Integrating Podcasting into a Masters' distance learning programme in Applied ... Education course team began to transfe
Integrating Podcasting into a Masters’ distance learning programme in Applied Linguistics and TESOL Introduction This case study demonstrated an example of incorporation podcasting into a MA distance learning programme in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at the School of Education, the University of Leicester, UK. A series of podcasts were created to introduce language change and variation, World Englishes, bilingualism and language choice, demonstrate Phonology and provide guidance on the dissertation. By the time this case study is writing up, the development of podcasts is still ongoing. The innovation was conducted as part of the JISC-funded project called DUCKLING (Delivering University Curricula: Knowledge, Learning and Innovation Gains, http://www.le.ac.uk/duckling).Initial findings from a small number of students showed that they perceived podcasts beneficial to their learning in ways of adding a human dimension, enriching teaching approaches to a distance learning programme, enhancing the understanding of subject-specific concepts and effective in demonstrating language variants.
The programme The School of Education at the University of Leicester started delivering a Masters’ distance learning programme in Applied Linguistics and TESOL in 1995. The programme is aimed at graduate teachers with at least two years of English Language Teaching (ELT) experience, who want to further their academic and professional development. This programme involves three 30-credit modules, two options modules (30 credits in total) and a 60-credit dissertation over two years. It attracts about 90 part-time students per year. Almost all students are in employment throughout their studies. In September 2008, the Education course team began to transfer delivery of course materials online via Blackboard, the University of Leicester’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Each module has a discussion forum where students can raise generic questions and discuss the module. Discussion boards are facilitated by e-moderators. Through consultation with staff, students and employers, the Education team identified five key challenges in curriculum design and delivery at the beginning of the DUCKLING project in early 2009, most of which are common in distance and work-based learning: Improving learner engagement with materials by bringing the materials to life and offering a variety of teaching and assessment approaches Improving learner support by offering enhanced guidance, support and feedback in a variety of media formats
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Enhancing flexibility and mobility in programmes aimed primarily at time-poor, workbased learners Reducing learner isolation through the provision of additional opportunities for studentstudent and student-tutor interactions Enabling skills development and transferring theory into practice for work-based learners The team has focused on enhancing the overall learning experience of distance and work-based learners on this MA programme through appropriate incorporation of DUCKING technologies: Podcasting, Second Life (SL), e-book readers and Wimba Voice Board. In this DUCKLING case study, we report on the experience of incorporation of podcasting into this MA distance work-based programme.
The podcasting intervention The Education podcasts The podcasts produced by the Education team are summarised in Table 1 below: Module the podcasts were relevant to
Topic of the podcast(s)
No. of podcasts
Introduction
2
Language change and variation
2
Standard English
2
World Englishes
3
Bilingualism and language choice
1
Talk analysis
2
Module 2: Phonology
Intonation audio files
50
Dissertation
Introduction and guidance on the literature review
3
Module 3: Language, Discourse and Society
Table 1: Summary of the Education podcasts The development and delivery of podcasts Some podcasts were produced by members of the Education course team and some were produced by members of BDRA, using a free software package called Audacity (http://audacity.downloadlatest.com) and with some support from DUCKLING learning technologists. All the podcasts were made available through the university’s Blackboard course area for all the students to access.
Research methods
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At the time this case study is writing up, the development of podcasts is still ongoing. So far, three Education students have provided informal feedback and comments about the World Englishes podcasts (delivered as part of Module 3) through semi-structured interviews and Blackboard discussion board. Student interviews and comments were transcribed. Transcription of the interviews and comments was coded using data-driven (inductive) coding (Boyatzis, 1998) and analysed using thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998; Joffe and Yardley, 2004) to identify categories and combine categories into themes.
Initial results from students Adding a human dimension to distance learning Listening to someone’s voice brings a human dimension to a distance learning course. The voice ‘adds something to the module’ that makes students felt more ‘immediate’, ‘interacting’ and ‘human’, as one student said, But certainly it adds some variety. It’s interesting to hear someone’s voice. It feels more immediate. It adds something to the module, but I wouldn’t say there were essential to the module…I think the voice can make a difference to any course. I suppose that it makes us feel more interacting, a bit of human… It also means that students hearing instructor’s voice sometimes. That might be a nice thing. It’s not essential, but it’ a nice touch. Enriching teaching approaches to distance learning Another student said that the audios added another mode of study to the course, which is a missing aspect of distance learning and could be beneficial for students who enjoy learning by listening. I really really like listening. It’s something missing in a distance learning course. I realized that part of my learning is missing just by me reading. I love to hear what people have got to say. When the podcasts came along, it really allowed me to sort of ground something. That was the most fundamental thing for me…To me, it’s the missing aspect of distance learning programme, if I may say so. Audios and potentially videos is how I would like to see those units being displayed to me. The notes and units that we get would be almost like a lecture notes for me. I love to have audio and video presentations from the lecturers because I can’t get a hand on the lecturers. I try to get a hand on their attitudes towards what they’re teaching, and what they’re providing us by the written words, so much is lost in the written words. I really really like audio format and of course video format that we can do from the internet. I love reading, but just adding those modes really benefits me. Enhancing the understanding of subject-specific concepts The podcasts that discussed World Englishes and bilingualism and language choice were found particularly interesting and useful by one of the students. The different points of view and experiences delivered through these podcasts helped him to comprehend concepts such as World Englishes. I just wanted to say that the audio files are a really useful component of the units. It is great to hear the different points of view regarding English from the four speakers in Unit on World Englishes. There are some wonderful pieces of audio in there. As just one example, when S talks about not being able to represent the word ‘information’ in his own language, 3
it just helps to remind me about the difficulty of representing concepts to students. It also keeps reminding me of my mantra for many years: assume nothing! ... And listening to people, especially J and S there, the two non-native speakers, really helped me to get an angle on the concept. I like to listen to how people who aren’t native speakers relate to the languages as well. I like listening. I found it a really really useful and vital part of the unit. I couldn’t stress that enough. For me, it’s fantastic. Demonstrating language variants For a language teaching course, using voice to demonstrate different dialects and accents and language variants is an effect choice. They gave me an idea about how accent could be different because for me, for example, one of them, this is the first time I hear this accent. It was difficult for me to understand. It is good to listen to people with different accents, different dialects with English. It’s interesting…All I was exposed with is, this is British English and this is American English or maybe Australian. To me, they’re clear. I don’t think they’re difficult to understand. But these other dialects were a shock to me, wow, how people could understand these accents. It gives me an idea of the variety that can be in a big world that people speak English in a different way. How different it could be.
Impact and sustainability The Education team thinks that podcasting has the most impact to the delivery of their MA programme, partly because it is the easiest to introduce into the delivery. Podcasting is selfsustainable, and most of the team members feel comfortable about producing podcasts on their own after receiving some training and support from DUCKLING technologists. The Education team has created podcasts across all the modules. The podcasts created as part of the Sociolinguistics module on World Englishes were well received. More than 50 podcasts will be introduced to the Phonology module in September 2010. The Education team will be increasing the number of podcasts and introducing video podcasts into the curriculum delivery beyond DUCKLING.
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