Student reflections on iHistory – video

This video is a collection of students’ thoughts about the iHistory project. The students really put a lot of energy into their responses, displaying an enviable grasp of pedagogical concepts and methods such as “going to Maccas” and “getting a day off school”.

Apart from these, there were lesser reflections. One that I noted was the concentration on aural learning. Students continually brought it up as an “easier” way to learn compared to having to deal with “lots of books”. Even proficient readers raised this as a reason to use podcasts. You can view a video about that here.
But it wasn’t simply aural learning that counted, because listening to a teacher is aural learning. As a teacher, I get very frustrated when I explain a task or concept, and then am asked 3 hundred times in the next 10 minutes to explain it again. Instead, podcasting allows the learner to listen without distraction from other students. Also, it allows simultaneous activity, which is not possible when listening to a teacher as teachers demand total attention. In addition, podcasting allows the student to listen repeatedly to information without the teacher having to repeat themselves.