The affective and spatiotemporal benefits of podcasting for teaching social policy practice: learning to ‘love’ social policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Social policy, or policy practice, in social work education suffers from an image problem among students. Internationally, students prefer direct practice and find policy practice intimidating and boring. In response to provocations to adopt modern technologies, some academics in social work are employing podcasts in teaching and are making claims about the potential to enhance affective connection, demonstrate the relevance of difficult topics, and improve access to education. Yet, there is little student experience data supporting these claims, and there are critical questions about the extent to which this method achieves the profession’s social justice aims or contributes to the commodification of learning. In this paper, I reflexively thematically analyze qualitative insights from students about their experience of a podcast as a central teaching resource in a social policy practice class. I argue that podcasting offers unique affective and spatiotemporal—that is, social space and time—affordances that begin to salvage policy practice’s image problem. Caution is required, however, if this method is to contribute to critical pedagogical practices and not replicate or reinvent barriers to education.