Podcasting in higher education: a review of the literature with particular reference to its influence on the traditional lecture

This paper examines the possible influence of podcasting on the traditional lecture in higher education. The paper firstly explores some of the benefits and limitations of the lecture as one of the dominant forms of teaching in higher education. The review then moves to explore the emergence of podcasting in education and the purpose of its use before then examining recent relevant literature in relation to the use of podcasting in supporting, enhancing and indeed replacing the traditional lecture. The review identifies three broad types of use of podcasting: substitutional, supplementary and creative use. Podcasting appears to be most commonly used to provide recordings of past lectures to students for the purposes of review and revision (substitutional use). The second most common use was in providing additional material, often in the form of study guides and summary notes, to broaden/deepen students’ understanding (supplementary use). The final, and least common use reported in the literature involved the creation of student-generated podcasts (creative use). The review attempts to examine three key questions: What are the educational uses of podcasting in teaching and learning in higher education? Can podcasting facilitate more flexible and mobile learning? In what ways will podcasting influence the traditional lecture? These questions are discussed in the final section of the paper with reference to future policy and practice.