for the sake of their actual learning.

I had then surveyed a total of 25 students who have taken an online course in the past that

was video-podcast based for the second survey. These are the following results:

Questions Yes No Why?

*No motivational drive from instructor
Did you find your class to be effective in 0% 100% *No two-way connection with professor
your learning? *There was not that much work to be done
Figure 6: Survey Two Chart
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At first, I found it completely shocking that not a single person found hybrid, video-

podcast courses to be effective, but once I had heard their reasons as to why, I completely

understood where they were coming from. Students generally feel that an online course is not

effective in their learning in that the minimal teacher-to-student connection does not allow for

students to fully comprehend the content, and having the course solely online does not benefit

their general learning. From my own perspective, I have once taken a course here at Monmouth

University which met on campus on Wednesdays but online only on Mondays. In my opinion, I

genuinely learned more in the actual classroom setting, because that was where I actually

understood what was being said in the assigned texts and lectures being that I was unable to ask

during the Monday hybrid.

CONCLUSION

After gathering research on the effects of podcasting in the college classroom, I have

determined that the supplemental use of the technological tool is the best way for an instructor to

implement them for their students. Whether it is for review, or another reading comprehension

tool, or even an in-class assignment for the students, using podcasting as a secondary instrument

will benefit students learning in that it allows them to grow by providing more means of

knowledge. It is important to recognize this since had podcasting been the only tool used within

the classroom, the knowledge of students in regard to the content may not be as strong had there

been face-to-face contact with the professor. However, like all technology, podcasting is

continuing to develop and grow, and with that being said, who knows if there will ever be better

advancements of this technology that will benefit podcasting in the classroom even more.
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References

Colin Powell Quote. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1573450

Drew, C. (2017). Edutaining Audio: An Exploration of Education Podcast Design

Possibilities. Educational Media International, 54(1), 48–62. Retrieved from https://web-b-

ebscohost-com.ezproxy.monmouth.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=a444ad8f-8e89-

4393-a700-0e0a5a5cf664@pdc-v-sessmgr01

Frydenberg, M. (2008). Principles and Pedagogy: The Two Ps of Podcasting in the Information

Technology Classroom. Informations Systems Education Journal, 6(6). Retrieved from

http://www.isedj.org/6/6/ISEDJ.6(6).Frydenberg.pdf

Glotzbach, R. (n.d.). SS as a Course Information Delivery Method. Retrieved from

https://www.cct.lsu.edu/~fharhad/ganbatte/siggraph2007/CD1/content/educators/glotzbach.pdf

Gribbins, M. (2007). THE PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF PODCASTING IN HIGHER

EDUCATION: A SURVEY OF STUDENTS' A ITUDES AND INTENTION TO

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monthly-podcast-listeners-e1556135321294.png.

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