Tea for Teaching

Given the widespread availability of generative AI tools, traditional assessments of learning conducted in an unproctored environment have become unreliable indicators of student learning. In this episode, Jason Gulya joins us to discuss the potential benefits of shifting our focus to the process of learning.  Jason is Professor of English and Media Communications at Berkeley College, where he als...

Keeping up with the rapidly expanding capabilities of generative AI platforms is challenging, especially at campuses with heavy teaching loads and limited resources. In this episode, Racheal Fest joins us to discuss a multicampus AI professional development project that addresses some of these challenges. Racheal is a pedagogy specialist at the Faculty Center for Teaching, Learning, and Scholarshi...

Providing students with multimodal content can increase student learning, but creating such material can be costly and time consuming. In this episode, Oliver Steinbock joins us to discuss how he has used AI tools to generate songs and lyrics to support student learning. Oliver is the Cottrell Family Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University, who special...

Generative AI has disrupted familiar approaches to teaching and assessment, but also created new opportunities to reconsider what, and how, we want students to learn. In this episode, Travis Thurston and Beth Buyserie join us to discuss ways of using AI productively in our classrooms by shifting the focus of learning assessment from product to process. Travis is the founding Director of the Center...

Neurodivergent students bring varied strengths, needs, and ways of thinking to our classrooms. In this episode, Sarah Silverman joins us to discuss teaching strategies that reduce access friction, increase tolerance for error, and create more inclusive learning experiences for everyone. Sarah is an educator and faculty developer focusing on neurodiversity, disability studies, and inclusive instruc...

On past episodes of this podcast, we’ve discussed several stages of the career path for academics including the transition from grad school to faculty and decisions to move to administrative positions. In this episode, Alark Joshi and Victoria Hallinan join us to discuss the role that a postdoc may play in an academic’s career trajectory. Alark is a professor of Computer Science at the University...

Traditional grading systems encourage students to focus on final grades, sometimes at the expense of learning. In this episode, Jessamyn Neuhaus, Ashley Cambareri, and Cole Bailey discuss challenges associated with traditional and alternative grading systems. Jessamyn is the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and Professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University....

A growing proportion of college students report mental health challenges, but most student affairs practitioners, campus leaders, and faculty members have received little training in addressing mental health concerns. In this episode, Alexis Redding joins us to discuss a new resource designed to allow us to provide better support for students with these concerns. A transcript of this episode and s...

Institutions are increasing their focus on creating inclusive environments. In this episode, Megan Kohler joins us to discuss a course design framework she developed to support neurodiverse learners. Megan is an Assistant Teaching Professor and Learning Designer in the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute at Penn State. She is the recipient of the Marion G. Mitchell Award for Innovative Teaching a...

Faculty create large quantities of content, but aren’t always aware of their intellectual property rights, or lack thereof. In this episode, Kent Kauffman joins us to discuss legal issues associated with copyright law. Kent is a Professor of Business Law and MBA Programs Faculty Liaison in the Doermer School of Business at Purdue University Fort Wayne. He is also the author of Navigating Choppy Wa...

Students with strong critical thinking skills can make better decisions that have real consequences on their quality of life. In this episode, Michael Bishop joins us to discuss an approach to developing these skills that appears to have a persistent effect on students’ ability to avoid common cognitive biases. Michael is a professor of philosophy at Florida State University. His research interest...

Higher ed has become an increasingly complex and challenging environment to work in. In this episode, Susan Hrach and Kitty Maynard join us to discuss the role trained coaches can play in supporting agency, resilience, and career growth for college employees. Susan is the author of Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning. She’s served as a Fulbright Canada Disti...

Student motivation is enhanced when the framework of self-determination theory is used to design courses that support student autonomy. In this episode, Daniel Guberman and Chantal Levesque-Bristol join us to discuss a new resource designed to assist in the development of such courses. Daniel and Chantal have leadership roles at the Center for Instructional Excellence at Purdue University. Chantal...

A growing body of research indicates that asking questions about concepts students have not yet studied increases learning. In this episode, Steven Pan and Judith Schweppe join us to discuss how generative AI can facilitate this technique by generating prequestions.  Steven is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Learning Sciences Lab at the National University of Singapore...

Shortly before the start of the spring semester, Tim Curry joined us for an episode discussing his ambitious plan to create structured learning experiences for students using chatbots. In this episode, we check back to see how this experiment developed. Tim is a lecturer in the Department of Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University. He is developing AI applications for autism research and tr...

 Imagine having a virtual clone of yourself to assist your students whenever they need help and would track where students are struggling. In this episode, Joshua Gans joins us to discuss an attempt at creating an AI platform that accomplishes this. Joshua is a Professor of Strategic Management and Jeffrey S. Skill Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto’s R...

With the rise of AI, institutions are scrambling to provide guidance and policies for students and faculty. In this episode, Kathleen Landy and Joshua Foster join us to discuss a collaborative approach involving student government, administration, and faculty. Kathleen is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Genesee Community College. Prior to this, Kathleen has served in leaders...

The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” contains a provision eliminating federal loan availability for programs in which past graduates had early career earnings that fall below a designated threshold. In this episode, Debbie Furlong joins us to discuss the statistical measures used to determine federal loan eligibility.  Debbie has served for over 30 years doing applied higher education policy analysis at...

While there is substantial debate over the appropriate role of generative AI in higher education, one area of agreement is that AI cannot be ignored. In this episode, Annette Vee, Marc Watkins, and Derek Bruff join us to discuss what faculty need to know to be AI-aware in their teaching. Annette is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh where she has been actively involv...

The Universal Design for Learning framework is often adopted by individual faculty for particular courses. In this episode, Tom Tobin joins us to discuss the potential benefits associated with an institution-wide adoption of this framework. Tom is an internationally recognized scholar, author and speaker on technology mediated education, especially copyright, evaluation of teaching practices, acad...

Neurodivergent students experience challenges in traditional lecture settings. In this episode, Jennifer Pusateri joins us to discuss strategies to reduce these challenges while supporting and leveraging the strengths that neurodivergent students bring to our classrooms. Jennifer is the Senior Universal Design Consultant at The University of Kentucky and has served as the co-chair of the internati...

The use of instructor-narrated video slideshows has increased in response to both the growth of online instruction and increased use of flipped classroom teaching approaches. In this episode, Corinne Syrnyk and Alyson Kubat join us to discuss their study examining the impact on student learning of audio vs video narration and of the emotional tone conveyed by the instructor’s voice. A transcript o...

The growing capabilities of generative AI platforms have made it increasingly difficult for faculty to reliably distinguish between student work and AI-generated output. In this episode, David Wiley joins us to discuss the possibility of using random audits to promote academic integrity in a scalable manner.  David has an extensive record as an innovator, entrepreneur, and leader in open education...

The incentives of academia tend to focus faculty discussions within their narrow disciplinary fields. In this episode, David M. Perry joins us to discuss how faculty expertise can be used to enhance public discussions and decision-making. David is a journalist, a medieval historian, and the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in History at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. In addi...

While colleges and universities have made substantial progress in attracting a diverse mix of students, there are still substantial equity gaps in student outcomes. In this episode, Roberta Hurtado joins us to discuss approaches that can be used to reduce these gaps. Roberta is an associate professor in the English and Creative Writing Department here at SUNY Oswego, where she also serves as Direc...