Podcast di Teaching Series

In this episode we chat with Megan Mocko from the Warrington College of Business about her experiences with taking risks and innovating in the classroom.Di Center for Teaching Excellence at UF

This episode explores using library special collections as a course tool for experiential learning. Our guest today is Neil Weijer, the Curator of the Harold and Mary Jean Hanson Rare Book Collection. Neil shares what lead him to special collections and how they can be used as learning tools in the classroom.…

Engaging in research and lab work is often the steppingstone that creates passionate lifelong learners and researchers. You can give your undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in scholarly conversations with international researchers on their most recent works! Listen as Dr. Diba Mani, Instructional Assistant Professor in the College of …

Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach to teaching that helps connect students' cultures, languages, and life experiences to the work they are doing in class. Dr. Travis Smith, Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Education, describes how to begin culturally responsive teaching with self-reflection about our teaching.…

Need a little help with course design? Add an instructional designer (ID) to your teaching toolbox! Laura Jervis and Allyson Haskell, Instructional Designers at UF’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training, share how they can assist you, and some quick tips for designing a successful course. Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Making connections between your research and teaching undergraduate courses is not always as easy as we would like. Fortunately, teaching and research do not have to be mutually exclusive! Dr. Anthony Auletta, lecturer in the Entomology and Nematology department at UF, has successfully merged his passions for teaching and research into a Course-bas…

Although it is strongly associated with the sciences, students from any discipline can benefit from learning about artificial intelligence (AI). But how can instructors teach AI in a way that is accessible for all learners? Dr. Joel Davis, lecturer in Warrington College of Business, shares how he incorporates his industry experiences with AI into h…

Help your students navigate academic integrity in your online class! Dr. Oliver Grundmann, Clinical Professor in the College of Pharmacy describes how you can develop useful materials and creative scenarios that can guide your students to academic and professional success. Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Are you curious about how to create practical, engaging assignments that center learner needs? Dr. Matthew Traum, Instructional Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, shares how he involved his students in the creation of his class textbook, giving them a valuable experience they could take with them beyond U…

Whether through research, teaching, or creating student assignments, we work with copyrighted materials all the time. How can we be sure that we, and our students, are using copyrighted materials appropriately in our classrooms? Perry Collins, UF’s scholarly communications librarian breaks down copyright law and fair use, and provides useful questi…

Learning about artificial intelligence isn't just for computer science majors! Dr. Jasmine McNealy, Associate Professor in the College of Journalism and Communications offers practical strategies and useful resources to help faculty learn about AI and apply it to their teaching, no matter the discipline. Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

A great mentor has the ability to guide you along any path you take. For one faculty member at UF, several mentors helped her to discover her passions and achieve her goals. Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome, Instructional Assistant Professor in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, shares how she leveraged mentoring relationships to grow her love …

The path to building and teaching a great online course is simpler than you may think! Nikki Lyons from the UF Center for Teaching Excellence explains how the Pathways to Online Teaching Excellence process can help you create exceptional online learning experiences for your students. Online teaching excellence begins with essential design elements …

Having a global learning experience is not limited to students’ ability to travel. Today, technology and creative teaching offer opportunities to internationalize the curriculum for students in every classroom. Paloma Rodriguez, Director of the Office of Global Learning shares ideas on how you can globalize your course! Music: Motivational by Scott…

Implementing active learning group work to your class may seem a little daunting, especially in the online environment. Students may also be apprehensive about group work in general. Harrison Hove, Lecturer in the College of Journalism and Communications, has discovered the secret sauce to creating diverse student teams that are unstoppable! Music:…

Looking for a way that your students can engage with each other, the course content, and demonstrate their understanding that goes beyond paper writing or exams? Check out how Dr. Rick Kates uses infographics in his class to promote creativity and deepen students' understanding of the material. Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Canvas boasts loads of tools that can save you time and help you create more engaging online courses. James Kocher, e-Learning Support manager, shares some of his top tips and strategies to help instructors of all skill-levels get the most out of teaching with Canvas. Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Have you ever wondered how to incorporate collaborative learning into your course? Raegan Burden, Lecturer of Cultural Engagement in the College of Journalism and Communications, describes how she transformed her course into a start up space where student groups become "ad agencies" and stick together for the semester to complete assignments and pr…

Teaching in Alternative Spaces doesn’t always mean going outdoors. You can help your students explore the countries, cultures and peoples by connecting them with language coaches from all over the world! Discover teaching strategies and the technologies that support them from Dr. Crystal Marull, Lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese …

Looking to create interesting graphics for your course? Listen as Dr. Sujata Krishna, Lecturer in the Department of Physics, shares how she uses the free vector and raster graphics editor Inkscape to create course materials. Find out if Inkscape is the right tool for you! Inkcape Tutorials Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Dr. Nick Keiser, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, shares his strategy of using jigsaw discussions to get his undergraduate students immersed in current research. View the transcript. Music: Motivational by Scott HolmesDi Center for Teaching Excellence at UF

Dr. Sindia Rivera-Jiménez, Lecturer at the Department of Engineering Education and an affiliate faculty to the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, shares her strategies, struggles, and successes to create an inclusive classroom. View the Transcript Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Make your course more engaging with role-play! Kevin MacPherson, Clinical Lecturer and Assistant Director of Clinical Education in the Department of Physical Therapy, teaches a course where Physical Therapy students practice diagnosis and prescription skills by using disease illness scripts. Students apply concepts learned during lecture to prescri…

Have you ever wanted to engage your students in long-term group projects but feared resistance and lack of engagement? Sean Niemi, Lecturer in the department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, has developed a semester-long, project-based course that inspires students to develop projects that work— even if that means happily staying up all night…

Incorporating global perspectives into your courses is important but often times can be challenging to organize. Ginny Greenway, Ph.D. in The Miller Lab at UF, shares her strategies for helping her undergraduate students to communicate and collaborate effectively with scientists all over the world through Virtual Exchange. View the transcript. Musi…

Have you ever wondered how to make your course more fun? Dr. Stacey Curtis, Clinical Assistant Professor and 2018-19 teacher of the year, shares how she incorporates meaningful games and activities into her course to promote student engagement and life-long learning. View the transcript. Music: Motivational by Scott Holmes…

Wondering how to teach a great online graduate level course? Dr. Swapna Kumar shares how online mentoring can contribute to student success. View the transcript. Music: Motivational by Scott HolmesDi Teaching Excellence at UF

Get your students out of their seats and into the streets! Kevin Baron shares his successful community-based projects that give students the chance to participate in meaningful work outside the classroom. View the transcript. Music: Motivational by Scott HolmesDi Teaching Excellence at UF

Use team-based learning to keep students engaged and motivated in your course! Michelle Farland, Clinical Associate Professor and president-elect of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative, discusses her experiences with team-based learning, the challenges, successes, and best practices for any instructor looking to get started. View the transcript. …

Looking for an alternative to high stakes testing? Dr. Kevin Knudson shares how he discovered standards based grading and how it transformed the student experience of his typically dreaded calculus class. View the transcript. Music: Motivational by Scott HolmesDi Teaching Excellence at UF

Connect with students! Whether it's giving a lecture or speaking one on one with students, verbal communication plays a vital role in the classroom. Jennifer K. Smith shares a wealth of strategies on communication and lecturing that she's learned from teaching and working with other faculty at the University of Florida. View the transcript. Music: …

Create an exam students look forward to! Dr. David Julian explains how two-stage testing has made his students excited about assessments. He provides a brief overview of two-stage exams, examples of how he uses it in his classroom, and most importantly how this strategy has impacted his students. View the transcript. Music: Motivational by Scott Ho…

How can we help international students better navigate their college experience in the United States? Melina Jimenez, English Language Institute instructor, talks about some of the common barriers international students face while studying at the University of Florida. She also gives us some easy course design strategies that benefit all students. …

Create an affordable course today! The cost of higher education often becomes a burden for many students. Hear how April Hines, College of Journalism and Communication Librarian, and Herbert Lowe, College of Journalism and Communication Lecturer, teamed up to make course materials more affordable for University of Florida students. Featured Guests:…

See through the eyes of first generation students. Adrian Cruz,University of Florida Industrial and Systems Engineering Graduate Student and Machen Scholar, shares his story filled with laughter, struggle and success on being a first generation student. Also, Dr. Leslie Pendleton, Ph.D., Senior Director of Retention and Success Initiatives at the M…

Classroom assessment can be difficult. Or should we say, effective classroom assessment can be difficult. We spoke with Corinne Huggins-Manley, Assistant Professor and Research and Evaluation Methodology Program Coordinator at UF, to hear about her approach on classroom assessment. This podcast discusses questions such as: What is good assessment? …

What is it like to have a disability while navigating through the coursework and demands of a university? We sat down with three University of Florida students to hear their stories and the adversity they face. Staff from the Disability Resource Center were also kind enough to share their experience, advice, and hope for students with disabilities.…

Help all students succeed from the start. Create your courses to effectively reach students with different gifts and circumstances. Ashley and Erica fill us in on some tips for creating a course that avoids simply teaching to the middle. Featured Guests: Ashley MacSuga-Gage, Ph.D. Assistant Clinical Professor of Special Education & Special Educatio…

We love assessment and you should too! Assessment provides information regarding student, faculty, and institutional effectiveness, allowing us to weigh and refine our approach towards teaching. Featured Guest: Dr. Timothy Brophy, Director of Institutional Assessment at UF Institutional Assessment at UF | Teaching Resources View the transcript. Mus…

Use the CCC to impact your students' future! How did you find your career? Odds are there was help along the way. The CCC at UF endeavors to be that help for students and partnering with them as a faculty member may be easier than you think. Featured Guests: Andie Cochran, Jaysen Williams, and Sarah Gould CCC Faculty Page | CCC College Liaisons | C…

Integrate and implement OER into your course! Although she would never claim to be an "expert," we believe Alexandra Bitton-Bailey offers great insight on utilizing open educational resources. She has used OER content for several years and now teaches a class that is solely supported by OER. Featured Guest: Alexandra Bitton-Bailey Teaching Resource…

Create new and intriguing opportunities for students to learn outside of the traditional classroom. Dr. Richard Conley explains how he crafted a new experiential learning course and the lasting impressions it had on his students. Featured Guest: Dr. Richard Conley Dr. Richard Conley's webpage | Experiential Learning Course Guidelines | Teaching Res…

Help your students improve and spend less time doing it. Dr. Joslyn Ahlgren shares how to give great feedback to students while balancing the long list of responsibilities faculty are faced with. Featured Guest: Joslyn Ahlgren, Ph.D. Bio | Teaching Resources View the transcript. Music: Corporate (Uplifting) by Scott Holmes…

Connect with students and foster a community that truly cares for one another. Ever wonder how to foster engagement with the students who find a cozy spot in the back of the classroom or those who seem lost in thought? Matthew Sowcik shares some great strategies to increase student engagement throughout the semester. Featured Guest: Dr. Matthew Sow…

Foster greater collaboration and engagement in your course by using a student-centered approach. Mikell Pinkney has many accolades from a professional career on Broadway. However, what continually blew us away was his dedication to students and humble approach to work collectively with them. Featured Guest: Dr. Michael L. "Mikell" Pinkney Professor…

Gain new strategies to make your first day of class a great one. In the very first podcast of the new FDTE Beyond the Podium Podcast Series faculty from across campus share some of their most memorable first day experiences and strategies that they have developed to start the semester off right! Featured Guests: Dr. Melanie Harris, Faculty member a…

Active learning cultivates interest and engagement with course content. Who doesn't want to be the "cool" professor? As it turns out, being committed to teaching and using a student-centered approach just may land you this title. Dr. Hector Perez, Associate Professor of Seed Biology, Plant Conservation, and Restoration at the University of Florida …

Practice inclusivity in your classroom. As educators, it's our duty to remove barriers that prevent learning. L.B. Hannahs explains how respecting your students' humanity and giving them an active voice in the class will bring exclusive barriers down. Teaching Resources View the transcript. Music: Indie Disco by Ben Fawkes @benfawkes Creative Commo…

Learn new ways of retaining student motivation. When the semester is coming to a rapid end and student energy is waning, how can you keep them motivated until the very end? Listen in as Kim Moore shares some of her strategies. Featured Guest: Dr. Kimberly Moore, Professor of Sustainable Plant Management View the transcript. Music: Indie Disco by Be…