Pedagogo: Recent Episodes
ExamSoftMedia
Pedagogo is the podcast for anyone and everyone in higher ed, brought to you by ExamSoft. Tune in for innovative ideas, thoughtful discussions, and expert perspectives to transform your thinking and practice in education and assessment. You’ll come away from each episode with tools, resources, and strategies for success, brought to you by thought leaders, subject matter experts, scholars, and professionals. Join our host and ExamSoft Director of Education and Assessment, Dr. Divya Bheda, for an exciting fourth season, where you’ll encounter diverse ideas and perspectives on building community in higher ed and taking collaborative action to foster student success. Seasons 1-3 explore topics such as change management, democratic education, and the future of assessment, as well as best practices to foster cultural attunement in the classroom and strategies to effectively assess student learning.
As Pedagogo Season 4 comes to a close, we look back at this season’s exploration of community building and highlight themes from our conversations with higher ed leaders, DEI champions, and social activists, as well as non-profit and industry leaders. Join Dr. Divya Bheda as she reflects on this season’s topics, explores the potential for growth and nourishment in the communities we are rooted in, and provides action items to help put these ideas into practice.
Guest: Dr. Ereka Williams
Our identities connect us to a vast webwork of community which informs our perspectives and our relationships. By minding these connections to our communities, we can create spaces for fellow community members in higher ed decision-making. Learn ways that higher ed leaders and faculty can come together to support the communities we share, and learn strategies to inculcate democratic values in higher ed to promote the shared success of every stakeholder.
This episode explores:
- The values and beliefs within our communities that underlie ideas and solutions
- Why centering language and culture is essential to supporting our communities
- The importance of looking at the data that drives decision-making through a human lens
- Community-centric methods to positively impact student outcomes, in the classroom and beyond
Guest: Dr. Kate McConnell
There’s more to creating a community than bringing together individuals with a shared purpose or identity; the success of a community depends on the skills and values of those individuals who choose to build and sustain it. As educators, how can we model and teach the core abilities required to create successful communities? Learn how bringing principles of civic engagement to the classroom can positively impact student outcomes and help to instill the attitudes and dispositions that contribute to healthy communities.
This episode explores:
- The importance of human interaction and collaboration to build and sustain community
- Providing positive examples for students to build and sustain impactful communities
- Teaching tools and strategies to connect learning outcomes to civic-engagement skills
- Building respect and trust in collaboration to reach authentic consensus in higher ed
Guest: Dr. Craig Pepin
The pandemic era has led us to discover new channels of communication, which have connected us across the country and around the world. But what essential aspects of pre-pandemic community are missing in our most task-oriented virtual spaces? Learn about the opportunities and responsibilities we share, as well as the challenges and limitations we face, as members of virtual and in-person communities. See how we can drive innovation while supporting the shared mission and vision of the community.
This episode explores:
- The role that community plays for professional organizations in higher education
- Prioritizing human connection and relationship building within work communities
- The nuances of networking and community, as well as collaboration and consensus
- Civility, transparency, and equity as key principles to build impactful communities
Guests: Dr. Kathleen Doll and Dr. Albertina Lopez
Community is an essential aspect of our lives. It provides a safe, welcoming space to connect with those who share our values while also challenging us to consider new perspectives. We need community to achieve our goals — both individually and as a society — and when we build our communities with intention, we can create the momentum necessary to move the needle on social change. Learn how community and collective action work together to build and sustain movements towards equity and justice — in higher education and beyond.
This episode explores:
- The meaning and function of community in academia and social justice work
- The role of community in higher education as it relates to student success
- Best practices to create purpose-driven communities and sustain momentum
- Being intentional in building nurturing and equitable communities
Guests: Dr. John Broome
Communication can be challenging in higher education. From institution to institution — and even within the same institution — differences in power, position, or pedigree can impede effective communication. But the pandemic era ushered in new channels of communication that have allowed those from higher ed to connect and share ideas from anywhere in the world, at any time of day, and irrespective of differences. Hear from the creator of the online group, Higher Ed Learning Collective, and learn how this space has evolved since the outset of the pandemic.
This episode explores:
- Adapting to the needs of higher ed communities — in the pandemic era and beyond
- Considerations for encouraging productive communication in online communities
- The key role community moderators serve to promote equity and social justice
- The importance of leadership and organizational structure to sustain common goals
Guests: Dr. Annabelle Goodwin
Community building is important to the shared success of students and faculty in online education, but it requires a different set of strategies to foster belonging and extend support than those of in-person learning. With thoughtful approaches to relationship building and inclusion, educators can bridge the gaps in distance learning and create close-knit virtual communities. Learn why intentionality is central to building community in online education and how to implement inclusivity initiatives for the greatest impact in virtual learning spaces.
This episode explores:
- The importance of proactive relationship building to improve student outcomes
- Planning interactions that strengthen personal and professional networks
- Tips to achieve institutional initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- How to apply an inclusive excellence model across all aspects of online education
Guests: Dr. Jane Irungu
Colleges and universities bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances to achieve a shared goal as an institution. The overall success of the campus community depends on the success of its stakeholders, so creating a goal-oriented community means finding effective ways to support the individual needs of students, faculty, staff, and leadership. Learn strategies for building inclusive, collaborative communities within brick-and-mortar institutions, and see how the pandemic-related challenges have presented opportunities to build stronger communities.
The episode explores:
- The value of community for everyone in higher ed – students, faculty, staff, and leadership
- Challenges to building community in traditional higher ed institutions
- The importance of mission and vision to community
- Tips to facilitate inclusive, collaborative learning in the classroom
The events of the past two years have underlined the importance of community. Presented with the challenges of social isolation, we sought digital spaces to connect, communicate, collaborate, and drive social change. Pedagogo Season 4 will bring you insightful conversations with higher ed leaders, DEI champions, and social activists, as well as non-profit and industry leaders, as they share diverse ideas and perspectives that center on the theme of “Community and Connections for Equity and Success.” Join Dr. Divya Bheda as she begins this season’s exploration of community building, its potential to promote equity, inclusion, and access in education and assessment, and how it can help us lead the next generation of global citizens.
In this episode, Dr. Divya Bheda recaps the highlights of this season’s seven episodes, touching on common themes. Dr. Bheda shares her own reflections, along with suggested next steps so that you can bring these big ideas into your work as an educator.
- Balancing the need for self-care with our drive to serve others and to continuously improve our performance and programs
- Empowering students by involving them in curriculum development, assessment design, and decision making
- Supporting students as they deal with the daily challenges that can impact their education
- Checking our biases as we work with an increasingly diverse student body
- Humanizing the academy by prioritizing people, practicing compassion, and centering relationships
- Reimagining education and assessment to meet 21st-century needs and challenges
As deeply committed professionals, we often see our willingness to take extraordinary measures as our badge of honor. However, constantly leaning in, striving forward, and sacrificing for others can cause stress, increase anxiety, and deplete the energy that we need to be fully present to our students, colleagues, and loved ones. Dr. Bheda interviews Libby Smith, an organizational healing facilitator, about the mindset changes and daily actions that we can adopt to take self-care as seriously as our other responsibilities.
Join us to learn how you can gain time by making time for yourself.
- How can “pouring ourselves into our work” be a form of unhealthy distraction?
- How can self-awareness help us cope with stressful times and situations?
- How do we draw boundaries and focus our energy?
- Why is self-care an ongoing process and an everyday practice?
- How do we stop others—and ourselves—from sabotaging our self-care?
- How can healing ourselves enable us to help others?
- How can academic and business leaders create space for self-care?
In today’s episode, Dr. Bheda interviews Dr. James Earl Orr Jr., a senior higher education administrator who currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Center for Academic Integrity. Dr. Orr discusses the principles of restorative justice and the educational benefits that can be realized when they are applied to situations involving academic misconduct.
Listen in as Dr. Bheda and Dr. Orr explore:
- Principles of restorative justice and benefits for higher education
- Detriments of one-size-fits-all sanctions
- Disadvantages of too-stringent and too-lenient sanctions
- Issues with courtroom-style academic integrity hearings
- Conducting restorative, learning-centered conversations with students
- Fostering a culture of honesty, integrity, and engaged learning
- Centralized implementation and facilitation of restorative practices
- Student involvement in policy development and peer-to-peer mediation
In today’s episode, Dr. Bheda is joined by Dr. Amber Garrison Duncan of Lumina Foundation*, which seeks to expand the share of Americans who have a post-secondary education, training, and certification. They discuss the demographic changes and workplace trends that are reducing the high-school-to-college pipeline while increasing older learners’ demand for education and training.
Stream this episode to hear more about:
- Social mobility and emerging needs of uncredentialed adults
- Prior learning assessment and comprehensive learner records
- New pathways and partnerships for credentialing and certification
- Challenges in cross-institutional collaboration and coordination
- Alignment of competency-based learning with skills-based hiring
- Opportunities for employer-informed and co-created curriculum development
*This interview was recorded when Dr. Garrison Duncan was at the Lumina Foundation. She now serves as the Executive Vice President of the Competency-Based Education Network.
In competency-based education, the focus is on the mastery of knowledge and skills and the rigorous assessment of those competencies. Advancement is not based on the number of weeks in a classroom or the number of credit hours earned, but on performance-based assessments. In this episode, Dr. Bheda interviews Dr. Charla Long, the Executive Director for the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), to explore the challenges and benefits of this big idea.
Listen as we discuss:
- Evolution of competency-based education
- Differences between time-based approaches and competency-based approaches
- Benefits to institutions, faculty members, learners, and employers
- The importance of “backward design” to identify competencies and develop the learning journey that will lead to mastery
- The use of data analysis to personalize education and foster student attainment
- The Competency-Based Education Network’s quality framework and program design principles
- Results achieved by institutions that have implemented competency-based programs
As the student population becomes more diverse, we are increasingly aware of the need for assessment methods that better support diverse learners. In this timely episode, Dr. Divya Bheda is joined by Dr. Gianina Baker, acting director of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).
Tune in for insights about:
- Healing-centered practices in education
- Principles of equity-minded assessment
- Meaningful student involvement in assessment practices
- Interrogation and disaggregation of data to check assumptions
- Development of rubrics and standards-based grading
- The essential role of feedback and formative assessment
At the turn of the 21st century, Art Pearl and Tony Knight published a trailblazing volume, The Democratic Classroom: Theory to Inform Practice. In this episode, two of Dr. Pearl's former students discuss his influence on their views and careers, and the potential of democratic education to empower students, foster problem solving, and build strong citizens. Join Dr. Divya Bheda and her guest, Dr. Robin Harwick, founder of The Pearl Remote Democratic School.
Tune in to learn about:
- The principles of democratic education
- The mental health and social benefits of the democratic classroom
- The skillsets that you need to implement these principles
- Practical strategies and techniques to apply in your classroom, whether K-12 or higher ed
- Resources to learn more and network with other educators who are adopting democratic education
With the challenges posed by COVID-19, the many socio-economic issues that are impacting education, and the advent of technology as an essential element of education, managing change has become increasingly important. Join host Dr. Divya Bheda and her guest, Dr. Catherine Wehlburg, Athens State University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, as they share insights and advice for becoming an effective change agent at your institution.
Learn about:
- understanding organizational culture, tradition, and mission to prioritize initiatives
- building relationships across the institution to co-create change
- establishing ongoing scenario-planning conversations to anticipate change
- identifying issues that can impede change
- creating psychological safety to support faculty, staff, and students while implementing change
In our final episode of the season, we talk assessment. How do we determine what students really know about what they know? Join Dr. Allison Case and guest Dr. Natasha Jankowski, Executive Director of the National Institute of Learning Outcome Assessment (NILOA) and Research Associate Professor at the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, as they take a deep dive into establishing impactful practice in assessment. Learn about the four lenses through which assessment can be viewed to add value for both faculty and students.
Show Notes and Resources:NILOA: National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment
Natasha talks about the Spellings Commission and their work in 2008 for standardizing measurement
AAC&U : The mission of the Association of American Colleges and Universities is to advance the vitality and public standing of liberal education by making quality and equity the foundations for excellence in undergraduate education in service to democracy.
TILT: Transparency in Learning and Teaching project which aims to advance equitable teaching and learning practices that reduce systemic inequities in higher education through two main activities:
- Promoting students' conscious understanding of how they learn
- Enabling faculty to gather, share and promptly benefit from current data about students' learning by coordinating their efforts across disciplines, institutions and countries
Infographic
What is enablement-minded leadership? How can programs and institutions resist the stigma attached to being promoted to leadership roles and prepare faculty for future success from day one? Join Dr. Allison Case and guest, Dr. Brian Goldstein, Chief Academic Officer and Executive Dean of the College of Rehabilitative Sciences at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, as he shares his personal story about the journey from faculty member to administrator, what he learned along the way, and how he champions identifying others to tap for leadership roles.
Show Notes and Resources:
Brian suggests the following books on leadership:
Bolman and Deal: Reframing Organizations
Bolman & Gallos: Reframing Academic Leadership
Steven Sample: A Contrarian's Guide to Leadership
Jim Collins: Good to Great
Buller: Academic Leadership
Buller: Academic Leadership Day by Day
Anything by Chip and Dean Heath; e.g., Switch; Upstream
Susan Scott: Fierce Conversations; Fierce Leadership
Kim Scott: Radical Candor
Grawe: Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education
Websites:
Chronicle for Higher Education
Inside Higher Education
Education Dive
Have you ever given an assessment that was not about content? While content may still be king, it is not in the castle alone. Join Dr. Allison Case and her guest, Dr. Christina Paguyo, Director of Academic Assessment at the University of Denver, as they explore inclusive assessment—the layering of non-content based assessments on top of traditional content assessments as a way to better serve and respond to our students so they can fully engage with our class and our content.
Show Notes
Dr. Virginia Pitts talks about having clarity about what you want students to walk away with when they leave your class five years from now, they're looking back and thinking about your class, what knowledge, what ideas, what feelings would you want to have endure?https://otl.du.edu/what-to-do-when-it-all-feels-new-teaching-at-a-social-distance/
Christina referenced the writings and practices of Rachel Toor, Professor at Eastern Washington University, in using low stakes, ungraded assignments to check in on students. You can read more about her work here: https://community.chronicle.com/news/2367-turns-out-you-can-build-community-in-a-zoom-classroom
Christina referenced the book "Small Teachings Online: Applying Learning Science Online" by Flower Darby and James Lang. https://www.amazon.com/Small-Teaching-Online-Applying-Learning/dp/1119619092 Additional resources:North Star reference: https://otl.du.edu/courses-opportunities/workshops/course-design-institute/Stress test: https://otl.du.edu/mitigating-increasing-inequity-as-we-move-online/
For a transcript of today’s show, additional resources, or to listen to previous episodes, come visit us online at ExamSoft.com/Pedagogo.
There’s little doubt as to the value assessment can bring to the classroom. But what if we are underutilizing assessments and under-appreciating the areas where they can lead to insights? Tune in today to hear Dr. Valentina Iturbe-LaGrave, Director of Inclusive Teaching Practices at the University of Denver, talk about sources of trauma in our students’ lives; how the chemistry of the traumatized brain interrupts deep learning; and how low-stakes, alternative assessments facilitate deep, transformative learning, and are a first step toward ensuring our students are supported in a way that acknowledges trauma. Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave and Dr. Case discuss the nature of trauma-informed pedagogy and how the insights gleaned from low-stakes assessments can translate to large gains in traditional assessments. Tune in to learn what steps you can take to create a classroom of inclusive excellence.
Show Notes and Resources:
‘This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action and Do the Work’, Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand
Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave mentions conducting a critical incident questionnairewhich comes from the book "Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms" by Brookfield and Preskill
Dr. Iturbe-LaGrave mentions including a basic needs security statement in our syllabi. A modified example of UVA's Center for Teaching Excellence Basis Needs Security Statement is provided here, but many more examples can be found via an internet search. "Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the
For transcripts, show resources, and other Pedagogo episodes, visit https://examsoft.com/pedagogo
While it’s clear no one was a fan of the rapid transition to online learning in Spring 2020, do you know what distinguishes sustainable, enjoyable remote learning from Spring’s emergency remote teaching? Join Dr. Allison Case, along with her guests Lauren Wright, Director of Program Development at Wiley Education Services, and Jimmy Arvan, a senior at Boston University, as they explore the hallmarks of sustainable online learning, and how to create intentional, meaningful online environments where students thrive and faculty presence is felt throughout.
Show Notes
Teaching Online: A Practical Guide- By Susan Ko and Steve Rossen
How Learning Works By Susan Ambrose, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, and Marie K. Norman
Online Teaching At Its Best By Linda Nilson and Ludwika A. Goodson
Small Teaching Online: Practical Strategies to Increase Student Engagement and Learning By Flower Darby
Disclosure: The resources Lauren shared with us are published by Wiley.
With Fall 2020 beginning mid-pandemic, mid-protest and mid-election cycle, it's more important now than ever to invite culture to inform our pedagogy, but doing it "right" can be daunting. Join host Dr. Allison Case as she sits down with two thought leaders on the topics of cultural attunement and responsiveness, NYU's Michele Crespo-Fierro and UNT Dallas College of Law's Angela Downes as they discuss what cultural attunement is, what information and tools you have available to you right now, how to use them to know, honor and connect with your students, and to be encouraged that it's not just about getting it right but making the effort that matters. Don't miss this powerful first episode of Pedagogo, Season 2.
Show Notes and Resources
- View the infographic based on today's episode at examsoft.com/pedagogo
- Allison referenced Brené Brown's book, Dare to Lead, linked here: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/
- Angela mentions the work of Gary Howard @ the Equity Institute. For more information: http://www.ghequityinstitute.com/index.html
- Angela references Harvard University's Project Implicit. You can find more information and tests here: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
Pedagogo is back! Welcome to Season 2 of Pedagogo, the podcast on all things higher ed. We're back talking with faculty, thought leaders, and subject matter experts about the latest and greatest trending topics affecting our lives in the classroom and beyond. We’ll also hear from students this season as we aim to cover all points of view to inform our pedagogy. This season, our focus is on equity and enablement in the classroom, in assessment, and in education’s communities. Tune in to the prologue to hear host Dr. Allison Case talk about the topics to come in Season 2, like best practices for a robust virtual classroom, inclusive assessment, trauma-informed pedagogy, and more. We’ll kick off the season with a powerful first episode on cultural attunement in our classrooms. Be sure to join us Tuesdays starting next week for Season 2 of Pedagogo.
Mark Spitzer is back for this bonus mini-sode to talk about remote proctoring services. If you’re already using proctoring services, Mark and Allison will discuss tips and best practices for seamless implementation of remote proctoring for your assessments in a virtual classroom. If you are new to the proctoring scene, Mark and Allison talk about the considerations you need to be aware of to make a sound choice, the types of proctoring services available and the pros and cons of each.
As classrooms and exams move online, the role of privacy has been thrust into the spotlight. From articles reporting students feeling "creeped out" by online proctors to students refusing to be assessed online, robust privacy policies play a central role in ensuring students can still make progress towards their degree from the safety of their home. Tune in today to learn about different types of privacy, who should participate in framing new privacy policies, the difference between privacy and policy, and to learn whether you're a data processor or data controller. Guests Eric Connolly, Vice President of Client Development with ExamSoft and Devon Lash, IT administrator at the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences join Allison to talk privacy and to get you up to speed for a successful fall with robust policies in place.
This week, we're continuing the conversation with academic leaders about how to define and achieve success in fall amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This week's guests are John Murray, Provost at Barry University and Aaron Cyr, Director of Assessment and Evaluation at Arizona College. John and Aaron talk about how to define success for Fall and beyond, how to maintain rigor in assessment and in preparation for accreditation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.
Wonder what academic success can look like for universities in the Fall? Interested in hearing the strategies your colleagues are using to liaise with administration to be successful, innovative, and effective? In this episode of Pedagogo, Allison sits down with academic leaders to discuss ways to define success for Fall and what it looks like to succeed, no matter the modality used to deliver classes.
Allison and Mark talk about what features to look for in a digital assessment platform. We discuss the "need to haves" and the "nice to haves" including syncing with an LMS, seamlessly integrating with proctoring services, supporting new and emerging item types like hot spots, easing faculty burden, and generating data in support of accreditation efforts.
Allison and Mark talk about the benefits of remote assessment, the whys and why nots of throwing in the towel and just assessing students using “group chat” for the remainder of the semester, and some common stumbling blocks and building blocks when attempting to execute fair, high-fidelity, secure remote assessments in a COVID-environment.
Today’s episode covers all you need to know about how you can tackle the transition to a virtual classroom during the COVID crisis without breaking into a fevered sweat. Dr. Allison Case and Mark Spitzer discuss the common stumbling blocks and building blocks encountered by faculty as they seek to teach effectively in synchronous and asynchronous classrooms and provide tips for success. They also discuss the supreme importance of establishing community in an online classroom and offer suggestions to build community quickly with readily available tools.
Show Notes:
In today's episode, Mark refers to an LMS, or a "learning management system".
For details on ExamSoft's audience response tool, ExamNow, click here: https://examsoft.com/product-specifications/exam-now.
Thanks for checking out Pedagogo! In this prologue, you can hear what's to come in Season 1 of Pedagogo, the home of all things hip and happening in higher education.
Tune in for new episodes on Tuesdays.
Show Notes:
The Washington Post article 'Colleges are ditching letter grades this spring, but not all students are on board with ‘ungrading’’ referenced in today's article can be found here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/06/college-grading-coronavirus/