The effects of podcasts on student learning and satisfaction

This study explored the effects of podcast construction and usage on student achievement and satisfaction. Sixty-seven undergraduate education students were divided into three matched groups to complete their study of Computer Aided Drawing. As part of their coursework, each of the three groups had varying involvement with podcasting. The first group was required to create podcasts, the second group used a range of podcasts, and the third group had no involvement with podcasting in the subject. Measures of student achievement and course satisfaction were obtained both before and after the podcasting sessions. Students who created their own podcasts performed slightly better on topic tests and reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction than those in the other groups. There was however considerable variation within the groups. Students who were achieving above the group average prior to the podcasting sessions, were more likely to show improved results if they had created their own podcasts. Students who were performing below the group average tended to be more satisfied if they had the opportunity to ‘use’ podcasts. The implications of these results for classroom use of podcasts are explored, as are the limitations of the current study