Podcasting For Teaching

• Podcasting is a means of publishing audio and video content on the web as a series of episodes with a common theme. Podcasting
• A podcast is an episodic series of digital audio files made available on the Internet for streaming or downloading to a personal device (e.g., a computer, tablet, or smartphone). How to leverage podcasts for learning
• A podcast is a digital audio file made available for download on either a computer or a mobile device. Teaching with Podcasts

Put most simply, a podcast is an audio file. Some reserve the term for serialized content that is available through subscription using RSS, but the term is now most often used to describe any audio file. Advocates of this medium contend that podcasts can help communicate content in an effective, readily accessible way. Podcasts are easy to record and can be downloaded to a mobile device such as smartphone or computer for convenient access any time. They can also increase equity by allowing students with a wide range of needs and resources to participate in educational activities.

Podcasts for teaching come from three possible sources: (a) existing recordings, (b) instructor created recordings, or (c) student created recordings. Utilizing these three types of sources, an instructor can use podcasts for several purposes, including the following:

1. Recording lectures. One way podcasts are often used is to record lectures and then make the recordings available to students through a specific site.  These recorded lectures have several uses

a. Review: Students who are unclear on the material presented and want another chance to hear it can listen to podcasts to review a complete lecture or parts of a lecture. This is especially true when the material is difficult, complex, or in other ways challenging.

b. Accessibility: Students can listen, pause, rewind, and review spoken content at their own pace. This opportunity to relisten to class material is especially important for students for whom English is not their first language or who have certain disabilities. Instructors often publish transcripts along with their audio output to make them more accessible.

c. Missed class: recorded class sessions also give students who were not able to attend a class an opportunity to listen to the lecture. They still miss the experience of class engagement and active participation, but they have access to more complete and accurate information than if they rely on a classmate’s notes.​​​​​​​

2. Supplementing lectures. Instructors may use podcasts to (a) add to or clarify information they have presented; (b) summarize content or highlight important points; or (c) go into greater depth on selected topics or expand on selected ideas. (These podcasts should be brief, no more than 15-20 minutes long.)

3. Providing additional sources. Podcasts, either publicly available or specially created for the course, may be used as primary or secondary source material. They can be used in place of or in addition to written sources. They are often good sources for examples: interviews or cases can bring concepts to life for students.

4. Creating class activities. Podcasts can be used to restructure class time, including flipping the classroom, so that students listen to lectures as podcasts outside of class and use time in class for active learning. They also can be listened to during class and used as part of active learning exercises. Examples include asking students to

a. Listen to one or several podcasts during or before class and compare and contrast episodes/podcasts

b. Listen to a podcast before class and then answer a list of prepared questions during class

c. Listen to a podcast before class and post comments about the podcast (e.g., favorite quotation, most important or most interesting point), which can then be discussed during class

d. Listen to a podcast, choose a meaningful quotation from it, and during class explain why they chose it

e. Listen to a podcast about a controversial topic and then raise points pro and con the main thesis or the arguments during class.

f. Listen to a podcast curing class and critique the organization, style, or format as a part of a discussion of communication tools

5. Formulating assignments. Students can be assigned to create a podcast (15-20 minutes long), which will be presented to the instructor, their classmates (in class or out of class), or to the larger community. These can be used to replace and/or supplement written assignments or live class presentations. The assignments can be used to teach skills that reflect a variety of student learning outcomes, including

a. Understanding course material

b. Researching a topic in depth

c. Collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting data

d. Developing critical and analytic skills for evaluating information

e. Organizing and constructing a presentation, including making a logical argument

f. Learning to write a script or outline for an oral presentation

g. Developing oral presentation skills that consider audience and tone

h. Developing technological skills to create a podcast, including recording and editing

i. Developing teamwork/collaboration skills

j. Learning to give and to use constructive feedback

k. Developing outreach skills in disseminating a podcast