Benefits of Podcasting

The proliferation of high-resolution retina displays, mobile devices with larger screens and powerful processing is dramatically altering and reshaping the higher education landscape.  Moreover,  the use of these mobile devices widens user receptiveness and acceptance of audio and video learning content, including podcasting.

Podcasting (both video and audio) is enlarging the traditional face-to-face classroom, by providing unprecedented opportunities for anytime/anywhere self-paced learning.  Podcasting is considered to be as a supplemental tool and/or a revision tool capable of improving students’ academic experience. Moreover, podcasting developed by learners fosters self-reflection and improves both students’ performance and their idea development and creation. Furthermore, learner-generated podcasting has a high potential to enrich pedagogical practices by engaging students in knowledge creation and integration and by moving them beyond the passive consumption mode that has been associated with listening to the podcast.

Moreover, a growing body of evidence suggests that experimenting with podcasting tools and technologies is pedagogically fruitful for both learners and teachers. From a pedagogical perspective, podcasting can provide the instructor with the opportunity to reconfigure his/her pedagogical practices. Namely, by using podcasting, they will devote face-to-face classroom time to discussion and other innovative activities, as podcasting provides opportunities to extend communication and interactive opportunities beyond the immediacy of the traditional lecture experience. However, while giving EFL learners a podcasting assignment, it is also essential to take into account the learners'  level of proficiency, age, learning objectives, as well as purpose and expectations for listening activities. Moreover,  by taking into account all these nuances, the instructors can offer their students well-designed and thoughtfully planned podcasting activities, which will help them to hone the skills necessary for success in the second language teaching and learning environment. Thus, based on this, podcasting activity will vary for each course, depending on the learners' age, level and learning objectives. Hence, it will be beneficial to the students, if the instructors rethink their teaching practices by establishing podcasting as a useful and viable tool for improving the learning experience.