Student-Developed Podcasts as an Accessible Pedagogical Model for Teaching Rehabilitation Technologies

Abstract

Emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming rehabilitation, yet integrating these rapidly evolving topics into undergraduate curricula remains challenging. This paper presents a Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-informed pedagogical model that uses student developed podcasts to support learning about rehabilitation technologies in an undergraduate motor control and learning course. Students critically evaluate evidence related to a selected rehabilitation technology, synthesize findings regarding its application in rehabilitation practice, and communicate those findings to a broad audience through an interview-style podcast and transcript. The assignment promotes science communication, critical appraisal, and knowledge translation by requiring students to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible language for broad, non-specialist audiences. As a multi-modal assessment strategy, the model provides alternative pathways for demonstrating knowledge while supporting competencies relevant to evidence-based rehabilitation practice. The approach offers a practical and transferable framework for integrating emerging technologies into rehabilitation and health sciences curricula.