Podcasts are awesome

1. They’re free. 
2. They’re light and portable. You only need a phone and your earphones, which I would not leave the house without anyway.
3. They can be downloaded. Therefore you don’t rely on your internet connection and your phone plan. 
4. They’re hand-free. So you could just put an episode on and carry on washing the dishes, painting the guest room or changing a nappy.
5. If you subscribe, the new episodes are automatically marked in your app. No need to look for new content. 
6. You can find a podcast on any topic. 
7. They require no screen-time. After a day in front of the laptop, you can learn new things without having to strain your eyes further. 
8. Depending on what app you’re using, you can get an easy overview of the completed and queued up content. 
9. As with videos, you can adjust the replay settings, such as the speed and therefore get through episodes fast.

I understand that podcasts are not for everybody. IDOL Academy Member, Fe’Dricka Moore wrote about her love of Youtube for professional development. Videos are much better indeed in delivering visual concepts or introducing software-related content. Podcasts can’t compete with that and they shouldn’t. 

Unfortunately, I just don’t have time for Youtube. However I do find it incredibly satisfying when I leave the supermarket not only with my weekly shopping but with some tips on project management. Or when I come back from my morning run not only feeling accomplished because of the miles I had done, but because I’d gained some insight into augmented reality in training and development. 

The IDOL Podcast

I started out with the Become an IDOL Podcast episodes even before joining the IDOL courses Academy. I remember going for walks to think about what direction I wanted to take in my professional career and listening to Dr Robin Sargent chat about Instructional Design with her guests. The personal journeys of the members and the interviews with professionals gave me the boost I needed and I felt inspired. There have been some outstanding episodes with very knowledgeable guests offering their insights and that’s why I keep coming back to it. 

Other Podcast recommendations 

As with everything, there are many podcasts for Instructional Designer. In this blog I wanted to select my and the IDOL members’ favourites. So this is by no means an exhaustive list.

For newbies

IDOL Members’ Favourite: I’m New Here

As the title suggests, Nyla Spooner’s series targets newbies who are interested in the field of Instructional Design. Her calm but composed presentation style, the fact that she creates bite-sized episodes with “homework” to take away and the linear, almost course-like structure of her episodes, made her the most popular podcast among IDOL Academy Members. 

For new topics

That’s Awesome ID!

Leslie Early’s podcast is fairly new; she’s been releasing weekly content for less than a year, but she has had some big names from the ID field as guests. With so many podcasts out there that almost repeat the same content, what I like about Leslie’s podcast is that she goes for big ideas which also makes choosing episodes easy. 

The eLearning Coach Podcast

Connie Malamed’s website has a wealth of information, but I didn’t know for some time that she had a podcast too. Her episodes are published sporadically and even though there has not been a new one for a few months now, I am still going through her old content. What I like about her podcast is that she invites real experts and book authors and therefore listening to her interviews feels like sitting through an informative lecture. 

IDOL Members’ Favourite: The Dr Luke Hobson Podcast

Dr Luke Hobson’s fortnightly episodes are the most popular in this category among IDOL members. He has a very dynamic presentation style and his advice and resources have popped up a few times in the IDOL Community. I personally found his episode on building relationships with SMEs the best on this topic so far.

For continuous professional development

TLD Cast

The Training and Learning Development Community’s podcast is the audio-only version of their live-streamed broadcast that anybody can register to attend live and interact with. They showcase L&D professionals, talk about best practices and they’re great to pick up new resources or people to follow.

IDIODC - Instructional Designers in Offices Drinking Coffee

Every Wednesday Brent Schlenker and Chris Van Wingerden and their guest drink coffee in their offices while recording their podcast. These casual conversations are aired live and anybody can register to ask questions. In the over 150 episodes, they have brought up a range of interesting topics that could be useful for even experienced Instructional Designers. 

IDOL Members’ Favourite: Learning with Belvista Studios

When the Belvista Studios’ podcast came out as the winner of this category in my survey among IDOL members, I was not surprised. Kim Tuohy and her team analyse their ID processes and share a lot of useful content, including some awesome downloadables. At times it feels like sitting through their staff meeting and there’s always something to learn. 

As I said, this list is not complete and there are a few other ID podcasts I enjoy listening to. There is If You Ask Betty, the Dear Instructional Designer podcast or the funnily named If You Build It, Will they Learn? just to mention some. 

There’s also the BLOC Podcast, Your Brain On…, Accidental Trainer, The Overnight Trainer, Instructional ReDesign, The ID Fanatic Podcast, Learning Science Weekly, The Learning and Development Podcast, EdUp EdTech, Anchored in Learning, The Learning Hack, Learning Experience Leader, LXD Talks, The eLearning Podcast, Learning Uncut, The Learning and Development Podcast, Instruction by Design, eLearning Scenario Design or Women Talking About Learning.

I have discovered and learnt so much from podcasts and I love the fact that instead of it taking away from my free time, I could keep on learning while doing an everyday activity.

Ivett is a teacher turned Instructional Designer. She has over 8 years of experience in secondary schools and 5 years in EFL classrooms. As a life-long learner, she is passionate about sharing knowledge and creating meaningful learning experiences. Her niche is breaking concepts down and anticipating potential learning obstacles. Before the pandemic, she loved watching plays in the theatre and going on backpacking adventures. Connect with her on LinkedIn or check out her portfolio.