22095f


 * Proposal submission #22095** (withdrawn)

PRESENTATION WITHDRAWN BY PROPOSER 4/1/2008

What Works Best in a Web-Enhanced Class -- a Podcast or a Study Tool Game?
 * Title**

Kerrie Conover, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, k.l.conover@tcu.edu Romana Hughes, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, r.hughes@tcu.edu
 * Presenter(s)**

Texas Christian University piloted two new technology options for our communications, history and modern languages faculty: podcasting and study tool games (flashcards, hang-man, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and crossword puzzles).
 * Description**

The communications faculty created podcasts of their lectures. These podcasts were ten to fifteen minutes long. They were created using Camtasia software and included PowerPoint presentations as visuals as well as audio. The modern languages faculty recorded pronunciations of words and phrases as the content for their podcasts.

The study tools used were similar as well. Communications, history, and modern languages faculty chose flashcards as their study tool games. Some modern languages faculty embedded audio into their flashcards for pronunciation of words and phrases. History faculty created fact cards for studying important dates and events. Communications professors used publisher content, while modern language faculty created their study games using StudyMate software.

The faculty piloting these tools had a preconceived idea that podcasting would promote more usage than the study game tools and that the podcasts would be utilized more often than the study game tools. Other assumptions were that students would download their podcasts to their iPods or other mobile MP3 players to study as they were commuting around campus. Pilot faculty also assumed that all students have iPods, and that students understand what a podcast is and how it is used.

The results of 1000 students showed the following regarding podcasts: - Podcasts were not downloaded on iPods; students see their iPods for entertainment only, not for educational usage - Not all students own an iPod or mobile MP3 player - Among students who did download the podcasts, 95% downloaded them to their computers, and 5% downloaded them to their iPod or MP3 players - Only 37% of students used iTunes - Podcasts were initially used in the beginning part of the semester - Students only listened to the podcasts one time - Students did not want to listen to a podcasts longer than six minutes - 92% of students polled stated they did not use the podcast to prepare for an exam - 94% of students did not feel the podcasts enhanced their learning - 6% of students did feel the podcasts enhanced their learning - Podcasts most enjoyed by students were examples of speeches, history facts and foreign language conversations - 60% of students polled indicated they would listen to podcasts in other classes

The results of our 1000-student survey showed the following regarding study game tools (flashcards, hang-man, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and crossword puzzles): - 98% of students used the study game tools to prepare for exams - 92% of students accessed the study game tools repeatedly - Students preferred the study game tools with audio than without audio - Mac users had some trouble downloading the study game tools - 37% of students loaded their study game tools on their iPods or mobile MP3 players to study while commuting around campus. - 83% of students polled indicated they would utilize study tool games in other classes - 84% of students indicated they preferred the study tool games to podcasts - 12% of students indicated they liked both podcasts and study tool games - 4% of students indicated they would rather utilize other online resources instead of the podcasts and study tool games - 96% of students indicated study tool games did enhance their learning

What TCU learned from this pilot study: - Podcasts are best used for just-in-time teaching - Podcasts are best used if they are between 3 to 6 minutes long - Podcasts are best used to summarize a class, lecture, or example of foreign language, brief history fact, or introduction - Students use their iPods as an entertainment device and not a study device - Podcasts are not utilized as a study tool to prepare for exams - Podcasts are utilized more when they are developed with a PowerPoint or video - Students enjoyed study game tools - Students repeatedly returned to the study game tools for preparation of exams - Students studying a foreign language found study tool games enhanced their learning - Study tool games provided a solution outside the language lab - Students preferred study tool games with an audio component - Podcasts are easy to create - Study tool games (flashcards, hang-man, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and crossword puzzles) are easy to create - Faculty embraced creating their own podcasts and study tool games - PC and Mac Scripts need to be created for students indicating how the podcasts and study tool games are best viewed, minimum requirements to run them, and how to download them.

Forum Not previously published All audiences
 * Notes** **& Comments**