Tag: E-learning

My podcast prosecuted the argument that using digital media in education can be very successful in promoting engagement and therefore learning. I cited Richard’s 2011 research to establish that meaningful learning happens when a student is actively engaged. I used this as a foundation to then contend that digital media, when used correctly, can be an engaging way to participate in education. I listed the pros and cons of using digital platforms for engagement. I listed five positives – ways learning content can be more engaging; and 4 limitations that can be encountered.

I summarised by concluding that educational content can be readily translated to a digital platform but effort and consideration needed to be applied to different elements of the content so that it remains interesting.

When creating my script and plan for my podcast, I wanted to create a mixture of information for my audience. I aimed to create a balance between my personal experiences with learning with digital media, along with academic research to further explain my argument. Personally, I have really enjoyed learning with digital media. From my own experiences I recognise that I feel more engaged in the units that utilise the community building powers of Twitter. The collaboration, sharing, feedback and encouragement that can be provided through the platform, really allows for a deeper understanding and immersion in the subject matter. 

This personal experience allowed me to form some further direction in my research. I added some scholarly sources on how beneficial Twitter can be.

I also have learned that the transition to online learning was not as easy for others through watching my partner become disengaged through the process. This also became apparent when discussing it with peers who seek training in practical skills. 

I have attended classes where the transition was not as successful. These classes eliminated the usual classroom conversation completely and just had a video or lecture style option of learning. I noticed my lack of engagement in these units. 

These observations informed my discussion and gave me direction for my research on both the benefits and the limitations of studying with digital media.

In past feedback I have been given, I have been encouraged to not only use music at the beginning and ending of my media, but throughout. I decided to choose a Creative Commons Licensed track that I have used before in one of my Digital Media Reflections videos. I liked how this would create some consistency with my brand. I also chose it as it is very easy listening music and was suitable and not too distracting as background music. 

When citing my sources, I did not want it to sound too clunky and read the whole of the usual Harvard reference out. I decided to just mention the name of the author, and the name of the paper I was citing and move on. I knew that I would be able to include the full reference in the description box of Soundcloud.

When recording I was sure to enunciate, and speak clearly, drawing on years of singing training this was easy for me. If I made a mistake, I just paused, and began the phrase again. This made the editing process smoother. I am lucky to have access to a proper microphone and recording software in my home, which allowed for the quality of the recording to be high. 

Some of the challenges I faced was keeping my podcast short and sweet and under seven minutes. The topic I chose is such a big one, and I immersed myself too far in reading lots of academic journal articles. I decided to just include a couple article sources that would best explain a section of my podcast which I did not think my own opinion would be valuable enough alone. Other challenges included mistakingly giving my puppy a treat to keep him entertained whilst I recorded. This turned out to be a terrible idea as half way through the recoding I noticed I could hear him chewing.

References

Chawinga, D 2016, ‘Teaching and learning 24/7 using Twitter in a university classroom: Experiences from a developing country’, E-Learning and Digital Media, vol 13, pp. 45-61, doi: 10.1177/2042753016672381         

Rajabalee, YB, Santally, MI, Rennie, F 2020, ‘A study of the relationship between students’ engagement and their academic performances in an eLearning environment’, E-Learning and Digital Media, vol 17, pp. 1-20, doi:10.1177/2042753019882567           

Richards, G 2011, ‘Measuring Engagement: Learning Analytics in Online Learning’, Electronic Kazan, retrieved 24 May 2020 <ttp://www.academia.edu/download/37420980/Kazan2011-Measuring_Engagement_vf2.docx>

Roberts, R 2010, ‘The Digital Generation and Web 2.0: E-Learning Concern or Media Myth?’, in Yang, H,H and Yuen, S, C (es.), Handbook of Research on Practises and Outcomes of E-Learning: Issues and Trends, Information Science Refernces, Hershey and New York, pp.93-115.

Music from https://filmmusic.io:

Bossa Antigua by Kevin Macleod (CC by 4.0)

All images taken by author.

Model – Shaxx @adventuresofshaxx on Instagram