Resource

Podcast

What is it?

Podcasts can be used as a form of assessment as an alternative to presentations and videos, they produced as an audio discussion format. Students work as part of a group to create a short podcast episode on a topic area. The time, topic area and set of guidelines should be set out in advance of this form of assessment. Students work together as a group to research a topic, brainstorm ideas for how to discuss the topic, create a script for the podcast and produce the podcast.

Advantages & Challenges

Advantages

Challenges

Advantages

Challenges

Tips for Use

Design a podcasting assessment that aligns with the learning objectives or the module. Clearly outline the task, expectations, and assessment criteria for students i.e. if students will work individually or in groups and specify the podcast format, length, and content requirements.
Provide students with training and resources to develop their podcasting skills. Ensure students have access to necessary equipment and software for podcast creation.
Decide on how topics will be chosen if they will be predetermined of if student will be choosing their own topics that fit the assessment criteria.
Encourage students to conduct research, gather evidence, and critically analyse information to inform their podcast episodes.
Get students to develop a script or outline for their podcast, outlining key points and structure.
Have students record and edit their podcast episodes using appropriate software.

Resources

University of Nottingham: Podcast Essays (nottingham.ac.uk)
Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence: Microsoft Word – Pugh|CompendiumOfAssessment.docx (leeds.ac.uk) (page 12)
Loughborough University Case Study: Case Study – Student podcasts as an assessment format | Organisational Development Hub | Loughborough University (lboro.ac.uk)

Sample Rubrics

University of Wisconsin-Stout: Podcast Rubric (uwstout.edu)
University of Nottingham: Podcast Essays (nottingham.ac.uk) (pages 7-10)
Examples of podcasts for assessment: Bath Spa University: Podcasts for Assessment – Podcasting Toolkit

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