Topic Proposal

I will focus on podcasting. I will look at how podcasting is different from other forms of expression, yet also similar to composition. One thing that strikes me about podcasting is that to create a successful podcast, you must sufficiently explore your own voice. I’m amazed at how the use of voice can change the effectiveness of the podcast both by engaging the listener and by influencing the content of the podcast. Furthermore, the voice creates the entire environment within which the audience spends the time. With speeches and v-logs, the speaker has full visual range and can include anything from videos to body language to pie charts. However, with podcasts, the speaker only has the voice.

The closest analogy to podcasting that I can find is to radio. One feature that makes podcasting different from radio is accessibility. There are very few circumstances where anyone – especially a student -- has access to the airwaves. With podcasting, anyone can utilize a podcast for any reason, whether it be to advocate for a specific cause, provide students with instructions on how to complete an assignment, or even simply to wish someone a happy birthday. Podcasts are also not live, which removes much of the spontaneity that a radio program would have unless the podcaster tries to appear spontaneous on purpose.

The traditional idea of the job of a composition instructor is to teach students how to write an alphabetic text. Writing skills can serve an enormous number of purposes that are too numerous to account for. Writing can be used to take notes and write grocery lists. Many jobs expect employees to have writing skills, especially jobs that pay livable wages. Writing is an excellent way to express oneself and record thoughts in a way that is can be revisited and writing also forces these thoughts to be organized and purposeful. Without writing, thoughts can very easily transform into tangents if one is not careful. However, with modern technology, a grocery list can be replaced by a small digital recorder. The boss might someday ask an employee to record some information in podcast format, perhaps so that another employee can listen to the podcast while performing some task. Podcasts might allow much freer flows of thought for students who are more orally adept, as seen with the basketball player in earlier readings. Podcasts are just another tool in the rhetorician’s arsenal.

My paper will focus on convincing educators that podcasting can help students with the writing process and with writing style. Podcasts can help students understand the importance of voice and tone, since the use of the student’s voice can affect how the audience feels about the content of the podcast, and whether or not the audience will even remain engaged. In addition, podcasts can remove barriers from some students who have difficulty brainstorming. One option could be for students to be required to talk about their topic for 5-10 minutes without stopping, which can act as an auditory version of free writing. Students can voice their reactions to readings and research so that they can maintain a unique perspective on the topic being researched that is distinct from the authors of the research. Instructors can have students read their essays out and record them in podcast form so that they can see how their writing sounds, or they can take the content in their essays and convert them into formats that are more suitable for podcasts. For example, information could be broken down into smaller chunks with memorable points and the student can use more examples to help clarify otherwise abstract concepts.

I will likely try to explain to educators that students need them to help understand the rhetorical nature of podcasts. On a superficial level, podcasts might seem to be more the purview of communication courses since both involve oral communication. However, speeches are delivered directly at an audience that is present and oftentimes can only hear the speech once. Podcasts are delivered to distant audiences, similar to how a writer interacts with a distant audience. Also, podcasts can be listened to over and over, with certain parts listened to an extra time if that part is not fully understood initially. Composition instructors have experience working with mediums that greater complexity than speeches, since certain parts can be referenced later on.

I will organize the paper based partially on the research I have found. The essay will encourage educators to consider podcasting in the classroom with arguments backed by research. I will explore the connections between podcasting and writing instruction. The potential pitfalls of podcasting will be explored, including the issue of students retaining knowledge gained from podcasts. The latest research journals I’ve looked at so far have explored topics such as the lack of divide between students and educators regarding podcasts, the difficulty that some students have in retaining podcast content and an essay speculating on whether or not the traditional lecture format is relevant.