Audio content holds great promise as a learning content medium. It can explore concepts deeper and allow for students to connect with their faculty and the content in a way that video can’t do as easily. Explore with the presenters the potential and the how to of using this wildly popular medium as learning content in any type of course.
Podcasts have grown in popularity by leaps and bounds over the past few years. As we look ahead to the future, utilizing this medium as learning content shows great potential. Whether it is original content made for a course, or bringing in any of the numerous shows that exist today, podcasts are a valuable asset for student learning. Podcasts can be longer, allowing for more flexible consumption, and garner a more intimate connection to the content. As such, using podcasts alongside other mediums like video, allows also for faculty to decide which format suits their educational goals for the given topic or course.
One key engagement strategy will involve attendees listening to excerpts of podcasts to help: identify features of podcasts genres; differentiate between various production elements; articulate knowledge types within certain domains that can be taught through podcasts; and summarize emotional engagement techniques used in podcasts. This will be achieved through hands-on application of a framework and peer-to-peer/small group discussion. Rather than attendees passively listening to excerpts, they will get the opportunity to apply what they learn in the session to better understand how podcasts can be used in course development
After leaving this session, attendees should feel empowered to brainstorm the potential ways they could include podcasts in their courses. They'll have seen several examples from the presenters, hear others from attendees, and the audience would also understand what goes into producing a podcast in a broader sense. To break the ice, attendees will pair up and introduce themselves while also sharing their learning goals for the session. The audience will also be encouraged to take a moment, and think through how they would implement a podcast into a course, even if they're not instructors themselves. The sharing of these ideas will stir further conversation and knowledge sharing.