Transform Your Teaching

In this episode, Rob and Jared reflect on the OLC Accelerate 2025 conference in Orlando, FL. They are joined by Dr. Bob Lutz, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Cedarville University. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Take our surveyConnect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What did Rob and Jared take away from our series, “Have You Tried...”? What innovative strategies made their way into their classes? Join Rob and Jared as they reflect on the series and how they tried to put these ideas into practice.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Take our surveyConnect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

We've discussed how mind mapping can impact teaching and learning, but what other applications exist? How can mind mapping help solve problems or organize thinking? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Larry Cox II (Senior Instructional Designer at Virginia Tech) about his presentation on using mind mapping techniques in systems thinking while at the 2025 OLC Accelerate Conference. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesOrganise Ideas: Thinking by Hand, Extending the Mind – Caviglioli and GoodwinFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What is mind mapping? How can it be an effective tool for making connections between concepts? How can it help us process knowledge more effectively? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss how mind mapping can help students and teachers work through ideas.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesThe Ultimate Book of Mind Maps - Tony BuzanLearning with concept and knowledge maps: A meta-analysis - Nesbit, J. C., & Adesope, O. O.FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What impact can familiar and unfamiliar music have on students in teaching? Do beats per minute correlate to cognition? Join Rob and Jared as they reflect on their interview with Dr. Deforia Lane and discuss the usage of music in education.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What happens in the brain when music is played? How can music be used for teaching and learning? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Deforia Lane (PhD in Music Education & Music Therapy from Case Western Reserve University) about how educators can use music to influence their students’ success.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What are the benefits of personal storytelling in the classroom? How can an anecdote enhance or support direct instruction? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss their own views on storytelling and reflect on their conversation with Dr. Q.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What are Dr. Q’s essentials for good storytelling? How can storytelling be used as an effective tool for teaching and learning? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Quentin Schultze (PhD in Communication from the University of Illinois - Urbana) about how he uses storytelling to connect with his students and make content more memorable. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode.  Resources You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!: Life Lessons from the Movie A Christmas Story – Quentin Schultze FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions 

What are some studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of gamification? How can the work that others have done to gamify their classes help you? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss examples from five different gamification studies.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesImpact of Gamification on Students’ Learning Outcomes and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Study Comparing Online, Traditional, and Gamified Learning - Lampropoulos & SidiropoulosHow Gamification Boosts Learning in STEM Higher Education: A Mixed Methods Study - Ortiz‑Rojas; Chiluiza; Valcke & Bolanos‑MendozaGamification during Covid-19: Promoting active learning and motivation in higher education - Rincon-Flores & Santos-GueveraHigher Education Students’ Assessments towards Gamification and Sustainability: A Case Study - Santos-Villalba; Olivencia; Navas-Parejo & Benitez-MarquezStats Kwon Do: a Case Study in Instructional Design, Multimedia and Gamification of Instruction - Coffland & HuffMayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia LearningChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

If you gamify your class, how do you ensure that students remember content, not just the game that they played? What would it look like if you wanted to integrate learning into a game? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Daniel Singletary (EdD in Educational Technology, Boise State University) about how gamification can be used to motivate students.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What are the differences between gamification and game-based learning? How can one small “gamifying” step increase student engagement and make content stick? Join Rob and Jared as they define gamification, consider the underlying frameworks associated with gamification, and share some easy applications.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesSelf-Determination Theory - Deci & RyanFlow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiThe Octalysis Framework for Gamification & Behavioral Design - Yu-kai ChouFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What do gaming, storytelling, and music have in common? Can they be used in innovative ways in our teaching practices? Join Rob and Jared as they begin a new series where they will explore how these seemingly uncommon applications in education could be used in innovative/common ways. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

How can teachers use brain science to design more effective lessons? What do metaphors, working memory, and even a “quadrapus brain” have to do with student learning? In this extended episode, Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Barbara Oakley, author of Uncommon Sense Teaching, about how metaphor and clear direct instruction help both “race cars” and “hikers” learn more deeply.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesUncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn – Oakley, Rogowsky & Sejnowski (Amazon)Learning How to Learn – Dr. Barbara Oakley (Coursera)FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

How does someone remain a faithful educator over the course of their teaching career? What does it look like to invest in students beyond the classroom? How can you effectively pass the baton from one generation of teachers to the next? In this episode, Rob, Jared, and Wes Baker chat with our good friend “Mr. L” (Jim Leightenheimer, Former Associate Professor of Communication at Cedarville University 1982 to 2025) about his time at Cedarville and hear from former students about Mr. L’s influence on their lives and careers.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.  View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

How has flipped learning developed over time? What are the best strategies for pushing students towards higher levels of learning? Is there any place for AI in flipped learning? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Wes Baker (former Professor of Communication Arts at Cedarville University from 1977 to 2017).Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What is prompt engineering? How can you use prompt engineering to improve the output from Generative AI? In this episode, Jared Pyles reflects on his presentation at the Ohio STEM conference in June and shares CRISPE, an easy-to-use prompt engineering framework.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous.View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesCRISPE — ChatGPT Prompt Engineering Framework - Denys Dinkevych FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

How did Dr. Thomas White move Cedarville University forward through the implementation of ChatGPT Edu across its entire campus? How will this campus-wide initiative make an impact on students, faculty and staff?  In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss these questions and more with Dr. Thomas White (President of Cedarville University).Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes, and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will still remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

What can an instructor do to seem approachable to students? How does an instructor’s enthusiasm or attitude affect how students interact with them or their class? What kinds of assessments seem to be most effective for learning from a student’s view? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss the instructor-student relationship, assessments and more with Lauren and Daniel.Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode!Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. ResourcesFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions

How does the continued rise of technology affect how instructors should approach learning? What is a thoughtful usage of technology? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Derek Bruff, author of Intentional Tech, about what principles are most relevant six years after his book was released.Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode!Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesIntentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology College Teaching - Derek Bruff Intentional Teaching Podcast - Derek Bruff FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us!Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions 

In this episode, Rob and Jared review “Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching” by Dr. Derek Bruff. They discuss the key principles of the book and their major takeaways.Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous.View a transcript of this week's episode.ResourcesIntentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology College Teaching - Derek BruffFOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTLChat with us!Connect with us via LinkedInContact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions