Using podcasts to cultivate learner–teacher rapport in higher education settings

Developing rapport with learners has presented challenges for Higher Education teaching practitioners since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, who increasingly facilitate learning within synchronous/ asynchronous online environments. Podcasts are of renewed interest as a digital learning resource in this context. We explored, inductively, views of podcasts designed for teaching and learning purposes held by students (n = 11) and by practitioners (n = 5) in two disciplinary settings. Textual feedback on two sample podcasts per student was subjected to content analysis. Findings underscored the value of podcasts as digital learning resources to help nurture teacher–student relations. Podcasts may help establish teacher credibility, may help teachers feel more familiar/approachable to learners and may provide an outlet to communicate in a kind, informal tone to attenuate learning-related anxiety. We draw on findings from our small-scale exploratory study to present practical guidance for developing podcasts designed (in part) to cultivate teacher–student rapport.