Study on the impact of podcasting on student learning

'IMPALA - Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning Adaptation' is a full scale study investigating the impact of Podcasting on student learning. IMPALA is testing how Podcasting can be used for student learning in Higher Education (HE). IMPALA follows a successful pilot that took place in the University of Leicester, that was carried out on 30 students. IMPALA 's partners are: University of Leicester, Royal Veterinary College London, Kingston University and the University of Gloucestershire.

IMPALA arose from an interest in digital audio loaded onto students’ own mobile devices, especially MP3 players such as iPods, which offered platforms for a variety of services with potential impact on learning and teaching in HE. Widespread penetration of broadband internet connections, increasing personal ownership of MP3 players and freely available and easy to use software and internet tools all work in favor of greater use of ‘personal broadcasting’ for content delivery and student engagement. Podcasting and MP3 players are new to education, yet these devices are widely used by the population demographic of which students are a part (22.5% of adults in the 15-24 age group own a digital file player). Podcasting and MP3 players are new to education, yet already widely used by students for entertainment. With the academic community in the UK showing a strong interest in this, IMPALA sought to develop educational models to use in supporting and enhancing students’ motivation and learning through Podcasting.

Research questions in the IMPALA Study:

How does students’ learning supported by Podcasting differ from their learning through structured campus or e-learning processes? For example, does Podcasting assist with student motivation? Is their learning more flexible, easier or successful? What kinds of educational applications can be developed for Podcasting through MP3 players for students’ informal use within formal HE modules that work to enhance their learning? Can students switch from using MP3 players for entertainment to learning? What are the psychological, social and institutional barriers to and advantages of more informal learning using Podcasting? Visit here for more details on the study.