Transform Your Teaching

Center for Teaching & Learning at Cedarville University

The Transform your Teaching podcast is a service of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. Join Dr. Rob McDole and Dr. Jared Pyles as they seek to inspire higher education faculty to adopt innovative teaching and learning practices.

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195 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes195

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Sep 8, 2023 · 22 min
Back to the Basics - Communication
In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss the value of clear communication with Professor Jim Leightenheimer. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Basic communication involves a sender, a receiver, the content, and the medium by which the content travels. However, communication can travel in many different modalities, and various hindrances can arise and muddle the message. Communication struggles are still present in education, so how can we model communication that seeks to benefit both sender and receiver? One way is to set the tone early. The first week of class—even the first day—is an excellent opportunity to model expected communication and set expectations. It is also a good time to get the students’ preferred method of communication. Not all students check their email. Another way is to ensure assignment feedback is meaningful and constructive. Sometimes that feedback means students face hard truths; however, students are more likely to see the benefit and grow from it when it’s communicated with humility. Above all, humility is necessary. Communication with students can be frustrating, especially when that communication is fielding the same question you’ve already answered multiple times. But that just provides an opportunity to practice humility and gracious communication.
Sep 5, 2023 · 8 min
Coffee Drop: Nossborton
In this coffee drop, Rob and Jared read some listener reviews. If you have questions or comments, contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources.
Sep 1, 2023 · 21 min
Back to the Basics - Instructional Management
In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss instructional management and the importance of building mutual respect in your course. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Instructional management involves all of the variables that make up a learning environment. A foundational principle is that instructors and students need to treat one another with respect. Instructors can demonstrate that respect by setting and maintaining clear expectations early. This can be done through setting the foundation (policies and procedures of your class) and adhering to that. The responsibility of the student is to honor those expectations. Another important aspect of instructional management is student engagement. Learn about your students—a simple survey can reveal who they are as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Create an environment where your students are willing to share without fear of failure or embarrassment. You can do this by making personal connections and through encouraging feedback. Finally, effective instructional management may require elements of your course to change based on modality. For example, some face-to-face course policies and procedures (such as late policies) may not work in an online or hybrid environment. Resources Small Teaching Crucial Conversations Servant Teaching: Practices for Renewing Christian Higher Education
Aug 25, 2023 · 23 min
Back to the Basics - Assessments
In this episode, Rob and Jared continue the series on the basics of education by discussing assessments, using their road trip analogy once more to explain the differences between formative and summative assessments. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss how objectives relate to assessments, including four important terms. Summative assessment: bigger, high-stakes assessments that occur at the end of a unit or at a pivotal moment of the course, such as a midterm or final. Formative assessment: smaller, low-stakes assessments that happen along the path toward the summative assessment. Course objectives: The end-of-course targets that instructor and students aim to hit at the end of the course. Most of the time, students will show mastery of course objectives through summative assessments. Module objectives: The smaller objectives that serve as steppingstones toward mastering the course objectives. Module objectives are usually tied to formative assessments. They are never tied to summative assessments. All four terms work together to create a properly aligned course structure. A good assessment is directly tied to an objective. Consider using your objective verb in your assessment to emphasize the connection between the two. Formative assessments serve as opportunities for students to try, to practice, and to fail without causing too much damage to their grade. With proper and timely feedback from the instructor, formative assessments give the opportunity for students to be redirected. Resources Summative and Formative Assessment - CTL Indiana University Bloomington Assessment 101: Formative and Summative - CCAC Assessment and Grading (Evaluation) - J. Lenore Wright, Baylor University Be on the look out for Jared’s future blog post!
Aug 22, 2023 · 10 min
Coffee Drop: Galileo and Gustav Holst
In this coffee drop, Rob and Jared answer an email on ChatGPT and intellectual property. If you have questions or comments, contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources.
Aug 21, 2023 · 9 min
Coffee Drop: ChickenGPT
In this coffee drop, Rob and Jared discuss the power of ChatGPT in all aspects...including chicken recipes. If you have questions or comments, contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources.
Aug 18, 2023 · 19 min
Back to the Basics - Objectives
In this episode, Rob and Jared start a new series titled “Back to the Basics.” They begin this series by talking about objectives, providing an acronym to help instructors identify areas for improvement. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Objectives are the targets for every course. Jared and Rob provide an easy-to-remember acronym (DRIVE) to help instructors create or refine their course objectives. Objectives must be: Defined. The objectives of a course should provide students with a clear destination. Results-oriented. Objectives must be focused on the results, not the process that students go through to get there. Inspiring. Objectives paint a picture for students of the goals for the course which gives them a clear vision of what the course aims to achieve. Valid. Objectives and course content must be aligned, and objectives must be assessable. Evidence-supported. At the end of the course, all objectives have been achieved. Designing courses with these steps helps instructors identify areas that need refinement and provide students with resources to ensure success in reaching their end goal. Resources Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy How to Write Learning Objectives EasyGenerator (Objective Generator) Start with the End in Mind (Building SMART Objectives)
Aug 11, 2023 · 25 min
A Conversation with Professor Jeff Simon
In this episode, Rob and Jared talk with Professor Jeff Simon, Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of the Department of Communication at Cedarville University. Professor Simon, Rob, and Jared discuss student learning, creative assessments, and tech integration. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Professor Simon shares how he has adjusted his teaching practice over his 13 years in higher education to match the learning needs of his students. He creates more open-ended assignments focused on concepts and processes so students obtain a set of tools that will aid them to be creative problem solvers. In this process, he assesses students based on their proposed solution so he can provide feedback along the way. The ultimate desire for his assignments is that students will develop unique skill sets so they will be successful in their careers. Student success is important to Professor Simon, so he includes a plethora of resources and tools. To aid learning, he provides exemplars to show the range of submissions from acceptable to excellent. Professor Simon also makes quick tip videos for students so they can have immediate help for completing assignments anytime, anywhere. In addition to those resources, he recently used Simternship—created by Stukent—which allows students to simulate an internship experience during the course. Students responded well to the use of this tool, so he plans to keep including it. In his opinion, if a tech tool will make a student’s life easier, he is willing to give it a try. Resources Stukent Simternships How to Use OBS for Screen Recording
Aug 4, 2023 · 24 min
Adopt, Adapt or A(d)bandon
In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss options for implementing ChatGPT into instruction. They share some questions educators can ask to help them make their own decision. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Rob and Jared propose three options for using ChatGPT in instruction: Adopt - Wholesale usage of ChatGPT. There is no limit to its implementation in your instruction. ChatGPT has a part to play in grading, planning, instruction, and learning. Adapt – Using ChatGPT for specific needs, such as tailoring to certain subjects or supplementing--rather than replacing--traditional teaching methods. Abandon – Not using ChatGPT. This could be because of a fear of tech dependence, loss of personal interaction, or concerns about data privacy. All are valid reasons not to use ChatGPT. Jared and Rob agree that “Adapt” fits best for how they would use ChatGPT in instruction. For educators considering how they will use ChatGPT, Rob and Jared recommend considering teaching style, needs of students, resources available (accessibility), and their personal comfort level with technology.
Jul 28, 2023 · 20 min
Education in the Age of AI: Professor Roundtable, Part II
In this episode, Rob continues his conversation with Jared Pyles, Dr. Chris Miller, and Dr. Dan Sterkenburg about ChatGPT and OpenAI. The panelists discuss challenges with student usage of ChatGPT, resources the tool can provide, and potential policies that can be implemented into courses to set clear expectations for the students. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. The panelists discuss some of the challenges associated with student usage of ChatGPT as well as appropriate uses. Every course has different learning objectives, so instructors should be careful to match ChatGPT usage with their objectives for the course. They also discuss ChatGPT 4.0 and plugins. These powerful additions can lead to some creative applications in education. For example, with the help of plugins, Rob and Dr. Miller attempted to create a “Miller bot” by pulling information from YouTube closed captioning to simulate an interaction with a tutor. The potential applications of ChatGPT are numerous, but instructors should also think carefully about its potential pitfalls. Each panelist shares some final advice for faculty members’ approach to ChatGPT. Dr. Sterkenburg suggests that instructors should get familiar with the tool so that they can adjust their courses as necessary. Dr. Miller believes it is an exciting time to be in education because it gives instructors greater opportunities to prepare students for the future of using AI. Jared sees using ChatGPT as an opportunity to teach responsibility and critical thinking.
Jul 21, 2023 · 27 min
Education in the Age of AI: Professor Roundtable, Part I
In this episode, Rob talks with Jared Pyles, Dr. Chris Miller, and Dr. Dan Sterkenburg about ChatGPT and OpenAI. The panelists discuss their own experience with ChatGPT, their understanding of its capabilities, and advice for instructors for interacting with the tool in the future. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Each of the panelists has had varying experiences—both positive and negative—with ChatGPT over the past several months. Some encountered students using ChatGPT to complete their homework, while others had more personal negative experiences with the tool. Regardless of these, Jared Pyles, Dr. Miller, and Dr. Sterkenburg all can see situations where ChatGPT can be used in the classroom well. Jared has asked his students to use ChatGPT in the research and writing process, and students have reported that they would be more likely to use it to brainstorm rather than create a final product. Similarly, Dr. Sterkenburg has his students use ChatGPT as a research tool, but he then asks them to interact with the results and submit their evaluation. On the other hand, Dr. Miller has not used ChatGPT because he tends to teach lower-level courses where students are not yet equipped to evaluate its results well. Based on their experiences, each panelist does recommend instructors interact with ChatGPT to become familiar with it. They also recommend including a policy on ChatGPT in your syllabus as well as discussing the tool early in the semester to set expectations for how it should (or should not) be used.
Jul 18, 2023 · 10 min
Coffee Drop: Coffee after 2 pm Is Not a Good Idea
Transform Your Teaching is introducing Coffee Drops—spur-of-the-moment episodes when Jared and Rob feel the need to record. These shorter episodes could be random, scholarly, weird, off-topic, on-topic—who knows? All we know is that they'll be over coffee and perfect to listen to during your own coffee/tea break. In this inaugural coffee drop, Rob and Jared discuss an article from Dr. Vladimir Bratic on higher education and ChatGPT. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. Resources Teaching and Thinking with Technology
Jul 14, 2023 · 26 min
AI Meets AI: Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity
In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and academic integrity. They confront the issues that educators (and students) will encounter as AI grows and evolves. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. While ChatGPT/AI does have many benefits for educators and students, it’s important not to dive head first into it. There are several issues that can surface (or have already surfaced) when incorporating it into teaching practices. First, AI carries the risk of eroding trust between student and educator. Because ChatGPT exists and because plagiarism-catching tools are struggling to keep up, educators may feel a sense of doubt about students’ work. Second, AI could potentially erode the learning process for students. ChatGPT can easily become a crutch for students. The inquiry and discovery that is so important in the learning process could easily be replaced with a quick conversation with ChatGPT. This episode asks a lot more questions than it provides answers simply because the ChatGPT picture still hasn’t been fully painted. However, educators can prepare by developing policy and setting clear guidelines for the use of AI in their courses. Rob and Jared would love to hear from you! Tell us about your experiences with ChatGPT or how you’re preparing your courses with ChatGPT in mind. Drop us an email at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu.
Jul 7, 2023 · 29 min
A Conversation with Professor Eric Mishne
In this episode, Rob and Jared take a break from the series on ChatGPT and OpenAI to talk with Eric Mishne, Assistant Professor of Communication and Director of Forensics at Cedarville University. Prof Mishne, Rob, and Jared discuss making content more accessible to students and using different methods for instruction. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Professor Mishne embraces a flexed learning model in his classroom. Prior to class, his students will read an article, listen to a podcast, or watch a video which “primes the pump” for student engagement in class. Students bring this new knowledge that they obtain outside of the classroom so that class time can be used for applying and interacting with the content. For example, the students might view different kinds of speeches outside of class and then when they arrive at class, they will take a survey that gets them to analyze the speeches that they viewed.
Jun 30, 2023 · 26 min
AI and the Digital Divide
In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss the accessibility of ChatGPT. They talk about the challenges that people may face accessing the platform, the cost associated with new tech, and the advantages that certain users will have based on their access to ChatGPT. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. ChatGPT can present concerns in terms of access because people’s varying circumstances will either help them or prevent them from utilizing it. Some students may have issues accessing the internet based on their location; therefore, they may not have the same access to ChatGPT as their peers. Larger corporations, however, larger corporations and technology companies can access new features such as Microsoft’s CoPilot because of the cost and computing power required. Though ChatGPT can be accessed from a browser as well as an app, certain devices may not be as compatible with the app. The largest access gap concerns the versions of ChatGPT since there is a clear difference between ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4.0. ChatGPT 3.5 is the free version, accessible to anyone who navigates to the site, while ChatGPT 4.0 is a paid subscription version. ChatGPT 4.0 has also released a beta that allows ChatGPT to search the web for up-to-date information. Ultimately, people who have access to more advanced versions will have greater opportunities to use it in their field. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better.
Jun 23, 2023 · 22 min
What is ChatGPT’s Philosophy of Education?
In this episode, Rob and Jared have a live conversation with ChatGPT. They ask it for its philosophy of education and discuss its responses. Jared also shares his plans for using ChatGPT in his course over the summer. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Rob and Jared discovered that ChatGPT (version 3.5) presents a rather constructivist philosophy of education, focusing on being student-centered, developing critical thinking, and creating opportunities for collaboration and cooperation. When pressed for the origins of this philosophy, ChatGPT referenced several prominent theorists, including Piaget and Vygotsky. Overall, Jared and Rob were relatively impressed with the answers but felt that they were rather boilerplate and biased. It is important to remember that ChatGPT was programmed by individuals who come with their own biases, so there will always be some subjectivity, even though AI is perceived to be objective. Jared plans on employing ChatGPT in his summer course, asking students to use ChatGPT as a tool during different stages of the writing process. He will give a report at the close of the series. View the transcript of Rob’s questions and ChatGPT’s responses. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better.
Jun 16, 2023 · 21 min
Education in the Age of AI: What is ChatGPT?
In this episode, Rob and Jared explore the origins of AI and how they led to ChatGPT. They discuss how AI’s continued growth has led to innovative tools as well as potential challenges in education. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. This episode sets the stage for our summer series exploring ChatGPT. Our conversation begins with how the web has changed: Web 1.0, the internet's ”Stone Age,” featured static pages and one-sided conversations. Web 2.0, the ”Renaissance,” brought interactive pages; while Web 3.0 offered machine-readable, interoperable, and decentralized information. AI's timeline began in 1950 with the Turing Test, measuring machine intelligence. In 1956, John McCarthy introduced the term "Artificial Intelligence" at the Dartmouth Conference. The "Golden Years" of AI (1957-1974) saw the first AI programs and labs. The first and second AI winters (1969, 1973-1980) were marked by decreased funding and interest due to criticism and failed machine translation, respectively. AI resurgence happened with the advent of expert systems (1980-1987), but another winter followed due to their market collapse (1987-1993). Important AI milestones include Deep Blue beating a world chess champion in 1997, IBM's Watson winning Jeopardy in 2011, chatbots passing the Turing Test in 2014, and the release of GPT-3 in 2020. Educational AI has also made significant strides. An early example of ed-tech with AI capability is PLATO in 1963. That early technology has adapted to include automated essay grading. Tools like Gradescope and E-rater utilize algorithms to provide feedback on student essays, saving teachers’ time and giving students more immediate feedback. Personalized learning paths like OpenSimon use student data to provide real-time, personalized feedback based on student performance and behavior. Intelligent tutoring systems adapt to the learning needs of individual students based on their performance and behavior exemplified by Jill Watson, augmenting education through personalized, real-time feedback. ChatGPT contributed to this description.
Jun 9, 2023 · 22 min
The What, the Why and the How of Technology Integration: Practical Tools
In this episode, Rob and Jared wrap up the "What, Why, How” series by discussing some of their favorite educational technology tools. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Jared’s favorite tech tools: Flip – asynchronous video discussion Kami – annotation tool Mentimeter – slide presenter with interaction Canva – free graphic design tool Adobe Podcast – cleans up audio regardless of ambience or mic quality Pear Deck (Google Slides extension) - Great for introducing new content Print Friendly & PDF (Google Chrome extension) - cleans up ads and distractions from websites Rob’s favorite tech tools: Grammarly - AI writing assistant Parallel Plus – online bible study tool MindNode – mind mapping tool Microsoft Teams – classroom file management and communication Canvas Quizzes - great for formative assessment ChatGPT-4 - great for research From Jared’s Boise friends: Padlet - it has so many applications and makes crowd sourced activities easy Edpuzzle - it provides accountability for watching videos Hypothes.is - PDF annotation tool, but has a pay wall Formative - It's a one-stop-shop for kids and allows for tons of customization on the teacher end. It's my go to for everything GoReact - Video-based assessments. You can give time-stamped feedback at specific parts of the video (Presentations, etc) Wakelet – useful for sharing resources
Jun 2, 2023 · 22 min
The What, the Why and the How of Technology Integration: Mental Models
In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss using mental models so instructors can think through best practices for educational technology. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Building mental models can help educators approach using technology in their courses. One such mental model is “the planning cycle” which begins with identifying needs and determining whether they are real needs or felt needs. Once the real needs are identified, SMART goals can be created based on those real needs. After goals are established, it's important to create an evaluation to determine if you met those goals. In education, the Backward Design approach illustrates these principles well. With this approach, an instructor starts by identifying their objective. To create appropriate objectives, an instructor must understand students’ current knowledge and ability levels. Objectives need to be measurable to be effective, and determining how students can prove they meet the objectives can be challenging. However, colleagues can be a help in this endeavor. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Resources Understanding by Design: Wiggins and McTighe Understanding by Design: Ryan Bowen
May 26, 2023 · 19 min
The What, the Why and the How of Technology Integration with Dr. Chris Miller
In this episode, Rob McDole and Jared Pyles welcome Dr. Chris Miller, Senior Professor of Biblical Studies at Cedarville University, onto the podcast. Dr. Miller has been integrating technology into his teaching for decades. He discusses the results he sees from his students because of integrating technology as well as the shifting landscape of student needs and learning habits. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. From his years of teaching, Dr. Miller recognizes that his students’ needs change from year to year and from class to class and adapts his teaching based on his observations of his students. He recognizes that students are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic on their habits and learning practices. Dr. Miller has always tried to be “on the bleeding edge” of using technology in his teaching. He believes that technology can allow for clear communication between student and instructor. Technology also keeps him organized and ensures he fully understands what he’s teaching. Dr. Miller also provides his slides and his screen recordings for students who cannot attend class due to things such as sickness or athletic events, seeing it as making his content accessible to students. He realizes that making his content available and accessible can provide an avenue for students to not attend class. However, that pushes him to put more effort into his teaching and make sure his love for the content is visible to incentivize students to still attend.