Podcast
Project
Podcasts serve as a dynamic medium for intellectual enrichment. Their inherent convenience, encompassing a diverse array of subjects, renders them an exquisite tool for instruction. In the realm of auditory learning, podcasts seamlessly bridge the gap between knowledge and entertainment, transforming education into an engaging conversational tapestry.
In this project, students will work in pairs to create a podcast by using the content from the course and transforming the information into a communication piece.
Why use audio production?
Here are some ways in which podcast creation and editing can promote meaningful learning:
- Content Creation: When creating a podcast, students are actively engaged in researching, organizing, and presenting content. They must identify relevant information, develop a coherent narrative, and effectively communicate their ideas. This process encourages critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge, leading to a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
- Communication and Presentation Skills: Podcasting involves verbal communication skills, such as speaking clearly, structuring ideas, and using appropriate tone and pacing. Students need to consider their target audience and convey their message effectively. Engaging in podcast creation hones these communication and presentation skills, which are essential for meaningful learning and future professional contexts.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: In podcast production, students often work collaboratively, dividing responsibilities such as research, scriptwriting, recording, and editing. Collaboration enhances interpersonal skills, such as communication, negotiation, and teamwork. Students learn to listen to others’ perspectives, provide constructive feedback, and integrate different ideas into a cohesive podcast episode.
- Research and Information Literacy: To create an informative podcast, students must conduct research, evaluate sources, and critically analyze information. This process helps develop research and information literacy skills, enabling students to locate reliable sources, assess credibility, and present accurate information. It encourages them to become discerning consumers and producers of information.
- Digital Literacy and Technical Skills: Creating and editing a podcast involves using various digital tools and technologies. Students gain digital literacy skills as they learn to record and edit audio, use software or online platforms, and manage files and media. These technical skills are valuable in the digital age and can contribute to meaningful learning in multiple contexts.
Suggested tools for this project
GarageBand
Adobe Audition or Premiere Pro
Mic or Phone/Tablet with good microphone
Computer
Step by Step
1. Introduction
The instructor should clarify expectations, both in terms of content and format. Does it have to be a specific type of podcast or it is open to student choice? Do students need to use a particular software or stay within a certain time range? Are there any mandatory audio elements or editing techniques? To help students understand the expectations, the instructor should provide examples—their own creations, previous student work, and/or samples from the internet.
The instructor should also consider asking students to document their process (e.g. screen recording the podcast planning and editing, and capturing research and recording sessions footage). These can be used as assets for the podcast, reflection, and even sharing the process.
Students need to review the assignment, rubric, and any handouts or material given with the assignment. They should clarify any immediate questions, but also seek further guidance along the way as needed.
2. Research
Like any other assignment, students need to conduct traditional academic research on the topic and familiarize themselves with podcasts (preferably, studying podcasts related to the assignment topic).
It is up to the instructor to decide how extensively students need to research, according to the topic and class level, and it is important that students really understand how the research can be or should be incorporated into the podcast.
If this research involves fieldwork, interviewing, or even service learning, instructors and students should plan on capturing assets that can be used in the creating phase.
3. Planning
Much like creating the outline of an essay, students need to plan the creation of their podcast: the research should be organized into a thesis/introduction, arguments/subtopics, and conclusion, which are then synthesized into the podcast contents—a narrative script, interview questions for stakeholders and/or knowledge holders in the assignment topic, prompts for a conversation about the assignment topic amongst the project group, or a mix of those discourse types.
Instructors should assist students at this point by providing creative and learning assets, encouraging intermediary deadlines, and giving feedback in realtime to the best of their availability. The podcast planning sheet is a great tool to help students organize information.
If the students are contributing their creations to a larger class project or working in groups, a group leader should be designated to coordinate the planning, creating, and sharing of the podcasts. This includes assigning parts (which groups or members will cover) and roles (which tasks members will be performing, including a primary editor).
4. Creating
Students will use their research and planning documents to create the podcast. They may need to gather some audio assets beforehand (audio recordings, sound clips), and capture others as they go (narration, corrections and addendums, sound effects, music).
The podcast can be edited in free digital audio workstation (DAW) software, ranging from user-friendly online apps (BandLab, Soundtrap), to intermediary (GarageBand) and advanced (Waveform Free, Audacity) programs. The ideal tool will depend on the assignment’s goals and students/instructor proficiency.
Students should remain adaptable with their creations. Planning ahead gives them an action plan, but feedback from peers and new insights may lead to changes that improve the final deliverable.
5. Sharing
Finally, students will export and submit their podcast, usually in MP3 format. They should also share or post it where peers can see, such as a LMS (Lamakū) discussion post or in-class presentation, and provide feedback or comments to each other.
The instructors should then grade the projects taking in account the redesigned assignmentʻs goals and learning outcomes. In addition, the instructor can encourage students to share their creations with a wider audience by posting to social media or an online forum.
Examples and Use Cases
Conversational / Interview Style Podcast
After introducing the guest's background story, this podcast starts to discuss the topic by the interviewer asking questions to the guest to argue the selected topic for this episode.
Recommended for Groups
Solo / Monologue Style Podcast
This podcast starts with their song and gets into the main topic. This podcast breaks down their subtopics into 6. So it might help the speaker organize his podcast story.
Recommended for Individuals