Assigned readings are often the go-to assignment to help students prepare for classes – but
incorporating podcasts is another way to bring in free, varied, and accessible information
between lectures. Meg Wilcox has been producing podcasts for a decade, and teaching
podcasting at MRU since 2017, and in this session she shares how she incorporates podcasts
in her courses, both as readings and assignments. From finding good podcasts and developing
a great “listening lineup” to tools to help students engage critically with what they hear, this presentation will look at a variety of ways to use podcasting in the classroom and leave lots of room for your podcasting questions and queries. Meg will also share some early findings from a
current SoTL research project that investigates how students engage with podcasts compared
to traditional readings.

Meg Wilcox is an associate professor with the Journalism and Digital Media program at Mount
Royal University and co-director of the school’s new Community Podcast Initiative. Before
joining MRU, she spent nearly a decade travelling the country as a reporter, producer, and host
(CBC, iPolitics, CTV, Banff Centre Radio, CKUA), and in 2020 she was one of Avenue Calgary’s
40 under 40 for her work in media education.

Meg’s passion is for long-form narrative storytelling — particularly podcasting. Currently
pursuing her PhD at the University of Glasgow, Meg’s research looks at ways where podcasting
and new forms of digital storytelling can help underserved communities and individuals tell their stories in ways that reflect their communities, their values, and their lived experience. Her first book, The New Journalist’s Guide to Freelancing, is out now through Broadview Press.

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