Most of the published research on podcasting I have encountered so far (e.g. Copley, 2007) shows that the majority of students access podcasts on computers, rather than on MP3 players. The results of my survey also suggest the same: of those who have used podcasts either at BSU or at college , the vast majority have listened to them on a computer or laptop. As a number of articles have pointed out, this suggest that podcasting does not necessarily encourage mobile learning (or 'm-learning', in the jargon). Instead, it encourages remote learning but from static workstations.
There are a few possible explanations for this -not least that users may be tempted to view / listen to a media file on the platform where it is first accessed (hence avoiding an extra download stage). However, my hunch - and something I'll try and pursue in interviews with students - is that it is more to do with the creation a Chinese Wall between personal space and university work. As one student informally put it to me: who wants to have your iPod on shuffle and suddenly come across a lecture? Of course, now that iTunes organises podcasts separately, this particular disaster is unlikely but the principle, I suspect, remains the same.
Jonathan Copley (2007) 'Audio and video podcasts of lectures for campus-based students and evaluation of use' Innovation in Education and Teaching International, 44: 4, 387-99
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On the one hand, sound empirical evidence; on the other, my own anecdotal experience: the first time I podcast lectures, I know several of the students listened to me on their iPods (while at the gym(!), doing household chores(!!), and playing computer games(!!!). One even told the embarrassing story of listening to his iPod on shuffle with a friend, and suddenly I appeared...
(A thought: perhaps the *length* of the podcast makes a difference? Mine are full-length lectures, which may discourage students from sitting at a laptop.)
I'm not sure whether the Minerva podcast tool encourages listening 'offline'? I don't link it to iTunes but I notice that it comes up as a file that can be played online very easily; when I used just to upload mp3 files, iTunes would automatically fire up when the students clicked on the link?
Thanks for that Ian. In the case of my surveys so far, I suspect that because the first years have mostly only used the induction screencasts, then they would have had to watch them on screen. My 3rd year students tend to use computers because many don't have video iPods; however, of the other 3rd years I have surveyed almost none have said they use their mp3 players. Again, this may be because they had mostly used screencasts rather than just audio files. I'd be really interested in getting some responses from your students, though, since I have been surprised at the extent of non-mobile access that I'm finding.
On the other point, most of my 3rd years have set up the iTunes feed for the screencast, so it goes automatically into their podcast folder and should update whenever they sync their iPods. Again, however, there have been problems with compatibility (especially between Quicktime and the iPod Touch) and access (for students without video iPods). Most, therefore, tend to just watch them using iTunes on their home computers.
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