Data-based Decision Making
Created by Kristina on 09 Sep 2007 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Course
ED 690: Methods of Inquiry
Project Name
Use of Podcasts in Higher Education
Files
Podcasting Literature Review
Use of Podcasting in Higher Education Case Study
PowerPoint about Podcasting Case Study
Project Description
My partner (Dodie Lewis) and I began this project by completing individual literature reviews on podcasting and the use of podcasting in education. Once we had completed the literature reviews, we combined our efforts to find out what types of pedagogy are used in instructional podcasts to teach a certain type of content and to find out how students feel about using podcasts as instructional tools. We conducted both a content analysis of podcasts and an online survey of podcast use. Our content analysis consisted of listening to 60 instructional podcasts on different web sites and recording the type of content each taught (facts, concepts, and procedures) as well as the types of pedagogy used (lecture, video, interview, etc.). Our survey consisted of five sections which included questions on participant age and use of podcasts over the last year, as well as, participants’ feelings on the characteristics of podcasts, different pedagogies used within podcasts, and different types of content presented using podcasts. After finishing the collection of data, we applied various statistical tests (chi-square, frequency, central tendency, etc.) to analyze our data and draw conclusions based on our analysis. We also presented our findings to the class through a PowerPoint presentation.
EDTEC Standard
The whole of this project was based on research and data. Initially, we explored the types of research that others had already completed on this topic and the results of that research. We wanted to focus our attention on questions that nobody had answered in previous research studies. The information we gathered allowed us to create more precise hypotheses and back-up our research proposal. The next step in the project required us to collect our own data. We gathered information about our research questions using two different tools: content analysis and survey. The data we collected allowed us to actually find answers to our research questions. Lastly, we analyzed the data to form conclusions about our research questions. By collecting data, we had numbers that represented information. We used these numbers to show trends about the relationship of podcasting content and pedagogies used. Without the data, we had nothing to back up these conclusions or give our research credibility.
Problems and Opportunities
The first dilemma we faced was attempting to get our survey out to the greatest number of people in a very limited amount of time. Many times in our careers we will face a problem that we must solve in a short amount of time. This situation gave us the opportunity to enhance our skills of working under a narrow timeline. In addition, we faced the problem of soliciting responses to our survey through a third party. In order to gain that outside party’s support, we were forced to articulate the importance of participation in our project. It made us really think about what we hoped to gain from the research study.
My Capabilities
One skill I demonstrated while completing this project is my ability to analyze and synthesize information I have gathered. I took raw data and figured out what statistical tests I should use to answer my original research question. Once I found that information, I had to analyze the results to determine whether our raw data supported our hypotheses or not. In addition, my math background helped me to understand the significance of the numbers we gathered from our data and the statistical tests we ran. In the future I can use these same analytical and mathematical skills to solve problems in an organized and efficient manner, without spending time on superfluous work.
Lessons Learned
By completing this research project, I learned that we, as instructional designers, do not always rely on data to understand the value of a new technology. Podcasting is a relatively new technology, but very little research has been done regarding whether podcasting is an effective instructional tool. However, instructional designers promote using it in certain circumstances because we have seen the effectiveness of podcasting. This leads to my suggestion that we start documenting this learning more accurately. We need the research to support our claims in order to gain support from those outside of the field. I have also learned that there is still so much we can learn about these new tools. I am sure we have not even scratched the surface of ways we can use blogs, wikis, podcasting, etc. as instructional tools. It is our job as instructional designers to document our findings involving effective instructional methods and to research more thoroughly these new technological tools.
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