making my first podcast!

i have to say it was a very fun experience. the hardest part was getting everyone around me to be quiet so i could record. oh, another hard part was getting the images i wanted to look exactly like i wanted them to. the dialog and music was easy...once i decided what i wanted to use. putting everything in a powerpoint to pull from, and writing the dialog in the notes section made it very easy to follow my podcast and time it right. the editing did take a while. and it was a drag having to re-record a section, actually many sections because someone decided to send a fax right then, and forget how to use the machine! or how about someone screaming across the room instead of just calling them on the telephone. or the door slamming, or the phone ringing, or the silly humidifier starting and stopping like a big diesel rig. but all in all, it was a great experience, and i wouldn't mind producing, directing, editing, and starring in another podcast.

You can view your learning at your leisure!

By offering participants the ability to customize their learning to suit their lifestyle, we will inevitably reach more people. The idea really appeals to me to put handouts and powerpoint in the form of PDFs on an RSS feed and downloaded directly to an iPod. Learners can engage in learning in little bits while on the go. Learning can also be made "enjoyable" by adding short tunes or songs to help keep students engaged. An important issue to consider is the instructor's ability to create podcasts in a timely manner that will meet their objectives and keep the learner engaged.

10 votes contributed to this data regarding a person's capability to learn from a podcast. Clearly, most people have the hardware, software, and knowledge to learn from a podcast, but their willingness and motivation to learn this way is an area that needs further inquiry. Also, more respondent's are needed to contribute to this poll.

Baseline data......

I posted the question on Fast Company Polls....

Do you have the capability (hardware, software, and knowledge) to learn from a podcast?

And 90% of the people that responded said yes. That is encouraging considering the cost of owning hardware to view podcasts, the knowledge involved in accessing podcasts, and the time involved.

10% of the posters responded they would not want to learn via a podcast. It would be beneficial to know the particular reasons why learning via a video online is not ideal.

Delivery Questions

In our busy lives, having to attend a training at 5pm, after a long day's work, needing to do other things like.....

pick up children
do homework
run errands
exercise
relax

...does not encourage people to want to participate in professional development. Alternatively attending a training during the school day is not feasible since people need to be at school. Principals, assistant principals, department chairs, curriculum specialists, etc., all need to be at their school site.......inspectiing what they expect. Having an alternative method delivery, like a podcast, would afford people the opportunity to increase their knowledge in areas that would benefit their work. Although watching a video is non-interactive, it does provide a learning opportunity. How beneficial it is remains to be seen.

My Action Research Question

I would like to know if podcasts are a viable method of delivery for e-learning/training.

For great background information on podcasts, see......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast


If you want to learn more about e-learning, see......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning