First-Semester Grades

Institutional assessment of general education often involves faculty and institutional research offices, but rarely involves direct student input. In this episode, Jessamyn Neuhaus, Amanda Johnson Sanguiliano, and Collie Fulford join us to discuss how one institution has used a students-as-partners approach to their assessment. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

The transition from high school to college can be challenging for students, especially for first-generation students and students with weaker preparation for this transition. In this episode, Timothy McKay joins us to explore a proposed pilot program at the University of Michigan that attempts to cushion this adjustment to college by covering first-semester grades. Tim is a Professor of Physics, Astronomy, Education and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Michigan.  Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Discussion boards in learning management systems, particularly in the age of AI, rarely capture the authentic voice of students. In this episode, Greg Campbell joins us to discuss how the use of a chat application can motivate conversation and build community.   Greg is the chair of the English department at the Community College of Baltimore County and the deputy director of the Community College Humanities Association. He's been teaching online courses since 2011. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Many past guests have emphasized the role curiosity can play in stimulating student learning. In this episode, Yaniv Abir discuss his recent study examining the impact of satisfying initial curiosity on subsequent curiosity about related content. Yaniv is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research at University College London. He is one of the co-authors of a study entitled “Learning Reinforces Curiosity,” which was published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

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 also chairs the AI and Academic Integrity Committee. He is a co-author of Artificial Intelligence, Real Literacy: a practical guide to using AI for evidence-based literacy practices in education, and is currently writing a book on process-focused teaching in the age of AI, for Oklahoma University Press. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

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 Scholarship at the State University of New York at Oneonta. She also teaches writing courses in the English Department there. Racheal was a principal investigator on two SUNY multi-campus grants focused on faculty development related to AI. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

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 specializes in research in physical chemistry and materials science. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

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 for Empowering Teaching Excellence at Utah State University. Beth is an Associate Professor of English and the Director of Composition at Utah State University. They are co-editors of Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

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 instructional design. She currently teaches disability studies at multiple institutions. Sarah is the author of Classroom Mindscapes: An Introduction to Neurodiversity for Educators, which will be released later this month as part of the Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed series at the University of Oklahoma Press. Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com

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 of San Francisco. His work focuses on data visualization literacy and strategies for inclusive computer science education. Victoria is the Program Director for Professional Development in the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Yale University. Alark and Victoria are the co-authors of Postdoc: How to Navigate Your Career After Grad School, which has recently been released by Johns Hopkins Press.  Show notes and the transcript for this episode may be found at http://teaforteaching.com