Year '21 podcast used as teaching aid for A-level pupils

BBC News NI's weekly Year '21 podcast is central to a new BBC Sounds audio site for A-Level students.

The Year '21 podcast, presented by Declan Harvey and Tara Mills, explores how Northern Ireland was created one hundred years ago.

A number of episodes are included in the new BBC Sounds for Studying site.

The website contains audio for pupils across the UK taking A-Levels or Scottish Highers.

Sounds for Studying contains audio from across the BBC for subjects including English Literature, Philosophy, History, Religion, Psychology, Politics, Media Studies and Geography.

It is introduced by the presenter and DJ Katie Thistleton.

Each piece of audio has been chosen by A-Level teachers to fit the core A-Level and Highers curriculum.

The Year '21 podcast is included as part of the Sounds for Study site for History, which also contains material from BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service.

A new episode of Year '21 is released every Friday

A number of teachers from Northern Ireland were involved in choosing audio for the new site, including Julie McDonald who teaches History at Methodist College in Belfast.

She said the Year '21 podcast had been "an excellent resource" and "not just for History students".

"It is a perfect balance of historical research and anecdotal insights - you learn but it doesn't feel like you are being taught," she said.

"It feels like you are listening in on a really interesting conversation.

"I think history students and teachers have benefited from the focus on centenary events as it has led to old materials being brought to light, but also new research and it helps to encourage people to make that vital link between the past and their present."

• New podcast explores partition and NI's centenary

Ms McDonald said that podcasts were being used by more pupils and were "a real opportunity for learning".

"Students do listen to podcasts on their own areas and people of interest, so it's a platform that they are keen to use," she said.

"The added convenience of being able to listen while on the go helps too.

"They can listen when they are out for a run or walk, while travelling to school and because a number of the programmes are short they can fit it in easily."

"They can personalise the timings and the programmes they listen to according to what works for them."

"Listening is such a vital skill and Sounds for Studying helps develop this."

Declan McCay, head of Senior School at Thornhill college, was involved in curating audio for Sounds for Studying

The Head of Senior School and teacher of Religious Studies at Thornhill College in Derry, Declan McCay, was also involved in identifying audio in Religious Studies for Sounds for Studying.

He said that the programmes and podcasts on the site would reinforce what pupils learnt in the classroom.

"Listening to the podcasts can help consolidate their understanding of material that has been covered in class and the podcasts are easily accessible through their mobile phones," he said.

"While I am confident that some students will use the resource, I know that many students would prefer to stick to learning from class notes or may prefer a programme presented using audio and visual material as opposed to a podcast."

'Discussed beyond the classroom'

Mr McCay said he particularly enjoyed listening to some of the programmes on ethics for Sounds for Studying.

"To hear a modern and lively discussion about Thomas Aquinas or Jeremy Bentham was a welcome change from reading about them," he said.

"It's also reassuring to know that the ethical theories we discuss in school are considered relevant beyond the classroom."

While the majority of the teachers involved in curating audio for Sounds for Studying are from Northern Ireland, the content is aimed at all A-level and Highers students across the UK.

Year '21 has been nominated for Podcast of the Year at the IMRO radio awards.

The winners of the awards - which celebrate the best in Irish radio broadcasting - will be revealed in a virtual ceremony later today.

The podcast was also selected as a finalist in two categories at the New York Festivals Radio Awards.

You can listen to all episodes of Year '21 on BBC Sounds.