Impact – Summer 2017

Editorial Statement

Dear Readers,

The motivation for this issue came from the vibrant and amazing response from presenters and audience alike to a recent NeMLA panel we proposed on podcast use in the college classroom. Of course, like the podcast revolution itself, the catalyst for the panel was Serial, Koenig’s Peabody Award winning “audio game changer.” Our panel considered how it could also be a pedagogical game changer and explored how Serial inspired students and professors to engage in new and exciting pedagogies.

In this issue, we begin with an introduction to the podcast’s emerging role in higher education, especially in creating “flipped,” interactive classrooms. We then hear from one professor who relays how she literally changes the game in multimodal learning by encouraging students to find their voice in recording their own podcasts. Our next contributor details how teaching Serial and other podcasts at a criminal justice college allows her students to make interdisciplinary and “interwoven” reflections alongside canonical texts. Our final author explains how the addictive, binge-worthy nature of the podcast inspires students to reflectively assess their own writing.

Podcasts connect us to each other, and as two of our colleagues shared with us their enthusiasm and support of podcasts, we asked them to review different podcasts for their joys and challenges. We hope this issue encourages professors to consider employing podcasts in the classroom and we thank our contributors for inspiring us as teachers, learners and listeners.

Best,

Rick Cole and Beth Kramer, Editors