Tea for Teaching

Prequestions and AI

A growing body of research indicates that asking questions about concepts students have not yet studied increases learning. In this episode, Steven Pan and Judith Schweppe join us to discuss how generative AI can facilitate this technique by generating prequestions. 

Steven is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Learning Sciences Lab at the National University of Singapore whose research focuses on evidence-based teaching approaches. Judith is a Professor of Educational Science with a focus on teaching with digital media at the University of Erfurt. Her research focuses on working memory, long-term memory, and learning.

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

Revisiting A Curated AI Framework

Shortly before the start of the spring semester, Tim Curry joined us for an episode discussing his ambitious plan to create structured learning experiences for students using chatbots. In this episode, we check back to see how this experiment developed. Tim is a lecturer in the Department of Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University. He is developing AI applications for autism research and tribal health service while building Northern Arizona University’s Applied Health Analytics program. He’s also working on the completion of his PhD degree in health equity technology.

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

Collaborative AI Guidance

With the rise of AI, institutions are scrambling to provide guidance and policies for students and faculty. In this episode, Kathleen Landy and Joshua Foster join us to discuss a collaborative approach involving student government, administration, and faculty.

Kathleen is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Genesee Community College. Prior to this, Kathleen has served in leadership roles at teaching centers at Cornell University, Queensborough Community College, and Mercy College. She has taught in multiple modalities and also has extensive K-12 teaching experience. Kathleen also served on the Pod Network Core Committee from 2022 through 2025 and currently serves as a co-chair of the SUNY Council on Assessment. Joshua is the Vice President for Academic Affairs for the Student Government Association at Genesee Community College.

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.

UDL at Scale

The Universal Design for Learning framework is often adopted by individual faculty for particular courses. In this episode, Tom Tobin joins us to discuss the potential benefits associated with an institution-wide adoption of this framework.

Tom is an internationally recognized scholar, author and speaker on technology mediated education, especially copyright, evaluation of teaching practices, academic integrity, accessibility, and universal design for learning, which is a topic we'll be talking about today. He helped found the University of Wisconsin Madison Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring. Tom is on Ed Tech Magazine's Influencers Dean's List, and has been honored with the Wagner Leadership Award in Distance Learning Administration, and he is one of EduFlow’s global top 100 learning influencers. Tom serves on the boards of Advances in Online Education, The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, and the Oklahoma University Press: Teaching, engaging and thriving in higher ed series. We're very glad that he's made time to be with us with all these activities. His books include Evaluating Online Teaching, The Copyright Ninja, Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: UDL in Higher Education, Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers, Implementing UDL in Irish Further Education and Training, and what we'll be talking about today, UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning, which is coming out this summer.

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

Teaching Neurodivergent College Students

Neurodivergent students experience challenges in traditional lecture settings. In this episode, Jennifer Pusateri joins us to discuss strategies to reduce these challenges while supporting and leveraging the strengths that neurodivergent students bring to our classrooms.

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. Her newest book, A Practical Guide to Teaching Neurodivergent College Students has recently been released by Harvard Education Press.

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

Not Token Gestures

While colleges and universities have made substantial progress in attracting a diverse mix of students, there are still substantial equity gaps in student outcomes. In this episode, Roberta Hurtado joins us to discuss approaches that can be used to reduce these gaps. Roberta is an associate professor in the English and Creative Writing Department here at SUNY Oswego, where she also serves as Director of Latino and Latin American Studies, and has been a fellow in the Triandiflou Institute for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Transformative Practice. She also has served as a 2023 Fellow in the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute.

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.

Program-Level AI Responses

When generative AI platforms first appeared on the scene, faculty had to address these challenges alone. In this episode, Kathleen Landy joins us to discuss how program-level collaboration can help educators adapt more rapidly and effectively.

Kathleen is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Genesee Community College. Prior to this, Kathleen has served in leadership roles at teaching centers at Cornell University, Queensborough Community College, and Mercy College. She has taught in multiple modalities and also has extensive K-12 teaching experience. Kathleen also served on the POD Network Core Committee from 2022 through 2025, and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the SUNY Council on Assessment.

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

The Joyful Online Teacher

Online classes provide opportunities for students not served by traditional in-person classes, but asynchronous experiences can seem isolating for both students and instructors. In this episode, Flower Darby joins us to discuss ways to make online instruction more joyful for both students and faculty.

Flower is an Associate Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Missouri. Prior to this position, she served as an Assistant Dean of Online and Innovative Pedagogies and Director of Teaching for Student Success. Flower has over 30 years of teaching experience, including both in-person and online modalities, and is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at academic conferences. She is a co-author of Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Sciences in Online Classes, and The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching. Her new book, The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes, has just been released by the University of Oklahoma Press.

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