For many students, hearing a professor’s lecture is as simple as switching on an iPod or connecting to the Internet.
The commercial phenomenon of posting audio and video files online for free downloading, known as podcasting, is rapidly becoming a critical tool in university classrooms across the country.
Termed BruinCasts by the Office of Instructional Development, podcasts of some UCLA lectures are made available online within 24 hours of the class.
According to OID Instructional Design and Technology Coordinator Daniel Bustos, the number of podcast courses at UCLA has risen from about five courses in the fall of 2005 to 42 courses this quarter. This upsurge reflects the shift toward integrating new technological innovation into traditional lectures.
The technology provides myriad benefits for students and professors. But it also stirs up controversy due to its potential for misuse.
The chief concern among professors is that podcasting will tempt students to skip class and use the recording as a substitute. Psychology Professor and Associate Dean Carlos Grijalva said that attendance in his podcasted classes would often drop below 50 percent.
“The thing I dislike is that some students see it as an alternative to coming to class,” he said.
A central goal of podcasting at the university level is to reinforce what was covered in lecture and allow students to clarify complex concepts.
“I think it is a great pedagogical tool,” said Grijalva. “It’s like a recorder; the student can always rewind or fast-forward.”
He added that it is especially valuable for difficult or detailed material.
Many students concur that podcasts serve a supplementary function, filling in gaps in notes and elucidating challenging topics.
James Liu, a third-year ecology, behavior and evolution student, said he uses podcasts to pinpoint lecture segments that were difficult to follow.
“I like to use it for professors who speak too quickly or who are difficult to understand because of accents,” Liu said.
Allowing students to rewind and fast-forward, podcasting accommodates the various learning styles encountered on a diverse campus. Life sciences instructor Debra Pires said she lauds this as one of the major benefits of the technology.
“Some students have to hear something more than once before they get it,” Pires said. “While some students don’t even need to take notes, others learn better by taking notes in lecture and filling in the gaps by listening to podcasts later.”
The accessibility of podcasts makes them convenient for the perpetually busy student.
“It’s easy to access the podcast night or day, but it’s not always easy to access your professor night or day,” she said. “The podcast is there for you anytime you need it, 24/7.”
Pires said that another basic reason for making use of this technology is the inevitability of student illness. Tuning in to the class podcast allows sick students to hear their lecture direct from the professor’s mouth.
But podcasting does have its drawbacks, and the threat of low attendance makes some professors hesitant to embrace it.
Liu said he skipped one class regularly because it was podcasted.
“One of my friends came over and we listened to the lectures on my stereo,” Liu said. “We were able to take breaks whenever and eat food and do whatever we wanted. It made it more enjoyable.”
Another concern of professors is the lack of engagement provided by podcasting as opposed to live lectures.
“It seems to me that it really is necessary to be present at a particular time to get the full effect,” English Professor Gordon Kipling said. “The experience becomes far too passive when you are essentially just plugging your ear into a recording.”
Third-year neuroscience student Allison Bamberg said she agrees that podcasts are less interactive than live lectures and add to the preexisting impersonality of large universities.
“It’s hard enough in a 400 person lecture to talk to the professor,” she said. “Podcasts encourage even less contact because you don’t even need to go to class.”
Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Jordan Chase, a third-year mechanical engineering student, said he views podcasts as resources to be used sparingly.
“I don’t understand why teachers can’t just use recordings to give to students who miss class for unexpected reasons to ensure that it isn’t abused,” he said.
Despite the debate, one thing is certain: Educational technology will continue to progress. A similar new program, iTunes U, is already making its way onto campus.
According to Bustos, iTunes U allows instructors to record and upload lectures on their own. Its usage would make more courses, including small seminars lacking podcasting capabilities, available online.