Using lecture podcasts in the COVID‐19 transition to virtual post‐secondary education in agriculture

• Published in: Natural sciences education Vol. 50; no. 2
• Main Authors: Barnes, Jared, Carraway, Candis, Jones, Stephanie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley 2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Access to Computers; Agricultural Education; Audio Equipment; College Students; COVID-19; Distance Education; Electronic Learning; Handheld Devices; Internet; Lecture Method; Pandemics; Special Section: Natural Sciences Education in A Covid‐19 World; Texas
• ISSN: 2168-8281; 2168-8273; 2168-8281
• DOI: 10.1002/nse2.20064

In the spring 2020 semester, Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), located in Nacogdoches, TX, transitioned face‐to‐face classes to online instruction because of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The east Texas region suffers from some of the poorest internet availability in the nation. Thus, limitations exist for streaming lectures or having students download large files. Podcasts are small audio files that can be downloaded from the internet for learning. Research has shown that the use of lecture podcasts have a variety of benefits for both faculty and students. Lecture podcasts provide students small file sizes to download and access and allow them to engage with the course material asynchronously. Therefore, the decision was made to record lecture podcasts for Cultivating Plants, Plant Propagation, and Plant Breeding to deliver educational content for the class. An end of semester survey conducted by the SFASU Agriculture Department indicated that 59% of students who engaged with this type of learning felt it was extremely effective. Additional student comments and semester reflections also provided feedback. This example provides further evidence that lecture podcasts can be a useful tool for educators in an ever‐changing world. Core Ideas The lack of good internet can limit online education. Podcasts are simple, small audio files that can be downloaded from the internet. Combined with additional material, research showed podcasts can enhance learning. Lecture podcasts were used after the COVID‐19 pandemic forced classes online in three classes. In a survey, 59% of students commented that the lecture podcast method was very effective.