Podcasting as an adjunct learning strategy in paediatric teaching for medical students

Abstract

Aims
Determine patterns of undergraduate student use and general user experience of a ten-part custom-designed Paediatric podcast series.

Methods
Patterns of use and learning styles were determined by anonymous student survey.

Results
Of 75 students, 66 (88%) completed the survey; 38 (58%) being non-native English speakers. 49 (74%) listened to at least one episode (median 5 episodes). Users reported high levels of satisfaction with audio quality and ease of use. 37 (76%) agreed the podcast helped them to learn core topics. 9 (18%) students listened solely during “dedicated study time”, with the majority (n=39; 80%) using a mobile-learning approach. 19 (39%) used closed captioning with 14 (74%) rating it “useful”. Time constraint was the most frequently cited reason for non-engagement.

Conclusion
Podcasts are a welcome learning resource for a diverse cohort of medical students.