Proceedings ascilite Melbourne 2008: Concise paper: Cameron & Van Heekeren 142 Hello, and welcome to the show: Applying radio’s ‘explaining voice’ to educational podcasting David Cameron and Brett Van Heekeren School of Communications Charles Sturt University Educational podcasting takes many forms, from lecture recordings to student-produced discussions of study topics. This paper describes a pilot project that aims to consider the significance that adopting a particular presentational ‘voice’ may have on how understanding of that content is shaped. It is based on Gardner Campbell’s (2005) notion of the ‘explaining voice’ of radio as a model for effective educational podcasting, drawing on the nuances of broadcasting style to enhance understanding of the content. The project draws on the production resources and training opportunities available due to the presence of an on-campus community radio station. The paper then outlines preliminary research into the potential benefits of developing a radio-like stylistic approach to podcasting in a university setting. Keywords: podcasting, radio, explaining voice, broadcasting, education, presentation style The ‘explaining voice’ of radio The explaining voice doesn’t just convey information; it shapes, out of a shared atmosphere, an intimate drama of cognitive action in time. (Campbell 2005, p. 42) This paper describes a project that aims to explore the potential benefits of adopting a distinctive radio- based presentation style, which Campbell calls the ‘explaining voice’, for educational audio materials at Charles Sturt University. This is based on the notion that educational audio recorded in other contexts, for example a lecture, often lack the nuances and intimacy of forms designed specifically for more personal listening. Radio broadcasting has developed effective techniques to convey meaning both through presentation style and content. A key aim of this project is to explore whether adopting a more radio-like approach to the presentation style of audio learning material such as a podcast has an impact on its acceptance and effectiveness as a learning and teaching tool. Early research on the use of MP3 players and other similar media devices in university settings has tended to focus on the advantages of portability and convenience for the learner (Duke 2005; Joly 2006). Van Heekeren (2007) notes that early research into the adoption of podcasting as an educational tool points to benefits to students such as convenience, mobility, reinforcement and control over the time and place of learning. Much of this audio content has initially taken the form of recorded lectures or classroom content, providing a useful tool for note taking and revision (Brittan et al 2006). In some cases, universities have explored automated processes for recording and streaming lecture content as an integrated part of their virtual learning environments (Williams & Fardon 2005). Harris and Park (2008, p. 550) offer a useful taxonomy of podcasting at UK universities that considers teaching-driven, service- driven, marketing-driven and technology-driven groupings of use within that educational setting. This paper is concerned not with the forms and affordances of educational podcasting, but the significance that adopting a particular ‘voice’ for podcasting delivery might have on how understanding of the content is shaped. Campbell (2005) notes that the enduring power of radio comes from the historical development in broadcasting of what he terms the explaining voice, which conveys not just content but understanding. He argues that therefore a key to the success of podcasting as a form is that it is based on the idea of radio, with its reliance on “the magic in the human voice, the magic of shared awareness” (2005, 40) such that: the explaining voice conveys microcues of hesitation, pacing and inflection that demonstrate both cognition and metacognition. When we hear someone read with understanding, we participate in that understanding, almost as if the voice is enacting our own comprehension. (Campbell 2005, p. 42)