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Podcast in teaching

How can podcasts be used in distance learning as both a main learning tool, pedagogical reinforcement or as a form of examination?

*) Miun has a service for storing and distributing podcasts "where podcasts exist". Contact KOM for more information.

Create more engaging and flexible learning resources

Try this

Record a short podcast conversation about a central course concept. Choose a concept or question that students often find difficult. Record a 5-10 minute conversation with a colleague where you discuss the concept, discuss common misunderstandings and connect it to practical examples. Then let the students listen to the podcast before a seminar and ask them to formulate a question or reflection that is included in the seminar discussion.

Experiences from HEaD

Teacher podcasts can foster a sense of closeness and intimacy, support reflection and make teaching more accessible by providing space for conversation, reasoning and in-depth exploration. This has been the conclusion of two different development projects. Podcast as a didactic tool examines how to develop and deepen the use of podcasts as a teaching format in distance courses, and Podcast as pedagogical reinforcement examines whether podcasts function as pedagogical reinforcement.

Experience shows that podcasts can be used to create presence in distance learning, deepen understanding of course content and give students access to reasoning conversations about complex issues. The projects point in particular to the strength of podcasts as a flexible and accessible complement to traditional learning resources, where dialogue, reflection and in-depth study are at the center.

Contact: Saga Dorani, David Kronlid, Jonas Harvard, Sara Ödmark

  • Make sure you have tested and prepared all the technology before recording. It saves a lot when you then edit the audio clip. 
  • Prioritize good sound. It's essential for the listener's experience and ability to keep up. Good sound makes a big difference to how professional and easy to listen to the podcast feels. 
  • Choose the podcast format with a clear educational purpose. Don't use podcasts just to "do something different". Think about what the format adds and what support it contributes to developing teaching. In other words, technology and production should not be an end in itself, but have a pedagogical purpose.
  • Let the podcast complement other teaching. Feel free to combine the podcast with your own reading, traditional lectures, discussions, and other didactic elements.
  • Plan the content before recording to the extent necessary for the purpose. A regular script can sometimes counteract the purpose of the dialogical nature of the podcast, but supporting words and a predetermined structure for the conversation can make the recording easier and the podcast more focused.
  • If there are two or more of you who are going to participate - allocate roles in the group and decide who leads the conversation and if there is any part that someone in particular should be allowed to talk about.
  • More short sections are better than few and long ones. 5-15 minutes is often enough in a teaching context. 
  • Consider copyright when it comes to using audio or jingle. There are several sites online that offer royalty-free or freely licensed music and audio
  • Evaluate the podcast! Make a short survey and send it out to the students and in this way you can get an idea of what has been good and what can be developed. 
  • Feel free to read Eric Nuzum's book Make noise: A creator's guide to podcasting and great audio storytelling. It's a good starting point if you've never created a podcast before. 
     
  • Use podcasts to explain and problematize course content through conversations and reasoning rather than traditional lectures.
  • Create attendance in distance learning by allowing students to take part in teachers' discussions about the course's themes and concepts.
  • Offer learning resources that can be used flexibly and revisited when needed.
  • Use podcasts for topics that are based on reflection, values and complex reasoning, where the form of conversation can add something beyond the written text.
  • Try student-produced podcasts when the purpose is to train scientific conversation, communication and analysis.
  • Combine podcasts with discussions, seminars, or other learning activities to support active processing of the content.

Give students more ways to demonstrate their learning

Try this

Replace a smaller written assignment with a mini-podcast. Have the students work in pairs and record a 5-8 minute podcast episode where they explain a central concept, discuss a current issue, or analyze a case based on the course literature. Ask them to present their reasoning orally rather than in text. The podcast can then be used as a basis for feedback, seminar discussion or peer review.

Experiences from HEaD

The project Sámi perspectives in science and technology education develops teaching about Sámi perspectives in science and technology in teacher education. By connecting Sámi perspectives with learning for sustainable development, the project aims to give future teachers more ways to teach about nature, technology and sustainability issues. As part of the teaching, an examination is also developed where students produce podcasts that process and communicate the subject content.

The goal is to give the student teachers more perspectives on teaching while at the same time gaining experience in using creative and communicative forms of examination.

Contact: Anna-Karin Westman, Hugo Von Zeipel

The page was updated 10/29/2026

Content owner:

Avdelningen för forsknings‑ och utbildningsstöd (FUS)