The Art of Podcasting

Are you somewhat obsessed with listening to podcasts? Are you curious about creating audio experiences and experimenting with voice and sound?

This three-credit digital media course introduces students to the genre of podcasting with a focus on collecting stories within our local communities. We’ll explore engaging podcasts to examine what makes them tick. We'll practice the art of interviewing, asking questions, and close listening. As a class, we will envision and create a podcast season together; each student will have the opportunity to draft and design a podcast episode and to work collaboratively. The final project will be your podcast episode that will be published on a public website.

Course Requirements:

No previous experience necessary with audio necessary. A pair of headphones to use when recording and editing.

Intended Audience:

Engaged students who are open and curious to speak and listen to others; students who are interested in learning interviewing and close-listening skills as well as learning about audio/digital media platforms.

Class Format:

Instruction Mode: Most of the course will be synchronous--our discussions, student presentations, work labs, workshops; there may be some asynchronous small group meetings outside of our designated class time for production purposes. The instructor will meet with students individually online as they develop their podcast projects.

Learning Mode: Synchronous class meetings through Zoom. Students will need access to a device with a camera and a microphone. Students will be using Audacity (free, downloadable), with the option to use audio editing software they have on their own computers as long as the saved audio format is accessible to both instructors and all fellow students. Students will upload all files to M Box--from experiments to drafts to final files. If campus resources will be open to students for tech support and equipment/studio use, students will have the option to use these resources. If not, the course will be designed so that students will be able to use their own laptops/computers to make all of the necessary audio products for class purposes

Course Testing/Assessment: Students will deliver audio projects for this course with specific due dates, rather than testing. Students will write reflective essays as companion pieces to their audio projects; students also will be writing text, including scripts, transcripts, research, and credits, as appropriate to the podcast form. The final project is to make a podcast episode.