Tea for Teaching

All Day TA

 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 Rotman School of Management with a joint appointment in the Department of Economics. His work focuses on the economics of innovation, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence. He has authored numerous scholarly articles on the economic impact of generative AI and, with Ajay Agrawal and Avi Goldfarb, of Prediction Machines and Power and Prediction, two books that have helped shape public understanding of the economic implications of AI.  Joshua has been thinking deeply about what generative AI means for higher education: how it can support teaching and learning, how colleges should prepare students for AI-augmented careers, and how AI may reshape labor market opportunities for today’s students. At the University of Toronto, he and Kevin Bryan developed an AI teaching assistant, All Day TA, which has been used to provide students with support outside traditional class hours.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

AI-Aware Teaching

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 involved with AI initiatives. She is the author of Coding Literacy: How Computer Programming is Changing Writing and is co-editor of TextGenEd: Teaching with Text Generation Technologies. Marc is a Lecturer in Writing and Rhetoric and an Assistant Director of Academic Innovation at the University of Mississippi, where he directs the AI Institute for Teachers. Derek Bruff is an Associate Director at the University of Virginia’s Center for Teaching Excellence, where he supports faculty in integrating generative AI in their teaching. He is the author of Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching and Teaching with Classroom Response Systems: Creating Active Learning Environments. He is the host and producer of the Intentional Teaching podcast. Annette, Marc, and Derek frequently serve as keynote speakers at academic conferences and write frequently about AI and higher education on their blogs. Annette, Marc, and Derek are the co-authors of The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Teaching = Coaching

Coaches and teachers work to develop skills by providing structured learning environments, motivational strategies, and individual feedback. In this episode, Christian Fauria and Constanza Bartholomae join us to discuss the similarities among coaching, teaching, and the work of educational developers. 

Christian is a former NFL tight end who played 13 seasons and won two Super Bowl Championships with the New England Patriots, and a national champion at the University of Colorado. Following his retirement from football, Christian transitioned into sports media, working as a college football analyst for ESPN and CBS, while co-hosting a radio show on WEEI in Boston. He is now a Professional in Residence at Bryant University in the Communication and Language Studies Department, teaching courses in sports broadcasting and organizational leadership in sports. Constanza is the Interim Director of the Center of Teaching Excellence at Bryant University.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

TUnE Bio

Students planning to major in STEM fields, especially students from groups historically underrepresented in these fields, are often deterred by their experiences in introductory courses. In this episode, Sarah Rose Cavanagh joins us to discuss an NSF-funded initiative designed to enhance student success in introductory Biology classes.

Sarah is a psychologist and the author of four books related to teaching and learning. She is the senior associate director for teaching and learning and associate professor of practice at Simmons University and also is a regular contributor to The Chronicle and many other publications. Sarah often serves as a keynote speaker and we were very fortunate to have her join us for a keynote address at a recent Academic Affairs Retreat on our  campus.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

The Science of Learning Meets AI

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 Mathematics at Denison University, where he served as Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching from 2020 to 2025. Much of his recent work has focused on innovative methods for utilizing generative AI. Todd is an Adjunct Associate Research Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from which he just retired a few months ago after 17 years. He is also the Director of the International Teaching Learning Cooperative and the Director of four Lilly conferences on evidence-based teaching and learning. Todd is the author of many superb books, and has published six books (so far) in the past five years.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Supporting Teamwork

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 Department of Media and Communication, also at St. John Fisher University. They are the authors of Making Team Projects Work: A College Instructor’s Guide to Successful Student Groupwork which has been recently released by Routledge.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Authentic Voice in the Age of AI

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 Force on Writing and AI and as a lead advisor on the instructional design for MyEssayFeedback.ai. She also has served as the only educational specialist recruited by Open AI to test GPT-4 pre-release. Anna is also an OER advocate who has released numerous OER resources including two OER textbooks, one on How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College, and the other on AI in College Writing: An Orientation. She is also one of the developers of the PAIRR process in which students develop writing skills through feedback from peers, AI, and individual reflection. 

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

 

Teaching with AI

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 Goucher College, and is the author and co-author of several books, including: Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning; Teaching Naked Techniques: A Practical Guide to Designing Better Classes; Teaching Change: How to Develop Independent Thinkers Using Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection, and a co-author, with C. Edward Watson, of the first and second editions of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Teaching More Effectively with ChatGPT

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 evaluation. Angela is a graduate of the MPA program in International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, and is the U.S. Head of Strategy at Innovamat. Dan and Angela are the authors of the first, and now the second, editions of Teaching Effectively with ChatGPT.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Covering or Teaching

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 http://teaforteaching.com.