Tea for Teaching

Improving Course Design Using AI

Generative AI can increase efficiency and support student learning, however students can also use it as a substitute for learning. In this episode, Nathan Pritts joins us to discuss ways in which generative AI tools can improve course design and strategies to encourage students to use AI tools ethically and responsibly.  Nathan Pritts is a Professor and Program chair for First-Year Writing at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Nathan’s recent work has been focused on the relationship between AI and human teaching.

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

Multicampus AI Initiative

Faculty are faced with the need to adjust instructional strategies in response to AI. In this episode,  Racheal Fest and Stephanie Pritchard join us to discuss a professional development initiative for faculty involving six campuses.

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. Stephanie is the Coordinator of the Writing Center, the Coordinator of Writing and Ethical Practice, and an instructor for classes in poetry and English composition here at SUNY Oswego. Racheal is the Principal Investigator and Stephanie is one of the campus coordinators on a SUNY multi-campus grant focused on faculty development related to AI.

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

Designing and Facilitating Workshops

In higher ed, like in most fields, learning continues after employment. In this episode, Tolu Noah joins us to discuss strategies to design and facilitate effective workshops and professional development. Tolu is an educational developer with 16 years of teaching experience in higher ed and K-12. She received the 2019 Teaching Excellence Faculty Award at Azusa Pacific University and was named by EdTech Magazine as one of the 30 Higher Ed IT Influencers to Follow in 2023. Tolu’s work has been published in EDUCAUSE Review, Edutopia, and Faculty Focus. She is the author of Designing and Facilitating Workshops with Intentionality: A Guide to Crafting Engaging Professional Learning Experiences in Higher Education, published by Routledge, Taylor and Francis

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.

Don't Let Email Control You

One of the challenges facing faculty, staff, and administrators is keeping up with the continuous flow of email. In this episode, Robert Talbert joins us to discuss strategies to efficiently handle email so we can allocate time to other essential tasks. 

Robert is a Professor of Mathematics at Grand Valley State University and the author of Flipped Learning: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty and a co-author of Grading for Growth: A Guide to Alternative Grading Practices that Promote Authentic Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education.

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

Critical Teaching Behaviors

Student feedback is important to improving teaching, but may not be aligned with evidence-based teaching practices. In this episode, Lauren Barbeau and Claudia Cornejo Happel join us to discuss a midterm student feedback instrument focused on critical teaching behaviors, an AI-assisted tool for analysing the feedback, and strategies for debriefing with students. 

Lauren is the Assistant Director for Learning and Technology Initiatives at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Claudia is the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Lauren and Claudia are the authors of Critical Teaching Behaviors: Defining, Documenting, and Discussing Good Teaching as well as a whole series of other resources related to this book.

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.

Navigating Choppy Waters

Most faculty receive limited information on legal issues associated with their role. In this episode, Kent Kauffman joins us to discuss a new resource he created to help educate faculty on their legal rights, responsibilities, and liabilities. Kent is an Associate Professor of Business Law and MBA Program’s Faculty Liaison in the Department of Economics and Finance at Purdue University. He is also the author of Navigating Choppy Waters: Key Legal Issues College Faculty Need to Know.

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

Students as Partners

Faculty members often design and revise courses with limited direct feedback from students. In this episode, Laurel Willingham-McLain and Jacques Safari Mwayaona join us to discuss a program in which faculty work with trained student consultants to improve the student learning experience.  Laurel is a consulting faculty developer at the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Syracuse University. Jacques is a Faculty Development Fellow, also at Syracuse University. Laurel and Jacques both work with the Students Consulting on Teaching program at Syracuse University.

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

Cross-Institutional Peer Observation

Peer observation and peer feedback can be useful resources for faculty professional development. In this episode, Anna Logan, Ann Marie Farrell, and Martina Crehan join us to discuss a cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary peer observation process. Anna is an Associate Professor in the School of Inclusive and Special Education and the former Dean of Teaching and Learning at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University. Ann Marie is an Assistant Professor, also in the School of Inclusive and Special Education at Dublin City University. Martina is Head of Teaching Enhancement Unit at Dublin City University. She has over 20 years experience in professional development and as a curriculum innovator.

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