This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the effect of primer-podcasts on stimulating students’ reflection and adoption of deeper learning strategies This research provides the teaching community with a theoretical background for innovative pedagogical practices and with concrete results on the use and effectiveness of podcasts for pedagogical purposes. The purpose of the study is to test a theoretical framework on the expected effects of primer-podcasts, designed to promote epistemic behaviour through either advance organizers (Ausubel, 1960, 1968), adjunct questions (Andre, 1979; Kirschner, Van den Brink, & Meester, 1991; Rothkopf, 1970) or summaries of upcoming lessons. The study is lead by research questions such as the effect of listening to epistemic questions or tasks through the medium of primer podcasts on the stimulation and facilitation of reflection in university students and their gradual engagement in deeper thinking strategies. This paper takes the perspective of the epistemic activities as facilitative for transforming information into knowledge. The hypothesis raised is that supporting learning activities with primer podcasts posing epistemic questions (i.e., tasks or questions that give rise to epistemic activities (Ohlsson, 1996)) would have the effect of stimulating students to go beyond their current knowledge and adopt a deeper understanding of material These types of tasks, called “pedagogical goals” (Honebein, 1996), are considered to support knowledge construction, appreciation of multiple perspectives, relevant contexts, ownership of the learning process, social experience, use of multiple representations, and self- consciousness / reflection. Podcasts, being by definition series of episodes following a chronological order and consistency of ideas, can be considered as a relevant pedagogical tool to facilitate and stimulate reflection, as the former implies thinking for an extended period (according to Dewey, 1933). The effect of primer podcasts are comprised in a larger theoretical and pedagogical background. The uses of adjunct questions on learning and retention, the pedagogical advantages of audio, the role of summaries and advance organisers for assimilation and transfer of knowledge, are studied. The ultimate purpose of the overall study, an experimental part of which is presented here, is to engage students in reflective practices to support them to achieve higher order thinking, or deep learning. Involving students, through the epistemic questions on the primer podcasts, into reflective thinking on what they know, the way they learn and how they learn it, is an exercise stimulating metacognition. Metacognition stands for deeper understanding of knowledge and self.

The study is conducted at the University of Bath, UK, within a course on Developmental Psychology with second year students. The experiment is conducted with all the students enrolled in this course. The experiment consists of development of primer and control podcast applications for the purpose of researching students’ learning and learning experience. The research methodology uses a counterbalanced times-series design (Campbell & Stanley, 1966). The time series examines the changes in the dependent variable (i.e., number of applications or examples of/from concepts) over time. The primer podcast is this “experimental change”, which is introduced in the course. The variables being examined in this study are: students' deeper thinking and critical stance, and persistence of the effect of involving students into epistemic thinking activities. Three experimental conditions are set up, and respectively three groups of students are formed and studied.

The paper discusses the results of the experimental study. The results represent an analysis of students' answers of epistemic questions and tasks and their persistence in time, and an analysis of focus groups interviews. Students answers are collected and analysed after each episode of primer podcast. A focus group interview allows to gather more subtile information such as students' feed-back on the experiment, their feelings about the podcasts and the effect of the podcasts on their engagement with the course.