Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles start a new series on generative AI and its practical usage in higher education. Check out the episode to hear a general overview of generative AI models and possible ways that instructors can begin using these models in their teaching. Podcast links Show notes Generative AI Language models are designed to process large amounts of information and are trained to understand and generate text like a human through a vast amount of data, including books, websites, and articles. In many ways, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has become synonymous with generative AI, however, a wide variety of generative AI models…
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Transform Your Teaching: Instructional Management with Dr. Kevin Jones
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles discuss instructional management with Dr. Kevin Jones who has an Ed.D. from Spalding University and serves as the Dean of the School of Education and Social Work at Cedarville University. Check out the episode to hear about his philosophy of education and how he seeks to effectively meet students’ needs. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Jones emphasizes the importance of planning and preparation in teaching. As he prepares to teach, he focuses on key tasks such as identifying essential questions and learning objectives, and then he utilizes backward planning to ensure students achieve the intended goals. This…
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Transform Your Teaching: Content Delivery with Dr. Quentin Schultze
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles revisit content delivery with the return of the podcast’s first guest, Dr. Quentin Schultze. Check out the episode to hear how Dr. Schultze makes sure his students see the relevance and importance of his courses. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Schultze approaches course content delivery carefully, knowing that content can easily be perceived as “boring.” He wants to make sure the content is the best while still ensuring that the delivery of that content is engaging and inspiring and that students walk away motivated. He does so by using narrative to show the content’s relevancy. In a…
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Transform Your Teaching: Assessments with Dr. David Mulder
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles revisit assessments with Dr. David Mulder, professor of education at Dordt University. Check out the episode to hear how Dr. Mulder approaches objectives, assessments, and serving his students. Podcast links Show notes Dr. David Mulder emphasizes the need for clear learning targets and aligning assessments to those targets. He uses the analogy of an archery range, where the learning targets are the bull’s eye and assessments measure how close students come to hitting that mark. These assessments provide opportunities for educators to deliver specific and timely feedback to help students grow and improve. They also touch upon…
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Transform Your Teaching: A Conversation with Dr. Vladimir Bratic
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole talks with Dr. Vladimir Bratic who has a PhD in Mass Communication from Ohio University and is an assistant professor of Media and Communications at Hollins University. Check out this episode to hear how Dr. Bratic advises higher education instructors to navigate the future of education with the growth of ChatGPT. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Bratic wants students to think critically so they can learn on their own and be able to ask the right questions. Rather than focusing on content delivery, he is passionate about teaching students “how to think, not what to think”— and this informs how…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Cognitive Presence with Dr. Norm Vaughan
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles chat with Dr. Norm Vaughan who has a PhD in Education from the University of Calgary and is currently a professor in the Department of Education at Mount Royal University. Check out the episode to hear them discuss a key component of the Community of Inquiry framework—cognitive presence. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Vaughan emphasizes the importance of understanding students’ needs and prior experiences to connect the learning with their existing knowledge. The design of a course should consider the unique characteristics of different groups of students and create an environment that fosters collaboration and interaction. He…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Social Presence with Dr. Sheri Conklin
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles discuss Rob and Jared continue the series on COI and discuss social presence with Dr. Sheri Conklin while at AECT in Orlando. Check out the episode to hear how instructors can make connections with students and how courses can provide peer-to-peer interaction. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Conklin’s interest in social presence began with her asking the question: “why do we need to have peer-to-peer interaction in every course? Is it necessary?” She discovered that students desire…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Instructor Presence with Dr. Patrick Lowenthal
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this episode, Jared Pyles talks with Dr. Patrick Lowenthal, Professor of Educational Technology at Boise State University. He has a PhD in Educational Leadership & Innovation from the University of Colorado – Denver. Check out the episode to hear about a key component of the Community of Inquiry framework—instructor presence. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Lowenthal discusses his experience teaching online courses and how his approach to building rapport with students has changed over time. In the early days of online education, video was not widely used, so interaction with students was primarily through asynchronous discussion forums or email. In this kind of environment, Dr. Lowenthal made an…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Inclusion and Assessment in Online Learning
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles discuss how important it is to create an inclusive environment in a course. Check out the episode to hear strategies to help create an effective online environment. Podcast links Show notes Inclusion is an important aspect of online learning and can create an environment that promotes student engagement, belonging, and success. Inclusion strategies include setting respectful communication guidelines, acknowledging diversity amongst students, being respectful of cultural differences, understanding how instructor-student relationships may differ, and ensuring that content is accessible. Inclusion strategies also affect the types of assessments that you use. You cannot expect that the same assessments…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Establishing Presence in Online Learning
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles continue discussing the Community of Inquiry framework, looking at the three types of presence in greater detail. Check out the episode to hear about how the three presences work together to create a robust online learning community. Podcast links Show notes The three presences in the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework work together to influence learner engagement, active participation, and the sense of being in a learning community. Social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence also jointly enhance an instructor’s ability to stimulate class discussions and provide timely feedback. Each presence focuses on a different aspect of a…