MDS-30021 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Have you ever wanted to produce your own podcast and get a helping hand from podcast producers and commissioners in the process? The democratisation of podcasting led to a boom in the medium and a burst of new talent as DIY podcasters mingle alongside big names, and online media giants such as Amazon get in on the act. Now it¿s your turn. This practice-based module gives you the opportunity to develop your own podcast; learn audio storytelling techniques, basic production skills and social marketing strategies to enable you to produce your own podcast and promote it to your target audience on an online platform, with advice and feedback from practitioners in an industry pitching session.
We¿ll also analyse podcast trends and the enduring popularity of certain genres such as the `true crime¿ genre and deconstruct the storytelling techniques used in #1 iTunes podcast series `Serial¿ alongside the growth of audio fiction. This module also explores the impact of podcasting on the media landscape, including how podcasting has influenced public service broadcasting, with the BBC positioning podcasts as the gateway to its radio services through BBC Sounds, as well as the trend towards podcast adaptation for TV.

This module will introduce students to podcasting and radio; they will analyse the global growth in podcasting and discuss the contributing factors to this growth and its influence on the wider media landscape, in particular radio. Students will critically reflect on the difference between radio and podcasting and evaluate the impact of podcasting on radio production. This practice-based module will introduce students to the concept of editorial decision-making in developing ideas and planning and producing content; they will learn ideation techniques and technical production skills as well as social media marketing skills to enable them to pitch, develop, produce and market their own podcast.
Students will appraise the role of `target audiences¿ in developing their own content ideas, be able to identify different podcast genres and formats and critically review different podcast production styles. They will learn how to apply the principles of storytelling to create a narrative, to identify the most appropriate genre and format for their podcast and how to build an audience. This module aims to increase student confidence in presenting their ideas, factual or fiction, through the medium of audio to specific audiences.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Critically evaluate a range of podcast formats and genres with reference to editorial and production values: 1,2
Critically reflect on changes in media platforms, audience behaviours and technologies that shape podcast and radio production today: 1,2
Develop and produce a podcast proposal using industry-standard criteria: 1,2
Apply the principles of audio storytelling to develop a narrative: 1,2
Demonstrate basic editorial and production skills in podcast production (eg contributor research, production planning, scripting, interviewing techniques): 1,2
2
Reflect on the development of their own creative production skills and how these can be applied in different contexts, in particularly supporting the development of employability skills: Evaluate the effectiveness of a range of social media marketing techniques used to promote your podcast: 2

Study hours

Contact = 30
12 hours workshops
18 hours lectures / tutorials
Independent = 120
60 preparation for taught classes (to include reading, listening, asynchronous tasks)
60 preparation of assessments.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment