{"id":661,"date":"2009-11-24T14:16:35","date_gmt":"2009-11-24T12:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oeb.global\/OEB_Newsportal\/?p=661"},"modified":"2011-08-09T14:16:57","modified_gmt":"2011-08-09T12:16:57","slug":"podcasting-%e2%80%98hot-knowledge%e2%80%99-%e2%80%93-supporting-transition-from-secondary-education-to-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oeb.global\/oeb-insights\/podcasting-%e2%80%98hot-knowledge%e2%80%99-%e2%80%93-supporting-transition-from-secondary-education-to-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcasting \u2018Hot Knowledge\u2019 \u2013 Supporting Transition from Secondary Education to University"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

istockphoto \u00a9 Andrew Rich<\/p><\/div>\n

Starting university can be a daunting experience for new students. The first few days will provide many new experiences and raise a whole range of emotional responses \u2013 from excitement and anticipation to homesickness and loneliness. To help new undergraduates find their way, Gilly Salmon and Palitha Edirisingha, both professors of e-learning at the University of Leicester, launched a podcasting project in 2006. The project, entitled \u201cInformal Mobile Podcasting And Learning Adaptation for Transition (IMPALA4T)\u201d, developed a model for capturing undergraduates\u2019 informal knowledge and experience (\u2018hot knowledge\u2019) for podcasts. Now they present the results of their research.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Podcasting is a common thing for a generation that has grown up with mp3 players. Those young adults are used to downloading music and all sorts of things from the Internet to their iPods. Almost everyone from the current generation of students owns a digital device. They are so common that Gilly Salmon and Palitha Edirisingha became interested in personal broadcasting for learning purposes, although mp3 players and podcasting were new to higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had many questions about the impact of podcasting on learning experiences. The most critical aspect was whether students can switch from using mp3 players for entertainment to learning\u201c, says Gilly Salmon.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, there was a need to support transition from secondary to higher education (HE). Studies of undergraduates\u2019 satisfaction, academic performance and retention in higher education had identified the crucial importance of the first year in shaping students\u2019 attitudes and approaches to learning. Positive transition to HE has a direct impact on students\u2019 later learning experiences. However, in those days, most interventions to support transitions were based on institution-driven approaches, including courses on study skills.<\/p>\n

Despite widespread interest in technology and informal learning, little attention had been given to exploiting novel ways of improving peer-supported transition into HE. The knowledge and experience of students who have already made the transition, in particular, had rarely been exploited. Such knowledge is considered to be \u201chot\u201d because it is socially embedded, prevailing in networks of friends, family, relatives and neighbours. Potential applicants consider \u2018hot knowledge\u2019 to be more trustworthy than communications through official sources. Podcasting can capture this, and make it available to HE entrants.<\/p>\n

IMPALA4T taps into the learning achievements and experience of students who have recently made their own transition. They talk about their first day at university, highlight some of the main differences between studying at their previous schools and university, talk about their experiences with accommodation in Leicester, and give advice on the study skills and on how to ensure financial stability.<\/p>\n

Studying independently with eBook Readers<\/h3>\n

Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) evaluated the use of eReader devices and investigated the possibility of replacing traditional textbooks and syllabi in the medicine curriculum. In collaboration with publishers, the research team digitalised relevant study material into an e-book format.<\/p>\n

Summary of preliminary findings<\/h3>\n

During the IMPALA4T project, Gilly Salmon and Palitha Edirisingha documented four approaches to using student-created podcasts to provide first-year support. The questions the research examined were<\/p>\n