Assessment Methods with Case Studies

A podcast is an audio narration through which students express their ideas and analyses. It is not simply reading an essay aloud, but a creative media task.

Why use podcasts?
They encourage expression and analysis in an alternative format and may include interviews, sound effects, music, and similar elements.

Strategies:

• Have students listen to examples and discuss them.
  
• A simple version: record 3–5 minutes on a phone using a prepared script.
  
• Use rubrics for assessment (content, organisation, performance, and creativity).
  
• Ensure all students have access to the necessary technology.

Example of use in higher education:

In the course History of the 20th Century, students create a short podcast (3–5 minutes) on the topic “Everyday Life During the Second World War.” The task includes selecting a focus (e.g., food, schooling, family life), developing a script based on sources and literature, and recording and editing using simple tools such as Vocaroo or Audacity.

Students may include excerpts from interviews, music clips, or their own narration to bring the topic to life and demonstrate understanding of the context.

The podcasts are published in a Moodle forum where peers provide comments and suggestions for improvement, and assessment is based on criteria such as content accuracy, organisation and clarity of message, creativity, and expressiveness of performance.