The pedagogy of using podcasts for an e-learning activity -- a reflection

Irene Lee
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR, China

While podcasting is a powerful means for publishing recorded audio online in an educational context, it is rarely exploited creatively as an e-learning tool, other than by making the lectures available for students to download and listen to on either their personal computers or mp3 players, such as an iPod. This paper therefore aims to describe the pedagogical aspects of using podcasts creatively as an emerging technology. In addition, given the dearth of information about podcasting pedagogy and educational research into its effectiveness as a resource for teaching and learning, it is also hoped to unearth, through reflection, good practices in using this particular tool to enhance teaching and learning online. The context for the discussion was set during the biannual e-learning week at Singapore Polytechnic in 2007 where a module on 'Report Writing and Presentation' -- one of the modules taught by the Polytechnic's Language and Communication Department -- capitalized on the potential for using podcasts to reach and teach the students.