Introduction
The purpose for this assignment is for students to create and publish a podcast designed to share an idea with a specific audience. For our course, you will have two options, but for whichever you choose, remember that your goal is to inform your listener.
- Instructions– You will create an instructional podcast in which your goal is to teach your listeners how to do something. You may select something very tangible like changing a tire or packing for an international trip, or something more intangible like choosing a college or getting over a break-up.
- Course Topic– You will create a podcast in which you discuss a topic that is associated with things we have covered in class. For this option, it is a good idea to cite specific sources to support your claims. You may also consider incorporating interviews into your podcast.
Instructions
As you are developing your podcast idea, it is important that you take an appropriate amount of time to select your topic and tailor your conversation to a specific audience. The purpose of your podcast must be clear. It is also a good idea to support your claims with evidence from sources.
You may include song or other audio clips, but they must only be used to enhance your original work. The vast majority of your podcast should be comprised of your original content. You may choose to approach this assignment in a various ways, including presenting as an individual, conducting an interview, or presenting as a part of a group. Remember that a good podcast entices the listener, is creative, informative, and overall, makes learning fun.
Software: Producing audio podcasts requires little more than some basic software and a microphone. An external microphone works best, however a built in mic can also be used. Podcasts can be recorded on a variety of devices, including phones and laptops.
- On a PC — Using a free program called Audacity, one can create recordings, edit audio tracks and produce them to an mp3 file with very little audio editing knowledge.
- On a Mac — Using a Mac to create audio podcasts is fairly easy due to the software in the iLife suite that comes with the computer. The GarageBand application provides an easy way to record and edit audio tracks as well as sync the audio with added images for the enhanced podcasts. The program is very easy to use and requires little technical skill. Audacity is also available for Mac.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What makes your podcast interesting?
- Who is your audience?
- Why will people listen?
- How often can you record new episode? And how much time can you dedicate to your podcast?
Length: Your podcast should be about 5 minutes in length.
Submission
You will submit this assignment in two parts:
Draft— A draft will be submitted to our class Google Drive folder. Please be sure you have submitted your draft in the correct folder.You will then receive feedback from members of our cohort.
Final— Please submit the final as a blog post on your WordPress site. If you are unable to upload your file directly to your site, try uploading it to YouTube and adding the video to your site instead.
Grading Criteria
This assignment will be graded according to the following criteria:
- How well the requirements for the assignment are followed
- How effective the podcast is in accomplishing the task involved
- How well the audience is considered
- Correct podcast format
- The clarity and appropriateness of the presentation
- Originality and creativity applied in completing the assignment