I have a fairly large and eclectic group of podcasts that I listen to regularly. Several of them appear in the Amplify Podcast Network blog. From an academic perspective, I enjoy Science vs, Think Like an Economist, EconTalk, Inquiring Minds, HBR Idea Cast, and LSE Public Lectures & Events. I also follow several NPR, Wondery, and Pushkin podcasts.
I don’t have a favourite format. It really depends on what I’m planning to get out of a podcast. For insight into a specific person, or information about a specific event, I prefer the conversational interview format. I find that people like Peter Attia, (The Drive) Scott Van Pelt (SVPod), Trent Dilfer (Beyond the X’s and O’s), Tim Ferris (The Tim Ferris Show) and Russ Roberts (EconTalk) do a fantastic job of making the interview feel organic and conversational, while digging deep to give listeners more insight into the subjects thought process, and what really drove them to act how they did in specific situations, but dynamic environments. When I’m looking for insight into a general event or period of time, I prefer drama mixed with contextual narration. Podcasts like Throughline, , Science vs, The Experiment, Business Wars, Planet Money, and American History Tellers mix dramatic storytelling with factual narration in a very entertaining, engaging and educational way.
The podcasting conventions I hate most are the 10 minutes of sponsor tags at the beginning of an episode. I’ve dropped several podcasts that are informative and entertaining because of it, and others I’ll just fast forward to the start of the episode. Effects and music can be overdone, but I haven’t experienced many that aren’t using those production techniques to enhance their podcasts.
Finally, I’m working with a group of people who’ve been developing pedagogy called “Ludic Pedagogy”. Ludic, from the Latin “ludere” for “to play”. It focuses on fun as an intrinsic motivator. It’s been shown that when we view something as fun, even “hard fun” it acts as an intrinsic motivator, which makes us spend more time on the subject matter, creating deeper, longer lasting learning. Fun is a carrot, not a stick. While fun is the end goal, it’s intentionally created through play, playfulness and positivity, intertwined to design a learning experience that entertains, engages, educates, and empowers learners. (Shameless Plug)
My role is to create a podcast that will broaden the reach of the Ludic Pedagogy Brand, by interviewing and investigating the teaching practices of a diverse group of instructional practitioners (including gender, age, race and cultural background). The “Ludicast” will embody Fun, and its three key elements, striving to inspire undergraduate, university and college instructors to experiment with techniques fostering the intrinsic motivation of students, leading to deeper learning and better retention.
I’m looking forward to learning and growing through the Podcast Master Class process.
Slainte,
Rich
Love this — especially a podcast on the pedagogy of play!
I have been thinking a lot about my own learning preferences as part of reading these journals, and I realize that I, too, am all over the map. I love listening to documentary-style shows but can’t imagine ever putting the work in. I do love a podcast where the hosts are clearly good friends, though — that almost always brings me joy.
A podcast on play and pedagogy made me think of that aphorism from Nietzsche: “the struggle of maturity is to recover the seriousness of a child at play”
And now I’ve reached peak nerdy philosopher. I’ll just let myself out. . .