Podcasting in Geophysics Education: How to Learn Without Removing the Headphones

The increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has caused innumerable changes, not only in the technological realm, but also in the habits of today's society. In education, this is reflected in the incorporation of these technologies in the classroom but maintaining a traditional structure: the approach to content during the class time, the tasks to be performed at home, and the subsequent revision of the homework. Innovative proposals with the aim of changing this extremely traditional methodology could be of great benefit for the students. For this it is necessary to support them in their pedagogical research and in the conception of a student who is the center of their own learning. Among these innovative proposals, the Flipped Classroom has gained more relevance owing its success to the use of videos and texts that are sent previously to the synchronous class so that the students can access a specific content. It is easy to recognize that students are used to interacting with different technological devices based on sound stimuli. These devices allow them to listen to music, and to be constantly communicated and informed. They can use them while walking, driving, doing physical activity, among other activities, and in various places. With this in mind, the educational podcast takes advantage of the experience that learners have with these types of messages and technology. Podcasts can be used to deliver curricular content to be worked independently by students prior the class in the context of the Flipped Classroom methodology. Their ease of use and the rapid and free availability of the majority of portable devices, makes podcasts a potentially useful tool to promote self-learning. This paper aims to investigate the benefits of using podcasts in a Geophysics course for Geology students at a private Chilean university. A descriptive research approach is used to determine if the use of podcasts has a positive impact on students' attitudes and if they are perceived as a useful tool in the construction of their knowledge. The data was obtained at the end of a six-month period through questionnaires and surveys in a two-group design with experimental and control groups. The experimental group with the "Flipped Classroom + Podcast" innovation and the control group with the traditional teaching. Results are presented on the perception of the usefulness and the students' attitudes on both the "Flipped Classroom + Podcast" innovation used on the course versus the traditional one, and the specific incorporation of Podcasts. In a preliminary way, it is possible to mention that the students of the experimental group showed greater motivation and engagement. As regards the use of podcasts, students highlighted some benefits, such as the ease of access and the attractive content, among others. The implications are discussed in relation to the re-design of the course and the possibilities of adopting the innovation both in the other sections of the Geophysics course and in other related courses.