The popularity of podcasts as a new mechanism for the dispensing of information as well as entertainment has exploded in the last decade. Given the increased popularity of podcasting, it is no surprise that the medium has been integrated into curriculum at colleges and universities, such as Chapman. CCI 304 taught by Professor Ryan Haley, seeks to provide a new generation of audio storytellers with the space and means for exploring the art of podcasting with a course that focuses on developing everything from the theme and ideation of the show to the launch of his students' very own podcasts.
Professor Haley got his start in the field of teaching podcasting soon after the completion of his teaching credentials. Chapman University and Wilkinson College Alum, Mike Gravagno ‘18, was working as a producer on the Chapman university podcast Catalyst, and recruited Haley to help with a series of workshops on podcasting for Chapman staff, students and faculty. Gravagno was instrumental in constructing the first iteration of the podcasting course in the Spring of 2019. Eventually, a move out of state for Gravagno left an opening for an expert in podcasting to fill the CCI course, Haley was the perfect fit for the position, and began teaching the podcasting section of CCI 304.
The course— CCI 304: Creative and Cultural Industries in Practice Podcasting—is designed to give students an introduction to the history and theory of podcasting in addition to the production side of running a podcast. This course gives students hands-on experience in audio storytelling, and those who come out of this 300 level course will know how to produce, edit, host, market and launch their own podcast based on their personal interests and career goals.
Throughout the class, students dissect podcasts to learn the techniques used to effectively tell a story. One half of the course focuses on learning about the history of podcasting– how it came to be and why it came to be. While the other part of the course requires each student to present a podcast on a topic they have identified, researched, and produced. The students are also responsible for writing and producing a section of the Chapman Catalyst Podcast, giving them the experience of what it is like to work on a show that may have a different audio style and/ or audience than what they would aim for in their own show. This can be an important lesson for those that may seek internships or jobs with podcasting networks down the road.
He acknowledges that many students come into his course feeling apprehensive because they’ve never sat down to edit a podcast at a computer or have worked with podcasting programs before. However, this course presents every single phase of the platform to students and by the end of the semester they’re equipped with the tools to create their very own podcasts. Regardless of whether they take it any further, he believes all of the students gain from the experience.
“Learning about the history of a subject is something that comes with most introductory courses”, Professor Haley notes. “Oftentimes students expect the history or procedural practicalities to be laid out in the first class, what they do not expect is to record their very first segment. It often surprises them. Haley goes on to explain that his course acts a bit like a lecture and a lab all at the same time, allowing for both the exploration of theories and technique as well as hands-on preparation. "Many students are intrigued by podcasts because they think all it takes is turning on the mic, talking with friends, and little to no production. While there are a lot of shows out there like that, the students soon realize that preparation and effort on the front end make for a more successful product, and end up being less stressful and more fun to do.
In the first two weeks of class students can expect to experience a lot of stuttering and brain freezes but Professor Haley explains that “as the semester goes on everyone in the class gets super comfortable in front of the mic to the point that when students leave the class they’re uncomfortable when there isn’t one.”
As mentioned, the students also write, record and produce segments for the Catalyst Podcast, now in its 8th season. Originally started by CCI staff members as a way to hold impactful conversations with influential creatives about their work and roles within the Creative and Cultural Industries, the goal in season was to use the 304 course to transition the students into creating these conversations. Professor Haley joked that once he joined the team, he inherited the platform from staff members who claimed that he was “so skilled and talented that [he] might as well take it over.” He explains that the way that his goal for the coming seasons is to introduce a wider variety of guests. “A few seasons ago we were stuck in this sand pit where we were solely interviewing Tik Tok stars and so right now our goal is to blossom from there and stretch our definitions of art and help my students and our listeners realize that there’s culture and creativity all around us and in every industry.” He explains that because of this, the struggle has been figuring out how to seek out these new definitions of art and more importantly how to prompt guests to open up to talk about their lives and industry in a different way than they’re used to. Haley goes on to say, “It's up to me and my students to get them to think about how their job is created and talk about it.” In the future Professor Haley says that he “sees an opportunity to expand what the program offers in terms of podcasting by introducing a whole field of podcasting classes because so many topics and skills are covered over the span of the semester that each of them could act as their own individual courses.” He loves that the students get the chance to dip their toes into every aspect of podcasting but it would be exciting to open the doors up to a podcast journalism class or a course that critically analyzes them.
When asked about what part of his job he enjoys the most, he says that for him “it’s seeing his students experience those lightbulb moments and watching the non-tech savvy students become tech wizards by the end of the semester.” In addition, he enjoys watching his introverted students realize that, “the microphone doesn't shut them up but rather it opens them up toward becoming more talkative, conversational, and extroverted in front of the mic.” However, his absolute favorite assignment is the One Movie Podcast, which he is excited to bring back this semester. “For this assignment I let the class vote on a movie that they thought was important to their generation and everyone was required to contribute episodes to a series dedicated to talking about that movie. Last semester's class chose Mean Girls and created a series called ‘Get In, We’re Going Podcasting,’ which featured episodes talking about the race relations in the film, a breakdown of the characters and an analysis of the fashion of the movie. He explains that he can't wait to do the project again this semester because he thinks it's “really important for students to pick their subject as much as possible. So the fact that they chose Mean Girls themselves, means that they are more invested in the project, and therefore it made the product more interesting for them and the listening audience.” His one and only rule is they can’t choose Shrek.
Something that has impressed Professor Haley is that CCI students come into his class from different disciplines that span the whole of the university. With majors from Film, Dance, Communications, Business, Political Science, English, and more he is always excited to see the students walk away with a realization that there are infinite ways to be creative and in turn use that creativity to get their voices heard. If you are interested in exploring the creativity of podcasting, consider taking Professor Haley's section of CCI 304. And in the meantime check out our podcast recommendations on the creative site, and don't forget to celebrate International Podcast Day this Friday, September 30, 2022 by checking out a new show.