Designing
Reflecting on the use of Podcasts for Learning My team and I completed this project in the class Design of Technology-Supported Learning Environments (ETEC 510). This project spanned over 2/3 of ETEC 510, and I had the pleasure of working with my MET colleagues Katie Cox and Lynn Hickey to complete a proposal, a design project, and a curriculum guide. ETEC 510 focused on the implementation of learning technologies. Additionally, we spent time discussing assessment techniques, design spaces, instructional strategies, etc. This was one of my last three courses in the MET program. For this project we were required to propose and create a technology supported learning environment. We chose to focus on podcasting in corporate learning because of the affordances podcasting offers for learning on the go, as well as the affordances for active engagement and empowerment they offer which is important in adult learning (Goolnik, 2002, p. 12). Click the link to explore our learning hub: podcasts4learning.wixsite.com/podcasts As we discussed in our proposal: On a technological activity level, podcasts offer mobility and connectivity, portability, ease of use, availability and access versatility, reusability and so on. On a pedagogical level, they offer novelty and engagement, flexibility and learner control, opportunities for learner motivation, clarity of instruction, the broadening of 'location' in which learning is situated, opportunities for engagement with and collaboration around dialogue, and opportunities for learners to get involved in the construction of learning (for themselves or for others) (Salmon & Nie, 2008; Kidd, 2012). (Cox, Handford, & Hickey, 2018). I have been interested in the potential that podcasting has for education for most of my MET journey, so it was great that I had the opportunity to explore this topic thoroughly in this project. Lynn, Katie, and I not only researched and summarized literature on podcasting, we also developed our own podcasts as well as tutorial videos to help potential students get started making their own podcasts. It was our hope that we would be able to create an environment that fosters constructivist learning. We wanted to allow learners to build their own knowledge through the exploration of our learning hub, as well as through podcast development and sharing through discourse in the learning hub's forum, as "a social constructivist view of learning emphasizes the role and nature of interaction with others to challenge what is known, enhance connections with existing knowledge and build new pathways for additional ideas" (Brooks & Brooks, 2001 as cited in Bryant & Bates, 2015). There is still a lot to be discovered about podcast use in education, and that is why our focus on constructivist learning and learner discourse is important, to have learners explore the possibilities first-hand. For more information, you can read our curriculum guide below: Overall this project showed me the potential for podcasting in corporate learning through "Learning by Making" (Brown, 2009). Without immersing ourselves into the actual processes of podcasting, we would never have learned as much as we did. In reflecting back on our learning, I am reminded of what Tim Brown (2009) discussed; how "instead of thinking what to build, building in order to think." While planning and research is important, sometimes it is important to try different tools and strategies out to see what works first-hand. While as educational technologists we stress the importance of active learning, I believe, after completing this project, that it is important that we, as the educators, also engage in active learning.
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DesigningDesigning is about creativity and about thinking outside of the box to create innovative tools and solutions for intended learners. Design is an important aspect of TPCK as "...design experiments narrow the gap between research and practice, between theory and application" (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, p. 1019). As well, as Mishra and Koehler (2006) discussed, when "...given opportunities to thoughtfully engage in the design of educational technology, teachers showed tremendous growth in their sensitivity to the complex interactions among content, pedagogy, and technology, thus developing their TPCK" (p. 1046). Designing is critical to understanding the connection between learners, teaching strategies, information, and technological tools.
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