Abstract:

In 2024, the term ‘podcasting’ reached its 20th birthday, even though the ‘new boom in amateur radio’ initially described by Hammersley (2004) had been underway for a little longer. Although podcasting as a web-native digital medium has matured considerably in recent years from roots analogous with amateur radio, podcasting as pedagogical practice remains under explored within higher education.

What are some of the benefits and challenges of using podcasts as educational resources in higher education? What happens in the relationship between teacher, learner and educational material if you move from the ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘peer in the ear’? How can academic staff be effectively trained and supported to become podcasters themselves, and why might they choose to do so?

The author started podcasting in a higher education context partly to more effectively meet institutional demand from academics interested in investigating the medium themselves. This paper combines an autoethnographical analysis of that journey with a review of literature on the wider application of podcasting as a pedagogical methodology. It focuses on the academic as a producer of audio-based learning materials, rather than the more widely-examined area of student co-production, and considers how university teaching can be enhanced via use of podcasts.

References:
[1] Hammersley, B. Audible revolution. The Guardian, 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2024 from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/feb/12/broadcasting.digitalmedia

Keywords:

Podcast, podcasting, podcaster, digital media, audio, pedagogical practice, educational resources, higher education.