TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast: Recent Episodes
Thomas Cavanagh & Kelvin Thompson
Hosted by Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson, the Teaching Online Podcast (TOPcast) takes a fun and informative look at the various trends, best practices and technologies in the realm of online education.
Recorded in front of a plenary audience at the OLC Accelerate 2025 conference and drawing upon crowdsourced listener input and live audience questions, this is it: the final, regularly-scheduled episode of TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast. Please enjoy this cumulative synthesis of insights from the podcast. Good-bye and thanks for joining us for all the coffee and all the conversations!
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 200 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-origin Thailand Doi Wiang Coffee from Lana Coffee (Fresno, CA) Content Links* Smorgasbord of Past TOPcast Episodes Referenced in This Final Show + #32 – Provosts, Pedagogy, and Digital Learning (with guest Dr. Casey Green) + #37 – 6 Deadly Sins of Online Teaching + #64 – Principles for Humanizing Online Education… and Remote Teaching (with guest Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock) + #74 – “Connecting the Dots:” Lessons for Leadership (with guest Dr. Shubha Kashyap) + #187 – The TOPcast “Core Audience” and Strategic Online Education + #195 – Managing the Online Expectations of Presidents and Provosts + All the “LMS” Episodes + All the “Holiday” Episodes + All the “Season Kick-Off” Episodes * Other Resources + Video: BYU’s “Loosely-Coupled Gradebook” (interview of Jon Mott by Jared Stein) * For Fans of The Dulcet Gurgles (Our “house band”) + [2020 Faux Commercial on YouTube] “Dulcet Gurgles Holiday Extravaganza” + Dulcet Gurgles Digital Learning Sing-Along Songbook + Dulcet Gurgles AI-Generated Playlist
Just-For-Fun Pop Culture Links* [On YouTube] 1973 “Soylent Green Official Trailer” (Starring Charlton Heston) * Backstory and Video Compilation of Commercials for “The Norelco Santa Claus” * [On YouTube] 1984 “Gotta Make the Donuts” Commercial
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guests Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock (“Brocanksy”) and Dr. Alejandra (“Alex”) Pickett unpack decades of experience in conversation with hosts Tom and Kelvin on the topic of scaling high-quality, impactful online design/teaching through preparing and supporting faculty. This episode is the final episode in a mini-series of “pillar panels” offering distilled insights from esteemed community members on key, “structural support” topics essential in the future of strategic online/digital education.
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Dr. Michelle Pacansky-BrockDr. Alex PickettEpisode 199 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Make Your Own “Mayan Mocha Powder” * “What is Mocha? A Rich History and Modern Coffee Classic” Content Links Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock’s Online Profile * Dr. Alex Pickett’s Online Profile * Resources Suggested By Dr. Pacansky-Brock + [Gallup Research] “How to Improve Teacher Retention and Burnout” + [Book] The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World* (Pugh, A., 2024) + [US Surgeon General’s Report] “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” (Murthy, V., 2023) + [Research Briefs/Resources] “Humanizing Online Teaching” (from Dr. Pacansky-Brock ad others) * Resources Suggested by Dr. Pickett + The SUNY Online OSCQR Rubric + [From SUNY Online] “Teach Online Step by Step: Online Course Design” + Inclusive Online Teaching Practice Project + Peralta Online Equity Rubric + Critical Digital Pedagogy (from Jesse Stommel & Sean Michael Morris) + [From Tulane University] Feminist Online Pedagogy + [One-Page Research Brief] “The Spiral Curriculum” (from Education Partnerships Inc. based upon the work of Dr. Jerome Bruner) + Previous TOPcast Episodes - #165 – “Why Still Prepare Faculty for Online Teaching? #IYKYK” - #64 – “Principles for Humanizing Online Education… and Remote Teaching/Learning” (featuring guest Dr. Pacansky-Brock) - #24 – “International Connections in Online Education” (featuring guest Dr. Pickett)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Dr. Safary Wa-Mbaleka and Dr. Baiyun Chen join hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the future of the field of higher education instructional design and their comprehensive(!) new book on the subject.
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Dr. Safary Wa-MbalekaDr. Baiyun ChenEpisode 198 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Storyville Coffee Company * [From the Internet Archive] Bluebottle Coffee’s Instructions for “Inverted” Aeropress Brewing Content Links Dr. Safary Wa-Mbaleka’s Online Profile * Dr. Baiyun Chen’s Online Profile * [Book] The SAGE Handbook of Higher Education Instructional Design* * Previous TOPcast Episodes + #150 – “A Global, Holistic, 360 Degree Perspective on Online Higher Education” (with guest Dr. Safary Wa-Mbaleka) + #145 – “‘More of the Human Element:’ Dolly, Picard, Ray, Dede, and More”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guests Dr. Tanya Joosten and Dr. Patsy Moskal unpack decades of expertise in conducting research and fostering evidence-based practice in conversation with hosts Tom and Kelvin. This episode is the second in a mini-series of “pillar panels” offering distilled insights from esteemed community members on key, “structural support” topics essential in the future of strategic online/digital education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Dr. Tanya Joosten
Dr. Patsy Moskal
Episode 197 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Rishi Tea & Botanicals (Milwaukee, WI) * “Truffle THiNS Lemon” (from Edward Marc Chocaltier) Content Links* Dr. Tanya Joosten’s Online Profile * Dr. Patsy Moskal’s Online Profile * National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancement (“DETA Center”) * DETA Research Toolkit 2.0 (“DETA Center”) * Research Study: “Online Learning Readiness” (Joosten & Cusatis) * Research Study: “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” (Joosten & Cusatis) * Historic Impact Evaluation Publications from UCF’s Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness (RITE) * Research Study: “Student Ratings: Skin in the Game and the Three-Body Problem” (co-authored by Dr. Moskal) * Research Study: “Dancing With a Bear: One University’s Experience With Evaluating Blended Learning” (Moskal) * [From SUNY Oswego] “Tea for Teaching” Podcast * [From Oregon State University] “Research in Action” Podcast (2016-2020) * Past TOPcast Episodes + #15 – “It’s More About the Social than the Media” (with guest Dr. Tanya Joosten) + #96 – “25 Years of “Conscientious, Methodical Research” (with guest Dr. Patsy Moskal) + #103 – “Learning from 2021: Our Listeners Speak” (featuring an appearance by Dr. Patsy Moskal) + #130 – “Data, DETA, Design, and More” (with guest Dr. Tanya Joosten)
Guest Dr. Cristi Ford returns to the show to discuss with hosts Kelvin and Tom revolutionary forces, wicked problems, and the importance of seeing the future of digital learning and student success as “co-created.”
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Dr. Cristi Ford
Episode 196 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Tokyo Kissa from Blue Bottle Coffee Content Links Dr. Cristi Ford’s Online Profile * D2L’s Teach & Learn Podcast (co-hosted by Dr. Ford) * [Research Article] “The wicked problem of AI and assessment” (Corbin, Bearman, Boud, and Dawson, 2025) * [From PureAI*] “Accenture Cuts 11,000 Jobs While Betting Big on AI Skills” * [Substack Article] “Inverted Bloom’s for the Age of AI” (Kassorla, 2025) * [Historical Blog] “The Curious Case of the Flipped-Bloom’s Meme” (Collis, Sams, and Wright, 2012) * TOPcast Episode #92: “Multidimensional, Tremendous Work:” Akilah Institute (with guest Dr. Cristi Ford)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Kelvin and Tom synthesize themes from three 2025 industry reports and more in this episode to focus on the importance of aligning leadership ambitions of presidents/provosts and quality assurance operations of online education.
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Episode 195 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * “Malabar Hazelnut” from Rosso Caffe * L’OR Barista System [On Philips Website] Content Links [LAST CALL] Your Questions/Comments Invited! Provide Input for the Final Episode of TOPcast Now. * “CHLOE 10 | Meeting the Moment: Navigating Growth, Competition, and AI in Online Higher Education, 2025” * [From UPCEA] “Benchmarking Online Enterprises:Insights into Structures, Strategies, and Financial Models in Higher Education” (2025) * [In OnEdTech Newsletter] “Great Expectations, Fragile Foundations” (Dr. Glenda Morgan) * [From CDLRA] “2025 Pan-Canadian Report on Digital Learning Trends” (Dr. Nicole Johnson) * [In The Chronicle of Higher Education] “The Colleges That Prospered During the Pandemic” (Phil Hill; contains quote mentioned in the episode) * Related Past TOPcast Episodes + #194: “Becoming Ambassadors of ‘Acceptance’” (with guest Dr. Jennifer Mathes) + #193: “Pillar Panel #1: Leadership Vision in Online Ed” (with guests Ray Schroeder and Dr. Melissa Vito) + #190: “When Will Online Learning Stop Growing?” (with guest Dr. Glenda Morgan) + #180: “Pan-Canadian Digital Learning Report – 2024” (with guest Dr. Nicole Johnson) + #173: Campus-Based Student Demand for Online Options (and More!) from CHLOE 9 [plus links to all the other* CHLOE-based TOPcast episodes]
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
OLC’s Dr. Jennifer Mathes joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the roles we all can play in ensuring that higher ed online learning continues to be effective and strategic in meeting our society’s needs.
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Dr. Jennifer Mathes
Episode 194 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * [From Healthline] “9 Reasons Why Jasmine Tea Is Good for You” Content Links Dr. Jennifer Mathes’ Online Profile * [Newsletter] “Digital Learning Leadership: Insights on AI, digital learning, and the future of learning leadership” (Authored by Dr. Mathes) * [From OLC Website] “Professional Learning: Excellence in Online Professional Development” * [Newsletter/Podcast] “The Lift: Insights and inspiration for academic innovation, digital learning, and leading” (Authored by Kelvin) * [On Apple Podcasts*] “Online Education Across the Atlantic” Podcast * Related Past TOPcast Episodes + #87: “Repairing Our Reputation Post-COVID” + #89: “7 Slogans to Save Online Learning” + #98: “I Don’t Ever Want to Do [Online] Again!” + 181: “Help in Grasping ‘Good Online Course’” + #182: “When is ‘Good Teaching’ Just ‘Good Teaching’?” + 192: “Futures Thinking and Digital Higher Ed” (with guest Dr. Bryan Alexander) + 193: “Pillar Panel #1: Leadership Vision in Online Ed” (with guests Schroeder & Vito)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guests Ray Schroeder and Dr. Melissa Vito unpack decades of practical wisdom on leadership vision in conversation with hosts Tom and Kelvin. This episode is the first in a mini-series of “pillar panels” offering distilled insights from esteemed community members on key, “structural support” topics essential in the future of strategic online/digital education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Ray Schroeder
Dr. Melissa Vito
Episode 193 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Coffees from “8th & Roast Coffee Company” (Nashville, TN) * Green Mountain Half Caff Coffee Pods Content Links Ray Schroeder’s Online Profile * Dr. Melissa Vito’s Online Profile * Resource Recommendations From Our Guests + [Magazine] Quanta (Recommended by Ray Schroeder) + [Blog] “Ray’s Daily Update – Curated Reading List” [aka “Online, Continuing & Professional Education Update” from UPCEA] (Recommended by Ray Schroeder) + [Column] “Online: Trending Now” from Inside Higher Ed (Recommended by Ray Schroeder) + [News Digest] “APLU Morning News Scan Sign-Up” (Recommended by Dr. Melissa Vito) + [Book] Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (Recommended by Dr. Melissa Vito) * Recommendations and Shameless Plugs From The Hosts + [Book] The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education* (Recommended by Tom) + [Newsletter/Podcast] “The Lift: Insights and inspiration for academic innovation, digital learning, and leading” (Recommended by Kelvin) + [Web Resources] Books, articles and videos on effective storytelling from “Scientist-Turned-Filmmaker Randy Olson” (Recommended by Kelvin) + [TED Talk] “What happens in the brain when we hear stories?” with Dr. Uri Hassan (Recommended by Kelvin) + [Website] Research Publications on Storytelling and More from “HassanLab” (Recommended by Kelvin)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Higher ed futurist Dr. Bryan Alexander guests alongside hosts Kelvin and Tom to reflect on the recent past and near-term possible futures of digital higher education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Dr. Bryan Alexander
Episode 192 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Old Louisville Coffee Co-op (On Facebook) Content Links* Dr. Bryan Alexander’s Online Profile * Dr. Alexander’s “Future Trends Forum” archive of weekly conversations * arXiv.org e-Print archive * Directory of Open Access Preprint Repositories * [On Wikipedia] “Diffusion of innovations” (article summarizing the work of Everett Rogers) * [From the Institute For The Future (IFTF) Website] “Drivers and Signals: How Are They Different?” * [Dr. Steven Crawford’s Guest Appearance] TOPcast #103 “Learning from 2021: Our Listeners Speak”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Tom and Kelvin consider the role well-designed online learning can play in institutional efforts to increase student retention.
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Episode 191 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * “Buckle Down” Coffee Blend from 8th & Roast Coffee Company, Nashville, TN * “Est. 1927 by Marigold” at the Speed Art Museum Content Links Info and Question Contribution: “Last Call at the TOPcast Cafe” Plenary Panel (OLC Accelerate 2025) * [Book] The SAGE Handbook of Online Higher Education (Wa-Mbaleka, Thompson, and Casmiro, Eds., 2024) * [Research Study] “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” (Joosten, Cusatis, and Harness, 2019) * [Article] “Retention in Online Courses: Exploring Issues and Solutions—A Literature Review” (Bawa, 2016) * [Framework] TILT = Transparency in Learning and Teaching (Winkelmes, 2009-2025) * [Book] Teaching Naked (Bowen, 2012 – not to be confused with TILT above) * [LinkedIn Post(s)] “Five years from now, the primary job of an instructional designer won’t be instructional design.” * [Book] How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (Brooks, 2023) * [Book] The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (Parker, 2020) * Past TOPcast Episodes Springboarding from the SAGE Handbook* and Its Chapters + #171: “The ‘North Star’ of Online Learners’ Needs” (Refs Ch. 5) + #163: “The Online Syllabus: ‘A Welcome Mat for the Course’” (Refs Ch. 18) + #161: “Taste the Rainbow of Online Ed’s Possible Futures” (Refs Ch. 50) + #155: “High-Quality Online Discussions — Here’s How.” (Refs Ch. 27) + #150: “A Global, Holistic, 360 Degree Perspective on Online Higher Education” (Introduces SAGE Handbook)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest market analyst Dr. Glenda Morgan joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to share a concentrated distillation of wise insights on online enrollment growth, student success online, and much more.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Dr. Glenda Morgan
Episode 190 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Colombia Chaparral, Tolima (“Red Condor”) from Black Gold Coffee Roasters (Venice, FL) Content Links Info and Question Contribution: “Last Call at the TOPcast Cafe” Plenary Panel (OLC Accelerate 2025) * Dr. Glenda Morgan’s Online Profile * [On Apple Podcasts] Online Education Across the Atlantic Podcast (co-hosted by Dr. Morgan) * OnEdTech Newsletter from Phil Hill & Associates * [From 99% Invisible* Podcast] Episode #621 “Secret Mall Apartment” (including re-release of previous episode on the evolution/decline of US shopping malls – “Meet Me at the Fountain”) * Previous TOPcast Episodes Referenced + #174: “Get ‘All [Phil]’d Up’ On LMS/Online Enrollment Insights” (with guest Phil Hill) + #140: “Maturing the Core Work of Online Education” (with guest Neil Mosley) + #182: “When is “Good Teaching” Just ‘Good Teaching?’” (with guest Dr. Tom Tobin) + #156: “Reframing the Data That Tell the Stories About Online Students” (with guest Dr. Carmin Chan)
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links* [On Wikipedia] Jurassic World Rebirth
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Kelvin and Tom examine recent trend data on the academic readiness and unique challenges of current K12 students who will be college students soon. Digital learning professionals can bring our strengths to the table to partner with other colleagues in better supporting these learners.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 189 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Panoramic Blend from Excelsior Coffee (San Francisco, CA) * Fellow’s Take On Excelsior Panoramic | Brew Recipe Content Links [Blog Post/White Paper from Ruffalo Noel Levitz] “TWO Demographic Cliffs? How and Why to Diversify Revenue Streams” (2024) * [Report from Center for Democracy and Technology] “Out of Step: Students, Teachers in Stride with EdTech Threats While Parents Are Left Behind” (2025) * [AASCU/EAB FREE Webinar Recording] “Bridging Student Readiness Gaps: A Call to Action for Institutional Preparedness” (June 2025) * Research Study: “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” (Joosten & Cusatis, 2019) * Research Review: “Educational Technologies and Their Impact on Student Success for Racial and Ethnic Groups of Interest” (Joosten et al., 2021) * Previous TOPcast Episodes Mentioned in This Episode + #98: “‘I Don’t Ever Want To Do [Online] Again’!” (with guest Ryan Rogers) + # 166: “High Structure Course Design for Online STEM Courses” ( with guest Dr. Justin Shaffer) * All the Previous Student-Related TOPcast Episodes * Kelvin’s Not-Quite-A-Newsletter, The Lift* – insights and inspiration for academic innovation, digital learning, and leading (plus coffee tips!)
Just for Fun Pop Culture Links* The Monorail Mug from #KelvinsCupCollection of Annotated Photos on Twitter * The Monorail Safety Spiel and Music from Disney’s Magic Kingdom on SoundCloud
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Return guest Dr. Jocelyn Widmer joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss a brand new book focused on leading the strategy and practice of online higher education and clarifying the role of the Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO).
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Return guest Dr. Jocelyn Widmer
Episode 188 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * [From Wake Up Coffee] “10 Reasons Why Your Office Coffee Tastes Terrible” Content Links Dr. Jocelyn Widmer’s Online Profile * [Publisher’s Website] The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education (Widmer and Cavanagh, 2025) * [Discount Code!] Use this code on the publisher’s website (above) through July 31, 2025 to receive a 20% discount off the list price of the Widmer and Cavanagh COLO book: 25SMA2* * TOPcast Episode #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community” (featuring Dr. Jocelyn Widmer)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Kelvin and Tom speak about (and to) the “core audience” of online faculty, instructional designers, and administrative leaders, alongside many other roles, to unpack the podcast’s conceptualization of online education as centered on optimizing course design and teaching.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 187 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * “Longest ‘94” House Blend from Heine Brothers Coffee (Louisville, KY) Content Links* All TOPcast Episodes Tagged “faculty” * All TOPcast Episodes Tagged “instructional designers” * All TOPcast Episodes Tagged “leadership” * Specific Prior TOPcast Episodes Mentioned in this Episode + #25 – “But FIRRST… Lead Innovation” + #37 – “6 Deadly Sins of Online Teaching” + #72 – “Pro Tips on Vocal Care for Faculty” + #99 – “The Importance of ‘Faculty Voice and Faculty Valuing’ in Online Education” + #105 – “How Roasted is Your Course?” + #122 – “More Equitable Outcomes Through Instructional Design” + #167 – “Cultivating a Startup Mindset”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Return guest Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to share hard won expert tips on improving online program marketing and enrollment.
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Return guest Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich
Episode 186 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Peru San Fernando from Wonderstate Coffee * Wonderstate Coffee * Fellow Drops Coffee Connection Service Content Links Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich’s Online Profile * [Book] How to Grow Enrollment in Online Higher Education: Strategies for Marketing and Recruitment (Thackaberry-Voinovich, 2025) * [Company] SkillsWave * [Article from Ruffalo Noel Levitz] “Digital Marketing at Every Stage of the Enrollment Funnel” * [Article from Niche*] “How to Tackle Summer Melt (5 Effective Ways)” * Related Past TOPcast Episode: “Managing Change and Growth in Online Initiatives” (with guest Dr. Sasha Thackaberry)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
With ten years in the rear view mirror, hosts Tom and Kelvin talk through insights gained about the field of online education and the podcast itself after they reviewed the “Top10” episodes of TOPcast. [Spoiler: Tune in for a big announcement!]
1EdTech Consortium CEO Curtiss Barnes guests on the show alongside hosts Kelvin and Tom to “decomplexify” the value 1EdTech brings to the digital learning community through open standards and more.
Hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss how institutions can avoid the enrollment cliff by embracing a values-driven strategy in online higher education. Learn key insights to navigate demographic shifts, economic pressures, and the evolving digital learning landscape.
Guest Dr. Thomas J. (Tom) Tobin joins hosts Tom and Kelvin for a slightly spicy conversation about the extent to which general teaching behaviors can be meaningfully separated from other factors such as course modality, student characteristics, institutional resources, and more.
Hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss the challenge, still present after 30 years, of helping others (e.g., policymakers, potential students, etc.) understand what a “good online course” is without experiencing one themselves. They discuss why this still matters and what approaches might help.
Returning guest Dr. Nicole Johnson joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss findings from the seventh annual report of the state of digital learning in Canada produced by the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association (CDLRA). Similarities with global themes and distinctives unique to the Canadian context are discussed.
As US higher ed institutions experienced shifts to remote work and instruction in early 2025, it's an ideal time for us as digital learning professionals to reflect on key lessons learned in ensuring continuity of operations as we seek to support successful future transitions.
Guest Dr. Vickie Cook joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss unexpected career trajectories for digital learning professionals, especially COLOs, related to sought-after, transferable skill sets.
In celebration of 30 years of OLC conferences and with input and reactions from our community of online/digital learning professionals, including a live audience(!), hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss the issues inherent in predicting and shaping a desirable future for online/digital education over the next 30 years.
Guest Dr. Matt Bergman joins Tom and Kelvin to discuss the current role credit for prior learning plays in American higher education and how we can all do a bit more to use this approach effectively in our digital learning work.
In this “call-in show” episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by some of the past year’s guests in sharing observations about 2024 as it ends and predictions and hopes about 2025 as it begins. Some of the themes emerging include balancing humanness and technology-assistance and staying focused on the aspirational goals of our collective work.
Guest Phil Hill joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss substantive insights on the role of the LMS and trends in online higher ed enrollments. (Must see TV. Even if it is a podcast.)
Hosts Tom and Kelvin talk through themes from the CHLOE 9 report that stand out as broadly applicable to all online education professionals while we all seek to anticipate or shape the future.
Guest and former Hubert Humphrey Fellow Angelica Gabriela Rocha Guevara joins hosts Tom and Kelvin from Guatemala to discuss the similarities and differences of her country’s pursuit of online education compared to that of other countries around the globe.
Hosts Kelvin and Tom consider the centrality that online learners’ needs must have in shaping the work of online higher education. Particular attention is given to how responsibility for this common goal must be shared between individual faculty and institutional processes to assure quality at scale.
Return guest Nicolaas Matthijs joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss some of the trends he’s seeing in the rapidly changing AI-assisted technology space with an eye toward how digital learning professionals can make wise use of the tools in our work.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Nicolaas MatthijsEpisode 170 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Tanzania Peaberry Lyamungo from Sunergos Coffee (Louisville, KY) Content Links * [Please Click and Vote Now!] Listener Poll: Crowdsourced Input on “TOPcast Live” Session at OLC Accelerate 2024 * Visual: “Gartner Hype Cycle” * Video Interview: “Exploring the Frontiers of AI: A Conversation with [Columbia University] Professor Hod Lipson” * Keynote Video: “If AI is the Answer, What is the Question: Thinking about Learning and Vice Versa” (Dr. Chris Dede) * Prior TOPcast Episodes + #158: “AI-Assistance Built-In: Less Obvious/More Useful” (with Nicolaas Matthijs) + #146: “Get Hands-On with AI” (with Dr. Rohan Jowallah)
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Link* [On vinyl 45 rpm records] “Bemused and a Bit Bereaved on Behalf of the B Side”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss the relationship between the strategic value institutions find in online education and institutions establishing senior roles of responsibility for online and digital learning. Implications for a variety of institutional roles are considered.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 169 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Mysterious Clues on “Ruthie’s Blend” from Stomping Grounds Coffee Co., Louisville, KY
Content Links * [Research study] “A National Study of Online Learning Leaders in US Higher Education” (Fredericksen, 2017) * [Research study] “A National Study of Online Learning Leaders in US Community Colleges” (Fredericksen, 2018) * UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership * [UPCEA article] “The Chief Online Learning Officer: Competencies, Roles, and Trajectories” (Herron, Lashley, Salley, and Shaw, 2016) * [From UPCEA, 2023] “Definition Update: Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO)” * [Edited book] From Grassroots to the Highly Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Education (Bouchey, Graz, Kurland, 2023) * TOPcast Episodes + #36: “Finding Online Learning Leaders: ‘Fredericksen’s List’” + #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community” + #136: “Online Higher Ed: Finding Ourselves in Other People’s Stories”
Just for Fun Pop Culture Links Hidden Brain* podcast
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest Melissa Loble joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to share an optimistic vision for the future of technology-enabled higher education. Amidst heightened automation and AI assistance, the uniquely human affordances of relationships are all the more crucial in solving our challenges.
Podcast RecordingGuest Melissa LobleDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 168 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Costa Rica Central Valley from Dunn Brothers Coffee (Minneapolis, MN)
Content Links * Melissa Loble’s Online Profile * Melissa Loble’s Reflection Post on InstructureCon 2024 (referenced in this episode) * Dr. Mary Murphy’s (Stanford U/Indiana U) Work on Growth Mindset in Organizational Cultures * Past TOPcast Episodes + Episode 64: “Principles for Humanizing Online Education… and Remote Teaching/Learning” [with guest Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock] + Episode 151: “What a Year [of Disruption] It Has Been! […But] 2024 is Upon Us!” [featuring remarks from Jared Stein]
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Kelvin and Tom explore the catalyzing personal and organizational value of individuals cultivating a “startup mindset,” regardless of personal role, in the work of digital higher education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 167 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Fellow Drops’ profile page for “Funkonia,” a single-origin Rwanda from Portrait Coffee * Portrait Coffee (Atlanta, GA) * Instagram page for multidisciplinary artist, “The Color”
Content Links * [In Medium] “Embracing the Startup Mindset” (by Guy Kawasaki) * [In Medium] “What Is ‘Futures Literacy’ and Why Is It Important?” (by Niklas Larsen) * [In Medium] “Inviting Innovation… Running Hack Day” (by Ian Turgeon) * “Life is Better When You Make Stuff” pilot episode of (2016) Megamaker podcast * “Cultivating Your Purpose” episode of Hidden Brain podcast * TOPcast Episodes + Episode #148: “Fostering Digital Learning Innovation” (with guest Jared Stein) + Episode #133: “Professional Development Across Our Online Education Community” + Episode #161: “Taste the Rainbow of Online Ed’s Possible Futures”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest Dr. Justin Shaffer joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the role high structure course design can play in making online STEM courses more effective… and fun!
Podcast RecordingGuest Dr. Justin ShafferDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 166 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Brewing Guide for Coava Coffee Roasters’ Single Origin Timor-Leste Daurfusu Honey from Fellow Products * “Timor-Leste” from The World Factbook
Content Links * Dr. Justin Shaffer’s Online Profile * Sign-Up for Information on Dr. Shaffer’s New Book on High Structure Course Design * Dr. Shaffer’s Google Scholar Citations Page * From the US National Science Foundation (NSF): “‘Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology’ Initiative Charts New Path for College-level Biology” (2012) * 2012 President [Obama’s] Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report: “Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates With Degrees in Science, Technology,Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)” * From NIH National Library of Medicine: Freeman, Haak, and Wenderoth (2011) Research Study: “Increased Course Structure Improves Performance in Introductory Biology” * Hogan & Sathy’s (2022) Book: “Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom” * Joosten & Cusatis’ (2019) Research Study: “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” * Joosten et al.’s ( 2021) Research Review: “Educational Technologies and Their Impact on Student Success for Racial and Ethnic Groups of Interest” * Previous TOPcast Episodes Related to STEM Teaching
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin explore the rationale underlying continued institutional efforts to prepare faculty for online course design and teaching. Hint: It’s about students.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 165 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * “New Orleans Style Coffee with Chicory” from Lucile’s Creole Cafe (Boulder, CO)
Content Links * TOPcast Episode #59 “Online Faculty Development” * TOPcast Episode #99 “The Importance of ‘Faculty Voice and Faculty Valuing’ in Online Education”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Dr. Jenny Sumner joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the growing role “coaching” plays, especially online, in centering students and their success within our higher ed work.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 164 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * “The Future” experimental coffee blend from Black and White Coffee Roasters (Raleigh, NC)
Content Links * Dr. Jenny Sumner’s Online Profile * “UCF Online Connect Center” * UCF’s “Transfer Connect” Success Coaches (transfer students only) * UCF’s “Academic Success Coaching” (University-wide) * UCF’s Directory of “Student Success Resources” * UCF “Higher Education Coaching Academy”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin invite “fun with syllabi” by exploring the multiple roles played by the syllabus in online courses and encouraging adjustments to make syllabi more meaningful and inviting for students.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 163 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Burundi Kurusah from Sunergos Coffee (Louisville, KY)
Content Links * Publisher’s Site: The SAGE Handbook of Online Higher Education * Social Media Artifact: One Example of the Syllabus “Easter Egg” of Instructions to Find Cash [from Dr. Conner Ewing] * Related Entries from the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) + “Use Three-Before-Me as a Communication Strategy in a Large Class” + “Incorporate a Syllabus Quiz to Orient Students” * Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock’s Guidance for Creating a “Liquid Syllabus” * Prior TOPcast Episodes + #155: “High Quality Online Discussions – Here’s How” + #160: “‘Remember the Why:’ Designing Meaningful Learning Assignments”
Just-For-Fun Pop Culture Links* [video: 30 sec] Wile E. Coyote Painting an Exit (from Warner Brothers, not Hanna-Barbera)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
In this time-sensitive episode (listen now!), return guests Russ Poulin and Cheryl Dowd explain how proposed actions by the US Department of Education (US ED) may negatively impact many online learners and US higher education institutions.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 162 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Photo of the Now-Extinct “Eclipse: A Spring Blend” Coffee from Sunergos Coffee (Louisville, KY) * Other Coffees from Sunergos Coffee
Content Links * Russ Poulin’s Online Profile * Cheryl Dowd’s Online Profile * “In Defense of Reciprocity – A Joint Letter to the Department of Education & Call to Action” [signed by WCET, UPCEA, OLC, QM, AACC, and NACUBO] * WCET Frontiers Blog Posts Tagged “Regulation” (for new updates) * Prior TOPcast Episodes featuring Poulin & Dowd + Episode #58: “Fun with Regulations” + Episode #112: “SARA (and More!) Under Siege”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
In this Season 10 kick-off episode, hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh revisit a “time capsule” of past predictions and pivot toward the various flavors of “possible futures” available now in online education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 161 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * “Yes, You Can Freeze Coffee Beans (If You Follow This Trick)” from Coffee Bros.
Roastery, New York
Content Links * All 10(!) TOPcast Season Kick-Off Episodes * Related TOPcast Episodes + #65: “Field Report #2: Preparing for the Post-COVID Future” + #83: “Re-thinking Synchronous for the Post-COVID Era” + #85: “Blended Is the Future. (And It’s Not Just Courses)” + [From “The Key” Podcast] Episode #75: “Anticipating Higher Education’s Near Future(s)” with guest Dr. Bryan Alexander (Produced by Inside Higher Ed) * The SAGE Handbook of Online Higher EducatIon * [Reminder] 2024 TOPcast Listener Survey
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links [Inspiration for This Episode’s Set-Up] The Last Archive Podcast from Pushkin Industries, hosted by Dr. Jill Lepore and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey * [In Reactor* Magazine] “5 Insane Cliffhangers from the 1960’s Batman [Adam West TV Show]” * [In Wikipedia] “Transformers” * [In Wikipedia] “LifeSavers”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest Dr. Jean Mandernach joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss how faculty and instructional designers can design more meaningful and engaging learning assignments for students, online or anywhere.
Podcast RecordingGuest Dr. Jean MandernachDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 160 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Liberica Species of Coffee * Liberica Compared to Arabica and Robusta Coffees
Content Links * Dr. Jean Mandernach’s Online Profile * The Journal of Educators Online * [Book Co-Authored by Dr. Mandernach] Evaluating Online Teaching: Implementing Best Practices * [From Indiana University, Bloomington] “Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)” * “TILT Higher Ed” * [Book] Teaching Naked Techniques: A Practical Guide to Designing Better Classes
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links [In the Louisville Courier-Journal*] “Is Louisville the North or the South? Let’s decide this once and for all”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Hosts Kelvin and Tom talk through the importance of consulting trusted sources of data and information as the basis for sound decision making in online education, no matter what role one holds.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 159 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Honduras Las Flores (David Munoz) From Sightglass Coffee (San Francisco, CA)
Content Links * [Reminder] 2024 TOPcast Listener Survey * (From Phil Hill’s On Ed Tech Newsletter) “Fall 2022 IPEDS Data: Profile of US Higher Ed Online Education” * (From the National Center for Educational Statistics) “IPEDS Trend Generator” * The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Report Project * (From Wiley) “Voice of the Online Learner” Reports * (From the Online Learning Consortium) “Online Learning Journal” * Publications from OLC’s Research Center for Digital Learning & Leadership * Publications from WCET * EDUCAUSE Research * Past TOPcast Episodes + #96: 25 Years of “Conscientious, Methodical Research” with guest Dr. Patsy Moskal + #98 “I Don’t Ever Want to Do [Online] Again!” with guest Ryan Rogers + #130: Data, DETA, Design, and More with guest Dr. Tanya Joosten + #156: Reframing the Data That Tell the Stories About Online Students with guest Dr. Carmin Chan
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest Nicolaas Matthijs joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the emergence of AI-assistance built into educational technology platforms and how this is a departure from past phases of artificial intelligence implementation.
Podcast RecordingGuest Nicolaas MatthijsDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 158 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Organic French Roast from Alakef Coffee Roasters (Duluth, MN) * About Alakef Coffee Roasters
Content Links * [Reminder] 2024 TOPcast Listener Survey * Nicolaas Matthijs’ Online Profile * (From Den of Geek): “Netflix Thumbnails Say Much More About You Than You Think” * (From AnalyticSteps): “Netflix’s use of Artificial Intelligence Algorithms” * (From EdSurge): “Georgia Tech Is Trying to Keep a ChatGPT-Powered Teaching Assistant From ‘Hallucinating’” * (From Anthology’s Education and Research Center): “AI Policy Framework” * (White Paper from Anthology): “AI, Academic Integrity, and Authentic Assessment: An Ethical Path Forward for Education” * TOPcast Episode #146 “Get Hands-On with AI” (with guest Dr. Rohan Jowallah)
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links 20-Second Video Clip from Elf*: “World’s Best Cup of Coffee”
First 10 Seconds (Out of 30) Video Clip: “Like Sands Through the Hourglass” (from Days of Our Lives)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin summarize the current issues surrounding proposed changes to “inclusive access programs” for digital instructional materials and how this affects the affordability work of digital education professionals.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 157 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley from Sunergos Coffee (Louisville, KY)
Content Links * Single-Question 2024 TOPcast Listener Poll * (In Inside Higher Ed): “Biden Administration Looks to Clamp Down on Inclusive Access” * (From InclusiveAccess.org): “Department of Education Tackles Textbook Billing in Negotiated Rulemaking” * (From WCET Frontiers Blog): “Major Changes to Distance Ed Proposed: Department of Education Back to Rulemaking Table” * (From Phil Hill on Twitter): Annotated news item about McGraw-Hill and Inclusive Access * (In On EdTech Newsletter): “Faulty Logic – Updating my thinking about ED plans for 2024” * (From SPARC): “Decoding Inclusive Access” * Related Past TOPcast Episodes + #11: “Getting to the Goal of Going Textbook Free” + #51: “How Can We Make Textbooks More Affordable for Students?” + #70: “Student Access to Digital Materials During COVID and Beyond” + #82: “Fostering Large Scale OER Adoption”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest Dr. Carmin Chan joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to consider how we might reframe the typical institutional data that might not present clearly the needs and progress of post-traditional learners served by online education.
Podcast RecordingGuest Dr. Carmin ChanDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 156 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * El Tigre Farms Coffee Producer Daniel Hernandez (Colombia) * The Story of the Caturra Chiroso Coffee Varietal
Content Links * Dr. Carmin Chan’s Online Profile * FREE Online Higher Education Summit – February 19, 2024. (Register for real time access or for links to recording access.) * The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the (US) National Center for Education Statistics * Distance Education In IPEDS * (In Inside Higher Ed) “Equity, Data and the In-Person/Online Divide” * TOPcast Episode #149: “‘Baking AI into the Process’ of Digital Learning Over the Next Five Years” (includes “post-traditional students” resources) * TOPcast Episode #79: “The 2020 TOPcast & Friends Holiday Special” (Cameo by Carmin Chan)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
About Episode 155In this episode, spring-boarding from one of the chapters in the new SAGE Handbook of Online Higher Education, hosts Kelvin and Tom advocate for high-quality online discussions and reflect upon research-based practices that lead to well-designed and successful discussion experiences.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 155 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Storyville Coffee (Seattle, WA)
Content Links * REGISTER NOW – 2/19/2024 Online Higher Education Summit (FREE!) * Publisher’s Site: The SAGE Handbook of Online Higher Education * Online Profile: Dr. Susan Wegmann * Online Profile: Dr. Aimee deNoyelles * The Community of Inquiry Framework * TOPcast Episode #150: “A Global, Holistic, 360 Degree Perspective on Online Higher Education” * TOPcast Episode #117: “Discussion-Enhancement Tools”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
About Episode 154Guest Dr. Anna Porcaro joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to share insights on how higher education institutions can be more effective in meeting workforce needs through digital alternative educational programs.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 154 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin “La Unica Honey” Honduras from Quill’s Coffee (Louisville, KY)
Content Links * Dr. Anna Porcaro’s Online Profile * Kansas Leadership Center * Wichita State University’s Guidelines for Undergraduate Certificate Programs (Gainful Employment) * Wichita State University’s Workforce Education Badges * TOPcast Episode #13: “The MOOC Gets a Toddler Check-Up” (featuring “honey process” coffee)
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links* Kelvin’s #DoctorWho Meets #TheGrinch Coffee Mug from #KelvinsCupCollection
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
About Episode 153As a follow-up to the pre-2024 call-in show, hosts Tom and Kelvin talk through the need to re-examine, challenge, and change existing institutional structures as we seek to serve learners better – both existing students and a wider variety of potential new students.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 153 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Coffees from Swiss Mountain Coffee (Zion, Illinois) * Coffee Creations, LLC (Charlestown, Indiana) * “Rose Garden Collection” (coffee blends created by Rose Meurer; money flows differently)
Content Links * From UPCEA: “Predictions 2024: Insights for Online and Professional Education” * From Ithaka S+R: “University Budget Models and Indirect Costs: A Primer” * The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Project * Past TOPcast Episodes + TOPcast Episode #116: “3Fold Gains and the Improvement of Higher Ed” (with Dr. Steve Ehrmann) + TOPcast Episode #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community” (with Dr. Jocelyn Widmer) + TOPcast Episode #151: “‘What a Year [of Disruption] It Has Been! […But] 2024 Is Upon Us!’” (2023 Call-In Show)
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links* Florida’s “Tervis Tumblers”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
About Episode 152:Guest Patti O’Sullivan joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the significance of advance planning for academic continuity and the role that digital teaching and learning can play. Important all the time – not just for global pandemics.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 152 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links * Single-Origin Guatemala from Heine Brothers Coffee (Louisville, KY) * Diet Coke
Content Links * Patti O’Sullivan’s Online Profile on the Every Learner, Everywhere “About Us” Page * Free Publication: “Planning for Academic Continuity: A Guide for Academic Leaders” (written by Patti O’Sullivan et al. for Every Learner, Everywhere) * Every Learner Everywhere Organization Website * From UCF: Policy Document “Continuity of Operations” (COOP) * TOPcast Episode #61: “Beyond the Coronavirus: Continuity of Operations and Online Learning”
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture Links From Scouting Magazine*: “Be Prepared: The origin story behind the Scout motto”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
About Episode 150:In this “call-in show” episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by multiple voices from the online education community to help us all make sense of 2023’s disruptions and make the most of 2024’s opportunities in our collective work. Themes include meeting the needs of diverse potential students and incorporating continually-evolving AI resources in this work.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 151 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend * “How to Make a Cafe Latte”
Content Links* Past TOPcast Episodes Featuring Call-In Guests (in order of appearance in #151) + (Dr. Bob Hansen) TOPcast #144: “Helping with ‘Running the Business’ for 100 Years” + (Dr. Kathy Gosser) TOPcast #142: “‘Repurposing’ – Working Smarter, Not Harder” + (Neil Mosley) TOPcast #140: “Maturing the Core Work of Online Education” + (Dr. Rohan Jowallah) TOPcast #146: “Get Hands-On with AI” + (Dr. Dylan Barth) TOPcast #134: “Self-Care and Online Education: Saying Yes, Saying No, and Why” + (Jared Stein) TOPcast #148: “Fostering Digital Learning Innovation” + (Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey) TOPcast #136: “Online Higher Ed: Finding Ourselves in Other People’s Stories”
Just-For-Fun Pop Culture Links* “Festivus”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode!
Guest Dr. Safary Wa-Mbaleka joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to talk about the importance of cultivating a more global perspective on our online higher education field and shares how a new book can help. The SAGE Handbook of Online Higher Education is out now.
Emerging from the “TOPcast Live” session at OLC Accelerate 2023, join hosts Kelvin and Tom as they discuss how the framing and implementation of our increasingly AI-influenced digital learning field might continue to evolve over the next few years.
Guest Jared Stein joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the ways that we think about, talk about, and foster innovation in our higher education digital learning context, to the benefit of students and faculty.
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss highlights from and reactions to the CHLOE 8 report, including the importance of faculty preparation, other quality assurance practices, and more.
In this second of two back-to-back episodes on AI in higher ed, guest Dr. Rohan Jowallah joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to share his insights and advice after years of evaluating and working with AI tools.
About Episode 145:Hosts Tom and Kelvin conclude that “nobody’s through talking about AI” and provide the first of two back-to-back episodes with an update on developments within the digital teaching and learning space, reflections on institutional support, and a conclusion that we need “more of the human element.”
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 145 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Kenya – Davis Roasters (Madison County, NC)
Content Links [Please Click and Vote Now!] Listener Poll: Topic Selection for “TOPcast Live” session at OLC Accelerate 2023 * On Wikipedia: “DALL-E” * In EdSurge: “Instructors Rush to Do ‘Assignment Makeovers’ to Respond to ChatGPT” (Jeff Young) * “Official Conference Report: AI x Education” (hosted by Stanford University) * Participant Reflection from UPCEA/Schroeder AI Course: “Preliminary Evaluation of Generative AI and Lifelong Education” (Rod Lastra) * On Diigo: AI Weblinks Shared by Ray Schroeder (+some others collected by Kelvin) * UCF Conference: “Teaching & Learning with AI” * Visual: “Gartner Hype Cycle” * Course from Auburn University: “Teaching With AI at Auburn” * Course from University of Sydney: “AI in Education” (for students and built by students) * Website: “AI @ the University of Florida” * Website: “Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence Apps” (University of Calgary’s Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning) * Website: “UCF’s Information Literacy Modules” * In The Chronicle of Higher Education: “GPT-4 Can Already Pass Freshman Year at Harvard” (Maya Bodnick) * Blog Post: “No, an AI could not pass ‘freshman year’ in college” (Steven D. Krause) * From CNN: “ChatGPT passes exams from law and business schools” * Keynote Video: “If AI is the Answer, What is the Question: Thinking about Learning and Vice Versa” (Dr. Chris Dede) * On Memory Alpha: Star Trek’s “Commander Data” * On Memory Alpha*: Star Trek’s “Captain Picard” * TOPcast Episode Episode #131: “ChatGPT: Friend or Foe?” * TOPcast Episode Episode #120: “Academic Innovation Lessons: Hype vs. Hope”
Just-For-Fun Pop Culture Links* From “All About Psychology:” “The Fascinating Phenomenon of the Old Woman Young Woman Illusion” * Annotated Photos: #KelvinsCupCollection (on the platform formerly known as Twitter) * “Chock Full O’ Nuts” Coffee
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 144:In this episode, UPCEA CEO Dr. Bob Hansen joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the intertwined histories of professional/continuing education and online education and the importance of attending to the “business” of both.
Podcast RecordingUPCEA CEO Dr. Bob HansenDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 144 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Decaf Cafe Carmelita Blend, Tony’s Coffee (Bellingham, WA) * Decaf Humbucker Blend, Fundamental Coffee (Seattle, WA) * “Super Coffee”
Content Links* Dr. Bob Hansen’s Online Profile * UPCEA – University Professional & Continuing Education Association * “The Wisconsin Idea” * [Article in UWisconsin alumni magazine] “Who Needs Classrooms?” * TOPcast Episode #133 “Professional Development Across Our Online Education Community” * TOPcast Episode #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community” * TOPcast Episode #36 “Finding Online Learning Leaders: ‘Fredericksen’s List’”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 143Hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss how to talk about the value of online education in various ways that matter to different audiences, including speaking about return on investment (ROI), social mobility, quality of learning, and more.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 143 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Lenore’s Light Roast (Single-Origin Honduran) from Pike House Coffee, Johnson City, TN * About Pike House Coffee
Content Links (From Ideas & Insights Blog) “Lifting Lives and Livelihoods – At Scale” * “Kelvin’s Report Out from the First 90 Days and Beyond” * (From Marketing Partners) “Guide to Strategic Message Framing and Reframing” * (From Investopedia*) “Value Proposition: How to Write It With Examples” * TOPcast Episode #135 – “Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals” * TOPcast Episode #23 – “What Is Your Elevator Pitch? Talking to the Public about Online” Education * TOPcast Episode #1 – “What is Online Learning? Definitions, Boundary Objects, and Baggage”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 142:Guest Dr. Kathy Gosser joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss how faculty, instructional designers, and others can adopt habits of “repurposing” across the multifaceted work of online education and digital learning.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 142 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-origin Honduras from Fante’s Coffee (Louisville, KY) * Keurig’s Original Donut Shop Decaf
Content Links* Dr. Kathy Gosser’s Online Profile * UofL’s Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence * Yum! Brands * Diagram: Reusability/Contextualization (“Modular Content Hierarchy”) based on work of Hodgins (Autodesk)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 141:In this episode coinciding with American Independence Day, hosts Kelvin and Tom invite a consideration of distinctly American contributions to the models of online higher education. These contributions continue to shape the evolution of online learning around the globe.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 141 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Ethiopia Sidama from Heine Brothers Coffee (Louisville, KY)
Content Links QS World Universities Rankings * Times Higher Education World University Rankings * Academic Ranking of World Universities * Article in The Chronicle of Higher Education: “The rise of the mega-university” (Gardner, 2019, February 17) * Article from Best Colleges: “Online Education and Mega-Universities: Factors to Consider” (Venable, 2022) * From UK: British Open University * From Turkey: Anadolu University * In UCF Today: “Spirit Splash Wins Best Campus Tradition Contest” (2011) * In Knight News*: “UCF’s Spirit Splash Time Set for Homecoming Week” (2022)
Just-for-Fun Pop Culture LinkVideo (8-min.): “What McDonald’s Menu Items Look Like Around The World”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 140:Guest Neil Mosley joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss ways to gauge and foster maturity in the way institutions carry out learning design, the core work of online education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 140 Show Notes:Guest Neil Mosley joins hosts Tom and Kelvin during Episode 140 of Season 9.Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Ethiopian Halo Beriti from James Gourmet Coffee (Herefordshire, UK) * About James Gourmet Coffee
Content Links* Neil Mosley’s Online Profile * Article: “How Do Universities Achieve Learning Design Maturity?” (Mosley, 2023) * Model: “Learning Design Levels of Maturity” (Mosley, 2023) * TOPcast Episode #135: “Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals” * Teach & Learn: A Podcast for Curious Educators (hosted by Dr. Cristi Ford)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of This Episode! (Includes “socially distanced” remote recording of interview by Kelvin and Tom)
About Episode 139:More options to scale efficiencies through automations are available now than ever before. Join hosts Tom and Kelvin for a consideration of how well-intentioned digital teaching automations can go horribly wrong.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 139 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links:* Single-origin El Salvador “La Siberia” from Beacon Coffee (Ventura, CA)
Content Links: [Journal Article from University of Louisville Faculty: In Frontiers in Education] “Racial, skin tone, and sex disparities in automated proctoring software” (Yoder-Himes et al., 2022) * [Journal Article: In AI & Society] “The ethics of algorithms: key problems and solutions” (Tsamados et al., 2021) * [Journal Article: In International Journal of Information Management] “‘So what if ChatGPT wrote it?’ Multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges and implications of generative conversational AI for research, practice and policy” (Dwivedi et al., 2023) * [Journal Article: arXiv preprint] “GPT detectors are biased against non-native English writers” (Liang et al., 2023) * In the New Yorker: “Will A.I. Become the New McKinsey?” (Chiang, 2023) * In the New York Times:* “When A.I. Chatbots Hallucinate” * Info on Dr. Jutta Treviranus (quoted in this episode) * Past TOPcast Episodes + Episode #46: Empowering Humans Through Learning Analytics + Episode #81: Technology Adoption as Enabling the “Right Thing” + Episode #117: Online Discussion-Enhancement Tools + Episode #119: Chatbots in Online Education + Episode #131: ChatGPT: Friend or Foe?
Just for Fun Pop Culture Link* 3 minute video: “Jon Lovitz Appears as the Pathological Liar on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
Guest Jarret Cummings joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to unpack the issues surrounding the US Department of Education’s 2023 communications regarding “third-party servicers” in higher education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 138 Show Notes:Jarret Cummings, Senior Advisor, Policy and Government Relations at EDUCAUSEEpisode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Taste of Austin” Coffee Blend By Cafe Ole from HEB
Content Links* Jarret Cummings’ Online Profile * February 15, 2023 Dear Colleague Letter: (GEN-23-03) “Requirements and Responsibilities for Third-Party Servicers and Institutions” (Updated Feb. 28, 2023) * From American Council on Education (ACE): “ACE, Other Groups Send Comments to ED on Third-Party Servicers Guidance” * From WCET Frontiers: “Ed Department Shakes Up OPMs and Third-Party Servicers: This Is Huge” * “EDUCAUSE and Third-Party Servicer Guidance” (Cummings) * From “On EdTech” Blog: “Fewer Than 1% Of Comments Support TPS Expansion Guidance” (Phil Hill and Associates) * Previous Policy-Related TOPcast Episodes + #28: “Understanding Policy” + #58: “Fun with Regulations” + #112: “Breaking News: SARA (and More!) Under Siege”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode! (Includes “socially distanced” remote recording of interview by Kelvin and Tom)
In this special bonus segment, the conversation from episode #138continues between Jarret and Tom as they dive further into the 2U lawsuit against the department’s guidance letter and how the federal agency has responded thus far.
During the initial episode found here, Jarret Cummings, from Educause, and hosts Kelvin and Tom revealed the issues surrounding the U.S. Department of Education’s communications in higher education, including the policy issues on the “Dear Colleague Letter.”
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcription: PDF
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
In this Season 9 kick-off episode, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson get back to basics with an alphabetical primer of concepts foundational to successful innovations in higher ed digital learning.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 137 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-origin Guatemala San Marcos from Heine Brothers Coffee (Louisville, KY) * About Heine Brothers Coffee
Content Links From the Wordlady Blog: “How Do You Say ‘Primer’?” * On Wikipedia: “Primer” Overview * Resource Links for Each Topic Featured in this Episode + Accessibility (from perspective of intersecting discourse communities) - (Free resources!) Article: “Inclusive Teaching” (Dewsbury, 2017) and a number of videos of talks online (compelling speaker!) - Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (Tobin & Behling, 2018) - Advancing Online Teaching: Creating Equity-Based Digital Learning Environments (Kelly & Zakrajsek, 2020) - Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom (Hogan & Sathy, 2022) + Blended - Practice * Free, open-licensed BlendKit Course * The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide (Linder, 2016) * Essentials for Blended Learning, 2nd Edition: A Standards-Based Guide (Stein & Graham, 2020) - Research * Blended Learning: Research Perspectives (Picciano and Dziuban, 2007) * Blended Learning: Research Perspectives, Volume 2 (Picciano, Dziuban, and Graham, 2013) * Blended Learning: Research Perspectives, Volume 3 (Picciano, Dziuban, Graham, and Moskal, 2021) * Plus… the same authors have a volume on conducting research on blended learning called Conducting Research in Online and Blended Learning Environments: New Pedagogical Frontiers(Dziuban, Picciano, Graham, and Moskal, 2015) * Blended University + “Planning for a Blended Future: A Research-Driven Guide for Educators” (Joosten et al., 2021) + Communication - Findings from UCF’s Distributed Learning Impact Evaluation (Dziuban and Moskal) - “Regular and Substantive Interaction: Background, Concerns, and Guiding Principles” + Design - Thrive Online: A New Approach to Building Expertise and Confidence as an Online Educator (Riggs, 2020) * Engagement + The Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) has a whole section on teaching practices related to “Interaction” combining Communication and Engagement. + UCF’s “Materia” engagement widgets engine * Past TOPcast Episodes Referenced* * #10: The Iron Triangle: Stimulus for Innovation in Online Ed * #21: Accessibility: It’s a Journey, Not a Destination * #37: 6 Deadly Sins of Online Teaching * #49: “You’re Making Me Crazy!” How to Improve Online Education * #65: Preparing for the Post-COVID Future * #89: 7 Slogans to Save Online Learning * #113: The Three Students You Might Meet in Your Online Class
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 136:Guest Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss insights gained from leading a book project compiling case studies of successful online learning organizations. Examining similarities and differences allows us to better understand and improve our own practices.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 136 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via Twitter Dr. Bettyjo BoucheyView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* “First Call” Coffee Blend from Fuel Coffee Roasters, Alpharetta, GA * About Fuel Coffee Roasters * Video: Kentucky Derby Bugler Steve Buttleman
Content Links Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey’s Online Profile * Amazon Page (Digital/Paperback): From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Education * OLC Member Discount (20%) Purchase Page: From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Education * About the Online Learning Consortium’s “OLC Press” * TOPcast Episode #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community” (with guest Dr. Jocelyn Widmer) * TOPcast Episode #135: “Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals” * TOPcast Episode #36: “Finding Online Learning Leaders: ‘Fredericksen’s List’” * (From Podkite*): “How to Access Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcast Ratings”
Just for Fun Pop Culture Links From Town & Country Magazine*: “A Complete History of the Mint Julep” (the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 135:In this episode hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss the importance of institutional context in how we carry out our common work of societal transformation through online/digital teaching and learning in higher education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 134 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Guatemala “El Volcan” from Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters (Atlanta, GA)
Content Links Definitions and Methods from The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education* * Metropolitan Orlando * Metropolitan Louisville * US Census Bureau Visualization: Population Characteristics * UCF Facts 2022-2023 * UCF Interactive Facts * UofL “Just the Facts” Publication (2022-2023) * UofL “Cards Analytics” (interactive visualizations) * TOPcast Episode #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community” (with guest Dr. Jocelyn Widmer) * TOPcast Episode #74: “‘Connecting the Dots:’ Lessons for Leadership” (with guest Dr. Shubha Kashyap)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 134:Guest Dr. Dylan Barth joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the benefits of “self-care” and wellbeing to our students, our organizations, and to ourselves as online education professionals. The impact of decisions now on long-term sustainability is a theme.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Dylan Barth
Assistant Vice President of Learning (OLC)Episode 134 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Kenya Gicherori from Quill’s Coffee (Louisville, KY) * About the Gicherori Processing Station (“Factory”)
Content Links Dr. Dylan Barth’s Online Profile * Adam Grant TED Talk Video: “How to Stop Languishing and Start Finding Flow” * (Book by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience * In Fortune: “‘Bare Minimum Monday’ is the latest workplace trend hitting productivity” * Tea for Teaching Podcast Episode #204: “Preventing Workplace Burnout” * Tea for Teaching Podcast Episode #268: “Advancing Inclusivity while Mitigating Burnout” * (Book by Annie Duke) Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away*
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 133:Hosts Tom and Kelvin explore the importance of continual growth and professional development across the various roles that make up the online education field and discuss how professional associations can help.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 133 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Guatemala Los Volcanes from Sunergos Coffee (Louisville, KY) * About Sunergos Coffee
Content Links Job Opportunity: UCF AVP of Distributed Learning * Professional Associations Related to Online Education (a selected list) + WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) + UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association) + OLC (Online Learning Consortium) + 1EdTech + Quality Matters + EDUCAUSE + ELI (EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative) + POD Network (Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education) * From EdSurge*: “Loop Learnings: A Year of Insights from Digital Learning Leaders” * From the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD): “Mentor Map” * TOPcast Episode #20: “Professional Development Through Podcasting” * TOPcast Episode #60: “Growing [As] Leaders in Our Online Learning Field” (with guest Dr. Kelvin Bentley) * Backstory on the Apocryphal Lincoln Coffee/Tea Quote
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 132:Guest Joseph Riquelme joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss insights gained from leading a 100% remote online learning team that was “born during the pandemic.” Success strategies for remote work are increasingly important for all of us.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 132 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* “Fellowlope” Single-Origin Ethiopia Koke from Brandywine Coffee Roasters (Wilmington, DE) * About Brandywine Coffee Roasters
Content Links Joseph Riquelme’s Online Profile * Online Learning at American University * From TechRadar: “Best Online Collaboration Tools of 2023” * In Inside Higher Ed*: “A Remote Work Continuum Framework”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 131:The currently free beta version of the chatbot ChatGPT has captured the imaginations and free time of many in the field of education and elsewhere. Hosts Kelvin and Tom weigh-in on ChatGPT’s place in higher education.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 131 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Mexico Chiapas from Foxtail Coffee Roasters (Winter Park, FL)
Content Links Try ChatGPT from OpenAI * Overview of ChatGPT from Wikipedia * “Artificial Intelligence Writing” from UCF’s Karen L. Smith Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) * EdSurge On Air Podcast Episode: “ChatGPT Has Colleges in Emergency Mode to Shield Academic Integrity” * On the WCET Frontiers Blog: “Is AI the New Homework Machine? Understanding AI and Its Impact on Higher Education” * In Fast Company*: “Can We Replace Professors With Computer Screens?” (Cathy Davidson) * TOPcast Episode #119: “Chatbots in Online Education” * TOPcast Episode #13: “The MOOC Gets a Toddler Check-Up”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 130:Guest Dr. Tanya Joosten joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss findings from eight years of research data collected at the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancement (DETA).
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 130 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single Origin Honduras La Esmeralda La Sampedrana from Yes Plz Coffee * About Yes Plz Coffee (Los Angeles, CA)
Content Links* Dr. Tanya Joosten’s Online Profile * National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancement (“DETA Center”) * Infographic: “Online Course Quality Indicators” (DETA Center) * Research Study: “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” (Joosten & Cusatis) * Research Review: “Educational Technologies and Their Impact on Student Success for Racial and Ethnic Groups of Interest” (Joosten et al.) * Book: “Social Media for Educators: Strategies and Best Practices” (Joosten) * TOPcast Episode #15: “It’s More About the Social than the Media” * TOPcast Episode #122: “More Equitable Outcomes Through Instructional Design”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 129:In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss the concept of “education deserts” and how a strategic approach to online education can increase educational access in these under-resourced geographic areas.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 129 Show Notes:Left to right: Kelvin, Producer Tim, and Tom in the physical studio.Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Dual Axes (Blend) Coffee from Honest Coffee Roasters in Huntsville, AL * About Honest Coffee Roasters (Huntsville, AL)
Content Links “Place Matters: A Closer Look at Education Deserts” (Hillman, 2019) * Free Reverse Geocoding Site “Geoapify” (for use with data in Hillman article) * In The Chronicle of Higher Education: “Who Lives in Education Deserts? More People Than You Might Think” * In The Atlantic*: “The Education Deserts of Rural America” (Harris, 2019) * From Wiley University Services: “Education Deserts in the US: How Online Education Can Close the Gap”
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 128:In this episode, 1EdTech CEO Dr. Rob Abel joins hosts Kelvin and Tom as a guest to discuss the history and role in the online education community of the professional association formerly known as the IMS Global Learning Consortium.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
Episode 128 Show Notes:Dr. Rob Abel
1EdTech CEOEpisode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* Single-Origin Pantan Musara Sumatra from JBC Coffee Roasters (Madison, WI) * About JBC Coffee Roasters
Content Links Dr. Rob Abel’s Online Profile * From 1EdTech: “Accelerating Four Educational Leadership Imperatives for Our Times” * From 1EdTech: “Learning Impact Report 2022: Mapping Digital Transformation” * EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) * From EDUCAUSE: “Next Generation Digital Learning Environment (NGDLE)” * UCF-1EdTech LTI Center of Excellence * TOPcast Episode #12: “The LMS: Past, Present, and Future”*
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
About Episode 127:In this “call-in show” episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by multiple voices from the online education community to distill wisdom in making sense of 2022 and preparing to make the most of 2023 in our collective work. Themes include centering on student needs and supporting increased hybridity.
Podcast RecordingDownload Transcript: PDF
From left to right: Dr. Thomas Cavanagh, Dr. Kelvin Thompson, Luis Alvarado and Joseph RiquelmeFrom left to right: Dr. Jason Johnston, Dr. Liz Ciabocchi, Dr. Kelvin Thompson and Dr. Mary Niemiec.Episode 127 Show Notes:Episode Synopsis via TwitterView complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links* “House Blend” from Riverwalk Coffee Roasters, Oswego, NY * About Riverwalk Coffee Roasters
Content Links Tea for Teaching Podcast hosted by John Kane and Rebecca Mushtare * TOPcast Episode #123: “Hybridity Predicted and More from CHLOE 7” * Virtual Student Union at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) * Immersive “Global Experience” from Minerva University * Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast* hosted by Dr. Bonni Stachowiak
Featuring Call-In GuestsDr. Nicole Johnson
- TOPcast #124: “Reliable ‘Buckets:’ Toward Modality Clarity”
Dr. Stephen C. Ehrmann
- TOPcast #116: “3Fold Gains and the Improvement of Higher Ed”
Dr. Susan Wegmann
- TOPcast #55: “A Journey from Faculty Member to Digital Learning Leader”
- TOPcast #79: “The 2020 TOPcast & Friends Holiday Special”
Katrina Wehr
- TOPcast #122: “More Equitable Outcomes Through Instructional Design”
Dr. Thomas J. Tobin
- Books and Other Resources Created by Tom Tobin
Dr. Bonni Stachowiak
- TOPcast #20: “Professional Development Through Podcasting”
- TOPcast #27: “Humanizing Online Learning”
- TOPcast #79: “The 2020 TOPcast & Friends Holiday Special”
Just for Fun Pop Culture Links From A Christmas Carol: “Be here all the earlier next morning.” * “What’s it all about, Alfie?” * “*Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey” (Yes, he’s real!)
Extra Special Feature* Video Version of this Episode!
Guest Dr. Jocelyn Widmer joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss insights from her interviews of 100+ Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs). The importance of institutional context in applying lessons learned from this rich community is emphasized.
In this episode hosts Kelvin and Tom talk through the valuable role alternative (“non-credit”) online learning opportunities can play for the local communities we serve and for the continued relevance of online higher education.
Guest Dr. Nicole Johnson joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss research on course modality definitions in Canada and the US and why clarity about course modalities is important for advancing the field of digital teaching and learning.
About Episode 123:
In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom talk through the insights and predictions from the CHLOE 7 report, with a focus on anticipated widespread hybridity in courses, programs, and student support services.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: PDF
Episode 123 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Video: Equator Coffee’s Single-Origin Java Argopuro Natural LacticAbout Equator Coffees
Content Links
Details for Participating in December 2022’s “Call-In Show”2022 CHLOE 7 Report: “Tracking Online Learning from Mainstream Acceptance to Universal Adoption”In the Chronicle of Higher Education (2010): “Tomorrow’s College: The classroom of the future features face-to-face, online, and hybrid learning. And the future is here.”Quality Matters Rubrics and StandardsSUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric (OSCQR)OLC Quality Course Teaching and Instructional Practice Scorecard (QCTIP)Joosten & Cusatis Research Article: “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” OLC Quality Scorecard for Online Student SupportResearch Article: “A Statewide Study of Perceptions of Directors on the Availability of Online Student Support Services at Postsecondary Institutions” (Brown, Strigle, and Toussaint)TOPcast Episode #88: “'It Really Always Comes Back to Design'”TOPcast Episode #93: “‘A More Generalized Perspective’ Reflections on the CHLOE 6 Report”
Extra Special Feature
Video Version of this Episode!
Guest Katrina Wehr joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to talk about how the role of instructional designer can lead to more equitable outcomes for all students within the work of online/digital teaching and learning.
elvin for a consideration of the value that in-person engagement has in our work of online education, particularly in the support and professional development of online teaching faculty.
Journalist Jeff Young joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to talk about lessons learned from higher education’s recent academic innovations and whether these ideas bring hope or merely hype to the field of online education.
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin contemplate the potential for chatbots in online education as a benefit to online students and as a support to both faculty and student services staff.
WCET’s Megan Raymond joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to comment on patterns observed in the current job market for online higher education professionals including instructional designers and related roles.
In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom consider the role of asynchronous discussions in online education and discuss how technology platforms/tools might provide some enhancement.
Guest Dr. Stephen C. Ehrmann joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss lessons learned from studying six exemplar higher ed institutions that have achieved “3fold gains” by improving educational quality, access, and affordability.
Hi this is Kelvin for TOPcast. As an accompaniment to episode 116, Tom and I would like to offer to everyone a brief bonus clip with Dr. Stephen C. Ehrmann from late 2021 in which Steve reflects on the impact of the famous article he co-wrote in 1996 with Arthur Chickering (The title of that article, if you are not familiar, is: “Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever” ) and in this clip, Steve shares a couple of delightful anecdotes surrounding the writing of the influential article.
Download Transcript: PDF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GhWjoMc9iE
As a companion piece to episode 113 on “onlineness,” in this episode hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss the related concept of “blendedness” - the deliberate design of a unified in-person + online experience in ways that benefit students directly.
NPR education correspondent Anya Kamenetz joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to pause for a holistic check-in evaluation of the on-going impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on online higher education.
In this Season 8 opener, Tom and Kelvin share sample student profiles illustrating the varied needs of students enrolling in online courses, and they call for a strategy of integrated data to better inform such profiles.
Guests Russ Poulin and Cheryl Dowd join hosts Kelvin and Tom to bring some breaking news on governmental regulation that could change the way online higher education works in the US. Listen carefully and share with institutional colleagues to avoid unpleasant surprises.
In this episode Tom and Kelvin unpack what it means for online courses to be “online” and why it matters to students if instructional designers or instructors make decisions that negatively impact this “onlineness.”
Guest Kerlene King joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss what it takes for the learning management system (LMS) to be used strategically at institutions of higher education.
Reports continue of individuals leaving the field of online higher education as part of the Great Resignation (or Reshuffling). In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss how to make our online learning teams positive environments where people find purpose and pursue vision as we carry out this meaningful work.
Guest physics professor Dr. Zhongzhou Chen joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss a compelling vision for transforming the nature of STEM education via digital learning practices and technologies.
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin delve into the online program rankings associated with US News’ “Best Colleges” Rankings and discuss both the problems and the value such rankings bring to higher education.
Guest Dr. Shawna Dark joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the importance of the emerging higher education role of the Chief Academic Technology Officer (CATO) and its relationship to online teaching and learning.
The Division of Digital Learning is seeking qualified individuals to fill a variety of positions. If you are excited about serving faculty and students using innovative education technology and practices to impact student access, success, cost and the quality of the learning experience, consider joining our division. Learn more about our openings here: https://digitallearning.ucf.edu/jobs/
Instructional designer Tim McKean pitches a topic that becomes an episode. Join hosts Tom and Kelvin in discussing Tim’s ideas about the balance between lightly or darkly “roasting” a course through instructional design.
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by guest Kristen Eshleman to consider the benefits of scaling liberal arts education to serve and transform our regional communities.
At year’s end, hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by an interactive group of past guests and regular listeners to identify some lessons learned from 2021 as we plan for the new year ahead. See how your perspectives relate to theirs.This is a great episode to share with a colleague and discuss together!
In this episode, Kelvin and Tom discuss the many build vs. buy decisions that face those responsible for supporting online teaching and learning. From staffing to software development and much in between, options abound.
Hosts Tom and Kelvin explore the various perspectives represented in the “Cameras-On vs. Cameras-Off Debate” with an eye toward finding common ground and actionable insights for designing effective synchronous online sessions beyond the emergency ad hoc remote instruction era.
In this episode, Dr. Sasha Thackaberry joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss change management strategies for leading online initiatives.
While specialists in online education, such as instructional designers and administrative leaders, help carry out online courses and programs strategically, it is the faculty whose voice, wisdom, and human connections make online learning successful. In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss the importance of this faculty voice and valuing.
Guest Ryan Rogers joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the experiences of K12 students during remote instruction and the challenges higher education institutions face in re-setting incoming first year students’ expectations of actual online courses.
In this episode, join hosts Kelvin Thompson and Tom Cavanagh for a discussion of the factors affecting institutions’ pursuit of the mix of course modalities that is best for them. Online, blended, hybrid, and in-person courses are all part of the mix.
Renowned guest Dr. Patsy Moskal joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to share key insights from 25 years of conducting research studies and impact evaluation on digital teaching and learning. Grounding our work in this robust body of literature is especially important as we seek to distinguish intentional online learning from ad hoc remote instruction.
Join hosts Kelvin and Tom for a consideration of the range of options for post-pandemic work being considered across higher education. As online education professionals, if we can’t figure out how to do this well, who can?
Hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by guest Dr. Julie Mendez to consider how to overcome challenges faced by STEM faculty who might be resistant to teaching online or blended courses. Spoiler: It’s about faculty talking to faculty!
Hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss themes found in the recent CHLOE 6 report on how higher ed’s remote instruction pandemic response has impacted the landscape of online education. Listeners are encouraged to compare the presented themes with their own observations in order to better understand our field and prepare for the future.
From her time as CAO of Davis College, guest Dr. Cristi Ford joins Kelvin and Tom to talk about the impressive work of Rwanda’s Akilah Institute in providing educational access to women via a combination of blended learning, competency-based education, and international partnership.
Redesigning courses from one modality to another was a rushed necessity in the early days of remote instruction, and it might be an expectation of some administrators post-pandemic. Join hosts Tom and Kelvin as they unpack what listener Jerry Dougherty has termed “intermodal learning.”
President Gregory Fowler of the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss distinctive ways that our individual institutions can innovate to create opportunities for unique groups of students by meeting them where they are.
In this Season 7 opener, Tom and Kelvin try out seven slogans intended as rallying cries to capture succinctly the aspirational goals of high quality online education and to serve as antidotes to widespread mischaracterizations post-pandemic.
The MOST downloaded episode from Season 06. Currently, that episode is Episode 74: “Connecting the Dots: ‘Lessons for Leadership’” with guest Dr. Shubha Kashyap. You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s06e74. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode 74 was released in September of 2020.
Transcript
Hi. This is Kelvin popping into your podcast feed in anticipation of TOPcast’s upcoming SEVENTH season. For each of the seven weeks leading up to the first episode of Season 07 we are popping in to draw your attention to the most popular episodes of the preceding six seasons.
Now up: Season 06. We will feature two episodes from Season 06 as we round out this “TOP 7” promotion. Currently, the SECOND-most downloaded episode from Season 06 is Episode 72: “Pro Tips on Vocal Care for Faculty” with guest Dr. Richard Zraick. You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s06e72. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode 72 was released in August of 2020.
Guest Shannon Riggs joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss her book “Thrive Online” and a key principle that, when pursuing quality, regardless of online, blended, synchronous, or in-person course modality, “it really always comes back to design.”
Transcript
Hi. This is Kelvin again popping into your podcast feed in anticipation of TOPcast’s upcoming SEVENTH season. For each of the seven weeks leading up to the first episode of Season 07 we are popping in to draw your attention to the most popular episodes of the preceding six seasons.
Now up: Season 05. Currently, the most downloaded episode from Season 05 is Episode 64: “Principles for Humanizing Online Education… And Remote Teaching/Learning” with guest Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock. You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s06e64. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode 64 was released in April of 2020.
Season 04. Currently, the most downloaded episode from Season 04 is Episode 37: “6 Deadly Sins of Online Teaching.” You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s04e37. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode 37 was released in May of 2018.
Join hosts Kelvin and Tom for a consideration of the need across higher education to collaboratively wage a campaign of accuracy to repair the damage done to the reputation of online education during the remote instruction response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, the most downloaded episode from Season 02 is Episode 15: “It’s More About the Social than the Media” with guest Dr. Tanya Joosten. You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s02e15. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode15 was released in July of 2016.
Currently, the most downloaded episode from Season 02 is Episode 15: “It’s More About the Social than the Media” with guest Dr. Tanya Joosten. You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s02e15. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode15 was released in July of 2016.
Transcript
Hi. This is Kelvin popping into your podcast feed in anticipation of TOPcast’s upcoming SEVENTH season. For each of the seven weeks leading up to the first episode of Season 07 we are popping in to draw your attention to the most popular episodes of the preceding six seasons.
First up: Season 01. The most downloaded episode from Season 01 remains the one that started it all, Episode #1. The pilot “WHAT IS ONLINE LEARNING? DEFINITIONS, BOUNDARY OBJECTS, AND BAGGAGE.” You can find this episode wherever you’re listening to this message or online at the following direct url: http://bit.ly/topcast_s01e01. Whether you’ve heard it before or not, give a listen to this time capsule from when Episode 01 was released in May of 2015.
Student evaluation of instruction is often contentious. In this episode, guest Dr. Barbara Zorn joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to share findings from a data mining research study of end of term evaluations from 60,000 online courses. Research in this area guides our field in using these evaluations effectively.
In this episode, join Kelvin and Tom for a discussion of how “blended” is likely to permeate higher education institutions far beyond the bounds of blended learning course design. Ponder the opportunities afforded by blended campus workplaces and blended co-curricular experiences in the post-COVID era.
Guest Dr. Jessica Knott from OLC joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the mutual benefits of engaging with our online education community.
Join hosts Tom and Kelvin as they think through the post-COVID role of synchronous online teaching and consider how to ensure the best quality possible.
In this episode, Dr. Tanya Spilovoy joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the importance of faculty adoption of free or low-cost open educational resources (OER) at scale. This is an important part of lowering educational costs for students. Fostering widespread adoption initiatives is harder than it looks.
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin consider how the various technology adoption decisions we make either enable or prevent others from doing “the right thing” in online teaching and learning.
Guest Dr. Luke Dowden joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to remind us all that people are the most valuable part of any online learning organization. He helps us identify how to add value to our team members, our organizations, and our collective work through deliberate caring. These other-centered practices are valuable every day but are especially relevant in the COVID-era.
With a touch of holiday fun and whimsy, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by a panel of past guests and a live audience of regular listeners to celebrate the end of 2020 and reflect upon its lasting impact on the field of online education. Enjoy this holiday gift to our community, and please consider sharing a link with your colleagues.
About Episode 78:
Calbright College President and CEO Ajita Menon re-joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the lessons learned from leading a “start-up” public college. This is the second of two interviews with President Menon.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 78 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
"S’Morey Time" Coffee from Bones Coffee CompanyBones Coffee Company
Content Links
Ajita Menon’s Online BioThe Calbright ModelIn Diverse Education: "Why California’s First Online Community College Faces a State Audit" In San Francisco Chronicle: "California’s online-only community college is flunking out with legislators" In EdSource: "Calbright College survives in new California state budget agreement" Presidential Reframing Communication: "Calbright College Milestone Report" (August 2020)
Just for Fun Pop Culture Reference
History of S’Mores
Extra Special Feature
Video Version of This Episode! (Includes "socially distanced" recording by Tom and Kelvin)
Tom and Kelvin consider the strategic role blended learning can have during the pandemic as higher ed institutions begin planning for their eventual return to f2f instruction. This episode is the eighth in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19.
Q&A Bonus Session between IELOL participants, guest Dr. Shubha Kashyap, and hosts Tom and Kelvin.
Calbright College President and CEO Ajita Menon joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the Calbright Model and to consider the place of innovative models in our collective work within online higher education. This is the first of two interviews with President Menon.
Hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss principles for effective planning of spring 2021’s continued reliance on the work of online learning professionals. This episode is the seventh in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19.
Guest Dr. Shubha Kashyap joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to share some of her leadership lessons learned with an explicit emphasis on the importance of openness to learning and the value of mentoring and coaching. This episode was recorded as part of the curriculum for the 2020 OLC IELOL Immersion Experience.
Stakeholder communications are especially important during a crisis. What do you do when communications are misinterpreted? Hosts Kelvin and Tom talk through COVID-era communication strategies. This episode is the sixth in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19.
In this episode, special guest Dr. Richard Zraick joins Tom and Kelvin to discuss how teaching faculty can care for their voices despite inordinate vocal use online and f2f during the COVID-19 era. Great episode for sharing with teaching faculty colleagues who aren’t regular listeners!
Many institutions will be offering at least some f2f instruction this fall. Kelvin and Tom talk through the details of one flexible approach for making fall f2f less disruptable: BlendFlex.
In this episode, guest Cheryl Costantini from Cengage joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to speak about the importance of providing students with affordable access to digital course materials. This has proven especially critical during the COVID-19 era.
Tom and Kelvin talk through giving voice to and gathering data from all faculty and student constituents to evaluate effectiveness of remote instruction. This episode is the fourth in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19.
Guest Dr. Sherri Braxton joins Kelvin and Tom to discuss how a holistic, system-wide effort to “get current” on IT accessibility has implications for ensuring that all learners have access to their online course materials.
Hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss how to carry out a strategy of offering a higher proportion of well-designed online courses each semester. This episode is the third in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19.
About Episode 66:
Guest Dr. Euan Lindsay, director of engineering for Australia’s Charles Sturt University, joins Kelvin and Tom to talk about the role of adaptive learning in curricular innovation. Find out how students “binge at their point of need” while also getting a real world education.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 66 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Guatemala Finca La Nueva Pache Honey from Equator CoffeesTrade Coffee’s "Get Matched" Recommendation EngineSingle Origin Brazil from Common Grounds Brew & Roastery (formerly Sea Bean Coffee Company, West Palm Beach, FL)
Content Links
Dr. Euan Lindsay’s Online ProfileThe "Topic Tree" from Charles Sturt University’s Innovative Engineering CurriculumOn the Realizeit Blog: "MIT Names Charles Sturt University One of the World’s Top Emerging Engineering Schools""Overton Window" from Wikipedia5 minute video: "Flocculation" [curricular concept called out by Dr. Lindsay in the episode]TOPcast Episode #56: "The Last Mile: Getting STEM Online"
Extra Special Feature
Video Version of This Episode! (Includes “socially distanced” recording by Tom and Kelvin)
Hosts Kelvin and Tom ponder the long term effects of the coronavirus on higher education.This episode is the second in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19.
Hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by guest Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock (“Brocansky”) to discuss the importance of “humanizing” education. Humanizing is important generally for the design and teaching of actual online courses/programs, but in the COVID-19 era, humanizing remote teaching/learning is imperative.
This episode is the first in a mini-series of monthly “field reports” offering collegial advice in getting through the current era of “remote teaching” necessitated by COVID-19. Hosts Kelvin and Tom offer principles for launching and sustaining remote teaching initiatives.
About Episode 62:
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by guest Dr. Tamara Powell, from Kennesaw State University, to discuss the role of course fees in funding online education. The importance of showing a return on investment is emphasized.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 62 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee (Plantation Blue)
Content Links
Dr. Tamara Powell’s Online ProfileKSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences Office of Digital Education2018 OLC Accelerate Session: “What Do You Really Need to Offer High Quality Online Learning: A Brainstorming Session”University System of Georgia’s Institutional “E-Tuition” Rates by YearGeorgia Board of Regents Policy Manual 7.3.1.4 Tuition for Distance Learning Courses and ProgramsBackground on Georgia Board of Regents’ “Phase Out” Plan for E-Tuition (See page 37 of 4/2019 Board Agenda)Press Release: “Kennesaw State’s explosive growth in online learning spurs evolution of virtual campus”Student Newspaper Article: “E-tuition cuts, university statements”From WCET: “Distance Education Price and Cost Report”
In this episode, Tom and Kelvin consider the valuable role online education professionals can play in helping their institutions maintain or resume operations when faced with crises.
Dr. Kelvin Bentley joins co-hosts Kelvin Thompson and Tom Cavanagh to discuss how our field and its leaders are growing in strategic importance. The value of strengthening personal and organizational networks is emphasized.
Tom and Kelvin devote an entire episode to one of the pillars of successful online education programs: the preparation of faculty for online course design and teaching. Varieties of faculty development approaches are discussed.
In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom learn to have “fun with regulations” as guests Russ Poulin and Cheryl Dowd from WCET provide an update on timely topics from the US higher education policy context. Russ and Cheryl’s enthusiasm for the topics is infectious.
Tuition reimbursement programs have been around for many years. In this episode, though, join hosts Tom and Kelvin as they uncover how modern education as an employee benefit programs align with the aspirations of online higher education.
About Episode 56:
Many of us in online education have struggled to implement online course design in STEM disciplines. In this episode, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson discuss reasons for this disconnect and how we might work together to innovate and cross the chasm to benefit students.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 56 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Yaupon Brothers Lavender Coconut TeaYaupon Brothers American Tea CompanyInterview with Yaupon Brothers Co-Founder Bryon White
Content Links
Lightboard Video Examples from UCF’s Office of Instructional Resources (OIR)Oregon State University’s “Online Learning Efficacy Research Database”Summary of Longitudinal Findings from UCF’s Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness (RITE)TOPcast Episode #35: Blending Our Way to “A Whole New Level of Student Success”
About Episode 55:
In this episode, Tom and Kelvin are joined by Dr. Susan Wegmann as she shares her experience of transitioning from teaching online to leading digital learning for an entire institution. Listeners are encouraged to reflect upon the lessons learned from their own journeys.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 55 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
“Taste of Austin” coffee blend from HEB’s “Cafe Ole” brand
Content Links
Dr. Susan Wegmann’s Bio (TOPR) "High Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices” TOPcast Episode #53: “A ‘Sobering’ Conversation About Diversity Among Leaders of Online Learning” TOPcast Episode #52: “Higher Ed’s ‘Third Wave of Digital Leaders’” TOPcast Episode #49: “‘You’re Making Me Crazy!’ How to Improve Online Education”
About Episode 54:
In this episode, TOPcast hosts Kelvin and Tom talk through how “starting simply”, with the essentials, in online design/teaching and then iterating over time will make for a more successful experience for all concerned. These principles hold for other kinds of digital learning implementations.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 54 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
"Red Eyes Blend" from Huckleberry RoastersHuckleberry Roasters, Denver, CO
Content Links
Note: Each resource below contains individual ways to Keep It Simple Starting. Do not try them all at once. Good Practices
Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) - An online compendium of online and blended teaching practices. Hosted by UCF but open to all for contributions. Creative Commons-licensed. Online Learning Consortium’s Effective Practices DIY Design Tasks for Blended Courses
Tools/Technologies
"5 Terrific Edtech Tools for Creating a Highly Engaging Online (or Hybrid) Course" (from eCampus News) EduAppCenter (Open standard-based integrations for your learning management system)
Other Strategies
"Ten Steps Toward Universal Design of Online Courses" (from University of Arkansas, Little Rock) "How to Create a Mobile-First Online Course" (from LearnDash)
About Episode 53:
Returning guest Dr. Liz Ciabocchi joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to consider the current state of diversity and inclusivity within the ranks of online learning leaders. While a sobering conversation to be sure, this episode is filled with data and optimism. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2019 OLC IELOL Immersion Experience.
Podcast Recording
Download episode transcript: [PDF]
Bonus Content
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Guest Dr. Liz Ciabocchi joins hosts Kelvin (l) and Tom (r) for TOPcast Live During IELOL 2019
Episode 53 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
"Rainbow Roast" Blend from Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters
Content Links
Dr. Liz Ciabocchi’s BioOLC’s IELOL Program“Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: A Status Report” Survey Report: “Administrators in Higher Education”TOPcast Episode #09: “Telling Disruptive Stories: Women as Leaders in Online Education” with Liz CiabocchiTOPcast Episode #22: “Better Together: Diversity in Online Education”TOPcast Episode #36: “Finding Online Learning Leaders: ‘Fredericksen’s List’”
Topical Follow-up Resources Curated By Dr. Ciabocchi
Online Magazine: “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education”Blog Posts Tagged “Diversity and Inclusion” from the “Higher Education Today” blog of the American Council on Education (ACE)Campus Diversity and Inclusion Articles from the “American Council on Education” (ACE) WebsiteDiversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence Resources from the “Association for American Colleges & Universities” (AAC&U) Website
About Episode 52:
In this episode, Tom and Kelvin are joined by Dr. Casey Green who shares his decades long observations about the evolving nature of leadership in higher ed’s technology-mediated teaching and learning initiatives. A key theme is the sustainability of our digital learning efforts.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF]
Episode 52 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Ethiopia Tafachi The West Bean Coffee Roasters (featured in this episode)
Content Links
Dr. Casey Green’s Bio Casey’s "Digital Tweed" Blog EDUCAUSE Review Article: "Exploring the CAO Role in Digital Learning" "Provosts, Pedagogy and Digital Learning: The Fall 2017 ACAO Survey of Provosts and Chief Academic Officers" In The Chronicle: "The Path to Change Runs Through the Provost’s Office" Book: Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered In The Chronicle: "The Digital Era" (50-year photostory retrospective of tech in higher ed) TOPcast Episode #32: "Provosts, Pedagogy, and Digital Learning" with Casey Green The Digital Tweed Blog: "Provosts as Digital Leaders"
About Episode 51: Textbook affordability is important to students, parents, policymakers, and online education professionals. Reducing the functional cost to students of course materials is a complex challenge. In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss one multifaceted strategy for meeting this challenge. Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF] Episode 51 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
The Beginner’s Guide to Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee (featured in this episode) Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Buying Guide & Review
Content Links
UCF’s Affordable Instructional Materials Initiative FIU’s "Affordability Counts" Initiative Indiana University’s "Affordability @ IU" Initiative Florida Virtual Campus: Summaries of Student Textbook Surveys Florida Statute 1004.085: "Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability" TOPcast episode # 11: "Getting to the Goal of Going Textbook Free" TOPcast episode #21: "Accessibility: It’s a Journey, Not a Destination"
Providing evidence of quality assurance efforts for online education goes a long way toward addressing the concerns of stakeholders, novices, and naysayers. In this episode, Dr. Deb Miller joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to share the details of one state’s system-wide approach to better conveying evidence of online quality.
In the fifth season kick-off, hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh reflect on what makes them crazy about the field of online education and what online practitioners might do to remedy the situation. This is a great episode to share and discuss with colleagues inside and outside the field.
About Episode 48: Access to education is not equal across all demographics. What might we do about that? In this episode, rockstar scholar Dr. Chuck Dziuban joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss equity and the affordances of digital learning. Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: [PDF] Episode 48 Show Notes: Kelvin Thompson, Charles Dziuban, and Thomas Cavanagh recording TOPcast episode 48 in the studio.
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Mexico Chiapas from UCF’s Foxtail Coffee Company (featured in this episode) Foxtail Coffee Company
Content Links
Dr. Charles D. (“Chuck”) Dziuban’s Online Profile Dr. Dziuban’s GoogleScholar Citations Tangelo Park Program Case Study: "Tangelo Park Program: A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education" UCF Downtown UCF and the Parramore Community From the Pell Institute: "Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States" Book (recommended by Dr. Dziuban): "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling Wall Street Journal Article (cited by Dr. Dziuban): "Even at Top Colleges, Graduation Gaps Persist for Poor Students" Katrina Meyer Article (recommended by Dr. Dziuban): "Common Metaphors and Their Impact on Distance Education: What They Tell Us and What They Hide" Video: "UCF Online: My Why"
In this episode Kelvin and Tom are joined by Dr. Tawnya Means and Dr. Meridith Bergeron as they consider the value of engagement, especially for students who have online-only experiences with their institutions through online programs. Means and Bergeron share details about a current research project in which listeners may participate.
In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom note the student success benefits of learning analytics initiatives and consider thoughtfully the appropriate roles for human decision-making in such initiatives. Students, faculty, advisors, and administrators are just some of the humans who can be empowered by analytics.
In this episode, co-hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by Unizin’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jill Buban, to discuss the importance of institutional consortia in advancing higher education’s aspirational innovation goals that benefit students.
Join hosts Tom and Kelvin as they discuss the intertwined futures of online learning and digital learning. How we frame our work and where we invest our innovation efforts will have at least some bearing on where our futures lead.
Managing change is part of the business of leading innovation in online/digital learning. Sometimes we make mistakes. In this episode of TOPcast, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson share lessons learned from a recent controversial case study in change management at UCF’s College of Business.
While “traditional” online education relies on asynchronous experiences, there are specific contexts in which synchronous online learning is best for students. In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin discuss how and when to make the most of real time options.
Conventional wisdom has it that small is good, but is this true? Can institutions of higher education be both big and good? In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin revisit the “iron triangle” construct as they explore the tensions inherent in pursuing both scale and quality.
“Marketing,” as a concept, rankles some in academic circles, but it is increasingly key to the work of online education. In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by marketing guru Courtney Borton to consider how to best market online programs.
Preparing faculty to successfully teach online can be challenging and lonely work, especially if you are a part of a small team of instructional designers. In this episode, hosts Kelvin and Tom unveil a set of free, open-licensed resources designed to make online faculty development easier and less lonely.
In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by Angela Gunder and Jessica Knott to consider the powerful humanizing and empathy-building roles storytelling can play in online education. Tools and frameworks for incorporating story in courses, mentoring, and professional development are discussed.
Online faculty are at the heart of successful (and unsuccessful) online courses. Hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson explore several of the ways online instructors can make or break courses through their online teaching practices.
What do we know about online learning leaders? Hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by Dr. Eric Fredericksen who is now the “keeper of the list” of 1500+ disparate online learning leaders of US higher education institutions after conducting two recent research studies into their roles, preparation, and priorities.
In this episode, hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh share the details of a strategic blended learning course redesign initiative with the potential to impact student success at an institutional scale.
Hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by returning guest Dr. Katie Linder to discuss the research preparation and engagement of instructional designers through the lens of a recent study Katie has released. Additional resources for conducting and applying research are also suggested.
In this episode, Tom and Kelvin discuss the myths and realities of online academic integrity while reflecting upon the most effective ways to respond to critics. Remote proctoring, authentic assessment, ethics, Pokemon, and more!
Hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by the Campus Computing Project’s Dr. Kenneth C. Green to discuss his recent work with provosts related to innovation in college and university teaching-and-learning through digital learning initiatives.
In this episode, Tom and Kelvin discuss the recent US Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) recommendation about Western Governors University (WGU). Specifically, what are the issues, and what are the implications for WGU and all US institutions offering online courses?
In this episode, join hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson as they reflect upon the implications for learning of student preferences and behaviors associated with mobile technologies in higher education settings.
About Episode 29: Blended learning is still around and going strong! Tom and Kelvin are joined by blended learning expert Dr. Norm Vaughan as they consider, from a faculty perspective, how to partner for better-designed blended learning.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF]
Dr. Norm Vaughan (right) joins Tom and Kelvin (left) in this episode of TOPcast. Episode 29 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Guatemala Antigua from Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters in New York
Content Links
Dr. Norm Vaughan’s Bio Image: "7 Principles of Blended Learning" Norm Vaughan Session Recording: “Student Engagement & Blended Learning: What’s the Connection?" Free ebook: “Teaching in Blended Learning Environments:Creating and Sustaining Communities of Inquiry" UCF Techrangers Mt. Royal University START (Student Technicians and Resource Tutors) Maori "Concept of Ako" (to teach is to learn) Quote: "To teach is to learn twice" (Joseph Joubert) Article by Norm Vaughan: "Blended Learning from Design to Evaluation: International Case Studies of Evidence-Based Practice"
About Episode 28: “Policy” might or might not be one of your favorite things, but online education professionals must understand policy in order to be effective. In this episode join Tom and Kelvin as they think through the multi-tiered relationships between policy and online education.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 28 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Ethiopia Harrar (featured in this episode) Java Junction Coffee Roasters in Brockport, NY What Roasting Dates Can & Can’t Tell You About Coffee
Content Links
WCET Frontiers Blog (edited by Russ Poulin) EDUCAUSE Review Policy Spotlight Column (edited by Jarrett Cummings) UCF Distributed Learning Guidelines UCF Course Modalities Title IV Funding of US Higher Education US Department of Education’s Competency-Based Education Experimental Sites
Examples of “Policy” and “Online Ed Policy” at Various Levels
UCF Institutional Examples
UCF Policies (100+) UCF Regulations (100+) Example: UCF Regulation Affecting Online Students (“Tuition Waivers for Specified Online Graduate Programs”)
Accrediting Body Examples
SACSCOC Policies and Publications Example: SACSCOC Policy Affecting Online Students (“Distance and Correspondence Education”)
State Examples
Florida Statutes Example: Florida Statute Affecting Online Students (“1009.24 - State university student fees” [Note: Provides for distance learning fee; defines “distance learning course”]) Florida SUS Board of Governors (BOG) Example: Florida SUS BOG Online Education 2025 Strategic Plan
National Examples
US Department of Education: Laws & Guidance National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)
About Episode 27: Humanizing online learning is arguably more important than ever as new technologies enable greater scale, efficiency, and personalization. Tom and Kelvin are joined by Dr. Bonni Stachowiak in thoughtfully exploring the human element in online teaching and learning.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 27 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Costa Rica Tarbaca Tarrazu Coffee (featured in this episode) Buddy Brew Coffee Craft Roasters in Tampa, FL
Content Links
Dr. Bonni Stachowiak’s Bio Bonni’s Podcast: "Teaching in Higher Ed" TOPcast Ep #20: “Professional Development Through Podcasting" (with Bonni Stachowiak) OLC Accelerate 2016 Keynote by Minerva Schools’ Stephen Kosslyn (Mentioned in this episode) "Empathy Toward Greater Inclusion" (Ep #126 of Teaching in Higher Ed) Harold Jarche’s “Personal Knowledge Mastery" “Engaging Learners" (Ep #107 of Teaching in Higher Ed with Gardner Campbell)
Additional Resources
HumanizED Podcast (hosted by Michelle Pacansky-Brock) "Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning: The Quest for Authenticity" (in EDUCAUSE Review)
About Episode 26: For online education to remain relevant and viable, we must give attention to the voices of our students. In this episode, Kelvin and Tom are joined by UCF student Alex deCurnou who shares his story of being an online student at three different institutions.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF]
Meet Alex deCurnou, a UCF college student plucked from his natural habitat for this episode of TOPcast. Episode 26 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Ethiopia Sidamo (featured in this episode) Axum Coffee Roasting
Content Links
Alex deCurnou’s Online Profile Standard “Student Panel” Questions from UCF WCET14 Student Panel: What do students think of online education? [Curated by Phil Hill on the e-Literate Blog] Video Recordings: Student Testimonial Videos (from UCF’s Knights Online) "Complete Florida" (inter-institutional online programs for adults with “some college, no degree”)
About Episode 25: Keeping up with rapidly-emerging online education trends while simultaneously attending to the responsibilities of daily operations is challenging. In this episode, join hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson as they offer heuristics to help in leading innovation.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 25 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Tom on-site at Spitfire Coffee in NOLA.
Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Rwanda Nyamagabe (featured in this episode) Spitfire Coffee Photo: Tom in Spitfire Coffee Supermarine Spitfire in WWII History
Content Links
FIRRST Innovation Lab Session at OLC Innovate 2017 "Disruptive Innovation" Contextual Visioning Quadrants FIRRST Description New Media Consortium's "Horizon Report" EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative's "Key Issues in Teaching and Learning" Online Learning Consortium's "Higher Education Online Learning Landscape" WCET's "Issues and Trends in EdTech" TOPcast Episode #7: "The 'Delicate Dance' of Leaders: Shaping the Future of Online Learning"
About Episode 24: Online education is a global phenomenon with a worldwide reach. But we often think about it provincially. In this episode, join hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh and guest Alexandra Pickett to consider the value and logistics of adopting an international perspective in our work.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 24 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Colombia Claudia Samboni (featured in this episode) Background on Claudia Samboni’s Coffee Farm
Content Links
Alexandra Pickett’s Bio Open SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence (COTE) Sample Spanish-Language Session Page from OLC 2015 International Conference European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN) Simultaneous Interpreting/Translation Explained Video: Example of Simultaneous Interpreting/Translation" Pinellas County (Florida) Schools’ "ESOL Family Outreach" DeVry University’s "Los Padres de Familia"
About Episode 23: Join Tom and Kelvin as they identify principles useful in addressing questions and assumptions of those outside of online education. Think of this as articulating a value proposition or making an elevator pitch. This episode contains a segment from The Tavis Smiley Show with grateful permission.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 23 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Rwanda Hingakawa from Starbucks Reserve (featured in this episode) The Human Story Behind the Featured Coffee
Content Links
Video: Thomas Cavanagh on The Tavis Smiley Show Video: Cheryl Hyman on The Tavis Smiley Show Video: Janet Napolitano on The Tavis Smiley Show TOPcast ep 08: "Get Free Stuff! Open Resources in Online Teaching and Learning" Editable GoogleDoc: "Some Principles for Speaking with the Public about Online Education" From Forbes: "Six Simple And Irresistible Alternatives To The Elevator Pitch" From Harvard Business Review: "How to Write an Elevator Pitch" "The ‘Yes, And…’ Approach: Less Ego, More Openness, More Possibility
About Episode 22: Kelvin and Tom are joined by guests Ke’Anna Skipwith and Lamont Eddins from EDUCAUSE’s Diversity in IT Constituent Group to discuss diversity and inclusivity within online education, specifically among students, faculty, and instructional designers.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 22 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Beverage Links
Armenian Mint Tea (Ke'Anna) Orange Juice (Lamont) WaWa Coffee (Tom) Ethiopia Shakiso Starbucks Reserve Coffee via the Clover (Kelvin)
Content Links
Ke'Anna Skipwith's bio Lamont Eddins' bio Slides: Diversity in IT Roundtable (from EDUCAUSE16) EDUCAUSE Diversity in IT Constituent Group Archives/Subscription Video: UCF President John Hitt on Diversity and Inclusion Scientific American article: "How Diversity Makes Us Smarter" Report from McKinsey & Company: "Diversity Matters" Dr. Scott Page's book: "The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies" Research article: "Learner Analysis Framework Case Study" Video of Dr. Scott Page on: "Leveraging Diversity" ReplyAll episode: "Raising the Bar" Mini-video series: "Who, Me? Biased?" (by New York Times)
About Episode 21: Ensuring the accessibility of content and interactions by all learners must be a priority for online education professionals. In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin consider the ongoing, multi-faceted challenge of facilitating accessibility.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 21 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter Widget not in any sidebars
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Image: UCF's "Parthenon" Accessibility Support Model Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Dunkin Donuts (featured in this episode)
Content Links
UCF’s “Parthenon” Model for Supporting Accessibility Journal article: "Programmatic, Systematic, Automatic: An Online Course Accessibility Support Model" (from UCF) UCF’s Automated Accessibility Checker (UDOIT) for the Instructure Canvas LMS Video: Introduction to UDOIT by UCF Developer Jacob Bates Screenshot of Accessibility Charts-and-Graphs Data Report (from UCF’s Executive Information System) UCF’s Faculty-Facing Resources for Online Accessibility UCF’s Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) 30 min. recording with resources: "Creating Accessible Content in the Online Course Environment" "Dropping the Ball on Disabilities" (from Inside Higher Ed) New Era for Disability Rights" (from Inside Higher Ed) "Do Closed Captions Help Students Learn?" (from WCET Frontiers Blog by guest author Dr. Katie Linder) Discussion of Michigan State University’s Web Accessibility Work within Episode 27 of Innovation Labcast (starts at 24:04)
About Episode 20: In this episode, Tom and Kelvin, supplemented by members of a recent conference panel, consider how podcasting can be a vehicle for receiving and creating professional development opportunities.
Episode 20 Show Notes: Please find various show notes and resources below. Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Meet the Podcasters From #OLCaccelerate Meet the #Podpanel from #OLCaccelerate. (From left to right) Jon Ernstberger, Jenny Quaries, Bonni Stachowiak, Katie Linder, Thomas Cavanagh, Tanya Joosten Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Higher Grounds Peruvian Pangoa (featured in this episode)
Content Links
Podcasters Panel conference session page from 2016 OLC Accelerate Podcast Recommendations for Professional Development and Fun #PodPanel Twitter stream OLC Podcasts Page Open FacDev TOPcast “Free Stuff” Professional Development Episode 2016 SUNY COTE Summit Site (example of perpetually open faculty development)
About Episode 19: Instructional designers are central to the success of online/blended education. But IDs play a variety of roles, some in possible conflict. In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by guest Dr. Katie Linder as they discuss these roles and consider how to resolve the tension between scholarship and practice.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 19 Show Notes: Please find various show notes and resources below. Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Video clips of Robert Young and Sanka (featured in this episode) Sanka History "A Coffee Drinker's Guide to Decaffeinated Brands" (from New York Times)
Content Links
Bio: Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Linder Research in Action (RIA) Podcast Oregon State University eCampus Research Unit UCF’s Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness (RITE) RIA Podcast #9: "Balancing Research, Teaching, and Service" (recording + shownotes) "So You Want to be an Instructional Designer?" (from EdSurge News) "Instructional Design in Higher Education: A report on the role, workflow, and experience of instructional designers" (mentioned in this episode) MIT report: “Online Education: A Catalyst for Higher Education Reforms" (mentioned in this episode. see “Recommendation 3”) Panel discussion on ID hiring (mentioned in this episode) Five levels of “Instructional Designer” (staff) at PennState UCF’s (Faculty) Instructional Design Team Position classifications of UCF (Faculty) Instructional Designers within UCF’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (Appendix A) research study: “Student Uses and Perceptions of Closed Captions and Transcripts” (produced by OSU eCampus Research Unit and mentioned in this episode) Related session video from Virtually Connecting: Conversation with "Kelvin Thompson and Katie Linder with Patrice Prusko" at OLC Accelerate
About Episode 18: College degree attainment will not grow significantly without removing barriers to qualified students who aren’t enrolling. In this episode, Kelvin and Tom consider how online education can expand access to college.
Download Transcript [PDF, RTF]
Episode 18 Show Notes: Please find various show notes and resources below. Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Guatemala Trapichitos (featured in this episode)
Content Links
“Revisionist History” podcast NY Times “Access List” ASU’s Michael Crow on “Fifth Wave Universities” Meeting the (US) Nation’s 2020 Goal (60% college degree attainment) Venn diagram mentioned in this Episode: UCF Campuses/Modalities Tom’s “Postmodality Era” Article Direct Connect to UCF UCF Online UCF Signs First Agreement with Partner College for UCF Online
About Episode 17: Most of us like knowing that “someone” is doing research that validates our work. In this episode, Tom and Kelvin are joined by guest Dr. Charles Graham, prolific researcher of technology-mediated teaching and learning, as they discuss the importance of ongoing research by professional scholars and scholarly professionals in online ed.
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Episode 17 Show Notes: Please find various show notes and resources below. Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links
Coffee Profile: Rwanda Misozi Kopakaki (featured in this episode) Trilogy Coffee Roasting
Content Links
Dr. Charles Graham’s Bio and Research Links Article on UCF’s Hack Day by Ian Turgeon Dynamic Understanding Diagnostic Engine (student Hack Day Project) “Research in Action” Podcast