Conclusion
This project set out to discover what impact the use of podcasting technology within a strategically designed cycle of teaching and learning activities had on student reading outcomes. The research asked questions about the students’ reading habits, their attitude to reading and their reading ability. It examined the impact of using this technology as a lure to motivate students to read more frequently, to read more challenging material and whether they were becoming better readers in the process.
The results add to research beginning to emerge that shows that podcasting has the potential to engage learners (Edirisingha et al, 2007), to overcome barriers for diverse learners (Lum, 2007) and to change the ways teachers and students interact (Tavales & Skevoulis, 2006).
This research shows that:
The KPE teaching and learning cycle led the participants through multiple opportunities to reinforce the traditional literacies of reading, writing, speaking and listening by giving them motivating reasons to participate. It enabled them to participate in a community of practice during the process.
The teachers and students involved in the research did not mention having any difficulties with using the technology.
The students expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the process and particularly noted that; using the technology, reading books, working with a partner, having an authentic audience and positive interactions with an adult were significant motivators for them.
The outcomes for students showed very little difference whether sorted by gender or ethnicity. Both Maori and Pasifika students, who have often displayed low achievement in pencil and paper based literacies, in this study have improved their reading outcomes. This was also the case for boys, with the exception of attitude outcomes.
The students’ attitude to reading has improved, particularly amongst the boys. A number of boys reported negative feelings to reading last year, and by the end of the study period no student reported negative or neutral attitudes to reading. This improved attitude included visiting the library, SSR in the classroom and students independently sourcing books.
The students’ reading habits improved over the study period with students reporting they read more books in total now, read more books at home, read more frequently and the complexity of the material they choose to read has increased.
The students’ reading ability (fluency, accuracy and comprehension) improved during the study. All students participated in their ‘regular’ instructional reading sessions with their classroom teachers. Some students were receiving additional instruction in withdrawal groups. The mean progress of the sample group was above the national norm in two standardised tests (PROBE and PM Benchmarks) and above the school norm in asTTle.
The multi-facetted nature of the KPE cycle appeared to offer a variety of motivators (or lures) to appeal to a variety of learning styles and needs.
The students reading below their age and at their age displayed similar responses in all areas of the research. There were individual differences noted, but as a group they appeared to find the opportunity to use the technology within the KPE cycle highly motivating and their reading outcomes improved through the period they participated.
The students reading above their age had similarly improved reading outcomes, but their survey responses suggest they were differently motivated. They began the year with a more positive attitude to reading, the complexity of reading material selected was higher (though not where it should be for their reading ability), they read more at home, they read more often and obviously their ability level was higher. The group mean showed a pattern of progress as did their individual scores. However the motivators were different for this group, with authentic audience being the most compelling. The reading outcome that most needed raising for this group was their reading habits.
With the results of this research showing that including podcasting with KPE in teaching and learning activities can make a significant contribution to reading outcomes, important questions arise:
How do we find time to hold individual conferences with students as frequently as they need? This challenge for the school and the teachers cannot be ignored. The significance of the role of the teacher comes through in the literature (Hattie, 2007; Alton-Lee, 2003) and technology, no matter how inviting, is not enough on its own.
Can the ‘podcasting with KPE’ literacy cycle be replicated using other cutting edge technologies? In the context of Pt England School, could video production with PE.N.N. be strengthened to become a literacy cycle, rather than a linear progression with a publication end point as it is at the moment?
Can this cycle approach be replicated by other schools in other contexts?
For the students of high reading ability, would simply keeping a reading journal that was monitored by an adult, and providing more opportunities for them to read and access written material at school have been sufficient? What value do we place on their obvious appreciation of an authentic audience which came through so strongly? Podcasting with KPE certainly provided that for them.
This research did not include students reading more than 3 years below their age or recent immigrants to New Zealand. How would podcasting with KPE contribute to their reading outcomes?