Podcasting for Learning

Podcasts has primarily been used as a source of entertainment for me and my family's consumption.  Only in recent months have I started to think of the dynamic role that audio or video recording could play when trying to entice adult learners to engage with educational content. 


The context that I'm exploring in today's blog is the use of podcasting with a customer base regarding learning objective that help make them more profitable and agile farmers and ranchers.  We currently offer an annual meeting with great speakers.  Approximately 1% of our customers attend said meeting.  As you can imagine, the need for learning to be more accessible and attractive to the remaining 99% of customers is my primary focus.  In my first iteration of a solution, I'm looking to create a live broadcast using an interview style conversation utilizing audio and video components.  The goals is to avoid the image of delivering a message and instead start a conversation with farmers/ranchers.  By utilizing subject matter experts (SMEs) in the field of agricultural economics, the learners can direct the conversations by submitting or calling in with questions they feel warrant further conversation.  One of the benefits of using audio/video recording for these interviews is that the SME can conveniently interview from their own home or farm (King & Cox, 2011).


King & Cox (2011) challenge us as educators to open ourselves to multiple delivery modes to reach the learner.  The opportunity to turn the live broadcast into a smaller bite-sized podcasts, eLearning modules, and marketing clips opens the door to maximize the investment in the SME while creating a variety of options available to the learners.  The use of podcasting for learning in educational settings has been a challenging area.  There are the challenges in building an audience.  The perceived usefulness (PU) of the podcasting for learning is a critical factors to address (Wei & Ram, 2016).  Knowing that PU impacts the learners desire to engage with the podcast, when attempting to build an audience, the learning benefits may need to be marketed directly to the desired audience. 


So the question remains... if I create a podcast, will the learners come?  When analyzing the behaviors and motivations of adult learners, my answer would be 'it depends'.  Research indicates that motivation to learn through podcasts depends on many factors including gender, class, and prior online learning (Bollinger, Supanakorn, & Boggs, 2010).  The key to success, in my opinion, is to diversify the educational opportunities, sell the objectives to your learners, and be adaptable.  If they aren't engaged, iterate and move on! 




Bolliger, Supanakorn, & Boggs. (2010). Impact of podcasting on student motivation in the online learning environment. Computers & Education, 55(2), 714-722.


King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.


Wei, & Ram. (2016). Perceived usefulness of podcasting in organizational learning: The role of information characteristics. Computers in Human Behavior, 64, 859-870.

Join me for a look at Virtual Reality in the Adult Learning arena

It's not everyday that we get to dive in with our learning peers to discuss emerging learning technologies.  This week I had a great opportunity to spend a few minutes with a colleague discussing one of his favorite emerging technologies, Virtual Reality.  Please Enjoy!

How about you?

What do you think about the potential for VR in your adult learning community?  How could it be use in your curriculum?  What problem would it solve?

8-Week Lesson Plan - Wiki Wow!!

Course Title: Evaluating marketing and risk management strategies

Audience: Young and beginning farmers/rancher currently operating with a general understanding of agricultural business strategies looking to broaden their analytical skills thus improving market and mitigate risks associated with grain and livestock sales.  These learners’ prior knowledge should include a basic knowledge of marketing and risk management terminology and understand the importance of sound strategies.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to…

• Compare the most prominent marketing and risk management models by discussing the primary strengths and weaknesses of each model.
• Evaluate available marketing and risk management resources (websites, radio shows, podcasts, etc.) used by farmers/ranchers identifying, in their opinion, the top most reliable and user-friendly resources available.
• Create a collaborative online resource using wiki technology to build a living reference document featuring tools used in marketing and risk management strategies associated with grain and livestock sales.
• Establish a defined marketing and risk management strategy built based on sound resources.

Materials Needed:  Each learner should have access to a personal computer and internet source.  The instructor must create a wiki framework with a page dedicated to the top three marketing and risk management strategies already on the page (titled ‘Strategies’).  The framework should include an additional, incomplete page for ‘Resources’ and ‘Case Studies’

Class Outline and Methods: This 8-week course will meet once a week for one hour, synchronously online through a Zoom Meeting.  A financial officer will facilitate a class of learners primarily from the same region due to regional marketing conditions.  The content will be focused on learners’ experiences and knowledge sharing to develop a collaborative community.

Week One:

During the first class, the primary objective is to develop rapport and ease the learners into the online format.  This includes an online icebreaker, reviewing course objectives, and establishing guidance around online netiquette. 

Learning Activity – Introduce the class to the concept of collaborative learning and explain the features of a wiki page.  Present the ‘Strategies’ page of the course wiki and discuss the three strategies already on the page.  Ensure each step of the wiki navigation is done slowly and ‘think out loud’ about the steps taken to edit the wiki.  Encourage learners to add any comments or ask questions as the strategies are discussed.  Finally, challenge the learners to think of other strategies to add to the page. 

Offline work – Ask the learners to consider the strategies presented.  Have them add additional thought, questions, or challenges to the wiki page for learners to discuss during the coming week.

Week Two:

Week two focuses on discussing the strategies presented in the previous session and any additions, challenges, or questions presented offline.  The primary goal in week two is to define the strengths and weaknesses of each model.  Review Group Summary lesson description (West & West, 2009, p. 73-74)

Learning Activity – After reviewing edits/additions made the course wiki, the learners will be broken out in to ‘break-out’ rooms in order to look more closely and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each model.  Each ‘break-out’ rooms will be open for 15 minutes where each group will have a different model to evaluate.  Learners will then come back and present their strengths and weaknesses to the full class.

Offline work – Ask the learners to consider the strengths and weaknesses presented.  Consider any additional points to add to the wiki.  As them to determine one model they feel is most relevant to their regional and provide supporting evidence.

Week Three:

The third week begins to shift to the second objective.  During this class, the learners will start to consider the resources they have available to them when making marketing and risk management decisions.  Review ‘Resource Bank’ lesson description (West & West, 2009, p. 60-61)

Learning Activity – Spend time discussing each model and having learners explain which model they preferred and why.  Explain that the next step is to understand the tools available to farmers/ranchers to make marketing and risk management decisions.  Discuss the importance of evaluate where the source of information and the possible influences (i.e.-political, financial, regional) on the data. Brainstorm a list of current tools the learners are using or have heard about.  Ask a learner to lead the documentation of the resources on the ‘Resources’ page in the course wiki.

Offline work – Ask the learners to pick one of the resources discussed in the class and dive deep into the content.  Consider the source of data, reliability, and positive/negative influences that might impact the reporting.  Ask the learners to rate the source reviewed and report their opinion on the wiki.

Week Four:

At this point, the wiki is starting to fill up with data, but the data needs more editing eyes.  This week will be used to add more resources to this page (if any were missed) and then collaborate to review and evaluate all sources provided. 

Learning Activity – After adding any additional resources not provided by the learners last week, discuss which sources the learners decided to review offline.  Challenge the learners to seek concurrence.  Discuss which ‘deep dive’ strategies were most effective.  Explain that the class will now go to ‘break-out’ rooms to discuss the evaluation of a group of resources.  Assign each group equal but different sources.  Instruct them to add and edit the review notes already made on each resource.  Upon returning from the ‘break-out’ rooms, work collaboratively to classify each resource into one of three categories; reliable, proceed with caution, or unreliable.

Offline work – Ask the learners to create a plan for integrating a regular resource review process.  This might mean subscribing to their favorite podcast and putting a reminder on their phone when the radio show they want to listen to is on.  The idea is to create a habit while the ‘scaffolding’ is still in place.  

Week Five:

During this week, the objective shift away from building a wiki in order to delve into the concepts collected and analyze how they apply to the learner’s farming/ranching operation. 

Learning Activity – During this class, the learners will have a guest speaker with an expertise in the grain or livestock focus on the region.  Learners will be asked to consider how the models and resources compliment or contradict the message from the guest.  The guest will be provided information about the resources explored prior to the meeting to be prepared to provide a professional opinion on the source.  The focus of this activity is to bridge the gap from the source to the application of the information.

Offline work – Ask the learners to consider a farmer/rancher in the area that has been successful in marketing and risk management.  Using pseudonyms, as the learners to briefly describe the operator and why they think this individual has been successful.  Add this information to the wiki.  Contact the operator inquire if they would be willing to meet or have a phone call to share some insights into marketing and risk management that they will share back with the class.

Week Six:

At this point, the learners should be comfortable with the strategies, resources, and concepts behind marketing and risk management.  These final three weeks will focus on establishing a strategy that is right for the learner’s operation.  This week specifically they will be looping in strategies from successful operation in the region.  See ‘Case Studies’ lesson description (West & West, 2009, p. 82-84)

Learning Activity – Present, using a pseudonym, the profile of the farmer/rancher selected and discuss why they pick the operator.  At this point, ask the learners to consider which strategy they believe that operators may be using and if their success is luck or strategy.

Offline work – Ask the learners to interview the operator selected focusing on unveiling insights and resources used to help them make good decisions.  Consider instances when the operator wasn’t successful in marketing and risk management.  Do they have any suggestions for building a sound strategy?  Add interview note to the wiki in on the ‘Case Study’ page.

Week Seven:

The evaluation of the case studies will help learners find commonalities between the different success stories.  This week the learners will glean those sound strategies from the case studies and work to apply them to their operation.

Learning Activity – Use ‘break-out’ rooms to divide the group into smaller subgroups of 3-4 learners.  Each learner should present their case study to the group focusing on what strategies were successful.  After each learner present to the small group, each group should identify common strategies or resources.  In the large group, each small group will present their common strategies or resources focusing on explaining why they are the best tools.  After giving each group time to debate, add notes to the resources about any additional features that may not already be documented there.

Offline work – Diagram a working marketing and risk management strategy for the next year.  Establish milestone to level check current market conditions throughout the year.  Include time to review resources and modify the plan.

Week Eight:

This final class will provide one last opportunity to set the learners up for success over the next year.  The goal is to establish an understanding that this learning community and wiki don’t end because our course is ending.  Invite the class to continue to collaborate and share their successes.

Learning Activity – Pair and Share the strategies developed offline.  Encourage peers to add more details or consider missing steps.  Wrap up the course with reminders about continuing collaboration opportunities.

Evaluation:  The course evaluation will include a survey at the end of the course with learners reporting their experience during the course as well as their intention to use the wiki as a reference and the strategies developed.  A second evaluate will be conducted 6 months and 12 months after course completion.  A sampling of the learners will be called to discuss the application of the learning and determine if the course, in fact, improved their ability to market and manage risk. 

 

References:

West, J. and West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write Web.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  ISBN: 9780470343333

 

Useful lesson plan resource:

Diamond, R. (2008). Designing and assessing courses and curricula. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wiki Power!

This is when I start to get excited!  It doesn't take long for me to start 'geeking' out on learning through technology especially when we start throwing around concepts such as reciprocity, collaboration, or collective intelligence.  The power of the wiki is as great as the creativity of the learners harnessing it's potential. 


A wiki provides a online space for a public or a private group to collaborate and document a collective understanding of a specific topic (King & Cox, 2011; West & West, 2009)  In giving learners a space to construct, revise, edit, and improve the collective understanding, the collaborative group develops a form of motivation built of the excitement of building something together.  Richardson (2006) (as cited by Hazari, North, & Moreland, 2009) talks about the 'give and take' approach to collaboration building a social connection great than that which could be built in a classroom.  There are really two parts that power the wiki:  the collaborative technology platform and the situated or problem-based learning. 


Of course, with any truly collaborative technology, there are drawbacks.  First, if the information presented in the wiki is not guaranteed to be accurate (West & West, 2009).   Wikipedia is a great example of a completely open content source.  It can be edited by anyone and is referenced by many.  Personally, I agree and feel Wikipedia is useful in providing a learner antidotal information about a topic but academic sources should be use for citations. Another drawback of the wiki in academic coursework is the challenge in making sure all the learners have enough experience with the technology to be successful and focus on the learning outcome and not the creation of a wiki (Hazari, North, & Moreland, 2009) Grading and evaluating individual contribution to the wiki can be more challenging and an educator will need to define a specific strategy to evaluate each learner and be transparent about how success will be measured. 


I'm looking to harness this wiki power in on of my current learning program under construction.  The learners that I'm looking to reach are our farmer/rancher customers.  They have likely attended a f2f 'lunch and learn' to hear a highly respected speaker discuss marketing crops in their region.  My goal is to bridge the learning void that occurs between the annual 1.5 hour  'lunch and learn'.  My idea is to create a learning community comprised of 10-15 farmer/ranchers from a similar region and pair them with a Financial Officer from their region to help guide an ongoing discussion.  In addition to a monthly, f2f or Zoom call, the group would collaborate on a wiki, developing something hat might look like a local Farmers Almanac resource built year over year.  A few ideas of the widgets that could be added to this wiki would be: RSS feed from local Coop with commodity prices, annual speaker's Twitter feed, interactive calendar for local farming events, and YouTube videos. 


While developing the above use case, I found myself vetting my thought through the following questions:

1. Will a wiki elevate learners' engagement with the objectives? 
2. Is there easier technology to use to collaborate on this project? 
3. What are the risks of using a wiki with these learners, in this setting?
4. What are the benefits of using a wiki with these learners, in this setting?   

Although it's important to proceed with caution, I'm excited for the potential community building that may occur through the successful use of a wiki.  I'm interested to know what additional questions you would ask when evaluating whether or not a wiki was the right answer. 


References
Hazari, S., North, A., & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating pedagogical value of Wiki technology. Journal of information systems education. 20(2). 187-198.
King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
West, J. and West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write Web.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.