Tea for Teaching

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.