Benefits to Students
From Wiki Podcasting
Contents |
Student Review
A podcasted lecture is available for students to review at their convenience, from anywhere, any day and anytime. Commuting students can listen to lectures from the previous week on the way to and from home. Students who live on or near campus can review classes as they walk to and from classes. Students without a digital audio player can listen to podcasts directly from their personal computer or in a lab on campus.
Freedom from Note taking
Students in a podcasted class are free to engage in the class, rather than spending all of their time writing down what the instructor said. This should allow for more interactive classroom experiences.
Similarly, students who have previously recorded lectures will not have to each bring a recorder to class. One instructor used to have five or six recorders put on her lectern each class period!
Accessibility for Students with Learning and Physical Disabilities
Students don't always choose to skip note taking. Many students on campus are either physically unable to take notes. Other students with learning disabilities(ie dyslexia) cannot write thier own notes, or students with ADD or ADHD cannot concentrate on notetaking and listening to the instructor at the same time.
ESL Students
Students that do not speak english as thier first language may have trouble catching the nuances of English's more colorful aspects on the first listen. Podcasts will help these students, both with class content, and give them the time they need to research unfamiliar phrases and terms. It may even make them better English speakers.
A Safety Net
Every student has had to miss class at least once in their academic career. Podcasts will help students that miss the occasional class catch up on missed lecture materials. Some students find themselves in rough patches of life that cause them to miss a number of classes. Whether this is due to illness, poor life choices, or other hardships, the presence of class podcasts will help them catch up on missed classes, and hopefully salvage a passing grade in classes they would have otherwise failed.
Instructor Selection
In the future, as more instructors podcast their classes, students will be able to use the podcasts to preview instructors. Students will be able to listen to (for example) the four different instructors of an Econ 101 class and choose the instructor that is right for them.
