Using podcasts to create an online community

Abstract

In this poster, I outlined how an existing podcast within the Health and Social Work (HSK) School at the University of Hertfordshire was developed to include a segment that the Student Success and Academic Support (SSAS) team used to share content relevant to the needs of its students. Given the nature of the courses within the School, students are often unable to attend workshops and one-to-one appointments and drop-ins due to their busy timetables, which consist of back-to-back lectures, practicals and long-hour placements. Consequently, not all students were able to access the support available to them via the SSAS team. As a result, a segment called ‘Just a Moment with SASS’ was developed in the HSK podcast. The aim was to create an online community for students within the School where they can tune in once per month to listen to tutors from the SASS team share advice and tips on common student queries, listen to interviews of staff and students from the School and find out what is happening in the School. This creates a sense of belonging for students who are unable to attend support sessions and/or networking events but still want to feel part of the School. The poster offers guidance on how to get started using podcasts and some of its limitations.