IMPALA Informal Mobile Podcasting and Learning Adaptation

The Background and The Rationale

Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning Adaptation (IMPALA) will investigate the impact of Podcasting (downloading of files from the Internet onto personal MP3 players) on student learning and how the beneficial effects can be enhanced. IMPALA will deliver a testable and transferable pedagogical model of Podcasting, for student learning in Higher Education (HE).

IMPALA arose from our interest in digital audio loaded onto students' own mobile devices, especially MP3 players such as iPods, which offer platforms for a variety of services with potential impact on learning and teaching in HE. Widespread penetration of broadband internet connections, increasing personal ownership of MP3 players and freely available and easy to use software and internet tools all work in favour of greater use of 'personal broadcasting' for content delivery and student engagement (EDUCAUSE, 2006).

Podcasting and MP3 players are new to education, yet these devices are widely used by the population demographic of which students are a part (22.5% of adults in the 15-24 age group own a digital file player ((Mintel-BMRB Survey, March 2005)). The academic community is showing a strong interest in this, with at least 20 experiments running in the UK already. We urgently need to develop pedagogical models to use in supporting and enhancing students' motivation and learning through Podcasting.