Podcasts for Learning: Part One

Podcasts for Learning

“Everyone’s making podcasts these days!” said one of my colleagues when I shared my plans to launch the SoTL Spotlight Podcast.
Well, yes that might be true. And there’s a reason for it. Podcasts are easy to create and accessible to consume. They suit the busy lifestyles we lead in the 2020s and sit within a wider media landscape that has fragmented over recent decades, giving audiences more choice and variety than ever before.

Many of the broader benefits of podcasting are the same regardless of your Podcast’s aims or intentions (e.g. building a community around your hobby/interest, creating an internal staff communication tool, or for the teaching and learning environment). But when we look specifically at podcasting as a tool for staff continuous professional development (CPD), there are some compelling reasons to consider it.

Podcasting as a CPD Tool

In large or complex organisations, organising CPD events that all staff can attend simultaneously is a challenge. Fractional contracts, flexible working arrangements, annual leave, caring responsibilities, medical appointments all make universal attendance at a single in-person event unlikely.

There will almost always be colleagues who cannot engage with a one-off, synchronous CPD session.
In this context, complementing in-person events with a toolbox of asynchronous digital assets is not just helpful, it is essential. These assets can extend engagement beyond traditional events and allow staff to access development opportunities at a time and pace that suits them.

This toolbox might include email newsletters, blogs (such as this one), or internal social platforms like Viva Engage. Podcasting alongside other audio-visual formats sits comfortably within this ecosystem.

There are several specific reasons why podcasts are particularly valuable:

Flexibility and inclusion. Their asynchronous nature allows colleagues to engage when and where it suits them, creating space for reflection at their own pace. This flexibility improves inclusivity for many staff.
Complementarity. Podcasts can extend conversations started during in-person CPD sessions, posing further questions or deepening discussion.
Accessibility of tone. A conversational format can feel more approachable than long written communications, offering variety in how staff engage with professional development.
Efficiency across locations. Digital platforms can reach colleagues across multiple campuses, TNE partners, UK collaborators, or external agencies which saves both time and resources.
Community building. Podcasts can foster a sense of belonging. They become shared reference points — something colleagues discuss during lunch breaks or those “water cooler” moments.

What Has Worked in Practice

Colleagues have particularly valued three elements of the podcast:

Bite-sized episodes.
Episodes run between 20 and 30 minutes – short enough to fit into daily life. Colleagues can listen while walking the dog, preparing packed lunches, or travelling to campus on the tram. The manageable length increases the likelihood of engagement.

Diverse voices.
We have featured professors, newly qualified lecturers, national sector voices, and our own accomplished professional services colleagues. We have been intentional about platforming Black colleagues, LGBTQ+ colleagues, neurodiverse colleagues, early-career colleagues, and ensuring strong gender representation. The aim is simple: to create a space where colleagues can see themselves and feel that their perspectives belong.

Intellectually nourishing but practical.
We strive to balance pedagogic theory with actionable ideas that enhance the learning, teaching and assessment offer. Colleagues appreciate that they can both think deeply and leave with something tangible to try.

In the next blog we look at podcasting beyond CPD and specifically as a pedagogy tool.

Authors

Joel Gray Associate Dean for Learning, Teaching and Student Success, and Lily Canter Senior Lecturer in Media and Journalism.