Hi! This is Anne McKinney, the WISE Coordinator of Instructional Design – also known as the person who put together this Introduction to Online Pedagogy workshop. What you are listening to is an example of an audio podcast that you can record yourself with Audacity, which is a tool you can download for free.

An advantage of recording a podcast for your students is that it benefits audio learners – those students who learn better by listening than by reading. It also helps your students to hear your voice because it’s a reminder that you are a real human being, and not a computer-generated instruct-o-bot.

A possible disadvantage of using podcasts is that audio recordings are not accessible to deaf or hard-of-hearing students. If you record a podcast you can make it more accessible by writing a transcript of the recording. If you are like me and work better with a script than by attempting an impromptu recording, then you’ll already have your text written. (And, as a side note, I’m sorry to burst anyone’s bubble if you thought I was a naturally smooth talker!) Transcripts are also useful for students who have trouble downloading the audio file.

It’s worth noting that PowerPoint can incorporate Audacity recordings into individual slides, and let you add plain text transcripts of those recordings – so you can build an accessible podcast into your PowerPoint lecture.

I’m planning a more in-depth mini-lesson on podcasts and video lectures, which will be available through WISE Pedagogy sometime after this recording. In the meantime, if you are interested in practicing your own podcast recordings, there are a couple pointers I’d like to share:

• Try to minimize any background noise or possible interruptions. Depending on where you are, that can mean turn off the TV, put the dogs outside, tell the kids to be quiet, turn off the phone, turn off the fan…whatever you need to do.

• Record a short test and playback to check the volume of your microphone. You don’t want it inaudible, and you don’t want it so loud that your breath is deafening. I once listened to a podcast of an instructor who sounded like he was letting out these huge put-upon sighs throughout his lecture. Having the volume too high on your microphone can cause this if it is picking up too much of your breathing. Or, then again, maybe he really was feeling put-upon, and ready for a career switch.

• Remember: the PAUSE button is your friend. You can pause during a recording, and your audience doesn’t have to wait while you take a sip of water, cough, or stutter out “placeholder” words like “Um, uh… yeah.”

Thank you for listening to this audio recording, and thanks for participating in the WISE Introduction to Online Pedagogy workshop! I hope this content has been helpful. If you’d like to share any feedback, discuss podcasts, or share links to your own recordings, please feel free to contact me – or join the WISE discussion forums. I hope to hear from you!