When deciding on the format of this assignment, I grappled with creating my own podcast and embedding it into another modality that included a visual component. This seems to be what others have done in previous terms. However, after some thought, I decided to share with you the podcast, as is. The main reason for this is because when reflecting on the popularity and essence of podcasts, one of the very reasons they have become so popular is that they cater to this mobile society where they can be listened to during periods of time that reading and watching are not possible or convenient. So, I really wanted to model this and maintain the essence of what I present in the podcast…about podcasts.
Another preamble thought before you listen, the podcast is over 6 minutes (it’s just under 8 minutes). There is a segment in there that includes me talking about my own experience and isn’t tied to literature or true critical analysis that I thought about removing (it would have shortened the audio to under 6 minutes). However, again, I feel that one of the important draws to podcasts is the informal and personable nature they have. People like to hear other people’s stories. So I let it be with that in mind.
With that said, my A1 project explores the rising popularity of the now billion-dollar industry of podcasts and why this has come to be. Because of their growing relevance, I also explore and reflect on why they belong in education. I hope you enjoy it!
References:
Brewster, T. Why Are Podcasts Gaining In Popularity? Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/10/12/nsa-hackers-announce-20-million-funding-to-defend-planes-trains-and-tanks-from-cyberattack/?sh=7aeef4f754db
Burns, J. E. (2010). The Past, Present, and Future of Podcasting. In Dumova, T., & Fiordo, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Social Interaction Technologies and Collaboration Software: Concepts and Trends (pp. 56-66). IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-60566-368-5.ch006
Carvalho, A. A., Aguiar, C., Santos, H., Oliveira, L., Marques, A., & Maciel, R. (2009, July). Podcasts in higher education: students’ and lecturers’ perspectives. In IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 417-426). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
David Jiménez-Castillo, Raquel Sánchez-Fernández & Gema M. Marín-Carrillo (2017) Dream team or odd couple? Examining the combined use of lectures and podcasting in higher education, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 54:5, 448-457, doi: 10.1080/14703297.2016.1148622
Goodrich, P. ‘Intimacy plus’: Is that what makes podcasts so popular? BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46470428
Hennig, N. (2017). Why Podcasts?. Library Technology Reports, 53(2), 5-9, 30-38.
Kaplan, H., Verma, D., & Sargsyan, Z. (2020). What traditional lectures can learn from podcasts. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 12(3), 250-253.
Landman, T. (2016). Podcasting is perfect for people with big ideas. Here’s how to do it. The Guardian, January, 13.
Morrissey, J. (2012). Podcast steering of independent learning in higher education. All Ireland Journal of Higher Education, 4(1).
Nic, N., Fletcher, R., Kalogeropoulos, A., Levy, D. A., & Nielsen, R. K. (2018). Reuters institute digital news report 2018. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 39.
Popova, A., & Edirisingha, P. (2010). How can podcasts support engaging students in learning activities?. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 5034-5038.
Reddit question posted by “Jessicaward25,” “When do you listen to podcasts?” /r/podcasts, April 5, 2015, https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasts/comments/31jm3i/when_do_you_listen_to_podcasts.
Wen, T. (2015). Inside the podcast brain: why do audio stories captivate. The emotional appeal of listening: The Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/podcast-brain-why-do-audio-stories-captivate/389925/
Weninger, F., Eyben, F., Schuller, B. W., Mortillaro, M., & Scherer, K. R. (2013). On the acoustics of emotion in audio: what speech, music, and sound have in common. Frontiers in psychology, 4, 292.
Hi Jasmine,
Okay, first and more foremost: You should 100% START YOUR OWN EDUCATION PODCAST!! This was great! I listen to a wide variety of podcasts daily and you nailed it. I’ve been wondering for a while now why I never find educator podcasts that I really like, and I’m still not sure…however you just proved it can be done. Your point about the “strange and isolating” feeling of asynchronous online is on point; for a while, I thought Flipgrid would revolutionize “discussion forums” but when tech doesn’t integrate smoothly with the LMS, or presents privacy/security barriers, it’s difficult for it to find a foothold in mainstream education. I feel inspired to think more about how I might leverage podcasts in my instructional design work. Thank you!
Hi Jasmine,
I really enjoyed listening to your podcast on podcasts! I had a particular interest in your analysis as this is my group’s A2 topic as well.
I love that you mentioned that creating podcasts is not a difficult task for educators. Sometimes trying something new can be daunting for educators, or anyone else for that matter, and hearing you discuss it was quite powerful and reassuring, so thank you! It really is amazing how tone of voice can connect with listeners in a way that is much harder to do with print. I think it’s also so pertinent that you suggested podcasts should currently be used more in higher education as they are so popular in the mainstream right now, and what’s relevant out here should also be relevant in higher education as well.
Thank you again, Jasmine!
KJ
Hi! Your podcast was a super easy listen! I also listen to podcasts but most of the time, I am doing something else. Often times I find myself focusing on another task rather than listenings, there are definitely a gap. Not sure if it is just me, but because there is a lack of a visual, I find it hard to be present in listening to the podcast. I can also see for someone else who finds visual distracting, that they are able to concentrate on the content more. I think it is great for those who are on the go and learning anywhere and everywhere. On the other hand, as a person who presents a lot at work, but hates recording myself on camera, I think recording podcasts is great! Do you think learning via podcasts works better for certain types of learners? What can be done so listeners are fully committed to listening through the whole podcast and taking it all in?
Hi Sarah! Thank you for your post. It’s funny you say that you have a hard time listening without that you have a hard time focusing on audio-only. I often have a hard time focusing on readings as compared to podcasts. So for me, I feel like I can retain more from a podcast. But modality aside, I think it is also the nature of the podcast is somewhat more informal than reading an academic paper. If I were to read a paper or listen to a podcast of someone talking about the content in the paper, when it’s broken down in more layman language, it’s just easier to grasp and retain. Because of that, I think that makes complex information more accessible to more people.
Hi,
Thanks for the podcast! I am a podcast listener and I think as a learning tool it is absolutely under-utilized in higher education. I really enjoy the ability to listen in the car as this is where I tend to do most of my listening. I also appreciate that there is a casual, often relaxed feel of listening on a podcast verses a video lecture that is prerecorded. I agree that for the most part, learning has taken the shape of exams and written text, but I see no reason why podcast as a form of presentation couldn’t be better utilized within our learning environments. Do you think video lectures and video recordings are more widely utilized as it provides visual aids or do you think podcasts have been overlooked for other reasons? As you have mentioned, the ability to listen to a podcast while commuting or engaging in other ‘mindless’ tasks do offer a huge advantage over other media. I engage in podcasts while driving and it really is overlooked within our mainstream education. thanks for this.
Great podcast Jasmine! I’m not a huge podcast listener but I really enjoy listening to them on long road trips. Also, I used podcasts to help myself learn Spanish many years ago (Coffee Break Spanish). I also hope that higher ed institutions start to adapt podcasts as well. As you mentioned, the MET program is very text heavy and I would love if we got to learn some concepts from podcasts. It is much more enjoyable to hear people, especially people who are passionate, speak on a subject. Why do you think podcasts have mostly stayed out of formal education?
Hi Olivia, thank you for your kind words! I really think it’s mainly because formal higher ed is often difficult to evolve. Until Covid, the traditional formate of lectures and exams was really the only norm for many classes. Now that institutions and instructors have had the experience of teaching remotely, maybe they will start to incorporate different modalities into their curriculums? I also think that a majority of instructors are in the over 45 age mark, which, was reported in the Reuters 2018 report are half as likely to listen to podcasts themselves. So maybe future generations of instructors who are more avid listeners will consider using them more?