The Case
Learning on the Go
Imagine the following: A university allows professors to give students the opportunity to download
lectures as podcasts. Professors provide in-class instruction and also post the lectures for
students to download. Therefore, students have several options. Many may choose to use only
the audio file for instruction instead of attending the class. Others may attend the class and reap
the benefits of having an audio recording of the lecture available for later review. Students would
no longer have to rely only on their notes from the class for information, for they would be able to
simply re-play the professor’s exact words on a topic.
This means, for college students, not going to class could become an acceptable practice. These
students can download lectures in a flash and listen to them at their convenience. The question
is then posed, what about music or a foreign language class? In fact, appropriate instruction for
these classes could also be provided using this technology. Teachers can upload native music,
literature, language lessons, and even plays through podcasting. How about having a guest
speaker who is not on campus, but virtually with you in your bedroom, kitchen, jogging with you,
or where ever else you take your media player?
Podcasting cannot be all good; there has to be some down side to it, right? Indeed, there are a
few drawbacks to this new technology. Some include potential copyright infringement, unsuitable
information for all audiences, technical support, training teachers, and lack of student interaction
(Flanagan, 2005). Teachers cannot just download information and distribute the information; they
must have permission to use content. Also, podcasting is currently unregulated, so there may be
unsuitable information available online to students. Technical support can be a problem in
different areas, one being the potential large amounts of storage space needed. Lastly, there
must be some training for teachers in order to have their class experience the maximum benefits
of podcasting. There must also be a commitment from the institution to provide support and
training for the teachers to be able to effectively and efficiently integrate podcasting as a tool for