The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work and learn. This increased for learning how to create a podcast video. Remote learning through video conferencing has become the new normal for both educators and students alike. However, instead of a synchronous Zoom lesson that can become quite boring quite fast, how about a video podcast?
Podcasts have garnered millions of listeners globally. They can be listened to on-the-go and are easy to create. But how can podcasts be infused into education? There are thousands of podcasts with educative content. However, video podcasts, with their many benefits for both students and educators, are yet untapped for remote learning.
The Advantages of Video Podcasts for Remote Learning
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Video Podcasts Help Students Bridge Digital Divides
Digital devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones are found among almost every student. Yet, the fact remains that there is a significant difference in their level of access to the internet. Forbes reported that
just over 70% of American households have access to the internet. What this means is that learners without a constant internet connection will find it difficult to participate in remote learning in real-time.
Incorporating video podcasts into the learning format can allow students with irregular or no internet access to participate adequately in a remote classroom. Would you rather have attendance or a result in your classroom? If the answer is both attendance and a positive result, then adopting a video podcast is your best bet.
You can share the link to your lecture with your students and ask them to post a comment after watching it to measure attendance. Similarly, you will give each student ample time to download the video and access it offline or watch it at their pace.
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Encourages The Use of The Storytelling Method.
Have you ever wondered why people will binge watch a 6-hour movie series but find it difficult to sit through an hour of educational video? It is because learning requires assimilation. Assimilating information can be quite a boring task. This is why storytelling is one of the most effective tools in teaching and learning. It engages both the emotions and cognition of the learner, simplifies the subject, and aids comprehension.
If you know how to create a podcast video, telling your viewers a story will keep them glued to the screen from start to finish. Since storytelling is naturally a format in podcasting, teaching students with that method will be much easier.
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It Can Be Consumed on Demand
Video podcasts can be downloaded and watched as many times as possible. If your aim is for your learners to memorize the lesson content, then opting for a video podcast is the best way to go. You can refer to your old videos as an instruction for current assessment since podcasts can be repeatedly watched.
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Provides Opportunities for Instructors to Edit
Video podcasts are asynchronous. You don’t have to upload podcast video immediately after you finish recording. You can even record videos in batches and release them as scheduled. Before you upload podcast video, new data might come up that will invalidate your argument. This is especially crucial for educators in colleges where students have access to new data regularly.
Conversely, you might realize there is a mistake in a recorded video. Unlike Zoom or Microsoft Team, you can easily fine-tune your video podcast before you upload it. Additionally, podcasts are best for training various classes of students using the same materials. You can always edit your video podcast to suit a different category of learners later instead of repeating the same course content.
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Visual Aids Are Easy to Use
Unlike audio podcasts, you can easily share visual aids with your students when you upload video podcasts. A video is a combination of images and audio. Therefore, teaching aids like images, charts, diagrams, and animation can be used to improve understanding of difficult concepts.
Visual aids assist retention. Students remember what they see more and retain the information when you use relatable images. Apart from simplifying ideas, visual aids also encourage critical thinking among learners.
If you know how to create a video podcast, you can include a short animation in your lesson. Combined with your facial expression, hand gestures, and body language, students will be more engrossed in your video podcast than listening to audio.
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Enhances Flexibility in Learning
Some learners learn best very early in the morning, while others will remember what they are taught just when they are about to sleep. There are students who consume lectures in audio format, while others will rather choose the audio-visual format. Taking into consideration the best time and format students prefer to learn will boost the way knowledge is impacted. Students can choose the style and format suitable for their needs.
The rate at which learners assimilate information is diverse. Fast learners can digest course content at a fast rate, while an average student will probably need to watch or listen to an instruction twice before achieving full comprehension.
How to Create Podcast Videos for Remote Learning
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Adequately Plan Your Video Podcast
When deciding how to create podcast videos for education, factors to consider include your source of material, editing, and the format you want your podcast to take. Picture your video podcast before you make it. Decide whether you want to use visual aids and how to get the
tools you need to make an excellent video podcast.
You can repurpose audio podcasts or old lectures for your video podcast. However, it is more efficient to record a video from scratch if you can get the equipment. To record your podcast, you will need a microphone, headphones, and computer just like for an audio podcast. However, you will also need a camera and studio light with a good studio background.
Get a tripod for your camera and make sure your background is not distracting to your students.
Scripted content flows more naturally than just winging it. The editing is easier when you follow a script. Because this is educational content, it is best to outline key points and script your video around them.
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Add Subtitles, Captions, Transcripts, And Visual Effects
After recording, it is time to edit your video podcast. You will need to cut and add some layers of images to your video. There are video editing apps that will make your task easy. At this stage, you can add visual aids to learning and remove any perceived imperfections in the video recording.
Consider adding subtitles to your video podcast to reach a wider audience, especially non-native English speakers. A well-synced caption allows hearing impaired viewers to follow your lectures easily. You can get transcripts from the captions. This way, you can generate content for other channels of communication from your transcripts.
If your video background is less than ideal, it is in the editing stage that you explore different options for visual effects before you upload the podcast video.
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Short-Form Podcasts Are More Effective for Learning
Watching a video where an instructor drones on and on can lead to disengagement. Lack of active participation by students might be a result of fatigue from staring at the same video for several minutes. Since you can’t see what your students are up to when watching your video podcast, it is better to keep the video short and interesting.
Asynchronous learning methods like video podcasts can make discipline difficult. However, if your podcast video is beautifully made and concise, with a story in the mix, learners will look forward to the next video even before the end of the current one.
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Enlist The Help of Students or Colleagues in Your Podcast Video
In addition to storytelling, podcast videos can be more engaging if you make it a discussion or chat. Bringing another face to the podcast video can spice things up. Depending on the age range of your learners, a new participant apart from you will serve different purposes.
For instance, you can have a colleague from another institution as a guest to give practical examples or opinions on the topic. This is more suitable for older learners. For younger learners, you can bring students into your studio or remotely. Ask questions as a form of assessment and have them provide answers.
One benefit of inviting other people into a podcast video is that you don’t necessarily have to tell a story to teach your students. They can gain valuable insights from the chats between the participants. At the same time, you can keep your learners engaged for the duration of the lesson.
Final Thoughts
As long as you have the right equipment and you know how to create a podcast video, using it as a form of teaching is easy. Podcast videos increase digital equity among learners where access to learning is disparate. Furthermore, incorporating podcast video into your remote learning curriculum makes it easy to digest difficult subjects, especially when you keep the lecture short and engaging.
While story-telling is generally effective, a video podcast for remote learning does not have to be one-way. You can use your creativity to make it more unique and original, as long as the students gain from what you teach.
