If you love to listen to a good podcast about key topics relevant for learning and teaching, here’s some thought-provoking recommendations from the Learning and Teaching Podcast Discussion Club.
If you’re pushed for time, you can listen to the shorter extract to get the gist of the topic. We’ve included the link to the full podcast so you can to delve more deeply into the topic.
| TOPIC | SHORT EXTRACT of key ideas to get you thinking | FULL PODCAST links |
|---|---|---|
| Gender bias in teaching evaluation Does gender bias exist in student evaluations (e.g. Learner Evaluation of Teaching LET surveys)? What are the implications for the teacher? | Gender bias in evaluation extract | Gender bias and timing of student evaluation of teaching (32.08 mins – from Tea for Teaching) |
| How do you feel about academic rigor? What truly defines academic rigor? Is it the volume of tasks or the intellectual depth? Or both? | Academic rigor extract 6.31 mins | Academic Rigor (42.30 mins – from Tea for Teaching) |
| Active learning unlocked: Is transparency the masterkey? Examine curious paradox where optimal learning can be the very source of student resistance. Is communication the answer to overcoming student reluctance? | Active learning extract 6.14 mins | Transparency in learning (46.42 mins – from Tea for Teaching) Students resist learning (36.52 mins from Teaching in Higher Ed) |
| Flexible deadlines for students Are flexible deadlines a friend or foe for students? Do they support students or fuel procrastination? What’s practical and beneficial when it comes to deadlines in academia? | Flexible deadlines extract 6.41 mins | The cognition motivation connection (45.30 mins – from Tea for Teaching) Arbitrary limits in our classes (48.48 mins – from Teaching in Higher Ed) |
| Alternatives to traditional grading systems There is a growing belief that traditional grading systems can create a culture of competition and compliance rather than learning and growth. What other (alternative) grading systems are out there and what do they look like in practice? (Excerpts from 2 podcasts on un-grading and alternative grading systems). | Grading systems extract 10.01 mins | Making the grade (33.15 mins – from the The Happiness Lab Podcast) Grading for growth (44.40 mins – from Tea for Teaching) |
| What do we do now that students have Gen AI in their pockets? Now that students have Generative Artificial Intelligence in their pockets, is TALKING to students the only secure way to assure learning? Given that AI tools are ‘infinitely patient’ – should they be doing most of the explaining and formative assessment marking? A conversation between Professor Cath Ellis’ (UNSW) and Stephen Matchett. | GenAI extract 10.09 mins | Generative AI conversation (36.18 mins – from Expert opinion) |
| Chat GPT and higher education Excerpts from 2 podcasts on the effect of ChatGPT on higher education. Podcasts range from personal thoughts on changing our engrained habits to musings about the future and how we can prepare for it now. | ChatGPT and HE extract 7.00 mins | ChatGPT and good intentions in HE (43.08 mins – from Teaching in Higher Ed) Change for an era of AI and robots (46.18 mins – from EdSurge Podcast) |
| Helping students with writing Unpacking the tricky topic of helping students with writing. Most of us want our students to write well, but are unsure how we can help them, given that we are content experts, not writing coaches. These excerpts offer some food for thought, including practical ideas and controversial statements (feel free to disagree!). | Student writing extract 11.05 mins | Writing better assignments (45.30 mins – from Tea for Teaching) |
| Dynamic lecturing Would you like to make lectures more engaging? This podcast shares how one experienced lecturer delivers dynamic and active lectures. | Dynamic lecturing extract 11.05 mins | Dynamic lecturing (38.46 mins – from Tea for Teaching) |
| Game techniques for active learning Practical strategies for crafting playful and effective learning environments (interview with the authors of ‘The Educator’s Guide to Designing Games and Creative Active-Learning Exercises’). | Playful learning 12.26 mins | How to create active, engaging and playful learning environments (58 mins – from Lecture Breakers) |
Do you have an interesting (learning and teaching) podcast to share?
Leave a comment below or email professional.learning@mq.edu.au
Why not join our Podcast Club conversations
The learning and teaching Podcast Discussion Club is like a book club… but with podcasts!
There’s no preparation required – just turn up! We’ll play some excerpts from a podcast on a topic related to learning and teaching and then we’ll discuss the topic. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month 12noon – 1pm via Zoom.
Join us and bring a friend! The more, the merrier!
If you are not already a Podcast Club member, please enter your email below and we will send you the calendar invitation and the Zoom link.
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