Third-year psychology students at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) used the podcast format to present their final work for the optional course “Contemporary Challenges of Work and Labour Relations”. The initiative, which has been in place at this CU since 2021, has helped to develop various skills in students.

The use of podcasts as a presentation format arose from the need to innovate in teaching and assessment methods. “The traditional presentation format often doesn't allow students to fully express their creativity and communication skills,” says Filipa Sobral, director of this CU.

“That's why, together with the students, we decided to use this platform to explore new ways of communicating and engaging with the content of this course,” she adds.

Students more engaged and motivated to learn

The students' response to the proposal was very positive, with many showing enthusiasm and curiosity about working in a different format. What's more, the creation of the podcast, which involved writing a script for the guest interview and structuring the presentation of the audio interview, allowed the students to develop not only technological and creative skills, but also skills such as synthesis, oral communication and teamwork.

Filipa Sobral believes that the work presented, which focused on teleworking and new technologies, fully met the learning objectives set: “The podcasts allowed for a critical and in-depth analysis of contemporary challenges in work and labour relations, as expected. The students not only understood the theoretical concepts but were also able to apply them in relevant practical contexts”.

The experiment was born in the 2021/2022 academic year and will be repeated next year. The faculty has no doubts: “The positive feedback from the students and the quality of the work presented indicate that the podcast format is an effective strategy.”

Six podcasts on current issues in the world of work

This academic year (2023/2024), six podcasts have been produced in the “Contemporary Challenges of Work and Labour Relations” CU, covering topics such as the world of contingent work and freelancers, career change, the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking and face-to-face work, labour flexibility and the impact of the pandemic on the world of work.

The students' podcasts are listed below:

• "Onegig@atime" | Inês Monteiro e Julia García | Podcast: Onegig@atime (youtube.com)
• "Conversas de Carreiras" | Maria Silva, Lucas Espírito Santo e Dinis Oliveira | Podcast: Conversas de Carreiras (youtube.com)
• “Conversas entre Gerações” | Catarina Koehler, Carolina Rocha e Matias Cabral | Podcast: Conversas entre Gerações (youtube.com)
• "Conversas Laborais" | Benedita Tavares e Carolina Silva | Podcast Conversas Laborais (youtube.com)
• "Mais do que das 09 às 05" | Daniela Jara, Leonor Soares e Sofia Moreia | PodCast: Mais do que das 09 às 05 (youtube.com)
• "Techbank" | Francisca Faria, Mafalda Barbosa e Maria Carreira | Podcast: Techbank (youtube.com)