TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast

About Episode 60: Dr. Kelvin Bentley joins co-hosts Kelvin Thompson and Tom Cavanagh to discuss how our field and its leaders are growing in strategic importance. The value of strengthening personal and organizational networks is emphasized. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 60 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee...

About Episode 59: Tom and Kelvin devote an entire episode to one of the pillars of successful online education programs: the preparation of faculty for online course design and teaching. Varieties of faculty development approaches are discussed. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 59 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Co...

About Episode 58: In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom learn to have “fun with regulations” as guests Russ Poulin and Cheryl Dowd from WCET provide an update on timely topics from the US higher education policy context. Russ and Cheryl’s enthusiasm for the topics is infectious. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 58 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of...

About Episode 57: Tuition reimbursement programs have been around for many years. In this episode, though, join hosts Tom and Kelvin as they uncover how modern education as an employee benefit programs align with the aspirations of online higher education.  Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 57 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitte...

About Episode 56: Many of us in online education have struggled to implement online course design in STEM disciplines. In this episode, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson discuss reasons for this disconnect and how we might work together to innovate and cross the chasm to benefit students. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 56 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter Vie...

About Episode 55: In this episode, Tom and Kelvin are joined by Dr. Susan Wegmann as she shares her experience of transitioning from teaching online to leading digital learning for an entire institution. Listeners are encouraged to reflect upon the lessons learned from their own journeys. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 55 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View comple...

About Episode 54: In this episode, TOPcast hosts Kelvin and Tom talk through how “starting simply”, with the essentials, in online design/teaching and then iterating over time will make for a more successful experience for all concerned. These principles hold for other kinds of digital learning implementations. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 54 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis...

About Episode 53: Returning guest Dr. Liz Ciabocchi joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to consider the current state of diversity and inclusivity within the ranks of online learning leaders. While a sobering conversation to be sure, this episode is filled with data and optimism. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2019 OLC IELOL Immersion Experience. Podcast Recording Download epi...

About Episode 52: In this episode, Tom and Kelvin are joined by Dr. Casey Green who shares his decades long observations about the evolving nature of leadership in higher ed’s technology-mediated teaching and learning initiatives. A key theme is the sustainability of our digital learning efforts. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 52 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter Vie...

About Episode 51: Textbook affordability is important to students, parents, policymakers, and online education professionals. Reducing the functional cost to students of course materials is a complex challenge. In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss one multifaceted strategy for meeting this challenge. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 51 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis vi...

About Episode 50: Providing evidence of quality assurance efforts for online education goes a long way toward addressing the concerns of stakeholders, novices, and naysayers. In this episode, Dr. Deb Miller joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to share the details of one state’s system-wide approach to better conveying evidence of online quality. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 50 Sho...

About Episode 49: In the fifth season kick-off, hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh reflect on what makes them crazy about the field of online education and what online practitioners might do to remedy the situation. This is a great episode to share and discuss with colleagues inside and outside the field. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 49 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis...

About Episode 48: Access to education is not equal across all demographics. What might we do about that? In this episode, rockstar scholar Dr. Chuck Dziuban joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss equity and the affordances of digital learning. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 48 Show Notes: Kelvin Thompson, Charles Dziuban, and Thomas Cavanagh recording TOPcast episode 48 in t...

About Episode 47: In this episode Kelvin and Tom are joined by Dr. Tawnya Means and Dr. Meridith Bergeron as they consider the value of engagement, especially for students who have online-only experiences with their institutions through online programs. Means and Bergeron share details about a current research project in which listeners may participate. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF...

About Episode 46: In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom note the student success benefits of learning analytics initiatives and consider thoughtfully the appropriate roles for human decision-making in such initiatives. Students, faculty, advisors, and administrators are just some of the humans who can be empowered by analytics. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 46 Show Notes:...

About Episode 45: In this episode, co-hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by Unizin’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jill Buban, to discuss the importance of institutional consortia in advancing higher education’s aspirational innovation goals that benefit students. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 45 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights...

About Episode 44: Join hosts Tom and Kelvin as they discuss the intertwined futures of online learning and digital learning. How we frame our work and where we invest our innovation efforts will have at least some bearing on where our futures lead. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF ] Episode 44 Bonus Content Audio Recording: Interactions from TOPcast Live! at OLC Innovate 2018 (Before &...

About Episode 43: Managing change is part of the business of leading innovation in online/digital learning. Sometimes we make mistakes. In this episode of TOPcast, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson share lessons learned from a recent controversial case study in change management at UCF’s College of Business. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 43 Show Notes: Episod...

About Episode 42: While “traditional” online education relies on asynchronous experiences, there are specific contexts in which synchronous online learning is best for students. In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss how and when to make the most of real time options. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 42 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list...

About Episode 41: Conventional wisdom has it that small is good, but is this true? Can institutions of higher education be both big and good? In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin revisit the “iron triangle” construct as they explore the tensions inherent in pursuing both scale and quality. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 41 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter Vie...

About Episode 40: “Marketing,” as a concept, rankles some in academic circles, but it is increasingly key to the work of online education. In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by marketing guru Courtney Borton to consider best practices in the marketing of online programs. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 40 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View comp...

About Episode 39: Preparing faculty to successfully teach online can be challenging and lonely work, especially if you are a part of a small team of instructional designers. In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom unveil a set of free, open-licensed resources designed to make online faculty development easier and less lonely. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 39 Show Notes...

About Episode 38: In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by Angela Gunder and Jessica Knott to consider the powerful humanizing and empathy-building roles storytelling can play in online education. Tools and frameworks for incorporating story in courses, mentoring, and professional development are discussed. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 38 Show Notes: Epis...

About Episode 37: Online faculty are at the heart of successful (and unsuccessful) online courses. Hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson explore several of the ways online instructors can make or break courses through their online teaching practices. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 37 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights...

About Episode 36: What do we know about online learning leaders? Hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by Dr. Eric Fredericksen who is now the “keeper of the list” of 1500+ disparate online learning leaders of US higher education institutions after conducting two recent research studies into their roles, preparation, and priorities. Podcast Recording Download Transcript: [ PDF , RTF ] Episode 36 Show No...