Transform Your Teaching

In this episode, Rob and Jared review “Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching” by Dr. Derek Bruff. They discuss the key principles of the book and their major takeaways. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the...

What are the major takeaways from our “Online Teaching Practices” series? In this episode, Rob and Jared reflect on the lessons they learned throughout this series and provide some next steps for educators who want to improve their online teaching.   Lesson 1: Reflective Practice Fuels Everything Lesson 2: Organization Is an Act of Empathy Lesson 3: Collaboration—You’re Not on an Island Lesson 4:...

How can media enhance an online course? What are the markers of “quality” media in an online course? How can instructors take their media from good to better to best? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Jacob Lashuay, the CTL’s instructional media producer, about some practical ways to make high quality media in your courses.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently?...

Can you really create a good sense of community in an online course? What does it look like? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss what community is, the value of community in an online course, and the best way to encourage community among online students.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episod...

How is being clear about content and grading in an online course different from face-to-face? What needs to be emphasized? What should be avoided? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss clarity in online teaching.    Clarity in an online course can be achieved by avoiding “UNCLEAR” practices:     U – Unexplained jargon or acronyms  N – Nonspecific instructions or vague prompts  C – Complex, run-on sen...

How can someone else help you develop better teaching practices? Who should you collaborate with as you design courses? What forms can collaboration take? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss how collaboration can lead to better teaching and learning.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode!  ...

How can structuring and chunking content and assessments in an online course help both the instructor and the learner? What are some best practices for organizing a course in your school’s learning management system? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss how organization can alleviate barriers and facilitate learning in an online course.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed r...

What importance should instructors place on student reflection in their online course? How crucial is modeling self-reflection to your students? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss self-reflection and how it can be placed pre-, mid-, and post-learning in an online course.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcom...

What are some key aspects of online teaching? What role does self-evaluation play in teaching and learning? In this episode, Rob and Jared begin a new series on online teaching practices and preview the importance of reflecting on your own teaching practices.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A epis...

How can Generative AI limit the number of syllabus questions you get? Can students use it as a reviewer before they submit their assignments? In this episode, Rob and Ryan chat with Dave Leitch (Associate Professor of Special Education in the School of Education and Social Work at Cedarville University) about how to leverage Generative AI tools with students. Have questions about some of the topic...

How does an educator practicing law use generative AI in teaching? What are the potential IP or copyright issues that could affect GAI usage? How can GAI help prepare students for tasks they will face in the workplace? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Bryan Schroll (General Counsel and Adjunct Professor at Cedarville University) about how he is using GAI in his business law course. Have qu...

How helpful is course organization for student learning? How do students rely on their peers as resources? What are students looking for in terms of feedback? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss syllabi, course structure and more with Lauren and Daniel. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode!   Vi...

In this episode, Rob and Jared review “Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing),” which talks about the “transformative” nature of Generative AI in education. They evaluate Sal Khan’s presentation of the benefits of using GAI including personalized learning, its effect on equity, and its application in the tool Khanmigo. Have questions about some of the to...

What do higher ed instructors need to know about the new college student? What issues are current high school students facing, and what solutions exist? In this episode, Rob and Jared share their takeaways from this series and determine, once and for all, if the math shark is real. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an...

Does higher education need to prepare for students who may be suffering from the math shark? Is education for pre-service teachers being modified to account for the math shark? Do we need a bigger boat to confront this issue, or is the math shark really just a guy in scuba gear with a fake fin on his back? Rob and Ryan chat with Dr. Terri Bucci (Associate Professor and Researcher in Mathematics Ed...

Is the Math Shark as big of a deal as we’re making it out to be? Or are there bigger fish to fry? What should math instructors prioritize for this coming generation of college students? Rob and Jared chat with Lynne Allen, a math teacher at River Valley High School, for answers to these questions.   Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions i...

Are private educators seeing the same issues as public and homeschool educators? How does the diversity of students or technology access compare? What are private school educators doing to help students work through real-life struggles? Rob and Jared chat with high school English teachers Christina Jones (Grove City Christian School) and Becky Stelzer (Calvary Christian School).   Our listener sur...

How are homeschool students managing stress and anxiety?  How does a parent manage the role of both parent and educator of the student? What social and technological issues are present in the homeschool world, and are they different from other types of schooling? Rob and Jared chat with two homeschool educators, Stephanie Hill and Kathy Kirtland, to get their insights.   Our listener survey is sti...

What strategies are educators using to address the anxiety and stress of current high school students? What technology accessibility barriers are educators trying to overcome? Is there a reason to assign homework anymore? Rob and Jared chat with Hank Hacker (Economics teacher at Greeneview High School) and Garrett Rinehard (Chemistry teacher at Bellefontaine High School) about how these issues are...

Is the level of maturity changing in college students? How can educators serve students and assist as they become professionals? Rob and Jared lay the groundwork for this conversation as they chat with Cedarville University’s Dr. Thomas Hutchison (Professor of Educational Ministries and Applied Theology) and Dr. Chris Miller (Senior Professor of Biblical Studies) about developing maturity and resi...

What accessibility standards need to be considered when designing a course? How do these considerations serve the needs of students? Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Amy Lomellini, Director of Accessibility at Anthology, about strategies for creating accessible courses for the sake of students.   Our listener survey is still open, so please let us know how we can make the podcast even better. View a tr...

In our previous series “Understanding the New College Student,” Rob and Jared spoke with experts to discover the characteristics and trials that define the new generation of college students. In this episode, they introduce a new series that will hopefully serve to answer the question of what’s being done to serve the new generation of students to prepare them for life after high school. Our liste...

In this episode, Ryan Liming presents the results of our listener survey from the fall and winter of 2024. Dr. Rob McDole, Dr. Jared Pyles, and Ryan discuss listener demographics and interests as well as plans for the future. The survey is still open, so please let us know how we can make the podcast even better. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connec...

How does research align with student perception? Do students agree with what research says helps them learn best? Join Dr. Rob McDole and Dr. Jared Pyles as they discuss higher education best practices with two current undergraduate students. Transform Your Teaching wants to hear from you! Please take our survey to let us know how we can make the podcast even better. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarvi...

In this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Dr. Jared Pyles review “Uncommon Sense Teaching,” which explores practical insights into effective learning by leveraging neuroscience and cognitive psychology, providing easy-to-understand strategies and tools for enhancing classroom teaching. Transform Your Teaching wants to hear from you! Please take our survey to let us know how we can make the podcast even...