Podcasts have become a dynamic tool in higher education, offering faculty innovative ways to engage students and connect course content to broader learning goals. Podcasts are inherently engaging, offering a conversational format that appeals to today’s students. According to recent data, over half of U.S. adults (54%) have listened to a podcast in the past year, with younger adults (ages 18–29) being the most frequent listeners (67%) (Pew Research Center, 2025). As such, podcasts are a natural fit for introductory courses, where students may be new to the discipline and benefit from relatable, accessible content.
The Speaking of Psychology podcast, produced by APA, provides accessible, up-to-date psychological science with most episodes just 25 minutes in length. These podcasts cover a wide range of topics relevant to diverse audiences, including parents, seniors, educators, and college students, making it easy for faculty to select episodes that resonate with their students. Podcasts can spark curiosity and motivate students to explore psychological science beyond the textbook. The engaging format and real-world relevance of Speaking of Psychology help students see the diversity of the field and its impact on everyday life. Episodes often present current research, controversies, and applications, prompting students to evaluate evidence, consider methodological issues, and reflect on the implications of psychological findings. Listening to, critically analyzing, and discussing these podcast episodes provide opportunities for students to develop psychological literacy and communication skills. Podcasts expose students to a variety of career paths, research areas, and professional issues in psychology. Episodes featuring psychologists from different subfields can help students envision their own trajectory.
Importantly, it is easy to align the content of the podcasts with the APA Guidelines for Undergraduate Psychology Major 3.0, helping faculty meet the discipline’s core educational objectives (APA, 2023). For example, episodes on extremism or happiness illustrate real-world applications of psychological theory (Goal 1), encourage scientific reasoning and critique of evidence (Goal 2), and prompt ethical discussions (Goal 3). Faculty can use podcast content to stimulate classroom discussion, assign reflective writing, or design projects that require students to connect podcast themes to foundational indicators in the guidelines.
Consider the following practical strategies to include the podcast in your courses:
- Episode selection: Choose episodes that align with specific learning outcomes or current course topics.
- Discussion prompts: Use podcast content to generate in-class or online discussions, encouraging students to connect theory to practice.
- Reflective assignments: Assign reflective writing or presentations based on podcast episodes, asking students to relate content to APA learning goals.
- Interdisciplinary connections: Highlight how psychological science intersects with other fields, as discussed in the podcast.
- Assessment: Use podcast-based activities to assess student understanding of key concepts, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Beth M. Schwartz, PhD, is the senior director of precollege and undergraduate psychology education, supporting quality teaching and learning of psychology from high school through the undergraduate curriculum, fostering a community that exchanges pedagogical best practices, supports the needs of students and educators, advocates for the importance of education in psychology, and promotes an understanding of the field’s breadth, skills developed, and the vast career opportunities. Beth has more than 30 years in the field of psychology, with much of her career as a faculty member and chief academic officer in higher education before joining the staff at APA. Beth earned her PhD and MA in experimental psychology from The State University of New York, Buffalo, and her BA in psychology from Colby College.
David S. Kreiner, PhD, is a professor of psychological science at the University of Central Missouri, where he has been on the faculty since 1990. He earned a BA in psychology and a PhD in human experimental psychology, both from the University of Texas at Austin. He teaches General (Intro.) Psychology, Research Design & Analysis I and II, Cognitive Psychology, and a capstone course, History of Psychology. His research interests include cognitive psychology, particularly in language processing and memory, as well as research on the teaching of psychology. He is the 2026 co-chair of APA’s Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE) and the 2026 president-elect of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).
