Module: SPD5006-20 Sports Podcasting and Social Media

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor:  TBC

Module Tutor Contact Details: TBC

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module aims to give students an introduction to the ever-growing industry of sports podcasting and the maintenance of the podcast brand through a social media presence. 

The module will cover the entire process of researching, recording, and maintaining a podcast that is focused on sports and sporting events. 

Students will be required to conduct research on podcast formats, popular sports topics, and guests in order to create a successful and engaging topic for discussion. There will be class discussions on effective podcast names, visual brands, and guest acquisition in order for students to be exposed to the full-range of sports podcasts that are available today.

 Students will then be introduced to the technical elements required to record, edit, and produce their podcast to a professional standard, with varying budget sizes for equipment and software. The university has professional-grade recording and editing equipment available and students will be able to use these to create their podcast.

The module will then inform students on how to launch their podcast and maintain their listenership. The social media element will form a large part of the student’s experience with the module and be invaluable for industry employment. 

Throughout the module; research, technical knowledge, and client-communication will be the key to student success in sports podcasting. The work completed in this module will help students to progress into their L6 studies with technical and social media marketing skills being developed.

2. Outline syllabus: 

 The workshops and seminars will cover:

• Introduction to sports podcasting

• Research and Podcast Formats

• Budgets, Social Media, and Creating an Image

• Microphones and Recording Equipment

• The Recording Process: In-house

• The Recording Process: Virtual 

• Podcasting Editing

• Mixing Tips and Tricks

• Uploading a Podcast

• The big launch: Social Media and Marketing

• Continuing and Sustaining the Brand

• Growing an Audience

3. Teaching and learning activities: 

The module will use a mix of lectures, seminars, and student/group tutorials. Students will build on their learning by applying it to their own podcast idea. 

The lectures will:

• Introduce students to key concepts in research techniques. 

• Give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in current podcasts.

• Explain the theory of digital audio recording and microphone techniques.

• Encourage and facilitate class debate. 

• Demonstrate the importance of social media marketing.

The Seminars will:

• Allow students to design their podcast name and brand. 

• Allow students to practice recording audio, both for in-house and virtual environments.

• Give students the opportunity to edit and mix podcasts using Bath Spa University equipment. 

• Demonstrate the challenges faced with introducing video elements to the podcast.

The lectures will contain content from popular sports podcasting producers and presenters in order for students to see how successful sports podcasts are created and maintained. Students can use the knowledge obtained to make their own informed decisions on how they create their own podcast.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Creation of a sports podcasting artefact.

• % Weighting: 70%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Production folder with research, design timeline, and reflective evidence of the creation of the artefact.

• % Weighting: 30%