Podcasting has lately been a catchword making rounds in education circles. It has been unanimously agreed as one of the top 2019 e-Learning trends all over the globe.
Many organizations today are using robust online learning software to educate and train the tech-savvy millennials and younger generations. And, podcasting is one such stimulating medium that can be added to your teaching toolkit if you wish to improve your learners’ engagement and retention.
Whether you’re looking for an e-Learning tool to educate your undergrads or are hunting for a powerful compliance training software to train your employees, a podcast is often a freely accessible tool that offers plenty of benefits to educators as well as the learners.
Online Podcasting Benefits in the Education Sector
With the upsurge of podcasting, it presents an excellent prospect for educators to construct a unique approach in mentoring their learners. Here are five benefits of including online podcasting in your classroom:
1. Offers an inventive source of knowledge
Conventional education approaches depend profoundly on the instructor-led lecture format, which remains to be the standard in many schoolrooms. But, not all educators are active speakers, and some learners often lose attention after a few minutes into the lecture. This is where podcasting comes in.
A well-designed podcast is educational, fast-paced, and engaging, which captures the learner’s attention and imagination, which makes it a suitable source of knowledge. As a teacher, you might not need to produce podcasts yourself. You can explore existing available podcasts and incorporate them into your teaching methodology.
2. Helps with improved comprehension
According to research published in The Law Teacher, verbal learners account for nearly 30% of the entire population. What does that mean?
It means that a significant number of students in your classroom might learn better when they hear something instead of reading it. And, the role of podcasts for prospective learning lies in refining the listening comprehension skills of your learners at all levels.
Numerous learners are capable of absorbing more knowledge when they listen than if they read educational material, which could be up to three grade levels higher. This kindles conversation, which in turn encourages creative thinking and open discourse between and among educators and learners.
3. Expedites second language acquisition and creative thinking
Does your class include students with different language skills? Here’s where podcasts step in.
You can use a podcast as a learning tool in improving the language skills of your non-native learners. Listening to different words spoken aloud aids them in learning proper articulation and contextual connotation, particularly if they can follow along with a transcription.
Podcasts also empower students to have some control over their learning, which inspires them to become more inventive and imaginative in their thinking and nurture their creative aptitudes. Rather than giving the traditional assignments, you can assign scholars to listen to various podcasts that stimulate creative thinking and let them execute a project of their choice.
4. Improves learners’ engagement
Even if you don’t record your podcasts, you’ll find plenty of recent podcasts over the internet that is timely and relevant to your learners. They deal with circumstances with which your learners are acquainted, for example, high school life as portrayed in “Serial,” a famous murder-mystery podcast.
Your learners can relate to the proceedings as they develop, which engrosses them more effectually. You’ll also find various non-fiction podcasts that echo the worries and problems of today’s society, so learners comprehend that what they are learning applies to practical life.
Not only that, but podcasts also help in narrowing the gap between educators and learners due to the excessive use of technology. Learners may feel that their educators don’t comprehend or relate to their realm. By using podcasts in the classroom, you can form an association that taps into the tech-savvy nature of your young learners.
5. Flexible and on-demand learning
Being free and accessible at any time, your learners can turn back to podcasts whenever they want, either by downloading them on their phone or by streaming audio. This encourages your students to adopt a more dynamic and responsible role in their learning. Also, as podcasts were initially projected to be retrieved using a portable device (such as the iPod), learners can learn on the move. They can be in a cafe, in transit, or just taking a stroll in the park and continue learning.
Key Takeaway
The role of podcasts in prospective learning is to increase knowledge acquisition. While there are several online learning software available commercially, podcasts are often a free source of education. They can have abundant benefits for both educators and learners, out of which five key benefits are discussed in this article.
Unquestionably, contemporary educators understand that podcasting is a useful teaching tool in their arsenal. When used appropriately, it can be a dominant and constructive addition to your classrooms and educational content.
