The audio re-searcher: examining the effects of audio note taking in a multi-media, web-based environment

This thesis comprises two studies. The first study was a survey of 100 university students that investigated podcast-based audio-learning practices. The second study quantitatively evaluated effectiveness of creating and inserting tags (cue points) to study and review a lecture podcast. Using a multi-media web-based tool, participants enhanced the podcast by self-selecting important segments and inserting tags and notes on a visual interface of the audio timeline. 69 university participants (not from first study) were randomly assigned to two groups. All participants listened to a half-hour lecture on sensation and perception. The first group listened to the first half of the lecture without tagging, then created tags during the second half. The second group tagged, then listened. The listen-then-tag group significantly out-performed the tag-then-listen group on a test of recall, but only for the second half of the lecture. Possible explanations for this finding and directions for future research are explored.