The educational potential of the podcast: an emerging communications medium educating outside the classroom

Abstract

This research work addresses the educational potential of the podcast, an emerging digital communications medium. This audio format brings together producers and listeners (broadcasters and users) through very specific contents. In effect, it permits sharing and broadening knowledge of a subject, together with the construction of learning communities. Consequently, the research focus is based on educommunication, an interdisciplinary field combining communications and education. The main aim of the work is an in-depth study of the educational potential of podcasting. The hypothesis is that its educational nature is beneficial to everyone, schoolchildren and adults. The research is proposed from a qualitative perspective; it combines several different methods such as content analysis, interviews and case studies so as to obtain innovative results. It is hoped that this research will contribute knowledge in order to improve the educational potential of podcasting, a useful tool in the full development of people and communities.