THE USE OF PODCASTS AS A TEACHING RESOURCE IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEANINGFUL LEARNING, DIGITAL LITERACY, AND STUDENT EMPOWERMENT
Keywords:
Podcast, Distance Education, Meaningful Learning, Digital Literacy, Student EmpowermentAbstract
The transformations brought about by digital technologies have significantly impacted educational processes, especially in the context of Distance Education (DE), which is consolidating itself as a strategic modality for democratizing access to education. In this scenario, it becomes essential to reflect on pedagogical resources capable of promoting not only access to content, but also engagement, autonomy, and meaningful learning for students. Podcasts, as a widely disseminated digital sound medium in contemporary culture, present themselves as a promising tool for technology-mediated educational practices. This article aims to analyze the use of podcasts as a didactic resource in DE, discussing its potential and limitations with regard to meaningful learning, digital literacy, and student protagonism. Methodologically, this is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research, based on a bibliographic review of authors who discuss Distance Education, active methodologies, digital literacy, and educational media. The results indicate that podcasts promote flexible access to knowledge, encourage authorship practices, and strengthen student engagement, provided they are integrated into intentional pedagogical planning and critically mediated by the teacher. It is concluded that podcasts are consolidating themselves as an innovative and strategic resource for distance education, articulating technology, language, and education in more inclusive, collaborative, and meaningful formative experiences.
