What is a Podcast and Why is it Useful in my Course?

Everyone seems to be starting a podcast, listening to a podcast, or asking about the latest podcast. So what is a podcast, exactly? Well, podcasts are audio or video files that can be created on any number of devices and accessed from almost anywhere, at any time. Because of the growing popularity and ease of access, podcasts are an excellent way to deliver content to learners on a common, convenient, and cost effective platform.

Need more convincing? Here are the numbers:

*Data retrieved from Statista.com

As the above information shows, during an average month in 2017, 61% of the US population listened to online radio. Approximately 41% of 18-29 year olds and 30-49 year olds, the groups that listen the most, listen to online radio monthly. During 2017, 50% of consumers in the US listened to podcasts at least once a month. In fact, “online radio streaming is gaining ground in the United States. According to data, 65.85 million Americans used such services monthly in 2017, on average tuning in for 14 hours 39 minutes every week. Forecasts suggest that 55.8 percent of the entire U.S. population and as much as 68.4 percent of the U.S. internet users will have become online radio users by 2018.” (Fuller)

So, why use a podcast in your course? Well, the following benefits are just a start:

Learners can listen and learn while being active and productive in other ways - while at the gym, making dinner, or mowing the lawn for example.
They can listen and connect with course content while driving or walking across campus - maybe even listen a second time while on their way to class.
Podcasts can be accessed from just about any device, at any time, anywhere - with a set of headphones or earbuds, learners can easily access content in most any setting.
There are a multitude of free podcasts available from sites such as NPR, TED, NASA, Smithsonian, and Kahn Academy.
Podcasts are widely available, on a variety of topics - they can be easily curated by an instructor to support learning, add variety, and add expert knowledge.

Are you ready to start using podcasts in your course? Excellent! Your learners will appreciate the bite sized, high-quality information packed into a neat little easy to access package.

References:

Buzzsprout: Podcast Hosting. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.buzzsprout.com/how-to-make-a-podcast

Conrad, R., & Boettcher, J. V. (2016). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips (Second ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Fuller, S. (n.d.). Topic: Online Radio. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/1348/online-radio/

Rain News. (n.d.). Weekly time spent with online radio in the United States from 2008 to 2017 (in minutes). In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved July 24, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/253329/weekly-time-spent-with-online-radio-in-the-us/.

Statista Survey. (n.d.). How often do you listen to podcasts?. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved July 24, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/712147/listening-to-podcasts-in-the-us/.

Statista Survey (Global Consumer Survey). (n.d.). Share of internet users who listen to online radio within the last month in the United States in 2018, by age. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved July 24, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/228722/internet-users-who-listen-to-online-radio-within-the-last-month-usa/.