What’s the word for a radio broadcast that is made available on the internet for sharing and downloading? If you said podcast then you know exactly what we are going to be talking about. Podcasts and vodcasts can be recorded in both audio and video formats.
Normally, podcasting is used in combination with blogging. However, recently the scope of podcasting is extending far beyond that. Its use has extended to training, marketing, and even education. Let’s see how this tool is being used in the adult professional education sector.
Delivering Supplemental Information: Some people require extra lectures to fully comprehend a topic they haven’t understood fully. This is particularly relevant for marketing teams working in fields they are unfamiliar with, having access to resources constituting of more than just literature can make understanding a product much easier. Additionally, podcasting can be used to provide extra research content or deliver discussions to anyone who needs extra support.
Deliver Project Presentations: Video Podcasts, also known as Vodcasts, can be used by both educators and professionals to deliver project presentations. By allowing a pre-recording to be made of the presentation, you allow the presenter to avoid the stress of public speaking – yet you still get an engaging visual presentation. This is also a convenient way to have a presenter speak on your topic if they are not available at the desired time of presentation, or there needs to be multiple locations.
Library for Future Professionals: The considerate group of professionals using podcasts as a learning tool can create a “library” for the future entrants. This will include lessons, learning experiences, tips, and words of advice that will be helpful for the newcomers. Podcasting is a cheap way to share knowledge, similar to leaving notes in the margins of a book.
Interview A Speaker or an Expert: Calling an expert to a classroom or office won’t always be easy. Sometimes, it is easy to visit an expert yourself and save their time. You can prepare a list of questions for the expert beforehand and ask them if they are comfortable with you recording the interview for your classroom.You can then upload the interview podcast for people to view as an optional extra – or screen it during your training session.
Newsletter Distribution: Save paper and allow people to view an audio news right from the comfort of their home or office. These will obviously be put up on the institute’s website, allowing learners to view them at any time—and repeatedly as many times as they want.
While you are Away: Sometimes, educators have to be away for a few classes to attend meetings or see to other obligations that involve travelling. During your available time, you can record podcasts lessons for the lecture and ask the substitute teacher to use the recording during lecture time. This will also give the trainer a head start making available to him/her an example of your lecture. Consequently, the substitute will know exactly what to talk about and how to deliver the remaining lecture in a style that suits you.
Real-Life Observations: While educating the class about any specific career-related course say “fundamentals of marketing”, you can ask them to record what they have observed in real life. The class can create their very own Discovery-type documentaries of what they have known about the subject or observed its subtleties in the field.
Engaging Information: Some topics are constantly rehashed in the same way, particularly in the technology sector, and the reading material available on them is often stagnant. By having industry experts discuss your desired learning topic via a podcast or vodcast, you offer an alternative learning resource. Aural and Visual education tools are becoming more and more prominent as alternative learning styles are recognised.
Responsive Education: Certain people don’t learn well from reading – they need a more personal explanation, responsive podcasts are particularly good for this. Offering listeners an option to send in questions for the experts to respond to during their recordings. It gives listeners the freedom to respond at their own time, without the pressure of asking it in front of an audience.
Podcasting and Vodcasting are important tools for the future of in-workplace education. As the industries mature and develop, staff will need to do so with the technologies. Alternate tools for their education are the ideal way to maximise their time, and your money. Instead of taking all your staff to a seminar room (and away from their desks) for 3 hours, offer them 1 hour podcasts to listen to, then follow it up with a question session. It’s time to think differently about education in the future.