Podcasts in Higher Education - Learning On the Move Literally

It is commonly acknowledged that today's students juggle multiple roles and responsibilities along with their studies and that they make use of mobile technologies for a variety of reasons. Mobile phones have become almost the 'tools of the trade' for students to keep in touch, access information and generally organise busy lives. We routinely see students with headphones plugged into their ears listening to music or other sound files as they go about their daily business, often whilst travelling on foot, bicycle, buses, and trains. Our diverse student population therefore continues to present opportunities for us to explore new approaches to meeting their learning needs while taking account of their often hectic lifestyles. Students are increasingly involved in work-based and practical learning activities rather than traditional classroom-based taught classes. As the face and pace of technology continues to change, there is a growing need to consider teaching and learning practices that make the best and most effective use of mobile technologies (Fisher 2006). While we consider the students and their needs, it is important to remember that academic staff also often have learning needs as they attempt to produce new, or revise existing, learning materials that are suitable for mobile technologies. Leeds Metropolitan University is one of a handful of UK universities involved in a collaborative project partnership with Apple Europe to explore the use of podcasts in a teaching and learning environment. The partnership offers the opportunity to pioneer the sharing of good practice nationally, fostering engagement of staff and students across a range of levels. A number of trials have taken place around the university including the development of learning materials; virtual tours for prospective students; e-newsletters; and support mechanisms for academic staff wishing to develop new (or adapt existing) resources to this new format. The Podcast Solutions Pilot provides a vehicle to develop the trials into something more substantive that will be of interest and benefit, not only within our own university but to the wider Higher Education community. CETL ALiC (Burd 2005) is supporting the pilot through researching the pedagogical issues of using this type of technology in a teaching and learning environment. (CETL ALiC is a HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) funded collaborative Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Active Learning in Computing in partnership with the Universities of Durham, Newcastle and Leeds). The JISC funded (Joint Information Systems Committee) Streamline (Finlay 2007) project is also working closely with the Podcast Solutions Pilot and is investigating the learning object workflows associated with podcasting. This paper provides a qualitative overview of work in progress at Leeds Metropolitan University on a university-wide Podcast Solutions Pilot.