Using Podcasts With Narrative Pedagogy: Are Learning Objectives Met?

Abstract

NURSE FACULTY OFTEN ASSIGN VOLUMINOUS AMOUNTS OF READING FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE PRIOR TO CI. ASS, BUT THE ASSIGNMENTS GO UNREAD AND STUDENTS COME TO CLASS UNPREPARED TO ENGAGE IN CONTEXTUAL CONVERSATIONS. Some students admit that they do not read the assigned chapters because they have difficulty understanding the content or are overwhelmed by demands of the nursing program. Faculty are often discouraged, fearful they will need to spoon feed their students with the necessary nursing content. Narrative Pedagogy has been proposed as an alternative to lectures in helping students meet learning objectives. It is one response to calls to implement alternative methods of instruction (Bussema & Nemec, 2006). Podcasting also offers an alternative to classroom lectures and provides faculty the opportunity to implement and study innovative teaching methods. This article reports on a pilot study to explore the effect of Narrative Pedagogy on meeting learning objectives. Podcasting was an integral part of the methodology. The Use of Podcasting Several studies discuss strategies for implementing Narrative Pedagogy (Ironside, 2003; Kawashima, 2005; Rogge, 2001; Young, 2004). However, some students are not receptive to this new approach to learning. Ironside used a pretest/posttest study to identify how Narrative Pedagogy is perceived by teachers and students. Students in this study found the "learning climate to be worse than expected" and preferred lectures (p. 124). Kirkpatrick and Brown (2004) found that students enjoyed sharing stories and believed that learning took place. Although numerous benefits to the implementation of Narrative Pedagogy have been reported, some nurse educators still question its effectiveness and the wisdom of eliminating lectures in the nursing classroom. Podcasting could potentially resolve this dilemma. Nursing is just one of the many sectors of education where podcasting is gaining popularity. At the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, podcasting was implemented in response to requests by students that lecture content be made available via the Web (Brittain, Glowacki, Van Ittersum, & Johnson, 2006). Students believed that podcasting helped them summarize information presented in lectures. In London, students believed that podcasting offered an added dimension to learning, allowing them to revisit key concepts or listen to content when they did not have the time to sit and read (Edirisingha, Rizzi, Nie, & Rothwell, 2007). Some students reported that they listened to lectures and used their textbooks as a resource to clarify and expound upon the lecture. Method PARTICIPANTS To explore the effect of Narrative Pedagogy on meeting learning objectives, a convenience sample of 50 nursing students was selected for this pilot study. The nursing students were third-year baccalaureate students enrolled in a medical-surgical course at a university on Long Island, New York. Their ages ranged from 18 to 49. In order to maintain anonymity, students were not asked to identify their gender; only four men were in this class. PROCEDURE Students were assigned a chapter to read and were asked to listen to a podcasted lecture on caring for clients with visual impairments, prior to class. All students were able to access the podcast. The students were given one week to read the text and listen to the podcasted lecture. At the beginning of the next scheduled class, students were asked to complete a seven-item pretest survey consisting of multiple-choice questions that addressed caring for clients with visual impairments. Two faculty members who had experience in teaching medical-surgical nursing juried the survey; they were asked to determine whether the questions were appropriate and supported the learning objectives. Content validity was established. The survey also asked students if they listed to the podcast and provided space for comments. After completing the pretest, students were given a copy of a story that described the experience of a nurse who cared for a client with a visual impairment. …