From analysis to practice: The creation of podcasts in special education teacher training

The use of digital technologies in teacher training represents a strategic lever for teaching innovation, especially in the field of educational support. In this context, educational podcasts emerge as effective tools to foster school inclusion and support personalized learning. The present study analyzed the process of selection, evaluation and use of applications for the creation of podcasts, as well as their impact on the training of future special needs teachers. The research was conducted as part of the Support Qualification Course of the University of Palermo, involving 96 students divided between lower and upper secondary schools. During two practical sessions of five hours each, students explored and tested a selection of podcast creation applications, previously evaluated through the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) by three independent evaluators. The results of the MARS evaluation highlighted the best performing applications, thanks to their intuitiveness, stability and quality of audio output.