Peer Review

WorkLife (Podcast)

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jan 20, 2026 by Psychology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

Well-known organizational psychologist Adam Grant hosts a TED podcast on wide-ranging workplace topics of interest to all (e.g., criticism, sexual harassment, perfectionism, leadership, etc.). The podcast is presented in 5 seasons with 8 to 12 episodes per season. Each episode is 30+ minutes in length.

The podcast provides beneficial lessons on how to adjust one’s perspective in different life situations, interactions with others, and reflection of self. This can be used in a variety of classes in which psychology, social work, human services, philosophy, and work skills are taught.

Type of Material:

Podcast (collection)

Recommended Uses:

Could present in class for class discussion.
Could be assigned to groups for group discussion.
Could be assigned as homework for a reflection essay.
Could be the topic of discussion posts in an online course.

Technical Requirements:

Two peer reviewers successfully used Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

The student will understand the workplace environment and common issues facing individuals and teams.
The student will learn from the scientific perspective as well as real life scenarios.
The student will learn strategies on how to work through the topic discussed.
The student will learn to think critically about the topics given different perspectives.
The student will learn how to adjust their thoughts and behavior in the workplace or other situations to their benefit.
The student will learn strategies to interact with others in a positive way.
The student will learn to identify their own self-destructive thoughts and behaviors.

Target Student Population:

College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional
Students in psychology, social work, human services, philosophy, and work skills classes

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

None

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The podcasts are very relatable, and the content consists of situations most people have experienced or are familiar with.
The podcasts give an optimistic vibe, and the scenarios are told in a way that is so intriguing that you must keep listening to know what happens next or what the actual lesson is.
The podcast teaches actual people skills that could be taught in any class.
The guest speakers are clear and interesting.
The podcast references scientific, or research-related, connections to the covered topics.

Concerns:

Some of the content can be supported by research and is accurate. However, some of the content is anecdotal and scenario-based.
From a teaching perspective, the podcast could benefit from a resource page.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

Topics are wide-ranging, and the presentation approach (e.g., discussion with guest speakers) is interesting.
The learner is encouraged to think broadly about a topic.
The style and content of the podcast episodes would allow them to be used at any degree level.
Overall, the podcasts take the class out of the classroom and put the lessons in real life situations.

Concerns:

Podcasts can be a very engaging way to illustrate concepts and points; however, they are not a stand-alone assignment. Faculty using them in class will want to develop learning objectives (see the Learning Objectives detailed above in this review) and follow-up learning exercises or assignments.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

The podcasts are easy to access and use, and the recordings are professionally presented.
The podcasts are associated with time-stamped transcripts. This addresses an important "ease of use" and accessibility requirement.

Concerns:

This is an auditory-only resource which, at 30+ minutes per episode, may seem long by contemporary college students standards (i.e., some student may feel 30+ minutes is lengthy)

Other Issues and Comments:

The podcast episodes provide valuable life lessons that are applicable not only in the workplace but in most situations in life.
Overall, this podcast covers information that can be used to support learning objectives for many classes. The topics are relevant and give the listener clear perspectives to think about. The guest speakers fit into the topic of the conversation for each episode.
The peer reviewers are using the podcast episodes in a Senior Seminar course, a Gender Race and Violence course, and Social Problems and Life Span Courses.

Creative Commons: