Students using digital audio interventions to enhance their learning experience

Previous studies of the impact of audio on student learning have focused on academic generated and centred resources. This approach can significantly impact on academic workloads in both the generation and the distribution of the media, but can also result in narrowly focused learning resources for the students. Students are exposed to many learning opportunities in and outside of the classroom; in order to promote and support learner autonomy, students need to be encouraged to intervene in their own learning experience. Creating audio interventions is an effective way of achieving this. This learner-centred approach enables the students to record, reflect and develop their learning as and when the learning opportunities arise. Student volunteers at both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University were invited to record their experiences for themselves and were supplied with digital audio recording devices. The University of Sheffield project focus was on supporting HE transition for a cohort of first year engineering students. The Sheffield Hallam University project focus was on supporting learner autonomy amongst groups of disabled and non-disabled students. Volunteers were sought from all levels of study and from across the University. In examining the evidence from both universities the majority of students initially believed the main learning opportunity was in employing the audio devices to record lectures. As the project progressed students did record lectures and this allowed them listen to the lectures again and reflect upon them at their leisure. However, the audio devices have been deployed in a wide variety of ways including the recording of personal notes and group-work discussions with their peers. In this project students typically re-listened to their recordings every few days, when reflecting on their studies or when preparing for or completing an assessment or homework. Students typically recommend carrying the audio device at all times and using the device to record any learning opportunities as and when they arise in the course of the day.