Podcasts in Education

A podcast is a popular form of media that is used to record digital audio files that can be shared or downloaded via the internet. Podcasts in education can be used for a variety of purposes.

Most university professors have used podcasts as a means to record lessons and share them with people all over the world. Many school campuses use podcasts as a form of communication between teacher and student. The teacher records a lesson or brief message, and students can easily access it from their devices. In turn, these podcasts become excellent study resources and can be accessed at any time. 

Students can record their own podcasts. They can reflect on a lesson, answer a prompt, or do book discussions. Students are usually motivated to do a podcast and listen to what each of their peers has to say. They are creative and will want to produce them for different purposes. This is a great way to engage students and take ownership of their learning. 

In the library, podcasts can come in very handy. They can be placed on the library website or as QR codes throughout the library. Podcasts can be created for book talks to inspire others to read a particular book, short descriptions of what can be found in each section of the library, or procedures and instructions. Podcasts can be produced as informational resources for teachers and students. 

The great thing about podcasts is that just about anyone with internet access can produce one. There are many websites that provide free accounts for podcasting. You will need a computer with a mic or another alternative. Also, most current computers have programs to create and edit digital sound files which you can then import into the podcast website of your choice. Below is a podcast I created with the help of a student using Soundcloud. In this podcast, the student discusses three alternatives to use in lieu of copyright material.