Podcasting in Education

What is Podcasting?

Podcasting in the Classroom

            Critics of podcasting, especially when used in education, argue that making “lecture” available for download will promote student absence in the classroom (Blaisdell, 2006; Bongey et al., 2006). In fact, an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education states that ‘‘…many professors remain wary of the technology… that it will lead to empty classrooms or a crutch for late-sleeping students’’ (Read 2005, p. A39).

            However, if all I do in the classroom is lecture then why not create a podcast that will allow students to listen at their convenience? As an educator, my class time can be utilized much more effectively if I did not have to lecture. Imagine your students listening to the lecture before your class meets. Every class could be entirely interactive with students actively engaged in learning rather than passively being “taught at”. Classroom time could be spent involving students in collaborative projects or activities that create a sense of ownership for their learning.

            A critic of podcasting contested that if the lecture is going to be available for podcast downloading, why then should students bother coming to class (Blaisdell, 2006)?  My challenge to this thinking is if all you do in class is lecture, why then should students bother coming to class? If critics oppose podcasting because of its effects on an antiquated method of teaching, then there are bigger problems in our education system than the absenteeism of students.