Audio podcasting in a tablet PC‐enhanced biochemistry course

This report describes the effects of making audio podcasts of all lectures in a large, basic biochemistry course promptly available to students. The audio podcasts complement a previously described approach in which a tablet PC is used to annotate PowerPoint slides with digital ink to produce electronic notes that can be archived. The fundamentals of this approach are described, and data from student attitudinal and informational surveys are presented. The survey data suggest that the students have a positive attitude toward the combination of tablet-based instruction and audio podcasting. In addition, three students provide testimonials on how these technological tools allowed them to utilize their preferred learning styles to succeed in the course. Possible negative consequences of this approach, in terms of class attendance and note taking, are also analyzed and discussed.