Audacity in the Classroom

This teaching guide is focused on faculty who have never used an audio editing program before but are interested in learning how to incorporate audio projects into their classrooms in some form--from student audio projects to class podcasts. This guide is focused on using Audacity(opens in new window), which is a free, open-source multi-track audio editing software that can be downloaded online. Audacity is also officially supported software through TLP, DLT and ITSS.  

With the growing role of social media and digital technologies in the classroom, more faculty and students are turning to multimedia as part of teaching and learning today, with podcasts becoming an especially popular medium. Knowing how to use a free audio editing platform like Audacity can open up new classroom possibilities, such as taking a pre-recorded video lecture and making it available as a podcast or .mp3 file in Blackboard (or similar LMS). This provides students with multiple ways to engage your class content and can also help students with special instructional needs.

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• RESEARCH

  Examine selected research on using Audacity for classroom audio and podcasting:

  Tilton, S. (2016). National Communication Association. eTools: Using Audacity in the Classroom (PDF).https://www.natcom.org/sites/default/files/pages/eTools_Audacity_%20March2016.pdf (PDF)

  Watkins, D. (2016. September 27). Opensource.com. A quick introduction to Audacity for teachers. https://opensource.com/education/16/9/audacity-classroom(opens in new window)

  (2009, April 8). WordPress.com. 10 great ways to use Audacity with your Students. https://kerileebeasley.com/2009/04/08/10-great-ways-to-use-audacity-with-your-students/(opens in new window)

  Kline, D. B. (2015). Education World. Tech in the Classroom: Podcasting With Audacity. https://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech_in_classroom/podcasting_with_audacity.shtml(opens in new window)

  Abdous, M., Camarena, M., & Facer, B. (2009). MALL Technology: Use of Academic Podcasting in the Foreign Language Classroom. ReCALL, 21(1), 76-95. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344009000020(opens in new window)

  Tatem, D. Digital Learning & Scholarship, Trinity College, Hartford CT. Podcasting with Audacity. https://edtech.domains.trincoll.edu/podcasting-with-audacity/ (opens in new window)

  (2022, March 10). Buzzsprout. Audacity Tutorial: 17 Essential Podcast Recording & Editing Tips. https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/audacity-tutorial(opens in new window)

  Mammina, A. (2017, September 14). EducationWeek. Teaching the Art of Listening: How to Use Podcasts in the Classroom. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teaching-the-art-of-listening-how-to-use-podcasts-in-the-classroom/2017/09(opens in new window)

  CSU Chico Faculty Development. (2020). Spotify for Podcasters. Rise, Tech, Learn. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/facultydevelopment(opens in new window)

  The Office of Faculty Development, California State University Chico. Podcasting for Teaching & Learning. https://www.csuchico.edu/fdev/fdev-teaching-guides/teachingguide-2.shtml(opens in new window)

   Ferrari, C. (2020, December 4). California State University, Chico. Friday Forum: Podcasting for Teaching & Learning. https://media.csuchico.edu/media/Friday+ForumA+Podcasting+for+Teaching+%26+Learning/1_bmm2n0a3/180807641(opens in new window)

• APPLICATION

  Ready to use Audacity in your teaching? Here are some ideas and strategies to get you started:

  If you are already providing recorded video lectures as part of your class, it's a simple step to add an audio option alongside those videos for your classes. With Audacity, all you have to do is import your pre-recorded video file (i.e., mp4 or mov file) into Audacity and it will automatically extract the audio from the video file. Now you have an audio version of your class video lectures that you can edit further or save and export as an .mp3 file to share with your class.

  Another way to incorporate audio into your classrooms is to have students produce their own audio projects (linked to a theme in class, as a group project, or as an option in place of a final paper or exam). For example, students in a politics or anthropology class might interview peers or family members throughout the semester, and then submit a final class podcast that reflects their learning and engagement with the materials and audio content.

  Using audio projects in class also has the added benefit of being easier to manage in a pandemic context since recordings can be done at a distance via phone/computer. For students who are not comfortable being on camera, this also provides a way to have their voices and perspectives included while avoiding video recording concerns. Because audio files are typically far smaller than video, they also help promote digital equity and internet access issues, another important aspect of educational access. Since Audacity is open-access and free, students have equal access to the software.