By By Nthabiseng Mondhlana
Images supplied by UJ
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) recently launched a library podcast studio at their main campus in Auckland Park to address academic needs for the time being. It will bring uncovered stories to the fore and enable storytellers to communicate information allowing for education, healing, happiness and closure.
In introducing this innovation, the university said the studio was part of its fourth industrial revolution (4IR) offering as it was vital to boost information accessibility, especially on subjects students might have missed.
Technology is ever evolving and so is the digital world. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was devastating in many ways including its impact on the global economy. On the positive side, it accelerated new ways of doing things with regard to remote education and work.
Innovations by institutions of higher learning like UJ are necessary to provide students and staff with resources to supplement their formal learning spaces and workspaces, making convenience universal, enabling them to learn or work outside traditional hours.
Currently, the studio is meant for academic content production and provision. Disappointingly, students cannot book it for personal projects except in instances where the faculty or lecturer has made its use part of completing a course assignment. Any member of staff interested in accessing the services would need to contact the UJ library to schedule studio times.
Panday Reneka, UJ’s marketing manager, believes the adoption of 4IR at tertiary institutions is crucial. “In any higher education institution, the fourth industrial revolution has to bring opportunities that can transform a student into a well-rounded individual who enters into the workforce powered by artificial intelligence,” Reneka said.
Podcasting is a growing phenomenon globally. Local surveyors, The Infinite Dial 2022 South Africa, noted an increase in listenership from 39% in 2019 to 61% this year. Over the last two years, monthly audio consumption increased by 56% among the major metro commercial population aged 15 years and older. YC
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