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Case study: Creating a podcast using Gen AI to support student learning

Department of Chemistry
David Smith

In the following article from the Journal of Chemical Education, David reports on the process he undertook to develop and evaluate a podcast to support student learning of organic reaction mechanisms. He used NotebookLM to create the podcast, uploading his own article on the topic as source material. He then evaluated the podcast to identify issues and areas for improvement, and engaged in a process allowing him to correct or mitigate some of the issues before releasing it to students as an optional additional resource ideal for consolidation week on a year 1 Undergraduate module.

To evaluate the podcast, David distributed a survey to students which was completed by 48 out of a total of 275 students on the module. Those who had listened to the podcast (n=28) were asked for their thoughts on it as a learning resource. Those who had not (n=20) were asked for their reasoning. All students were then asked about their attitudes towards the use of AI in education. Key findings included:

  • Listeners were positive about the use of podcasts as an additional resource; less so about the prospect of podcasts as replacements for lectures. They valued multiple aspects, finding it to be enjoyable and worthwhile, although a significant number commented on the generic American-accented voices being 'annoying'.

  • Non-listeners were primarily driven by disagreement with the use of AI in Education, along with a sense that it was not necessary or of interest to them.

  • Attitudes to the use of Gen AI in education in general had a bearing on attitudes towards the podcast with those more positive about the former also being more positive about the latter.

Reflecting on his experiences, David notes that, although the quality of the podcast exceeded all his initial expectations, there were limitations he was not able to readily overcome such as challenges correcting specific errors or incorporating graphical elements. He also felt that the inability to change 'voice' also currently limits the ability to make varied podcasts and increase diversity/inclusivity. While pointing to key ethical issues surrounding the uses of AI to create resources such as this, he notes the process provided a time-efficient and educationally positive route to creating supplementary resources and highlights other, more potentially transformative possible uses in future.

Read the full article from the following webpage: Creating a Podcast Using Generative Artificial Intelligence to Support Student Learning of Organic Reaction Mechanisms

Reference:
Smith, D. K. (2026) Creating a Podcast Using Generative Artificial Intelligence to Support Student Learning of Organic Reaction Mechanisms, Journal of Chemical Education. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c01652