Students as producers: Second year students' experiences as podcasters of content for first year undergraduates

The authors are involved in an ongoing project in which a group of second year volunteer students are placed in charge of producing a series of short, talkback radio-style educational podcasts for the students enrolled in a first year undergraduate information technology subject. The entire production process, from inception and scriptwriting through to the final recording, is driven primarily by the student-producers, with minimal lecturer intervention. This paper describes the experiences of the student-producers, elicited through focus group interviewing. The findings suggest that they both immensely enjoyed and greatly benefited from the exercise, which enabled them to revisit previously learnt subject content and present it to other students, thereby enhancing their own understanding of the material. In addition, it afforded them valuable opportunities to develop generic skills such as research and teamwork skills. This is consistent with the principles of peer teaching and learning. The design of the stud), is outlined, in addition to providing recommendations for educators pursuing similar projects in the future.