Instructor Decision-Making Around Podcasts as Tools for Research Use in Higher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Innovations in Research Production and Translation: Challenges, Possibilities, and Future Directions

Abstract

This study investigates how university instructors use podcasts as learning resources and vehicles for research translation in their teaching. Through interviews data, we examine instructors’ motivations, selection criteria, integration methods, and observed outcomes as they use episodes from a scholarly podcast series as course materials. Findings illuminate the integration of podcast content into concrete pedagogical actions, showing how digital audio can serve as a medium for knowledge mobilization. This work aligns with the Research Use SIG’s focus on moving evidence into practice, offering a nuanced picture of how instructors make use of research in dynamic, media-rich learning environments. This paper contributes to AERA’s 2026 theme by exploring scholarly podcasts as one way to honor histories while shaping future learning environments.

Authors

• Lindsay E. Persohn, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

• Stephanie M Branson, Northern Arizona University

• Leah Burger, University of South Florida