This week I had the opportunity to interview a colleague of mine, Chris, who has utilized Web 2.0 technologies from the learner’s perspective. Working with adult learners, I felt that this podcast would be a great opportunity to speak and engage with a learner about their opinions regarding Web 2.0 technologies and the effects and benefits that these technologies have had on their learning process, as well as some of the difficulties that they face in using these new tools.
I think it is incredibly important to recognize the impact that Web 2.0 technologies can have for the process of life-long learning. For the adult learner, these tools really mean that education and training is available at your fingertips the moment it is needed or desired. Many adult learners struggle with the amount of time that is associated with the education process. It can be difficult to maintain a full-time job, support a family, and maintain a rigorous class schedule. Web 2.0 technologies introduce ways in which education and training can become integrated into the busy lifestyle of adult learners.
Chris spoke about a number of tools, which he had used during his education in relation to receiving his Masters, Technical Certifications, and Professional Development. By far he has been most impressed with Adobe Connect and Podcasts. For Chris these podcasts give him the ability to further his knowledge and understanding of specific subjects on a lengthy commute each day. So instead of feeling like he is wasting 2 hours every day driving, he can be listening to content that is relevant to his job and/or interests.
Having been the first podcast I have created, I found the experience slightly intimidating at first. Not so much because I would be recording a conversation but because I don’t have that comfort level in conducting an interview. I had specific questions in mind that I wanted to ask Chris but I wanted to make sure that the interview flowed nicely from one topic to the next. There is definitely value in creating a podcast, the volume and way in which someone speaks can provide more meaning to a subject, they are also beneficial if you have a talented person doing the interview who can identify concepts and seek out further explanations or offer points of debate. It is essential that we encourage debate and offer students other viewpoints or opinions during the learning process.
I have had experience creating video training materials before; however, these were all in a scripted setting, if I were going to be podcasting on a regular basis, I would definitely be interested in learning more about the interview process and ways in which to conduct effective interviews. Additionally, I would need to become more familiar with Garageband, as that is the software I have access to on my home computer.
There is great value to be gained for the adult learner in utilizing podcasts as an education and training tool. Working with virtual training technologies, I need to keep in mind and encourage instructors to try new training methods, such as podcasts as a way to provide students with material that can than be used for class discussions, to review concepts, or as additional reference material.