Improved accessibility for students is the #1 benefit of introducing podcasts into the classroom – which, following the COVID-19 pandemic, has been relocated from the campus to the bedroom, living room or, sometimes, the kitchen table.
In fact, the modern world presents multiple challenges that can be overcome by changing our teaching methods. Let’s take a look at the ways in which using podcasts can make a difference to our students’ learning experience:
You can listen to podcasts anywhere, even on the go.
This is particularly important in today’s world. Even as we start to move beyond COVID restrictions, many institutions will continue to offer online classes, and podcasts make a great alternative to recorded lectures/presentations, because you can listen to them while you’re on the move without compromising your absorption rate. In fact, podcasts encourage students to engage, rather than switch off.
Learning through listening is especially beneficial to students with additional needs,
whether those be physical [e.g., visual impairments] or cerebral [e.g., dyslexia]. These disabilities can make traditional methods of learning difficult for students because currently a lot of classes are taught from textbooks and screens. By switching to/incorporating podcasts on their syllabuses, universities could remove a significant barrier to learning for millions of students.
It’s easier to listen to podcasts than read the equivalent amount of text, and more goes in.
Aural content has been proven to stimulate the brain more than visual/audiovisual content does. Because of how much exposure we have to visual media these days, our brains can switch off at the sight of it. Listening to lectures without visual cues forces us to engage [and saves us from eye strain]. Plus, 30-second videos on apps like TikTok have significantly reduced our attention spans. Reading a chapter of a book in one sitting seems like a lot but, when that information is delivered in podcast form, it’s a lot easier to ingest and understand.
What happens to your brain when you’re listening to a podcast?
The brain is a complex organ, made up of three parts and four lobes, and listening to podcasts can stimulate different areas of the brain, depending on the subject matter.
One result is certain, though – scientists confirm that learning new things can activate your mesolimbic pathway, which is sometimes known as the “reward pathway” because it releases a feel-good chemical called dopamine into your brain.
Dopamine is a pleasure chemical. Learning new things via podcasts not only educates students but it is also shown to improve their moods!
Now that we have sold you on the benefits of listening to podcasts for learning, let’s take a look at some practical applications of the media: what can you make podcasts about to instruct your students, and what kind of equipment do you need to produce them?
How can you use podcasts in education?
- Course/syllabus structure. Introduce prospective students to your module with a podcast that lays out the topics you’ll be covering over the course of the semester. Actually talking to them, instead of outlining the program on paper, will inspire more students to sign up for your class, because they will be able to hear your passion for your subject, as well as get a taste of the material and your teaching style.
- Lecture recordings. Recording your lectures allows students who may have missed a couple of classes to catch up in their own time. And, if you’re unable to deliver a lecture in person for whatever reason, a podcast of the talk you planned to deliver means no one misses out. Plus, lots of people listen to podcasts because they want to learn new things, so perhaps you could release one or two to a wider audience. Again, this could be a great boost for enrolment figures.
- Subject reviews. Podcasts make great revision aids. Break subjects down into easily digestible sound bites which can be reviewed and rereviewed throughout the study period.
- Student projects. Instead of presentations, why not get your students to write and record podcasts as part of their assignments? Not only does this promote engagement with the topic, it also benefits class discussions and peer learning.
- Share advice with other teachers. Remember: learning is not just for students! Podcasts by teachers for teachers have created a global community of education specialists all learning from one another, sharing their experiences and techniques to the benefit of all their listeners. To join in and find out about the changing face of education all around the world, check out these 10 teaching podcasts.
Want to make your own podcast?
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A microphone. A good quality microphone is a must if you want to make yourself heard.
- Headphones. You’ve probably got a pair on or in [or at least nearby!] right now. Those are perfect. You’ll just want to listen back to the audio file after you’ve finished, and experience it the way your audience will, to make sure there’s no interference or other issues with the recording.
- A computer. Your own computer or one of the ones on campus should work fine. All you need is a free USB port and an operating system that supports [and is robust enough to run] audio editing software. Speaking of which …
- Audio recording and editing software. Some of the high end programs are very expensive, so, if you’re just starting out, see if your institution already has audio recording and editing software you can use. If not, check out some of the free downloads online!
And here’s how you do it:
- Come up with a couple of talking points. Some people like to write out presentations word for word and then read them out loud. This method ensures you don’t miss anything, but it can sound a little unnatural on a recording. Other podcasters prefer to unpack the subject organically. That is to say, without any notes at all. This approach can sometimes mean getting sidetracked or forgetting points you wanted to mention. If you’re new to podcasting, we’d recommend following a lecture outline so you stay on track.
- Record your content, using your microphone and your audio recording software. Make sure you do this in a quiet room with no audible distractions.
- Review and edit the recording. Listen back to it to make sure you’re happy with your content and the quality of the audio. Jot down the times at which you think things get a bit sticky, then go in and smooth them over with your editing software afterwards.
- Save the edited audio file as an MP3.
- Upload your file. You can either do this via your institution, or on audio sites like SoundCloud. Whichever you go for, make sure it’s accessible to all your students, because that’s the aim of creating the podcast in the first place!
UOW researcher answers this tricky question as NSW students start written exams for the HSC.
It’s a good question! In a nutshell, music puts us in a better mood, which makes us better at studying – but it also distracts us, which makes us worse at studying.
So if you want to study effectively with music, you want to reduce how distracting music can be, and increase the level to which the music keeps you in a good mood.
Read more: Curious Kids: Why do adults think video games are bad?
Music can put us in a better mood
You may have heard of the Mozart effect – the idea that listening to Mozart makes you “smarter”. This is based on research that found listening to complex classical music like Mozart improved test scores, which the researcher argued was based on the music’s ability to stimulate parts of our minds that play a role in mathematical ability.
However, further research conclusively debunked the Mozart effect theory: it wasn’t really anything to do with maths, it was really just that music puts us in a better mood.
Research conducted in the 1990s found a “Blur Effect” – where kids who listened to the BritPop band Blur seemed to do better on tests. In fact, researchers found that the Blur effect was bigger than the Mozart effect, simply because kids enjoyed pop music like Blur more than classical music.
Being in a better mood likely means that we try that little bit harder and are willing to stick with challenging tasks.
Music can distract us
On the other hand, music can be a distraction – under certain circumstances.
When you study, you’re using your “working memory” – that means you are holding and manipulating several bits of information in your head at once.
The research is fairly clear that when there’s music in the background, and especially music with vocals, our working memory gets worse.
Likely as a result, reading comprehension decreases when people listen to music with lyrics. Music also appears to be more distracting for people who are introverts than for people who are extroverts, perhaps because introverts are more easily overstimulated.
Some clever work by an Australia-based researcher called Bill Thompson and his colleagues aimed to figure out the relative effect of these two competing factors - mood and distraction.
They had participants do a fairly demanding comprehension task, and listen to classical music that was either slow or fast, and which was either soft or loud.
They found the only time there was any real decrease in performance was when people were listening to music that was both fast and loud [that is, at about the speed of Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, at about the volume of a vacuum cleaner].
But while that caused a decrease in performance, it wasn’t actually that big a decrease. And other similar research also failed to find large differences.
So… can I listen to music while studying or not?
To sum up: research suggests it’s probably fine to listen to music while you’re studying - with some caveats.
It’s better if:
- it puts you in a good mood
- it’s not too fast or too loud
- it’s less wordy [and hip-hop, where the words are rapped rather than sung, is likely to be even more distracting]
- you’re not too introverted.
Happy listening and good luck in your exams!
Read more: Curious Kids: Why do old people hate new music?
Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to
Timothy Byron, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Wollongong
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.