Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal: Using Podcasts for Learning

This article presents a report of a pedagogic experience carried out in a Portuguese 6th-grade music education class during the 2008-2009 school year. A podcast was created (www.podomatic.com) and several activities were developed, in classroom context, taking advantage of the tool's potential for teaching and learning. Although the podcast was managed by the teacher, the published contents were developed mostly by the students, therefore becoming themselves producers of the information on the Web and having an active role in the construction of the global society of the 21st century. The informal learning activity was evaluated at the end of the year, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Results show that the podcast activity involved students in the learning process, making them aware of the new roles they will play in the global information society.