MOOC's and Podcast's... They are real !

PART 3 AHA Moment ! 

I found these two educational trends intriguing, not in a million years would I have imagined technology would have advanced to this, or that it would become so widely accepted. I had very little awareness of MOOC’s and podcast, both educational trends allow people to access digital content and provide learning opportunities, with great flexibility. They tend to be restricted only to available internet connection.

Which for me begs the questions; Are there controls on quality of content? Are they monitored and by who? How as educators can we be certain they are not disseminating inaccurate information?  Will they replace traditional learning principles? Will our students take accountability in completion and self pace with regards to MOOC’s?  Do they only teach to auditory learner?  Could students miss the engagement and face to face teaching of traditional education settings?

I was interested in seeing my PID-P....
partners research on podcast and gained a new understanding for there use and functionality. Armed with my newfound knowledge and perked interest, I was curious about the effectiveness of podcast; and began asking around my professional network. In one of my annual programs I have partnered with an Indigenous Elder who over the years she has become a respected colleague and praises use of audio recordings;  she has significant experience through teaching her university programs, developing podcasts with her students to develop a voice.

Using indigenous Sto’lo teachings and storytelling, my Elder holds an integral part of helping students visualize themselves through her own story telling journey.  She has begun hosting a podcast with her elder sharing indigenous stories and topics. I look forward to our future collaboration on our upcoming project students using podcasts to capture their personal journey, as I am always exploring avenues for my students to demonstrate skills, motivation and perseverance. Unlike MOOC's, podcast require very little technology and set up knowledge. User friendly enough for a novice. 

My aha moment for both topics came from seeing the versatility of the application and understanding the popularity behind the technology, and understanding how they work, why people choose them. 

My PID-P partner and I discussed both our topics in great length , discussing how our classrooms have different needs, she teaches task specific skills through a dental reception program, and myself facilitating pre-employment, both of use felt the topic offered  significant amount of information and learning, we tossed back and forth several topics before settling on a term " MOOC" and podcast- a venue her son identified as being quick easy and what he finds an easier method of learning vs formal classroom setting with structured text book readings.

With approximately 30 % of the population being auditory learners, Podcasts could be an effective way delivering lengthy materials, requiring an overview or basic understanding of a concept.

For myself, I would access a MOOC for my own learning - But most likely than not; I would use a MOOC for general interest or to sample a University subject with low risk, (no cost). But due to my client population would not recommend one to a client, unless for a sampler or the learning experience. I must admit I do not understand the full business model, behind MOOC's but due to in classroom needs and diverse populations, I do not believe MOOC's will replace me as an facilitator.  I will be using podcast recordings in upcoming programs I facilitate;  and look forward to developing my own podcast library; the ones I have investigated this far, have provide brief instructional overviews and an entertainment value, similar to a radio broadcast they may prove to be an alternative entertainment venue.

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