Search Results (72)

(1) Podcasts are increasingly used in undergraduate medical education. They differ from traditional learning activities and may influence exam performance. Podcasts also offer insights into learning behaviour and perceptions of family medicine (FM). Despite their frequent use in medical education, it remains unclear how they can best be integrated into competency-based curricula and motivate students to study for FM. This study examines the impact of a medical podcast on learning behaviour and academic performance at Saarland University (UdS). (2) This exploratory mixed-methods study analyzed podcast-related learning behaviour and exam relevance among year-five medical students at UdS in the winter semester 2024/25. Demographic, quantitative, and qualitative data were collected via an online questionnaire (Google Forms^®) in January 2025. Data were descriptively and analytically evaluated and linked to exam results. Qualitative data were analyzed using Kuckartz’s content analysis. (3) Of 123 eligible students, 92 participated. Most listened to episodes in full. Podcasts were seen as low-threshold means to access study content, but they were often not perceived as a separate learning activity. Listening to podcasts did not directly influence exam performance but helped connecting theory with clinical relevance and increased motivation for FM. (4) Podcasts are popular for exploring clinical practice and complex topics. Their didactic value lies in contextual learning and career orientation, rather than improving exam performance. Full article

Public service media (PSM) are undergoing essential digital transformations to compete in an audiovisual ecosystem dominated by new technological players that have reshaped traditional media consumption habits. This article examines how the digital developments of Spanish public media, within platformization processes, particularly in the field of digital audio and podcasts, integrate public service values based on a framework which identifies twelve key dimensions: universality, quality, independence, diversity, responsibility, innovation, social commitment, civic participation, media literacy, territorial cohesion, social justice, and cooperation. Using a qualitative multiple-case study methodology, these values are compared with the strategies of Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE), the media organizations grouped in the Federation of Regional Radio and Television Entities (FORTA), and Canal Extremadura. The results indicate that PSM, to varying degrees, incorporate public service values in their platformization processes. However, the findings also reveal significant challenges that, if addressed, could maximize the impact of their digital strategies. Full article

We (Public Interest Group on Cancer Research) started a podcast and guest blog series on cancer in 2024. Our objective in this Commentary is to describe our experience with this series, insights gained, adjustments made to our approach, and our recommendations for future series. Our group identified and invited guests to contribute a blog or podcast episode on cancer, lived experience of cancer, cancer care and research, or advocacy. The podcast episodes were recorded using the WebEx platform (version 45.9.0.33069) and edited using the Kdenlive software (version 23.08.4). The blogs and podcasts were edited, finalized, and posted online for public access. In this manuscript, we utilized descriptive statistics to define and summarize information about the podcast episodes, guest blogs, and categorical responses to guest feedback survey questions, while we presented the responses to open-ended survey questions as quotes and summaries. As a result, during the period of January 2024–July 2025, we aired 28 podcast episodes and 13 guest blogs involving 36 guests. Guests included people from various backgrounds (such as people with lived experience, advocates, scientists, and healthcare providers) and members of equity-deserving communities (such as women, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities). We contemplated and learned as we proceeded with this project and implemented changes to address the issues that arose. In most cases the guests had positive experiences; however, in rare cases, university practices or federal policies prevented guest compensation, creating an unusual barrier. In conclusion, podcasting and blogging are practical public engagement instruments that provide space for sharing messages and knowledge to communicate with members of the public. Systematic barriers, such as policies that hamper guest compensation, need to be fixed for equitable participation, compensation, and engagement. As there is an increased interest in public engagement and knowledge mobilization activities, our learnings shared in this commentary may help other groups initiate or improve their public engagement practices. Full article

Part of the relics of colonialism on the African continent is the loss of social identity caused by the adoption of colonial languages, leading to the endangered status of indigenous African languages. This qualitative study examines the potential and challenges of podcasting in indigenous African languages, with a focus on Yoruba. We conducted a sentiment analysis of the podcast “I Speak Yoruba Too” and “learn Yoruba online” to assess the range of audience feedback on the podcast. 735 data points were gathered and preprocessed, Hugging face transformers were used to analyse the sentiments on audience feedback. The result of the analysis shows that the negative reviews were 183, the neutral reviews 226, and the positive reviews 326. The visualisation of the word cloud of the labels shows the words frequently used in the reviews, revealing the challenges and the appreciation of the commenter. An in-depth interview was conducted with the host of the “I Speak Yoruba Too” podcast and the “learn Yoruba online Podcast”. The findings reveal that part of the challenges of podcasting include the absence of a standard Yoruba curriculum for foreign learners and time constraints. This paper argues that the deterministic nature of podcast technology offers opportunities to content creators and listeners, based on the medium’s flexibility and ease of access in facilitating language acquisition. Audience reviews and interview results also confirm the potential of the podcast to generate community building and social identity formation among learners. However, the monetisation of such digital products is often underexplored by both emerging and established podcasters. Full article

Podcasting in Romania has experienced notable growth in recent years, evolving from a niche medium into a widely consumed form of digital communication. This expansion is driven by the flexibility of podcasts, which allow audiences to access content conveniently across various contexts, from commuting to leisure time, and by the increasing demand for stories that resonate with listeners personal experiences. This study examines the storytelling techniques employed by Romanian podcasters and their effects on audience engagement. Using a case study methodology, the research analyzes a selection of representative podcasts to explore how creators structure narratives, integrate cultural and social elements, and employ techniques such as thematic consistency, character development, and progressive disclosure of information. Findings indicate that the Romanian podcasters in this study have adapted both traditional and contemporary narrative strategies to build immersive, emotionally engaging content, balancing depth and accessibility. The analysis also highlights how narrative structures contribute to sustained listener attention and foster a sense of connection between hosts and audiences. Overall, this study provides insight into the role of storytelling in shaping podcast consumption in Romania and offers practical implications for content creators aiming to cultivate meaningful engagement and listener loyalty. Full article

Despite the predominance of traditional radio in Colombia, particularly in terms of its role as a medium, podcasting is gaining significance due to its flexibility, personalisation, and use of shorter formats. The research presented here seeks to delineate the sound ecosystem present in Colombia in order to recognise and evaluate its status and transcendence in the digital sonosphere. The study corpus comprised 160 podcasts, encompassing sound material from production companies, radio stations, other media outlets, and independent podcasters. This paper proposes an innovative content analysis of a corpus, with a methodology combining three categories of analysis. The production logics of podcasting bear a strong resemblance to those of radio broadcasting, largely due to the significant presence of operators within this industry who have established themselves as production companies or independent podcasters. The growth of the industry from 2020 to 2024 positions Colombia as a regional benchmark in digital audio consumption and production. Full article

Podcasts are reshaping how management ideas are disseminated and consumed in the digital age. This conceptual essay applies insights from management fashion theory to analyze how podcasts operate as hybrid media that both mirror and amplify popular business ideas. We explore the interplay among platform dynamics, storytelling formats, and the performative roles of podcast hosts as fashion-setters. Through illustrative examples, we show how podcasts elevate certain management styles, repackage leadership narratives, and bypass traditional gatekeeping structures. This essay concludes with reflections on the implications of podcasting for the credibility, diversity, and direction of management discourse, and outlines future research paths in this emerging domain. Full article

Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of injury and death among adolescents, making road safety education crucial. This study assesses the performance of and users’ opinions on the Route 2 School (R2S) traffic safety education program, designed for secondary school students (13–17 years) in Belgium. The program incorporates gamified e-learning modules containing, among others, podcasts, interactive 360° visuals, and virtual reality (VR), to enhance traffic knowledge, situation awareness, risk detection, and risk management. This study was conducted across several cities and municipalities within Belgium. More than 600 students from school years 3 to 6 completed the platform and of these more than 200 students filled in a comprehensive questionnaire providing detailed feedback on platform usability, preferences, and behavioral risk assessments. The results revealed shortcomings in traffic knowledge and skills, particularly among older students. Gender-based analysis indicated no significant performance differences overall, though females performed better in risk management and males in risk detection. Furthermore, students from cities outperformed those from municipalities. Feedback on the R2S platform indicated high usability and engagement, with VR-based simulations receiving the most positive reception. In addition, it was highlighted that secondary school students are high-risk groups for distraction and red-light violations as cyclists and pedestrians. This study demonstrates the importance of gamified, technology-enhanced road safety education while underscoring the need for module-specific improvements and regional customization. The findings support the broader application of e-learning methodologies for sustainable, behavior-oriented traffic safety education targeting adolescents. Full article

Technological advancements keep influencing religious landscapes in unpredictable ways. This implies changes at the level of personal spirituality and also at the level of community building and civic engagement across different denominations. In this paper, we present survey data (N = 443) from Malta (Southern Europe), Serbia (Balkans), and Denmark (Northern Europe), which assessed participants’ prayer intensity, Christian identity, Christian belief, and civic engagement behaviors, among other variables. The participants in our sample were all Christians: the participants from Malta were mostly Catholic, those from Serbia were mostly Orthodox, and those from Denmark were mostly Lutheran, reflecting the dominant Christian contexts and denominations in all three countries. We conducted multiple regression analysis showing how prayer intensity predicts civic engagement, even when adjusting for other covariates, notably those tapping Christian identity and Christian belief. The relationship was significant across all three countries. Moreover, we conducted further multiple regression analyses with two prayer intensity sub-indices: one tapping technologically mediated prayer (e.g., using apps or podcasts) and the other tapping non-technologically mediated prayer (e.g., praying directly to God or going to mass). In this model, only non-technologically mediated prayer predicted civic engagement in Malta and Denmark, and no sub-index predicted civic engagement in Serbia. Our discussion focuses on the implications of these patterns for engagement and community building, with a particular focus on religious collectives across denominations and the impact of technology. Full article

This study uses national data to contribute to ongoing discussions regarding social media’s role in influencing investors in the digital economy. Grounded in social network theory, social media engagement was examined for its influence on FinTech usage, specifically cryptocurrency investments, mobile trading applications, and financial podcasts. Results showed a significant relationship between social media use for investment decisions and the embrace of FinTech. Individuals who actively engage with social media for this purpose had higher odds of investing in cryptocurrency and a higher likelihood of using both mobile trading applications and financial podcasts. However, these results were not consistent across all platforms amongst social media users. Our findings show that social media platforms enable peer influence and recommendations through networks that shape financial decisions and behaviors. FinTech firms can strategically harness social ties and the inherent information flows within social networks to broaden their reach and impact in the financial services landscape. Full article

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been previously linked with improved cognition and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. Yet, traditional MBIs are lengthy and resource intensive. Brief and online MBIs represent a bridge into more extensive practice—but questions of whether these protocols improve cognition and affect remain. The present experiment used a randomized longitudinal design to assess the effects of a 31-day, 15 min daily mindfulness program compared to a podcast control on a battery of cognitive and self-report measures in a sample of university students. Results indicated that, over the course of the study, the MBI group found their intervention less challenging, more enjoyable, more relaxing, more engaging, and more useful compared to the podcast control group. MBI participants also increased in state and dispositional mindfulness and state metacognition following the intervention relative to the Podcast group. However, both groups scored comparably on all cognitive and affective post-intervention measures, with equivalence testing suggesting that the observed effect sizes in the present study were significantly smaller than in some previously reported effects. Taken together, the results suggest that while brief online MBIs can elicit near transfer to proximal domains (e.g., mindfulness, metacognition), more work is needed to make strong claims that these MBIs elicit far transfer to cognitive and affective domains. Full article

This study examines the use of digitalized educational solutions among students in higher education institutions (HEIs). Drawing upon theories of technology, digitalization, and education, we analyze the suitability of different digitalization solutions for students in HEIs. Educational organizations that apply different digitalized technologies provide customizable platforms for authoring and disseminating multimedia-rich e-education and smart education. However, pedagogical practices indicate several gaps between the level of HEI digitalization achieved and its suitability for HEI participants. Thus, we analyze the state of various digitalized technologies in HEIs and their suitability for meeting students’ expectations. The results of our research show that students most highly rate modern educational methods such as practical learning supported by access to digitized materials via websites, social networks, and smartphones while assigning a lower rating to the use of classic education, supported by digital textbooks and traditional technologies such as Skype, Zoom, podcasts, and online videos. This study has several theoretical implications, among which is the need to further develop highly digitized materials and purpose-designed digitized solutions for individual areas and specific educational purposes. The practical implications indicate the need to expand the use of website networks, smartphones, and smart table solutions in modern educational practices in HEIs. Full article

Background: The concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) is globally relevant in current healthcare climates. However, nursing students and teachers often struggle with integrating EBP effectively into a curriculum. This has implications for the way students learn to use evidence for their nursing practice. A new undergraduate EBP module was co-designed with current nursing students and university staff throughout 2023. Underpinning the module was a UDL (universal design for learning) pedagogy consisting of flexible approaches to learning for nursing students which included co-developed videos, co-developed audio podcasts, and co-developed serious games to complement traditional flipped classroom learning. The module commenced in September 2023, running in Year 1 one of a 3-year undergraduate nursing program, and was co-taught by staff and senior students. Methods: A pre/post-test design was used to collect data on student attitude, knowledge, and utilization of EBP. A total of 430 students completed two validated questionnaires, the EBP Beliefs Scale© and EBP Implementation Scale©, before and after the module. Following the post-test, six focus group interviews were also conducted with 58 students to explore how the module informed student nursing practice whilst attending clinical placement during Year 1. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Sample attrition occurred (~25%). Effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for primary outcomes. Results: Quantitative data was analyzed using paired t-tests and this highlighted statistically significant improvements in attitude, knowledge and utilization of evidence-based practice after learning (p < 0.001). Qualitative data was transcribed verbatim, thematically analyzed, and highlighted three main findings; EBP is my business, EBP positively influenced the care of my patients and EBP has positively impacted my professional development. Conclusions: Partnership with current nursing students in the co-design and implementation of a module about EBP was associated with improvements in student knowledge, attitude and utilization of evidence in practice. These factors are likely to also improve professional competence and ultimately patient care. Full article

Traditional academic discourse has long prioritized published sources—such as monographs, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and legal or regulatory documents—as the sole authoritative references for scientific inquiry. While these sources undoubtedly provide a validated foundation of disciplinary knowledge, they also represent the codification of past insights and often lag behind emerging developments. This paper critically examines the limitations of this conventional epistemic framework and argues for its deliberate extension. In an era characterized by rapid information dissemination and knowledge creation across diverse platforms, a significant proportion of relevant expertise now resides outside the boundaries of traditional literature. Insights from domain experts, practitioners, real-time media (e.g., news reports, podcasts, video content), original data collection, experimental inquiry, and scholarly dialog increasingly constitute valuable sources of scientific knowledge. Drawing a parallel to data-driven disciplines, where historical records are complemented by real-time analytics and user-derived insights, this article outlines the categories of such contemporary knowledge that warrant academic recognition and proposes rigorous methodologies for their systematic integration into scholarly work. Full article

Background: The Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children with Cancer and their Families provide a framework for the delivery of psychosocial care to families experiencing pediatric cancer. Similarly, the Pediatric Psychosocial Preventative Health Model (PPPHM) guides intervention approaches by identifying three tiers of psychosocial support based on a family’s level of risk. Employing both the Standards and the PPPHM, we developed a comprehensive three-tiered approach to support the psychosocial needs of families in a pediatric oncology setting. Methods: After publication of the Standards, our institution merged existing psychosocial disciplines into one unified Psychosocial Services department. The new department worked to clearly define the role and scope of each discipline’s practice to ensure the psychosocial needs of patients and families were being comprehensively met. Interprofessional workgroups were established to evaluate and enhance the psychosocial services offered to patients, siblings, and caregivers using a three-tiered model of support. Membership included representation from patients and parent/caregiver advisors to ensure their perspectives were included in program development. Results: Over ten new programs have been developed to enhance the support of families facing pediatric cancer. At the Universal tier, new programs available to all families include caregiver and sibling support groups, a caregiver podcast, and a relationship health toolkit and workshop. At the Targeted tier, psychosocial interventions and parent mentor supports were implemented. At the Clinical/Intervention tier, a partnership was developed with an external tele-mental health company to provide mental health services to caregivers with significant needs or preexisting mental health disorders. Conclusions: Given the complex needs of families facing pediatric cancer, use of an interdisciplinary approach is paramount to successful support throughout the treatment trajectory. By leveraging the expertise and strengths of diverse disciplines with the perspectives of patients and families, new psychosocial programs can comprehensively address the unique challenges of patients and families impacted by illness. Full article