The Mixtape: Creating Podcasts for Online Teaching

Teaching Without Walls Episode 4: The MixTape

Every week, I make a single downloadable mp3 with all of the week’s material on it, including the readings. This weekly "mixtape" can be a great alternative to a Zoom-based class. Set your students free from the screen and invite them into a lifetime of any time, anywhere learning. You don't have to give up Zoom, but consider making it optional to accommodate busy student lives. Turn your Zoom session into an exciting discussion or time to clarify big ideas rather than a time to teach them for the first time.

Previous Episodes:

Episode 1: 10 Tips for Online Teaching

Episode 2: Super Simple Videos

Episode 3: What Professors Can Learn from YouTubers

All animations in this video were done with PowerPoint.

Social Media: @mwesch

[TheElectricAcademy]

What an amazing idea! Where do you host the "mixtape"? Is it in the LMS? Or do you release it as a 3 hour podcast with links to specific parts?

[sgsax]

Greetings from a fellow K-Stater (IT person, not student or faculty) and rabid YouTube consumer. Just wanted to say I have enjoyed your videos from the very beginning (wow, 13 years ago). I believe my first reaction was, "Holy cow, this guy totally gets it." Just now catching up with your latest series on engaging online teaching, and I am still struck by the same thought. I consume a *lot* of content on this platform, and it is always refreshing to watch people keep coming back with good stuff. Not gimicky, not click-baity, not blatantly chasing The Algorithm, just good content. So here I sit, working from home, and learning something from the guy who still gets it. Thank you for making the digital world a better place.

[Blackwolf]

Had you as my professor in the Fall semester of 2019! Ngl I was forced to take this class 😅 BUT i don’t regret a minute of it and think about your lessons often! Thanks a bunch for the opportunity!

[vrmomoffour]

I’ve been doing podcasts for students as a study guide for 6-7 years. It’s one of the the things they comment on the most for my classes that they love. I loved hearing your ways for me to take it up a notch! Thanks!

[shellifowler]

Just had a moment to catch up and watch this. Such useful info AND had me smiling and laughing at the end of a long day. Hallelujah! Oh, and now I need to go watch “10 Items or Less” again. Seriously. 🙂 Looking forward to the next Wesch episode!

[alexanderbarron]

O Great Algorithm, uplift this one and make him highly Recommended. Haha! Great job.

[patrickboyle]

Perhaps a big ask, but would it please be possible to experience one of your mix tapes? Or part of one? Even if not, your videos and the vibe within them are fantastic and inspiring. I wasn't really stoked about online teaching in the fall until encountering you in a series of helpful materials provided by the University of Victoria, where I work. The podcast/mixtape initiative is incredibly exciting. All the best and thanks again.

[carolynt]

I think there is good stuff here but way beyond where I'm at. Monday is my first course ever and it's a college course online. I'll keep this in mind though. thanks.

[kellyfitzsimmonsburton]

I love this idea of the mix tape. I especially like reading the text for them. I am going to give it a try. Thank you!

[shannonwebb]

Great video!! More of these awesome resources

[sovorel-EDU]

Lots of interesting educational methodological ideas here. Thank you once again.

[RichardHabeeb]

This video and some of your more recent ones have been making me think about how I could translate some of these ideas to the more technical courses I help teach in Computer Science. I am going to try recording my self and thought process for writing software/code and see if it has a similar effect as reading to your students. For learning a design skill like that I think a lot of young CS majors are left in the dark on reasoning through a development process, and may not know how to approach difficult problems or how to find solutions.

[DustinBakkieBiomechanics]

Hi Michael, I really love the animations used to break down the course work-load that you used from 2:22-3:15ish. Can I ask if that was custom made or did you find it somewhere? I would love to use something similar to help my student orient to my fall courses.

[scrible]

Are you able to find audio/video content from a variety of people? I struggle to find free/open content by POC & LGBTQ (for various reasons)... I do have some text-based material but it seems odd to have me (white woman) or a computer convert their voices to audio.

[janetbirkey]

Are there copyright concerns for reading the textbook and sharing it with students on the mix-tape? I would love to do this, but don't want backlash if I do.

[mja]

I think these ideas work best with humanities courses - I'm struggling to bridge the gap with STEM, where so much of the content is visual.

[scrible]

Accommodations for those with hearing issues?

[gulfwinds]

I really like your videos. All of them! You are clearly very intelligent and creative. But... come on! Jordan Peterson?!? Not Jordan Peterson, please! :(