Using podcasts to cultivate learner-teacher rapport in higher education settings

What is the challenge and context?

Practitioner-delivered podcasts for learning and teaching may work well as a non-traditional learning resource. For over two decades podcasts have been discussed as accessible ‘low tech’ and ‘on the go’ resources for HE learners and as one way for educators to promote accessible learning environments (Lee and Chan 2007 & Downward et al. 2008) and teaching in HE. Evidence supports podcasts as a tool for cultivating enriched learning experiences. This may be because, as an entirely auditory learning experience, podcasts provide way of reducing cognitive load (Chandler and Sweller 1991). Similarly, as a non-textual, auditory learning resource, practitioner delivered podcasts may offer distinctive benefits for international and neurodiverse students as they can be paused, replayed, and bookmarked using timestamping technology. Creative use of digital tools like podcasts has accelerated greatly since the Covid 19 pandemic and the expanded role of digital learning environments (Evans-Amalu and Claravall 2021 & Mahsusi et al. 2023). 

This project focused on the potential for podcasts to promote improved learner teacher rapport and was published in 2023 in the peer-reviewed journal Innovations in Education and Teaching International. Using podcasts, crucially, addresses London Met’s social justice agenda by providing an accessible way of communicating with, and emphasising the contributions and activities of, our diverse learning cohorts. Improving rapport can also foster student belonging to build resilience within learner-educator communities of practice.   

What did we do?

This exploratory research was undertaken by two educators (lecturers) each teaching in different Departments (Education, Psychology). Our focus was to explore the optimum features of podcasts designed for learning and teaching purposes as identified in feedback provided by participants from two stakeholder groups (learners, educators). An additional research question focused on which aspects made the educator more knowable to the student. Eleven students and five lecturers across two disciplines accepted an invitation to participate and each provide feedback on two sample podcasts from each educator’s term long series. For example, one podcast was designed to develop understanding of assessment requirements. Another illustration is a podcast that was designed to focus on a key concept relating to module studies (social constructionism). Stakeholder feedback was then subjected to content analysis to determine features of podcasts that improved them as learning resources. 

A brief guide was then prepared based on these findings and presentations and workshops were provided for colleagues to explore their development and use of podcasts.  

What happened? or what was the impact?

This exploratory study on practitioner-delivered podcasts provides an evidence that supports the value of podcasts as a means of enhancing teacher and learner rapport, and thereby provide one way of cultivating accessibility and inclusivity within the virtual learning environment and beyond. Comments from learner stakeholder participants included: 

• Establishing credibility: (The speaker) ‘sounded knowledgeable and confident in what he was talking about and this created rapport with me as a listener’ 
• Fostering enthusiasm: ‘the speaker conveyed their enthusiasm for the subject’ 
• Enhancing teacher approachability: ‘rapport was developed through a reassuring pace and the speaker sounded friendly and approachable’ 
• Symbolising commitment to learners: ‘you get a sense of what (the speaker’s) like and that he cares about student success, as he’s put the time in to create these podcasts and explain key concepts and assignments’ 
• Knowing the speaker: ‘it was helpful to have an introduction to the module leader and his mixed methods background, which contextualised why you’re teaching this course now and feel like he wants to be doing this’ 
• Communicating kindness: ‘having a warm, kind, welcoming voice make you feel comfortable and makes listening easy’ 
• Conveying informality: ‘it felt more relaxed than just having the module handbook so it was a good start to the course’ 

Furthermore, the impact achieved through this approach comes from the insights gained from relevant stakeholders as to how non-traditional learning resources can be created and deployed in the VLE to nurture more accessible and inclusive learning environments. One headline from the study is that feedback from both stakeholder groups supported a view that podcasts were valued in terms of developing rapport between learner and teacher. But the real value of study is the range of aspects that stakeholders identified about podcasts that helped created that feeling of rapport (enhanced approachability of the educator; having a positive appraisal of the learning environment as welcoming, kind, and inclusive. 

How can this practice be introduced more widely?

Implications for practice from this exploratory project could be easily replicated and adopted in other Subject areas, Schools or institution-wide. Dom Conroy is currently working with other London Met practitioners to understand the diversity of ways in which podcasts are currently used for learning and teaching purposes. This process of exploration has helped forge a community of practice (CoP) linked to podcasts and related digital tools (e.g., video screencasts, innovations involving voice note assessment feedback) as accessible learning support resources. Alongside this it will be important to follow up and explore the impact further as the approach is rolled out through the guide, workshops and presentations.