“Reli auf Lehramt” is an open podcast, with each episode focusing on a key topic within the study of Protestant religious education. The podcast was developed as part of the “Doing Digital Theology” project at the Institute for Protestant Theology at the University of Cologne.
In this interview, the project’s initiators, Dr Annika Krahn and Frank Seifert, talk about how the podcast came about and the various stages of its development.
“Reli auf Lehramt” is one of the Open Educational Resources (OER) featured in our showcase. All episodes are available under the CC BY licence on the Ilias platform at the University of Cologne.
Magdalena Spaude (M.S): Could you please explain what this resource is all about?
Dr Annika Krahn and Frank Seifert (A.K. & F.S.): The podcast series “Reli auf Lehramt” focuses on conversations with students, lecturers and other experts about key topics in the study of Protestant religious education; these discussions are both academically sound and grounded in the realities of student life.
The first few episodes begin with what are known as ‘subject introductions’. In these, professors from the institute provide clear and accessible introductions to the theological disciplines (Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Systematic Theology and Religious Education). Further topics are introduced later on, such as school pastoral care, teacher training, and religious education for sustainable development. We therefore discuss both the fundamentals and specific issues that actually arise during studies and on the path to becoming a teacher.
M.S.: What is the background to this project, and why is this material published as an OER?
A.K. & F.S.: The idea took shape during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we, as lecturers, were tired of Zoom but, precisely for that reason, motivated to develop more engaging digital teaching and learning formats. Furthermore, at the time, traditional portfolio assignments or presentations seemed too monotonous for everyone involved. That is why we set the students the task of applying their knowledge and demonstrating their competence by discussing a thematic aspect of our respective courses in a podcast episode. Some of the learning outputs were of such high quality that we felt they were worth sharing and could be put to further use. OER was the logical next step, as the material needed to be permanently available in the spirit of accessible remote learning. Thanks to funding from the digi-Fellows programme, we were able to realise our idea on a larger scale.
M.S.: Can you describe the key steps you went through when creating the resource?
A.K. & F.S.: We deliberately designed the format to be accessible: generally short episodes, mostly in the form of interviews, lasting around 30 to 40 minutes and always linked to the core curricula of the respective school type. We were able to secure not only motivated students from our courses as interviewees, but also lecturers from our department and external experts. Our student assistant helped us both with setting up our small podcast studio and with preparing the content, and even conducted the interviews with all the guests. We shouldn’t gloss over the fact that some recordings weren’t one-takes or couldn’t be published at all. All in all, however, we’ve produced over 20 episodes of which we are very proud.
M.S.: How do you personally make use of this resource?
A.K. & F.S.: In our courses, we mainly use individual episodes to introduce topics or to provide optional further study of the material. The introductory episodes also serve as a useful guide for new students, whilst the in-depth episodes are ideal for exam preparation.
M.S.: Have you noticed how others – such as teachers, students or self-learners – are using the resource? Can you give an example of feedback that has particularly stuck in your mind?
A.K. & F.S.: We received a request from our partner university asking if, as ‘podcast experts’, we could share our experiences and offer advice on how to get a project like this off the ground.
Find the podcast “Reli auf Lehramt” on the University of Cologne’s OER platform.
