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Comparative Use of Podcasts vs. Lecture Transcripts as Learning Aids for Dental Students
Author(s) -
Allen Kenneth L.,
Katz Ralph V.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2011.75.6.tb05110.x
Subject(s) - preference , dental education , medical education , psychology , class (philosophy) , medicine , learning styles , mathematics education , dentistry , family medicine , computer science , artificial intelligence , economics , microeconomics
The purpose of this project was to describe dental students’ use of lecture podcasts versus written lecture transcripts as learning aids under three different circumstances: studying for an exam, reviewing an attended lecture, and reviewing a missed lecture. Additional analyses were performed to see whether demographic differences (e.g., age, gender, language skills, and computer skills) or grade differences were associated with preferences for using podcast versus written lecture transcripts of class notes. Fifty‐one percent (n=171) of the second‐year dental students at the New York University College of Dentistry voluntarily participated in this survey. The major findings were that 1) a high percentage of students (70–92 percent) used one or both aids in all three utilization circumstances with a consistent preference for podcast use, especially when reviewing a missed lecture; 2) course grades were not associated with the preferred use of either lecture aid; and 3) over half the students listened to the podcasts at speeds that were one and one‐half or two times faster than normal speech, especially younger students. Further studies are warranted to delve into the current student generation's preferred learning styles and the resultant learning outcomes associated with those preferences.