M-learning on the run as Otago prepares for podcast lectures

Assisted learning developer Manson Wright with an MP4 player, destined to deliver pharmacy lectures. Picture / Otago Daily Times

The music pumping through students' earphones may soon be replaced by the relatively dulcet tones of their lecturer.

The University of Otago's School of Pharmacy is preparing to make lectures available for a post-graduate course next semester by podcast, so students can listen to them on the move anywhere, any time.

The school's computer-assisted learning developer Manson Wright said that might be just the beginning of a much bigger roll-out of what has become known as m-learning.

The recent launch of the video-capable MP4 player meant they could now potentially offer students lecture files carrying both audio and, for example, Powerpoint presentations.

Podcasting involves distributing information over the internet, so people can download it to play on mobile devices such as MP3 or MP4 players, or personal computers.

Mr Wright said podcasting could be used to make other material available, such as interviews with visiting lecturers, or to demonstrate processes students needed to learn.

As the technology improved, larger quantities of information could be compressed into manageable files and improved access to broadband would mean file size would become less of a barrier. One 35-minute illustrated lecture they had already prepared for podcast was just 40 megabytes.

Many students already had MP3 players and a series of pilot lectures had been developed within the school that were being evaluated by a group of students, he said.

One advantage of the technology was it eliminated distance barriers.

"It doesn't matter if the student is in Dubai or London, they can get access to the internet and download the lecture,"said Mr Wright.

Similarly, it had advantages when delivering post-graduate programmes to professionals already in the workforce. "It is particularly useful for professional post-graduate courses, because students can take it into the work environment with them if there is a process or procedure and repeat it as many times as they need to," he said. "Also, it is obviously very important for our second-language students; if they haven't understood something they can go over it all and clarify what's been said."

A number of technologies were converging that provided the opportunity to launch more learning options, he said. New-generation phones would be video capable, and could be used to download lectures.

"The other advantage is that podcasting does not require a lot of high-tech equipment or people to do it," said Mr Wright.

The content was already being created as lectures were delivered.

"Most people involved with the pilot stuff have been really enthusiastic."

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES