Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting

How does podcasting fit into MIT’s goal of reaching one billion learners? In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen talk with Mary Ellen Wiltrout from MIT about MIT Learn, open learning, and how podcasts can make world-class expertise feel more accessible and human. Mary Ellen shares how MIT is experimenting with podcasts, short videos, and other formats to reach learners beyond traditional courses, and why audio can help audiences connect with the people behind the research. They also discuss Beyond Biology, storytelling in science, measuring impact beyond downloads, and how podcasting can spark curiosity, open doors, and remind listeners that even MIT experts are real people with unexpected paths. Episode Links: Learn more about MIT DELTA Connect with Mary Ellen Wiltrout Listen to Beyond Biology Listen to our episode with Brett Paci of MIT OpenCourseWare Connect with Us: Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected] Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected] Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected] Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco Youtube HigherEdPods Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (02:35) - Meet Mary Ellen Wiltrout (02:58) - From biology to online learning (08:21) - What is MIT DELTA? (10:12) - MIT’s one billion learners goal (12:39) - Where podcasting fits in (14:04) - Making MIT feel more human (16:20) - Building the MIT Learn Podcast Network (18:51) - Beyond Biology (21:23) - Measuring impact beyond downloads (24:41) - Conclusion

How do you build a podcasting culture in higher ed? Don’t start with the equipment. In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil records live from Helix at the University of Leeds with Abigail Harrison Moore, Krissie Glover, and Kerr Hunter for the final conversation in our three-part series on research podcasting. After exploring participatory research with Abigail and production support with Krissie, in this episode they share how Helix supported and helped shape the Whose Power? project, and what makes a university podcast studio truly welcoming, useful, and accessible. The big takeaway: the best podcast spaces aren’t defined by the gear. They’re built through trust, safety, support, and people who help others feel like they belong Episode Links: Learn more about Helix at the University of Leeds Connect with Kerr, Abigail or Krissie Listen to Part 1 with Abigail Harrison Moore Listen to Part 2 with Krissie Brighty-Glover Listen to the Whose Power Podcast Connect with Us: Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected] Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected] Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected] Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco Youtube HigherEdPods Chapters: (00:00) - Opening the door to the university (00:58) - Introduction (04:24) - Recording live from Helix (04:49) - What is Helix? (05:46) - Building a programmed podcasting space (06:39) - Podcasting as assessment and experiential learning (07:57) - Making campus feel welcoming (10:35) - Helix as a gateway to the university (12:04) - Co-creation, flexibility, and shared ownership (14:51) - Podcasting, access, and institutional trust (16:46) - Podcasting as research output (19:04) - Bringing participant voices to the front (21:56) - Building trust, safety, and community (25:57) - Transcripts, reflection, and the limits of the written word (28:36) - Start with people, not equipment (33:46) - Closing reflections (35:19) - Conclusion

Can podcasting make teaching more human, more connected, and more effective? In the second live episode from Higher Ed PodCon, Neil and Jen sit down with Rudy Salo, a lawyer, law professor, public transportation geek, and co-host of Good Is in the Details. Rudy explains how a philosophy podcast about everyday life, dialogue, and critical thinking found its way into the syllabus and how it's helping students see the person behind the professor, and why that human connection changes what happens in the classroom. They also get into Socrates, student trust, law school, and why Rudy says, Better Call Saul is the most accurate legal show. Episode Links: Connect with Rudy Good is in the Details Connect with Us: Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected] Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected] Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected] Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco Youtube HigherEdPods Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (01:43) - Meet Rudy Salo (01:50) - A philosophy podcast about everyday life (03:34) - Using dialogue to think better (06:44) - Curiosity, humility, and critical thinking (07:50) - What “podcasting as pedagogy” means (08:31) - Turning conversations into course material (10:30) - Bringing audio into law school (13:45) - How podcasts humanize professors (17:15) - Building connection beyond the classroom (19:30) - Using episodes to clarify hard concepts (21:03) - Letting teaching uses emerge organically (22:15) - When a podcast becomes a course idea (24:12) - What legal dramas get wrong (26:30) - Conclusion

How do great hosts create conversations that feel purposeful, natural, and worth staying with? In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen sit down with Sophie White from EDUCAUSE live at Higher Ed PodCon to talk about the art of hosting. Drawing from her work on EDUCAUSE Shop Talk, Sophie shares how purpose can shape everything from guest selection to audience focus, and how hosts can create the conditions for more thoughtful, candid conversations. They also discuss co-host chemistry, managing multiple guests, balancing rigor with fun, helping nervous guests feel at ease, and why podcasts can be a powerful way for higher education organizations to add context, personality, and connection to their work. Episode Links: Listen to EDUCAUSE ShopTalk Connect with Sophie White Connect with Us: Share Feedback, Suggestions, & Ask Questions: [email protected] Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected] Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected] Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco Youtube HigherEdPods Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (02:13) - Meet Sophie White (02:34) - EDUCAUSE Shop Talk (04:24) - Topics and guests (07:30) - Purposeful hosting (10:18) - Co-host chemistry (14:21) - Trust and communication (16:34) - Rigor and fun (19:05) - Managing multiple guests (23:18) - Tricky guest dynamics (24:21) - Helping guests relax (26:40) - Being human on mic (27:32) - Podcasts as engagement (30:42) - Conclusion

How do you turn a research idea into a podcast that is clear, credible, and actually doable? In part two of our three-part series on how collaborative research podcasts get made, Neil and Jen talk with Krissie Brighty-Glover from Research Podcasts about the process they use to bring academic audio to life. Part one explored a real research podcast from the academic’s perspective; this episode looks at the production side, from shaping the initial idea to supporting funding applications, training researchers, booking guests, editing, distribution, and accessibility. They also get into the “beauty and the beast” of podcasting, why good support can help researchers focus on their expertise, and how collaborative podcasting can elevate voices, create impact, and make research more accessible beyond traditional academic outputs. Episode Links: Research Podcasts Connect with Krissie Brighty-Glover Listen to Part 1 with Abigail Harrison Moore Connect with Us: Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected] Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected] Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected] Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco Youtube HigherEdPods Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (03:37) - Research Podcasts’ model (06:12) - Funding and impact (08:00) - Training researchers (10:23) - Production support (12:10) - The Editing Process (13:53) - Podcast literacy for researchers (15:27) - Co-creation in research (17:35) - Podcasts as research outputs (18:26) - Rethinking impact (20:14) - Centralizing university podcasts (24:33) - Networks and discoverability (25:38) - Advice for researchers (27:49) - Conclusion