The College of Education, Health & Society (EHS) has introduced "Reframe," a new podcast featuring the work of its faculty, students and alumni. Reframe was launched this January. There are currently eight podcasts posted under the "News" section of the EHS webpage.
"We decided to call it Reframe because [the podcast] is reframing society and culture, looking at it from a different perspective," said James Loy, the creator of the podcast. He said the podcast seeks to share the work of students and faculty and to communicate the fresh viewpoints that arise from their discoveries.
A copywriter and editor for EHS, Loy had already been writing articles about the work and accomplishments of EHS students and faculty. Having over 12 years of experience with radio and voice-over work, creating an audio version of those stories seemed like a natural next step.
Loy hopes the podcast will be a way for the college to reach and engage with a new audience.
"The podcast is a way to create more of an engaging story that relates to an audience at a different level," said Loy. "You are actually hearing the voices of the people that we interview... it kind of brings the story to life more, and some audiences may respond to that or it may resonate with them more than a written page."
Assistant Professor Andrew Saultz is also excited about the potential outreach of the podcast. Saultz's research on performance management parallels between teachers and physicians was featured in a "Reframe" episode. As he often does research on education policy, he feels it is vital to reach an audience beyond other researchers.
"I do a lot of research on education policy, and so when I complete research I try to reach out to media outlets - really try to get that message out to a different audience," said Saultz. "I know researchers might read my piece, but we are looking at other people that might influence education policy as well."
Associate Professor William Berg, whose research on movement was featured in Reframe, believes that connections with the community will be the most beneficial long-term impact of the podcast.
The awareness and connections created by the podcast could generate more support that could possibly translate into more funding, said Berg. It could also help faculty find research populations. Sometimes EHS researchers study special populations, for example people with a specific disease state.
Finally, Berg thinks that the connections generated will benefit students by finding outlets for internships, volunteering and other "real-world" experiences.
"If we are regularly featuring faculty and their research in social media, which students consume readily, they may learn about opportunities in their own institution that they otherwise wouldn't have known about," she said.
Amity Noltemeyer, an associate professor in the educational psychology department, agrees that the podcasts are an opportunity to create connections, especially with alumni. The "Reframe" episode on Noltemeyer's research on school culture involved an interview with a Miami alumnus and the alumnus' inclusion in the podcast strengthened her connection back to Miami, said Noltemeyer.
Noltemeyer also pointed out that featuring the work of students on the podcast is a way to recognize their achievements.
The podcast can also attract potential undergraduate and graduate students. The podcast can make information easily accessible to potential students that are considering attending Miami, said Professor Thomas Poetter, whose work with curriculum studies was highlighted in the podcast.
"Students who come to Miami are looking at our website. They are looking at it deeply. They are trying to find out answers to lots of questions, like 'Is this a place I'd like to come to school? What are the faculty like, what are they interested in doing?'" said Professor Thomas Poetter, whose work with curriculum studies was highlighted in the podcast.
Poetter believes that the podcast can make information about the students, faculty and culture of EHS easily accessible to potential students that are considering attending Miami, helping them come to a decision.
Now that the podcast has been created, it faces the task of increasing awareness and building its audience. Michelle Cosmah, a clinical faculty member whose work on evolving teacher environments was the topic of a podcast, believes that the biggest challenge for Reframe will be expanding its audience.
But for those who are listening, Cosmah thinks "Reframe" brings insight and reflection.
"[The podcast] is another avenue for learning," said Cosmah. "It really allows students to get to know their instructors better, to get to know their research, but also get to know what's important outside of the classroom content."