Abstract:

Podcasts have emerged as a leading digital communication medium, increasingly utilized for education and science communication (SciComm). While narrative formats are proven tools for conveying scientific concepts, narrative-driven science podcasts remain relatively scarce. To address this gap, we previously developed a narrative podcast series focused on projects at the Center for Complexity Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Given the broad consensus on the necessity of evaluating SciComm outputs, the present study focuses on the assessment of an episode from this series using the RIRC method. We administered questionnaires to a demographically diverse sample in Mexico City, employing a multifaceted evaluation approach. To determine communication effectiveness, we implemented two memory tasks—identification and free recall. Furthermore, as part of a dialogical process, we assessed participant perceptions regarding clarity, credibility, appeal, and engagement.

Our findings indicate that the episode was an effective medium for communicating scientific knowledge in an engaging and credible manner. Additionally, we determined that educational attainment and age played a significant role in knowledge retention.

Keywords:

Podcasts, science communication, learning, memory tasks, assessment.