Soundcloud for learning: audio critiques, podcasts, DropBox and collaborative playlists

I was using SoundCloud for another project exploring music in elearning and am starting to realize how relevant it could be for learning around audio or music. I would love to hear if anyone is using SoundCloud for learning, whether formal or informal, as I am just brainstorming a few different uses in this post.

Use Case 1: embedded reflections on music

The learning activity would be an audio track of the learner’s choice. The learner either embeds a long-form reflection within the track itself using SoundCloud’s comments feature, or two students have an extended dialogue in the track itself using the same comments. The assembled comments and track are them embedded in whatever centralized reflective space the student has running (blog). An ongoing audio dialogue that can be used for assessment.

The comments can be synced to Facebook thus extending the learning domain and syncing learning across a few different social spaces.

Use Case 2: Interactive Podcasts

Upload a podcast or an oral essay to SoundCloud and then the fellow participants critique it, add comments, edit, or even suggest other resources. An ongoing, transparent peer review process. It takes the same review mechanisms for print and applies them to audio, which also serves to thwart a heightened reverence for all things textual. An important factor to consider  in multimodal learning constructs and spaces.

I imagine this approach would be best served in the initial brainstorming stages where each student would post a 1-2 minute synopsis of their work to date and all the other learners can critique that. It would provide evidence of participation (comments) and this feedback could be again embedded on the learner’s blog for reflection and inclusion.

I also imagine (just guessing here) that audio feedback/critique on audio ideas (synopsis of potential essays) would feel less threatening than peer textual feedback of the same nature. Less authoritative, stark, menacing. Just a hunch.

Use Case 3: Collaborative Playlists and Discussion Groups

The Groups feature on SoundCloud allows students to create spaces for discussion, collaboration, and even to collaborate on playlists or audio tracks to create a narrative. The whole essay (whether it be text, audio, or some multimodal combination) could be constructed, discussed, reviewed, exported, embedded and even synced with Facebook, WordPress or what have you without ever having to leave Soundcloud. A nice feature.

Further, students can record direct from their laptop, mobile, or any technology they might have which allows for audio messages, notes, and some relatively sophisticated interaction. Who wouldn’t want a playlist on music to study by? Further, it allows for participation without regards to location. If the students have a phone or a tablet, they will be able to participate on vacation, at home, on the bus, anywhere.

Use Case 4: DropBox

The learning facilitator/teacher/lead student could have a centralized website for the course or project. This could and probably should be a blog. The DropBox is embedded on the site, students can drag and drop audio tracks for the project into the DropBox and then those tracks are automatically loaded into SoundCloud and even into individual Groups. An easy way to bring sources into a project with as few barriers as possible.

This process could be cyclical in that students drop something into the DropBox (from the blog), that material is loaded into SoundCloud, then the widget on the site displays the new material. This could even trigger a Facebook alert (or a Facebook page alert) to let the students know to go take a look. I just find Soundcloud has obviously put some thought into using social media simply and efficiently. It all syncs and if used in concert, these social services provide quite a net of activity and alerts.

I am curious to learn if anyone else is using Soundcloud for learning.