An iPod education

[vasanth]

An iPod education

Podcasting and virtual learning at Hurstpierpoint College

Podcasting offers many benefits to students at school, Apple's latest education-focused profile report explains.

The report examines students at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex. It looks at how podcasting has helped improve the way children engage with course content, both by allowing educational resources to be available 24/7, and also by offering new ways for students to interact.

Richard Cooke, ICT Coordinator at Hurstpierpoint College says: "Podcasting can extend studying beyond the classroom, so teachers can use their time in class to focus on critical course learning points or answer questions more fully".

The school recently introduced a a virtual learning environment (VLE) where teachers, students and parents can access a wide range of powerful academic resources, and runs on Macs.

As well as providing a growing catalogue of educational resources, the school also encourages students to develop their own. Creating podcasts for themselves is an effective way for students to absorb the material they are using, Cooke says. "It's the old saying: the best way to learn is to have to explain it to someone else."

Cooke observes: "Each generation of children at the school is more capable than its predecessors of using technology."