Tea for Teaching

The widespread adoption of and the rapid evolution of generative AI platforms have created substantial challenges for faculty in how we assess student learning. In this episode, Lew Ludwig and Todd Zakrajsek join us to discuss a new resource they have created that is designed to help faculty use AI to efficiently support teaching practices based on the science of learning. Lew is a Professor of Ma...

Ideally, college classrooms provide students with a comfortable but challenging environment in which diverse ideas and viewpoints are openly exchanged; the reality they experience, though, is often quite different. In this episode, David Laibson joins us to discuss how Harvard University is attempting to identify and address barriers to this ideal. David is the Robert I. Goldman Professor of Econo...

Teamwork skills are highly valued by employers but most faculty have not been trained to create effective team projects. In this episode, Tim Franz and Lauren Vicker join us to discuss a resource they developed to help faculty create more effective team assignments and projects. Tim is a Professor in the Psychology Department at St. John Fisher University and Lauren is a Professor Emeritus in the...

Student use of AI tools presents challenges for faculty teaching writing. In this episode, Anna Mills joins us to discuss when and how AI tools can be used to help students develop their writing skills. Anna has been a leader in exploring effective strategies for integrating AI into higher education in a manner that fosters the development of student critical literacy. Anna serves on the MLA Task...

The rapid evolution of AI tools provides a challenge for educators exploring educational applications. In this episode, José Antonio Bowen joins us to discuss ways in which faculty and institutions can better prepare students for their future lives and careers in a world in which AI tools are ubiquitous.  José has a joint PhD in musicology and humanities, served for several years as President of G...

Students are motivated to learn when they have autonomy and see the purpose in what they are learning. In this episode, Tara Chklovski joins us to discuss a curriculum in which students use AI tools to solve challenging problems in their communities. Tara is the founder and CEO of Technovation, a nonprofit developer of a curriculum used in over 160 countries and reaching over 400,000 students, to...

To understand what a concept is, we must also understand what it is not. In this episode, Bill Goffe joins us to discuss his study of the effect of the use of negative examples on student learning outcomes. Bill is a Teaching Professor in the Economics Department at Penn State.  He had previously been one of our colleagues here at SUNY Oswego. Bill is very well known in the profession for his Reso...

Disney is a common shared cultural experience. In this episode, Jill Peterfeso joins us to discuss how Disney’s pixie dust can hook students and provide opportunities for critical examination in a variety of disciplines. Jill is the Eli Franklin Craven and Minnie Phipps Craven Professor of Religious Studies at Guilford College. She is the author of Womanpriest: Tradition and Transgression in the C...

Antagonistic relationships with students are not uncommon—there is a history of faculty distrust of students. In this episode Michelle Miller joins us to discuss a same-side approach where faculty and students work together in support of student learning.  Michelle is a Professor of Psychological Sciences and President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University. She is the auth...

Women faculty of color in higher ed generally receive little training to prepare them for the challenges, unrelated to their teaching quality, that they experience in their careers. In this episode, Chavella Pittman joins us to discuss her new book, Empowered: A Woman Faculty of Color’s Guide to Teaching and Thriving, a resource she created to address these challenges and to help female faculty of...

It’s easy to become discouraged and disconnected in today’s higher ed climate. In this episode, Kelvin Thompson joins us to discuss his new project designed to provide us with a lift in challenging times. Kelvin is the Vice Provost for Online Strategy and Teaching Innovation at the University of Louisville. Kelvin developed the BlendKit Course open courseware as part of the Blended Learning Toolki...

Students engage when they see a connection between what they are learning and their future objectives. In this episode, Angela Bauer joins us to discuss the benefits of integrating life skills into a liberal arts curriculum. Angela is a biologist and the Provost and Executive Vice President at Texas Women’s University. Prior to this, she served in several  leadership positions at High Point Univer...

The rapid evolution of generative AI tools has introduced an expanding set of educational applications. In this episode, Dan Levy and Angela Perez Albertos join us to discuss how these changes are affecting faculty and classrooms. Dan is an economist and a senior lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University where he teaches courses in quantitative methods, policy analysis, and program evaluatio...

Students have varied levels of preparation for traditional types of classes and assessments used in colleges. In this episode, David Gooblar joins us to discuss a variety of instructional strategies that we can adopt to help all students succeed. David is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Iowa, a regular contributor to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the creator of Pedagogy...

The U.S. higher education system has been a primary source of research that fuels innovation in science and industry, provides students from low-income communities opportunity to escape from poverty, and enriches the lives of graduates. In this episode, Rebecca Winthrop joins us to discuss how changes in federal policy are affecting the U.S. educational system and, ultimately, our society.  Rebecc...

Faculty adoption and use of AI in higher education varies widely. In this episode, three colleagues from the University of Mississippi: Josh Eyler, Emily Pitts Donahoe, and Marc Watkins, provide their perspectives on AI use in higher education. Josh is the Senior Director of Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Emily is the Associate Director...

Instructional designers have played an increasingly important role in supporting instruction in all modalities. In this episode, Safary Wa-Mbaleka and Gianina-Estera Petre join us to discuss a new resource describing effective instructional design practices in a global context. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com .

Tenure is an employment protection threatened by changes in the labor market as well as declining public attitudes toward higher education and expertise. In this episode, Deepa Das Acevedo joins us to discuss the history of tenure, the value proposition of tenure, and what the cost to society and higher education would be if it were eliminated. Deepa is a legal anthropologist at Emory Law, the Edi...

Imagine exploring alternative teaching methods in a classroom focused on learning and not grades. In this episode, Russell Marcus joins us to discuss how this occurs in a two-week philosophy summer program. He is the Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College. Russell specializes in the philosophy of mathematics and the pedagogy of philosophy. He is a P...

Imagine having the ability to create personalized web applications that address your individualized needs. In this episode, Dave Ghidiu joins us to describe how you and your students can create such tools using a vibe coding process using free generative AI platforms. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com .

Colleges and universities have survived many challenges. In this episode, Ian McNeely joins us to discuss how public higher ed institutions continued to thrive despite the challenges of the Great Recession, low-quality online diploma mills, and the COVID pandemic. Ian is a Professor of History and Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,...

New faculty often begin their teaching careers by emulating the teaching methods that they have observed, but these practices are often not consistent with evidence on how students learn. In this episode, Chris Hakala joins us to discuss the role that educational developers can play in shifting faculty focus from presenting to teaching. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at h...

In past podcasts, we’ve often explored faculty concerns about student use of generative AI. In this episode, Kaija Hoyt joins us to discuss the evolution of her AI use. Kaija graduated from SUNY Oswego in May 2025 with a major in Human Resource Management and a minor in Mathematics. After graduation, Kaija provided a presentation on this topic to Oswego faculty and staff during an AI symposium.  A...

Microaggressions interfere with the learning process and damage class community. In this episode, Kaija Hoyt joins us to provide a student’s perspective on microaggressions and strategies to address them. Kaija graduated from SUNY Oswego in May 2025 with a major in Human Resource Management and a minor in Mathematics. She completed an honors thesis on “Mitigating Microaggressions in the Workplace....

Critical thinking skills are important in an environment where misinformation flourishes. In this episode, Linda Elder joins us to explore strategies higher ed institutions can use to encourage the development of critical thinking skills to improve the quality of life for students and faculty.  Linda is an educational psychologist and a leading authority on critical thinking. She is the President...