The “Home on the Dot” podcast was inspired by a homework assignment in my General Education module. I began teaching Home in 2015, but did not include a podcast assignment until 2017 (as an optional assignment) and 2018 (as a required assignment). I have found podcasts to be an effective teaching and learning tool, both based on my overall impression, and from three years of data from student surveys and focus group interviews. I hope to inspire others to consider using podcasts in their own courses, either as content from discipline experts (in place of readings) or as homework developed by students.
The podcast assignment itself is the final step in a broader, integrated set of exercises that begins with an individual written essay. The following are the elements and their guidelines shared with students. Feel free to edit them to suit your own modules. And please contact me with any questions (mcmorran [at] nus.edu.sg).
Podcast tech guides (developed by former student Abirami Ashok Kumar):