iTunes U

http://www.lingq.com/

Steve talks about iTunes U and the limits of video in education.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• LingQ
• language
• iTunes
• learning
• english
• online
• learn
• languages

[andrewl5201]

If you're listening a lot, and not really comprehending much of what your listening. Can it still be helpful?

[lingosteve]

@andrewl5201 I would not do it.

[xnightxamex]

i think id prefer video, with just audio i tend to zone out and get distracted. doing something at the same time wouldnt work either, i have no multitasking ability and would end up tuning the audio out to focus on my task, or vice versa. i know you dont believe in different learning types but maybe youre very much an auditory learner. theres ways around the video aspect of the lectures, im sure you could still put it to good use.

[xxxqwertxxx]

I think I experience the opposite of what Steve does. When I have audio only input, my mind tends to wander. But if I'm watching an interesting video and listening to it, my mind stays more focused on what's going on. And if I hear something I don't understand, its easier for me to figure it out in context based on the visual clues. This all makes the listening experience richer and more interesting for me. ^_^

[shont2006]

Steve, it is quite easy to strip audio from video, and create an MP3 using the audio. You can even edit the sound, increase volume, and enhance sound quality. Be careful with copyright!hehe.

[bennels]

I agree. It's important to have as much total immersion as possible, using all 5 senses. I guess my hypothesis was particularly in regard to Steve's method of listening to audio with a transcript. But I do agree with your comments above.

[rsherfan]

that being said, however, I know that this point is perhaps being taken out of context too much. When concentrating on a transcript and trying to derive meaning via audio and text the video is a distraction... as I know Steve also strongly advocates learning a language in an environment where the language is spoken, so I'm sure his point requires certain caveats to fit in with the big picture.

[rsherfan]

I understand that hypothesis and follow the reasoning. However, I strongly disagree on the grounds that the best way to learn a language is via immersion. When the language is all around you. Everything you see, touch, taste, smell, hear is via the target language you can pick it up at a rapid rate. This logic, although by itself appears to stand on it's own merit, appears (to me) to go against the principals of learning by immersion... which utilises all the senses.

[bennels]

When the visual element is missing, the brain has to try harder to make it's own image, and this creates a strong association. It seems (to me) that when the brain is "spoon-fed" everything (audio, visual, etc), it doesn't need to work as hard to make associations to meaning, and information can be easily forgotten. Whereas if one element is missing, the brain will try harder to find a way to give it meaning, and this usually locks the new information in the long term memory better.

[rsherfan]

Sensory association and language learning can possibly be helpful. I can't forget the story of Helen Keller who's famous epiphany arrived one day when she realized that the motions her teacher was making on her palm, while running cool water over her hand, symbolized the idea of "water"; she then nearly exhausted her teacher demanding the names of all the other familiar objects in her world. But perhaps through the words one can mentally recreate the scene and thus forge a greater understanding.