Tea for Teaching

UDL 3.0

The Universal Design for Learning (or UDL) framework is based on research on how students learn. In this episode, Tom Tobin, Lillian Nave, and Jennifer Pusateri join us to discuss the most recent evolution of the UDL guidelines. 

Tom is a founding member of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the author of the forthcoming book, UDL at Scale: Adopting Universal Design for Learning across Higher Education, as well as Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education and several other works related to teaching and learning. Lillian is the Faculty and Educational Development Specialist for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success at Appalachian State University’s Hickory Campus, a senior lecturer in first-year seminar, and the host of the ThinkUDL podcast. Jennifer is the Senior Universal Design Consultant at The University of Kentucky and has served as the co-chair of the international UDL in Higher Education Network. She is a member of the CAST National Faculty and is the author of Transform Your Teaching with Universal Design for Learning: Six Steps to Jumpstart Your Practice. Tom, Lillian, and Jennifer often serve as keynote speakers on UDL and other issues.

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

Pacific Oaks' Approach to AI

Generative AI tools are challenging traditional models of college instruction. In this episode, Camille Huggins, Yolanda Carlos, and Orlando Saiz join us to discuss how Pacific Oaks College is working to use these tools to more effectively support student learning. Camille, Yolanda, and Orlando were participants in an AI Institute offered at Pacific Oaks College this year. 

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

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Faculty often struggle to reduce equity gaps and to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion in their classes. In this episode, Courtney Plotts joins us to discuss course design strategies to increase transparency and to allow students to express and share their own cultural identities as part of an inclusive class community.

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

Teacher by Teacher

During the past decade, public confidence in education has been declining. In this episode, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. joins us to discuss his new book that provides a compelling narrative of the value of education in transforming lives.

Chancellor King  has a long history of involvement with education. After graduating from Harvard, he acquired a Master's degree from Teacher’s College at Columbia University and taught high school social studies. He later co-founded Roxbury Preparatory Charter School and served as a co-Director for five years. Under his leadership, students in this school attained the highest scores of any urban middle school in the state and closed the racial achievement gap. After acquiring his doctoral degree from Columbia and a law degree from Yale, Dr. King served as New York State’s Education Commissioner from 2011 to 2014. He left NY for a while to work in the Obama administration as Deputy Secretary of Education from 2015 to 2016 and joined Obama’s Cabinet as Secretary of Education from 2016 to 2017. Following his work in the Obama Administration, Dr. King continued to advocate for increased educational equity and access as President and CEO of the Education Trust. He now serves as Chancellor of the State University of New York. We’re interviewing Dr. King in his role as the author of his new book and not in his role as the SUNY Chancellor.

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

Inclusive Math Instruction

Undergraduate math courses, as traditionally taught, often serve as barriers to entry into many STEM disciplines. In this episode, Aris Winger joins us to discuss strategies that can increase student success and reduce equity gaps in student outcomes in these classes.

Aris is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Georgia Gwinnett College. His current areas of interest include equity in mathematics education, culturally responsive teaching, and social justice mathematics. He is a co-author of the book series Advocating for Students of Color in Mathematics and is the Executive Director of the National Association of Mathematicians.

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

Writing Together

Writing is often perceived as a solitary activity, but this may lead to a sense of isolation. In this episode, Rachael Cayley, Fiona Coll, and Dan Newman join us to discuss the benefits of writing in community.

Rachael is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication at the University of Toronto. Before joining the University of Toronto, she worked as an editor at Oxford University Press. Fiona is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice and at the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication. Fiona had earlier been one of our colleagues at SUNY-Oswego. Dan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and the Director of Graduate Writing Support in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, also at the University of Toronto. Rachael, Fiona, and Dan  are the editors of Writing Together: Building Social Writing Opportunities for Graduate Students, which was recently released by the University of Michigan Press.

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

The Demographic Cliff

The number of high school graduates in the U.S. is expected to decline for several years. In this episode, Peter Ghazarian joins us to discuss the experiences of higher ed institutions in Korea and Japan, which have recently experienced similar reductions in college enrollments. Peter is an Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership in the School of Education at SUNY Oswego. He has worked in international education in the US, UK, Germany, and Korea. Peter’s work focuses on higher education, leadership, public policy, multiculturalism, and human migration. He is the author of a very recent article on higher education and an aging population in the U.S.

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

Transition to College

Many students experience challenges transitioning from high school to college. In this episode, Beckie Supiano joins us to discuss changes in the K-12 environment that impact student preparation for college. Beckie is a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education. She began her work at The Chronicle as an intern in 2008 and is a co-author, with Beth McMurtrie of The Chronicle’s Teaching Newsletter.

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

Mentor Mindset

Many attempts at influencing adolescent behavior fail. In this episode, David S. Yeager joins us to the use of a mentor mindset by faculty members can  increase student motivation and academic success. 

David is the Raymond Dixon Centennial Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and a co-founder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth and Greg Walton on interventions that influence adolescent behaviors. David has served as a consultant for Google, Microsoft, Disney and the World Bank, and is the recipient of over 15 awards for his work in social, developmental, and educational psychology. He has published extensively in scholarly publications, and his research has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and many, many other places. David and Carol Dweck and others have also created a MasterClass on The Power of Mindset. His most recent book is 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People.

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

UDL, Access, and AI

In November 2024, we moderated a panel at the OLC Accelerate Conference that used the universal design for learning (or UDL) framework to consider the impact generative AI has on equity and access. This episode is the live recording of this session. The panelists were: Liz Norell, Sherri Restauri, and Thomas J. Tobin. 

Liz is a political scientist and Associate Director of Instructional Support at the University of Mississippi Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. She is also the author of The Present Professor: Authenticity and Transformational Teaching, which has recently been released as part of the Oklahoma University series on teaching and learning. Sherri is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Coastal Carolina University, having recently left administration in her role overseeing digital learning and access. She has been working in the field of digital and online learning for 24 years and now runs an educational consulting business to provide support to educational companies and institutions alike throughout the world. Sherri's research and work focuses on neurodiversity and mental health in higher education, and she has published, as well as presented, extensively on these topics over the years. Tom is a founding member of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the author of the forthcoming book, UDL at Scale: Adopting Universal Design for Learning across Higher Education, as well as Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education and several other works related to teaching and learning.

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