2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Video podcasts, or vodcasts, are a form of podcasting that combines video and audio to deliver various types of educational content effectively. To our knowledge, very few studies have focused on student-produced podcasting for learning technical engineering concepts. This study explores using student-created technical videos in a course on the chemical behavior of materials through three separate assignments.
The first assignment centered on sustainability aspects. Students, divided into groups of three, were tasked to review two influential journal articles on plastic waste input into the ocean and metal recycling. Each group had to prepare and deliver a technical script about the topic discussed. Using the script, videos were recorded in a podcast studio located in the learning and teaching center at the University of Dayton (UD). The video recordings were then shared with the students. Two supplemental podcasts featured a guest from the Hanley Sustainability Institute, discussing recycling efforts and initiatives at the UD, and a second podcast guest speaker hosted a discussion on current trends in semiconductors. Both recordings were given to the students to provide examples of delivering technical content through a podcast. The second assignment required students to individually produce narrated videos about materials characterization techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Each student was given 20 – 25 minutes to explain their chosen characterization technique's technical aspects and applications. The third assignment involved a one-on-one podcast session experience, where each student, acting as a guest, discussed with the instructor—the host—a material of interest along with its chemical behavior and structure-property relationships.
To support the research process, an engineering librarian provided guidance on effective strategies for searching technical content through the UD library resources and databases. Brief surveys were administered to assess student perceptions of this learning method, and the results are discussed in this study. Ultimately, this study shows an alternative approach to enhancing student engagement and technical learning by producing podcasts and technical video content.