Podcasting: Pros and cons of integrating podcasting in Adult Education
"WE ARE MASTERS OF THE UNSAID WORDS, BUT SLAVES OF THOSE WE LET SLIP OUT." - WINSTON CHURCHILL
References:
Soltan, Liz (2019) Digital Divide: The Technology Gap between the Rich and
Poor. Retrieved from http://www.digitalresponsibility.org/digital-divide-the-technology-gap-between-rich-and-poor
What is podcasting?
Podcasting is one of
the most exciting and wonderfully disruptive technologies to emerge in recent
history. Anybody can get involved, express themselves, exchange ideas.
Podcasting is disruptive because it breaks all the rules, and puts the power to
communicate into the hands of individuals. The price of admission is some basic
audio/visual recording equipment and a desire to communicate (Geoghegan and
Klass, p. 2). ESL programs can put
the “third space pedagogy” into action when integrating podcasting in the
curriculum. Gutiérrez et al.
(1999) defined third space pedagogy as "a classroom community of
difference that uses multiple mediating tools and makes use of all the spatial,
cultural and linguistic resources of its participants" (p. 287). In an ESL classroom, where the Listening, Speaking, Reading and
Writing skills are integrated in the curriculum, podcasts could become a
catalyst to develop and reinforce Listening and Speaking skills. At the same
time, it can empower students to talk about the things they are familiar with
or that they enjoy.
Pros of integrating podcasting in an ESL Adult
Education program
Smythe and Neufel
(2010) observed that podcasting in an English-language learner’s (ELL)
classroom activated confidence in certain groups of students as it combined the
use of technological tools as a medium to express themselves. In spite of
limitations, the project offered a
glimpse into the pedagogic and transformative possibilities of digital literacy
projects for creating classroom learning communities that critically engage and
respond to the social worlds of ELLs (p. 495). By rehearsing and repeating in preparation for recording the
podcast, ELL/ ESL students are able to overcome their affective filter,
or the psychological barriers developed in learners due to inner emotional or
environmental factors, which directly hinders success in second language
acquisition (Krashen 1982).
The exciting part of
podcasting is that it is not only limited to advanced ESL students, but it can
be also done by beginners. In the Adult Learning Center, the ESL Beginners
class have integrated audiovisual projects for the students to participate.
This could be consider a pre-podcasting experience. In this way, as students
progress in their educational journey, they can go back, watch their videos and
see how much they have improved. As part of the project, students get to create
and conduct an interview to their peers. First, the class will brainstorm
questions for the students to write down what they will ask. Some groups would
rehearse before filming themselves, while others feel more confident to do it
on the spot. Before they start recording themselves, the instructor will give
the students a required length of time for the duration of the video. Here you
can see an example of the activity:
Cons of integrating podcasting in an ESL Adult
Education program
Even with the internet adoption and technology consumption, the
digital divide still persist and affects the achievement of digital literacy
skills. There are still gaps
in high-speed internet access. Only 49% of African Americans and 51% of Hispanics
have high-speed internet at home, as compared with 66% of Caucasians. Internet
speed has important effects on media access, especially when it comes to
streaming video, uploading podcasts or listening to podcasts that are only
available online, so this gap is significant. (Soltan, 2019). Another factor to be aware is digital privacy.
Students might not be eager to adopt the use of podcast as they would feel
exposed if shared. In extreme cases, adopting podcasts could be a trigger that
would affect their affective filter.
Overall, the use of podcasting in ESL Adult Education could be a
potentially positive practice in the classroom. The implementation of narrated
digital media presentations can provide a viable way to present information in
a rich and meaningful way (King and Cox, 2011, p. 118). Podcast can be used by
various ESL levels, and they can influence positively the students’ affective filter,
provide empowerment through free speech, and reinforce the use of the third
space pedagogy in language acquisition.
References:
Geoghegan, Michael W., Dan Klass, and
SpringerLink. Podcast Solutions :
The Complete Guide to Podcasting. Berkeley, Calif.: Apress, 2005. Print.
Gutiérrez, K.D., Baquedano-López, P., &
Tejeda, C. (1999). Rethinking diversity: Hybridity and hybrid language
practices in the third space. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 6(4), 286- 303.
doi:10.1080/10749039909524733
King, K. P., & Cox, T. D. (2011). The Professor’s Guide to Taming Technology: Leveraging Digital Media, Web 2.0 and More for Learning (1st ed.). Information Age Publishing Inc.
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in
second language acquisition. New York: Prentice-Hall International.
Smythe, Suzanne, and Paul Neufeld.
""Podcast Time": Negotiating Digital Literacies and Communities
of Learning in a Middle Years ELL Classroom." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 53.6 (2010): 488-96. Web.
Thank you for returning to the concept of the digital divide. Cunningham (1993) spoke passionately about how adult education seeks to close the gap between adults with education and those without, but ends up widening it, instead. I believe she would be even more critical of adult education and the digital divide.
ReplyDeleteOne of my American friends teaching English in China used technology in his courses. One of his activities in his Spoken English course was for learners to send him 2 minute voicemails via social media at the end of a week. It wasn't much, but it was enough to ensure they were thinking about and practicing English. Also it gave him an opportunity to give them feedback on pronunciation, word choice, grammar, etc. Another activity he did was to organize the learners into small teams and gave them directions to create a 10 minute video. Everyone was required to speak for at least 90 seconds.
Best
--Les
Cunningham, P. (1993). Let’s get real: A critical look at the practice of adult education. Mountain Plains Adult Education Journal, 22(1), pp. 3-15. Retrieved from http://www.alu-c.com/blog/2014/7/12/lets-get-real
Thank you for sharing your friend's perspective. I wonder if the activities were done for different levels or for the same level. 2 minutes of speaking in a foreign language is not the same as doing a 10 minute video! I work with Beginners, and at their learning stage, I focus on them challenging themselves when they speak, rather than observing their pronunciation, word choice or grammar. I am not saying that I do not correct their pronunciation or grammar. I prefer to listen to my students, keep track of the words or grammar rules I need to reinforce and correct, and then give some general feedback on frequent errors. I find this more stress-free than pointing fingers. However, the program I work on is based on a formative approach instead of a summative one.
DeleteThank you for stopping by!
Hello, Elsa! You bring up many good points. To reply to your first question, the activities were done for the same level: first-year university students. The 2-minute voicemail was near the end of the first semester, and the 10-minute video was near the end of the second. The learners had been studying English as a Second Language for a mean average of 11 years, with a range from 8-13 years. He was provided a set of vocabulary and elements of grammar (mostly collocations, as I recall) that the learners would be tested on their oral skills at the end of the second year. While he had freedom to adapt the agenda and curriculum as he liked, but his performance would be partially assessed on his learners' success in the provided vocabulary and grammar.
DeleteHe told me if he got too far afield from the prescribed materials, the learners became stressed that they weren't going to be prepared enough for the year-end skills exam. Like you, his primary focus was on communication strategies. He couched those in the prescribed materials. You're right though--at the end of the year, his course was being summatively evaluated as where his learners.
Thanks for the response!
Hi Elsa,
ReplyDeleteLove the quote at the beginning of your blog - very powerful! One of your cons, digital privacy, got me thinking about a concern the podcast producer/owner might have. Not so much the privacy but the possibility of intellectual property. One of the nice features of a podcast is the ability to share with others. Podcasts can be easily shared and spread exponentially across the internet. This could create a concern for the producers/owners of podcasts concerning intellectual property and copyrighted materials. On one hand, the podcast owner wants maximum coverage and usage of his/her podcast. At the same time, they want to maintain ownership and given credit for the podcast's existence. One way of ensuring podcast sharing availability and minimizing copyright concerns is to use a Creative Commons license. The license gives individuals the right to share or duplicate the podcast. However, the individual must give credit to the producer/owner of the podcast. (Long and Edwards (2010)
Enjoyed the post and how to utilize for ESL education.
Long, S. and Edwards, P. (2010). Podcasting: Making Waves in Millennial Education. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 26(3), 96-101. Retrieved on April 24, 2019 from https://journals.lww.com/jnsdonline/Abstract/2010/05000/Podcasting_Making_Waves_in_Millennial_Education.2.aspx
Hello OkieKCarrel!
DeleteI really appreciate you adding the topic of intellectual property and the implementation of Creative Commons in the podcasting experience. I am not stranger of the Creative Commons usage, and I strongly believe that there is a lot of material that should be open and free for the public. The world would be a much better place if knowledge were more accessible than restricted for the sake of intellectual property. And there are a lot of podcasts that a person can miss due to the "admission fee". However, it is essential to recognize and value the effort of the contribution of the podcast's authors. King and Cox (2011) remark that when having students create podcasts for class assignments, the legal limitations are great examples of information literacy and changing requirements in laws that need to be discussed (p. 47). Thank you for stopping by. We are coming to the end of our journey together. Finish strong!
Your statement that refers to the gaps in high-speed internet access, is in alignment with Ertmer’s first order barriers which really “is more than purchasing and possessing hardware and software” (As cited in Tsai & Chai, 2012, p. 1). Having access to the vehicle of learning is only part of the necessity; participants must also have the fuel, high speed internet connection, to properly drive the vehicle for learning.
ReplyDeleteYour statement, that refers to the affective filter of ELL/ESL students was an astute observation. It is similar to Ertmer’s second-order intrinsic barriers of teacher attitude, beliefs, and willingness to change (As cited in Tsai & Chai, 2012, p. 1). Technology professor Cynthia Krebs of Utah Valley University referred to this willingness to change (Hort, 2019). The willingness to change must be on both the teacher’s and student’s parts.
Learning through podcasting creates a lovely environment for self-directed learning (Knowles as cited in Fishback, 2018). The social responsibility of our educational environment is to help alleviate the first order barriers and create a safe environment so that second order barriers can be properly managed.
Fishback, J. (2018). Self directed learning models [Powerpoint]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website: https://canvas.k-state.edu/info/.
Hort, M. K. (Producer). (2019, April 21). Interview with Professor Cynthia Krebs. Podcast retrieved from Canvas website: https://canvas.k-state.edu/info/.
Tsai, C. & Chai, C. S. (2012). The ‘third”-order barrier for technology-integration instruction: Implications for teacher education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(6). 1057-1060.
Hi Melissa,
DeleteYour comment of the social responsibility of our educational environment resonated with me immensely. I am a huge advocate on creating a safe environment where my students can share ideas while empowering them to overcome their own fears, easing their affecting filter and getting out of their comfort zone, in addition to teaching them the four basic communicational skills, digital literacy and citizenship skills. Sometimes I don't know how I do what I do!
Thank you for stopping by and adding to the conversation. We are almost in the finish line!