RYAN HAGEN
News Assistant
Recorded lectures from the Dean’s Executive Leadership Series and by some professors are allowing students to study up and sleep in.
Earphones seemed to be everywhere at Pepperdine, as students relaxed from their studies with the latest additions to their iPods. But in the last year, Pepperdine began recording some of its lectures, and professors have been experimenting with it as well.
“You can be studying, stop, go eat dinner, go on a date, and finish up,” said Associate Professor Susan Salas, who last year began recording supplemental lessons in one of her classes, Advanced Narrative Digital Short Production.
Salas uses an unusual form of podcasting, recording lectures in the radio studio at Pepperdine before putting them on her Web site. Her students listen to these lectures, which range from 30 to 45 minutes, before attending class.
Logistically, only a small number of professors could use this method, and Salas said it is designed specifically for the course — she only teaches one of her classes this way.
Other courses use some form of a podcast. For instance, the computer science for business majors class taught by Brad Cupp meets only for the final, with lessons and quizzes given online. But the technique remains rare.
The first podcast program emerged in 2003, and the technology only recently began appearing at some colleges, often in the form of classroom lectures taped with relatively poor audio quality.
“There seems to be some fear of technology,” Salas said. “Also, people learn differently — this is definitely for the audio person.”
To compensate, her students also use her course book and handouts, in addition to examples in class for more visual learners.
“It all works great together,” said senior Anthony Castellane, one of Salas’ students. “You have her voice so you can understand different emotions — if something’s more important or more of a side note — and there’s only so much you can cover in an hour and a half of class.”
Salas reported that the energy in her class has greatly increased since she started using podcasts, with more students participating in discussions, and the quality of work is higher.
“Last year’s [end-of-the-year short movies] were considerably better than the year before,” she said. “But students now had more tools available in high school than before. “Maybe the last two groups have just been extremely well-prepared,” she said.
The difference, she and her students agree, is preparation time.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” said another of her students, senior Ryan Dapremont. “It helps with class and gives you more material to supplement. It can get a little redundant, though.”
Salas, who said she always asks students for feedback and suggestions, described the improvement with a metaphor. “We don’t have to spend a lot of time building the foundation of the house, putting in drywall. We can live in it,” she said.
Salas’ class is only for senior production majors, but other lectures have broader appeal.
“Anyone can listen to our DELS lectures any time,” said Jerry Derloshon, director of Public Relations and News. He was referring to the Dean’s Executive Leadership Series, starting with Christian scholar Scot McKnight.
Derloshon said that podcasts could increase Pepperdine’s renown.
“Someone could come across one of these lectures, content that is invigorating and possibly insightful, and learn that Pepperdine isn’t just that school that won a baseball championship in ’92,” he said.
Only isolated lectures have been recorded and made available on iTunes so far, though Public Relations said they planned to increase the number in the future. “It’s not just as easy as putting a tape recorder in front of somebody and snapping your fingers,” according to Derloshon.
02-08-2007
