Using Podcasts for Remote Learning
The tricky part of teaching equitably is ensuring equal access to class materials. While there are many ways to add accessibility to lessons, there are still going to be problem areas. Some concerns, such as data caps and bandwidth, are infrastructural in nature.
Synchronous classes can present a challenge not only due to their reliance on specific timeframes, but also because they require students to have access to high-speed internet. For students with limited internet, even asynchronous video lessons can be a challenge. File sizes need to be small.
With video streams requiring high bandwidth, how can you provide media-rich lessons — something engaging that draws upon the real world and entertains as it educates?
Perhaps podcasts are an answer.
What Are Podcasts?
Podcasts, originally coined from a combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcasts,” have long since moved beyond their MP3-player roots. Some podcasts, such as Serial and This American Life, became well known even beyond podcast listeners, spawning true-crime listen-alikes and even TV shows.
Podcasts can take many forms. Some are like talk radio, where hosts converse unscripted about a topic. Others are documentarian, sharing information via scripts and high production values. Regardless, there are so many podcasts on so many topics, it’s difficult to not find something fun, or interesting, or useful. Podcasts can also share diverse voices, many of which are usually overlooked.
Podcasts can be downloaded or streamed. Some shows have websites where you can download episodes. If you use a dedicated podcast app such as Pocket Casts, you can subscribe to podcasts and have episodes queue up for downloading or streaming as they’re released.
The Benefits of Podcasts
Podcasts can be helpful for remote learners. For one, they’re often entertaining. Some podcasts use music and sound to great effect, enhancing the information they share. Others rely on snappy writing and engaging hosts.
Podcasts are often short, which is particularly good for younger kids. While audiobooks and podcasts are similar, podcasts are more episodic and usually run for an hour or less. There’s no need find a particular chapter of a particular audiobook.
Most podcasts are free, supported by ad messages or fan fundraising efforts. They’re easy to embed or incorporate into learning-management systems, and students who have limited bandwidth can likely eke out a podcast stream or download a 15- to 30-megabyte file.
Podcasts + Assessment = ?
Podcasts can be used to deliver lecture content. Some podcasts talk about a single topic per episode, and you can find an episode that suits your lesson for the day. Students can listen to information and use it to supplement readings. They can write about how a podcast enriched their understanding of a text, comparing and contrasting the two sources. For younger students, podcasts can be a way to increase literacy.
Likewise, you can find a podcast about a subject as it’s been applied to the real world. For example, NPR’s Planet Money talks about economics and news, combining the two concepts in ways that connect with society at large. In this case, students could create their own analyses, similar to a podcast episode or story.
If entertainment is a goal — with learning happening in tandem — perhaps students could take a metacognitive approach. They could write what they know about a topic beforehand, listen to a podcast and then write about how their understanding changed. They could even listen to the podcast with a critical ear, approaching the audio as “text” to be explored.
Accessibility Concerns with Podcasts
There is a downside to podcasts: by nature of the medium, they rely on audio.
Having audio-only lesson content could affect many students, such as those with auditory processing issues or those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, technology can still be a problem — does a student’s home computer have speakers? — as can living spaces, which don’t guarantee quiet spots for listening. Students who are non-native speakers of English or English as a second language (ESL) learners might find listening to audio without body language or visual cues challenging.
Many larger-scale podcasts offer transcripts to go with their audio. For these shows, all students can still have access to the core content of a podcast, and as such could still learn from a podcast assignment. Transcribed podcasts are particularly good for improving literacy. For smaller podcasts without transcripts, using a voice-recorder tool such as Google Docs’s mic or a transcription tool like Otter might be necessary.
If you’re unsure of whether or not students will be affected, offer choice. Instead of making a podcast your sole means of delivering content, or the sole requirement for an assignment, offer other options. Captioned videos, slides, infographics — there are many ways to both share information and assess student learning in a media-rich way.
Further Resources
Using podcasts in the classroom isn’t new. As such, there are plenty of resources available to both find interesting, kid-friendly podcasts and create interesting assignments.
For more ideas, check out the links below:
- 17 Great Learning Podcasts for the Classroom on Common Sense Education
- How to Use Podcasts in the Classroom on Edpuzzle
- Teaching the Research Process through Podcasting on Edutopia
- Student Podcast Challenge (having students create podcasts) on NPR
- Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts on The New York Times
About the blogger:
Jesika Brooks
Jesika Brooks is an editor and bookworm with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. She works in the field of higher education as an educational technology librarian, assisting with everything from setting up Learning Management Systems to teaching students how to use edtech tools. A lifelong learner herself, she has always been fascinated by the intersection of education and technology. She edits the Tech-Based Teaching blog (and always wants to hear from new voices!).
