Author: David Gill, d.w.j.gill@swansea.ac.uk

Author: Chris Hall, c.m.hall@swan.ac.uk

JISC e-Learning Activity Area: Learning Resources and Activities

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: History, Classics and Archaeology

This case study illustrates...use of podcasting, an effect on learning, an effect on exam results, an effect on student personal development, student satisfaction with e-learning, innovation in learning and teaching, staff satisfaction with e-learning, staff personal development, a positive effect on recruitment, a positive effect on retention, an influence on policy, use of resources, modifications to learning spaces, management of learning assets, an effect on social equality

Background & Context

Why did you use this e-learning approach?

Podcasting allows students to see a series of images of archaeological sites or objects, and to listen to an 'expert' commentary made in the field. Images in books or articles are normally in black-and-white and do not always show the points that the lecturer wants students to understand. A podcast can allow the staff member to focus on a specific aspect of an archaeological site with a commentary to explain the issue. The project allowed the lecturer to use a series of visual images for teaching for which he owned the copyright. Podcasts provided students with an explanation of the images and therefore goes beyond a simple digital library.

What was the context in which you used this e-learning approach?

The material was prepared for use by both undergraduate and MA students. The level 1 module was on the Archaeology of the Greek World. Many first year students have not visited the archaeological sites concerned and find it hard to visualise the spaces. The course consists of 100+ students. The module covers the period from the Late Bronze Age Aegean (Crete/Thera/Mycenae) to the end of the 5th century BCE. It includes a range of 'type' sites, both well known (Olympia, Delphi, Athens) as well as sites that are likely to be unfamiliar (Karphi, Lefkandi). Students at level 1 will either be on degree schemes such as Ancient History or Classical Civilisation where there can be some previous knowledge (e.g. A-level Classical Civilisation) or they will be taking a degree in another discipline within the School of Humanities or the School of Arts. Walking through the Kerameikos (ancient) cemetery in Athens: http://davidgill.co.uk/movies/Lacedaemonians.mov

Other material was used for the MA module on Greek and Latin Epigraphy (though it will have an application for the Level 2 module on Writing Ancient History where there is a project on epigraphy). I wanted to explore a topographical Greek inscription concerning a boundary dispute and present the information visually. For example for understanding the arrangements of the Ptolemaic naval base of Arsinoe-in-the-Peloponnese (on a peninsula opposite Athens and near the island of Poros) images were taken showing areas mentioned in the text: forts, tunny traps, possible area of slipways. These recordings and images were taken as part of a field project on the Ptolemies in the Aegean.

• For Arsinoe: http://davidgill.co.uk/movies/Methana.mov
• For Arsinoe (city-walls): http://davidgill.co.uk/movies/Methana_walls_2.mov
• For Rhamnous (Attica): http://davidgill.co.uk/movies/Rhamnous.mov

The Arsinoe material has also been shared with colleagues in North America who are working on Hellenistic boundary disputes.

Prior to this students would have to reply on images supplied by the lecturer via PowerPoint or posted on the web.

What was the design?

This project has a focus on student-centred learning, encouraging a collaborative experience by using Podcasting with undergraduate (BA) and postgraduate (taught MA) students in the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology. The project encouraged reflective learning using material from archaeological sites and public collections of material culture. Students have already chosen to use 'Web 2.0' technologies to present information to enhance their assessed work. Podcasts would be used to develop the range of learning materials available to students. Staff members have also been using digital recordings alongside digital images as part of their archaeological fieldwork in the Mediterranean.

The project was designed to address key archaeological sites. For example the topography of the Athenian acropolis, deme sites in Attica, and Ptolemaic bases in the Aegean. Recordings and images were made on site.

The podcasting was added to existing modules. Some Level 1 students seemed to show a lack of awareness in recognising key monuments and sites. The podcast project aimed to fill gaps in their knowledge. The Athenian acropolis podcast was linked specifically to one of the seminars.

All material was prepared by the lecturer on the module.

How did you implement and embed this e-learning approach?

Podcasting was being used on a trial basis to support learning of Greek archaeology and Greek epigraphy. It supported some of the studies of on-line material used for Greek archaeology.

The podcasts were used as supplementary material for sections of the module on the Archaeology of the Greek World. The general use of the podcasts was evaluated through the examination where in 2006/7 there were stronger responses to the image recognition section of the examination paper. (It should be noted that a set of copyright free images had also been supplied in previous years.) The podcasts are linked from the topic folder within Blackboard so that students can find the relevant material as they progress through the module.

The Mac OS X software is fairly intuitive to use (unlike Windows!) so it was fairly easy to experiment with the creation of the material.

The challenge is to plan ahead during fieldwork to anticipate images and sound files that will be needed. However audio tracks can be created at a later date.

It should be noted that students do not need an iPod or MP4 player to access the podcasts.