“SPACE PODCAST” EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

Secondary General Education School of Orlyonok Russian Children’s Center

Region:

Creating educational and entertaining content for teens in the format of podcasts on the topic of space exploration and the history of domestic and world cosmonautics.

In the process of finding new ways to motivate the young generation to absorb information, educational institutions should constantly analyze their information space, as modern teenagers are called the digital generation, because many of them are growing up in constant interaction with personal computers, mobile devices, and social media.

In 2021, Russia celebrates the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight into space. The semiannual rating of Yandex search queries containing the words “space”, “astronaut”, “space news”, confirms the need to use digital educational resources in the educational process, and demonstrates an increased interest in the aerospace industry among the younger generation. Most often Yandex users used audio-visual ways to get information. One of such ways was a podcast. A podcast is an audio file posted on the Internet in which the author, in monologue or with invited guests, discusses current topics. Podcast format resembles the radio, but the main difference is that they are often strictly segmented by genre and topic, and can be listened to at any time without fear of missing an airing. With the popularization of aerospace industry, the podcast can act as one of the effective channels to create and maintain the interest of teens in space exploration and the history of domestic cosmonautics.

Fifteen teens (aged 12–17) took part in the program. Eligibility criteria: 1. Demonstration of interest in the theme of space. 2. Confidence in performing in front of an audience. 3. Clear articulation of thoughts. 4. Ability to find and work with large amounts of information. 5. Availability of devices (computer, camera, etc.) is welcome. Program outcomes: Personal: 1. Learning how to create a podcast based on an understanding of the value content and opportunities to realize one’s own life plans. 2. Personal and social responsibility. 3. Fostering a culture of behavior and speech in students. 4. Ability to solve problems and make decisions. Subject-related: 1. Expanding the horizons and cognitive interests in history, physics, astronomy, and ICT. 2. Language Literacy. Meta-subject: 1. Ability to organize the work process. 2. Literacy in information and communication technology. 3. Development of creative and critical thinking.