ShelfSense: Teaching, Advocacy, and the Power of Podcasting
Cynthia Barstow
Department of Marketing, Isenberg School of Management
A Call to Action
In 2010, Cynthia Barstow, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Founder of Protect Our Breasts was diagnosed with breast cancer. This diagnosis led Cynthia into a deep dive into breast cancer research and a call to action to inform the public, in particular her students, about the connections between harmful chemicals and carcinogens that lead to breast cancer. Cynthia learned about research identifying key periods in a woman's life when breast tissue is especially vulnerable to environmental exposures. These include prenatal development, puberty, and the period before a first full-term pregnancy and menopause. During these times, breast cells are more proliferative and less differentiated, making them more susceptible to carcinogenic influences (Terry et al, 2019; American College of Pediatrics, 2019). Cynthia recognized that the research underscored the particular susceptibility of her students. She realized that getting information to younger women about the positive choices they could make to steer clear from endocrine disrupters, carcinogenic ingredients in everyday products was more important than ever.
During the time of her diagnosis, Cynthia was teaching Consumer Behavior. She decided to co-create an outreach and advocacy platform, via Facebook, with her students to inform the public about breast cancer research. The advocacy platform quickly grew with the help of dedicated business and science students and Protect Our Breasts was born. A Protect Our Breasts Chapter is an on-campus student organization that shares information about environmental toxins that contribute to breast cancer. There are currently 50 chapters worldwide!
“We were stunned... Our directive was made crystal clear: translate the science with biology advisors into messages that young women can apply to themselves now – immediately – to protect their breasts and prevent a diagnosis later in life.” (Protect Our Breasts)
This pivotal moment in Cynthia’s teaching career and personal life launched her pedagogical commitment to
- Practicing open pedagogy
- Creating content that “lives” on popular mainstream platforms with her students, and
- Using teaching methods and strategies that resonate with Generation Z.
Action Step: Podcasting
Cynthia continues to evolve, with her students, in designing learning experiences that are engaging and thought provoking. Knowing that Generation Z learners, in general, respond to technology-enhanced teaching and learning environments, Cynthia sought to create digital content for her courses that offered to students expert voices from industry leaders and an immersive experience to interpret and apply data in through the lens of storytelling.
Podcasting offers a multimedia experience for students that engages attention and critical thinking skills. Paired with printed transcripts, podcasts align with the principle of Multiple Means of Representation in the Universal Design for Learning framework. As each episode is told from the perspective of an industry leader and Generation Z participant, content is presented with the “consideration of how people, cultures, individual and collective identities, perspectives, and ways of knowing are represented within the content. Learning, and transfer of learning, occurs when multiple representations and perspectives are used, because they support learners to make connections within, as well as between, concepts” (CAST, 2024).
The use of podcasts in higher education classrooms is growing. Podcasts offer a flexible, engaging, and accessible way to deliver complex content, especially for auditory learners (Spinelle, 2019; Prince, 2020). They allow students to revisit classroom material at their own pace, which enhances comprehension and retention. They promote critical thinking and storytelling skills, making them a powerful tool for content-rich subjects (Besser, Blackwell, & Saenz, 2021; Prince, 2020).
Cynthia started podcasting in the Spring 2025 semester while teaching Influencer Marketing. Cynthia’s students were required to write marketing briefs, a document that outlines a marketing campaign with creative strategies, key points of communication, client information, and deadlines. She wrote her own brief alongside her students, modeling the format, expectations, and design thinking. It was at this moment that Cynthia began to discover the benefits of a podcast that would engage her Generation Z learners, connect her students with industry leaders in the natural and organic food movement, and provide valuable public health information to a wide audience.
As the semester progressed, Cynthia developed the concept and positioning strategy for her podcast and began to work on a robust library of podcasts for her Marketing for Health and Wellness course. The podcast, ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff, brings together natural products change-makers who share their stories with younger generations, so together they can help make sense of what’s on our shelves. She solicited the help of two volunteer students with expertise in audio equipment. Together, they created a trailer for the podcast that Cynthia unveiled on the last day of the semester. Cynthia’s students hooted and clapped at her accomplishment. They offered praise and amazement that Cynthia’s brief moved from an assignment exemplar to a full product within a few short months. They were inspired.
ShelfSense: Stories Behind our Stuff
What's Up with the Little Brownie Bits in our Ice Cream?
Cynthia’s students in Spring 2025 in Influencer Marketing fed her drive to do something new, something different. ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff is Marketing for Health. Each episode pairs an industry leader with a student from Generation Z in a conversation about sustainable product innovation. The episodes align with weekly course content and form a bedrock that students explore, analyze, interpret, and influence concrete action steps. Cynthia’s students continue to assist with the technical aspects of the podcast. And, future students will collaborate on scriptwriting, editing, outreach, and scheduling.
“I’ve been teaching for 30 years- and every year is different. If I stayed wedded to my lectures, lessons, and curricula, I would not have done this. I would not have examined what my students need, in the formats they need to engage fully with content.”
Cynthia’s Advice on How to Get Started
“Learning how to create podcasts, while time consuming and overwhelming at times, presented me with an important challenge: to learn something new. This has reinvigorated my teaching. I am a co-learner with my students and have allowed myself to be vulnerable alongside them. Ask yourself:
- Is there an audience that will care about your podcasts?
- Do you have the time and space to learn podcasting skills??
- Are you excited about what’s possible??
If you’ve answered yes, do it!”
- Write a Brief
Start by drafting a short document that outlines the purpose of your podcast. This will help everyone stay aligned on the goals, tone, and target audience. - Create a Clear and Concise Description
Develop a summary that captures the main themes and objectives of the podcast. This description will guide your content and help listeners understand what to expect. - Create Artwork for the Podcast
Design a visually appealing cover image that represents your podcast’s theme and tone. This artwork will appear on podcasting platforms and is key to attracting listeners. - Identify Appropriate Social Media
Choose the best social media platforms to promote your podcast and engage with your audience. You can also tailor posts for specific episodes to reach different groups. - Organize the Work in a Robust Schedule
Create a timeline with clear deadlines and assign tasks to each team member. A well-structured schedule ensures the project stays on track and everyone knows their responsibilities. - Record and Edit the Podcast
Use recording tools to capture your audio, then edit it to improve sound quality and flow. This step is crucial for making your podcast sound professional and engaging.
Promote the Podcast to the Public
Share your podcast through social media, email, and other channels to reach your audience. Think about creative ways to generate interest and encourage people to listen and share
References and Resources
American College of Pediatricians. (2019, October). Reproductive choices of young women affecting future breast cancer risk. https://acpeds.org/reproductive-choices-of-young-women-affecting-future-breast-cancer-risk/
Besser, E. D., Blackwell, L. E., & Saenz, M. (2021, February). Engaging students through educational podcasting: Three stories of implementation. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 27(3), 749–764. Springer. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10758-021-09503-8.pdf
CAST (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org
Onjewu, A.-K. E., Godwin, E. S., Azizsafaei, F., & Appiah, D. (2024). The influence of technology use on learning skills among generation Z: A gender and cross-country analysis. Industry and Higher Education, 39(2), 139-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222241263227
Prince, B. F. (2020). Podcasts: The Potential and Possibilities. Teaching Sociology, 48(4), 269-271. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X20959837
Protect Our Breasts. (2025). Our story. Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. https://protectourbreasts.org/our-story/
Seemiller, C., & Grace, M. (2017). Generation Z: Educating and Engaging the Next Generation of Students. About Campus, 22(3), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1002/abc.21293
ShelfSense. (2025). ShelfSense: Stories behind our stuff [Audio podcast]. Podcast App. https://podcast.app/shelfsense-stories-behind-our-stuff-p6530255
Spinelle, J. (2019, January 2). Why 2019 will be the year of the podcast in higher education — and what it means for the industry. Discover Pods. https://discoverpods.com/2019-podcast-higher-education/
Terry, M.B., Michels, K.B., Brody, J.G. et al. Environmental exposures during windows of susceptibility for breast cancer: a framework for prevention research. Breast Cancer Res 21, 96 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-019-1168-2