Audio, Video, Podcast Pros and Cons

This week’ blog assignment is to discuss the pros and cons of audio, video, and podcasts for adult learners.  Over the past few weeks of this course, we have discussed a variety of technology and its place in adult education.  Of all of these options, audio and video seem the most simple to accept as desirable to integrate.  King and Cox (2011) say Web 2-0 tools reduce the distance between instructor and student particularly in the online environment.  I think that is more true with audio/visual than any other tool.  I also think instructors already believe in the power of audio/visual; however, they may not be using it in a way that maximizes that value.

If you haven't had the chance, I encourage you to check out the EDU channel of  You Tube.  Not only does You Tube provide a global classroom for teachers and students, but this site also supports educators with help with incorporating video and providing a platform for creating or contributing to a global classroom.

Pros:

• Great tool to reinforce complicated concepts or highlight key points
• Appeals to different learning styles
• Encourages self-directed learning
• Portable and always available
• Students can play back until secure with information
• Allows for chunking of information
• Opportunity for deeper content when used as “additional resource”
• Creates a sense of social presence
• Allows students to get a glimpse of personality appealing to affect
• Easily incorporated into most LMS 
• Many instructional materials can be easily “repurposed” into video format
• Student created audio/visual products creates an engaging learning opportunity
• Gives student voice and empowerment while exposing them to peer learning
• Allows for asynchronous as well as synchronous activity
• Students can real-time collaborate
• Real-time conferencing with instructors (office hours)

John Orlando, PhD (2010) offers some guidance to using video in the classroom with his article, Effective Uses of Video in the Classroom submitted to Teaching with Technology, part of Faculty Focus.

As a student, I love video elements in my classes.  I have had instructors record an entire face-to-face lecture and upload it to supplement the readings (this was not my favorite as I tend to zone out if it is too log).  Several of my instructors have used a short video to introduce the week’s module with key points.  Another instructor used video to clarify content that is frequently confusing to students.  Finally, videos created by outside sources have been used as reference to contribute to my learning.  One of the ways to use audio/video listed in the book is as a means for delivering feedback.  I have not experienced this, but I think I would love it!  I am a social person and although I have come to love my online learning environment and even realize it is probably the best environment for me to learn, I wish I had a better feel for personality of my classmates and my instructor.  I think listening to an instructor give feedback on one of my assignments would give me a better feel for the personality of the instructor and the critique.  Instead of reading textual critique, the instructor can expound on thoughts and offer reassurance.  I know that can be done in text, but the tone, inflection of voice and nuance of conversation is missing.  King and Cox (2011, p 58) reference a study that found evidence that students’ perception of the instructor as a caring person was positively influenced with audio feedback, increasing their feeling of satisfaction with their program of study.   

So, what could be bad?  Well, I did come up with a few things to consider when using audio/visual learning tools.

Cons:

• With so much available as supplemental information, is it too much?  Adult students are time challenged.  The authors (King & cox, 2011) talk about students doing prep work before a class by watching videos in addition to their reading or whatever.  Is it potentially overwhelming?  I think it could be very easy to give so much information that the student could never get through it all.  The instructor will need to balance expectations and be very clear about requirements and supplemental materials. 
• As with all technology, there is a learning curve and resource requirements.  Does the school provide the needed hardware, software, training, and technical support to the instructors?  
• Access for students remains a concern.  Is it a reasonable expectation for instructors to assign projects requiring certain technology skills?  Is there a competency level requirement?  Should those be a pre-requisite to a class?  Will this increase the issue of the haves and have-nots?  Will students avoid classes that ask for these skills?                                                                                     
• Instructors have to be careful not to just video their lectures and call it a day, the “talking head”  (King and Cox, 2011, p 81).  On the other hand, instructors have to be careful about over design.  Not only can learning how to design a visual tool be a threat to some instructors, but those instructors who are technically astute may have a tendency to over design and lose the content in the bells and whistles.  Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

I can’t imagine an effective learning environment that does not include some kind of audio/visual enhancement.  However, I think it is even more important in an online environment.  There are so many positives to these tools, but I think the most important is the increased feeling of satisfaction for the student and the ability to bring social presence and emotion with conversational nuances to the distance learner.