Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education Podcast from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Join us for a conversation with Maoria J. Kirker, MS, to explore the many resources of the university library and consider opportunities to collaborate with librarians. 

Resources: George Mason University Library:  https://library.gmu.edu Data & Digital Scholarship Services:  https://dsc.gmu.edu George Mason University Libraries Special Collections Research Center:  https://scrc.gmu.edu Library Instructional Support links:  https://library.gmu.edu/instructional University Libraries Off-Campus Access support:  https://library.gmu.edu/use/off-campus

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Dr. Aimee Weinstein joins Keystone Concepts host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss how to get started as a new faculty member... or perhaps, how you – as an experienced faculty member – might support your new colleagues.

Resources: Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/ George Mason University motto, mission, vision, core values, and more:  https://catalog.gmu.edu/about-mason/university/ Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning First Year Five program: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/first-year-five-fy5/ George Mason University Library:  https://library.gmu.edu/ George Mason University Korea (Mason Korea):  https://masonkorea.gmu.edu/ 

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Dr. Cameron Harris joins Keystone Concepts host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss the logistics and considerations for teaching when you are assigned to teach a new-to-you course.

Resources: Please be sure to also check out Episode 9, “Syllabi Supporting Learners and Instructors” https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/season-1-fall-2024-keystone-concepts-in-teaching/ Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning Current Syllabus Guidance:  https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/current-syllabus-guidance/ Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning Designing Your Syllabus:  https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/designing-your-syllabus/ Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning AI Text Generators:  Resource Page https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/ai-text-generators/ 

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Join our guest host, Kelly Chandler, as she talks with Dr. Rachel Yoho about how we can make our syllabi more inclusive of all learners and us as the instructor in the first of our “Hear From Your Host” series.

Resources: Eberly, M. B., Newton, S. E., & Wiggins, R. A. (2001). The syllabus as a tool for student-centered learning. The Journal of General Education, 50(1), 56–74., Bers, T., Davis, D., & Taylor, W. (1996). Syllabus analysis: What are we teaching and telling our students?. Assessment Update, 8(6), 1-14., References on first impressions, demonstrating values, and use as a learning tool: https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/explore-teaching-guides/inclusive-teaching-guide/planning-inclusive-course/building-inclusive https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/designing-inclusive-syllabus/ References on course policies:  https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/resources/art-and-science-of-teaching/creating-an-inclusive-and-equitable-course/ George Mason University, Religious Holiday Calendar: https://ulife.gmu.edu/religious-holiday-calendar/ References on Tone and Language Use: https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/designing-inclusive-syllabus/ https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/explore-teaching-guides/inclusive-teaching-guide/planning-inclusive-course/building-inclusive Sathy, V., & Hogan, K. A. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press. References on Readings and Resources in Syllabi: Sathy, V., & Hogan, K. A. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/DiversityStatements Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0098628320959979 References on Activities and Assignments: Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0098628320959979 https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/DiversityStatements Sathy, V., & Hogan, K. A. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. Check out Episode 7 of Keystone Concepts in Teaching for more information on teaching multilingual learners:  https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/season-1-fall-2024-keystone-concepts-in-teaching/ References on Course Design: https://thewri<

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Drs. Richard Craig, LaNitra Berger, and Courtney Massie join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss how we productively have conversations, facilitate student writing, and grade when centered around potentially challenging topics.

Resources: Office of Faculty Affairs and Development:  https://provost.gmu.edu/about/administrative-units/faculty-affairs-and-development (Contact this office for faculty affinity group information), Provost Website Resources for Faculty:  https://provost.gmu.edu/faculty, George Mason University Faculty Resources:  https://faculty.gmu.edu/,  Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning:  https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/  

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Shelby Broberg and Dr. Idée Edalatishams join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, for a conversation on how we can support multilingual learners, including assignment design, assessment, and more! We explore actionable strategies for education that support all students, both multilingual and not, across disciplines.

Resources: George Mason University Writing Center: https://writingcenter.gmu.edu, A few example links about Dr. Bobbi Olson’s work (who was mentioned by Dr. Idée Edalatishams in the episode): Olson, B. (2013). Rethinking our work with multilingual writers: The ethics and responsibility of language teaching in the writing center. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/items/8a663ff7-4f66-40be-8002-65e333778f72, https://www.grandview.edu/about/directory/profile?id=0011vln, Example links on translingualism (mentioned by Dr. Idée Edalatishams in the episode): Horner, B., Lu, M. Z., Royster, J. J., & Trimbur, J. (2011). Language difference in writing: Toward a translingual approach. College English, 73(3), 303-321.  https://www.jstor.org/stable/25790477, Horner, B., & Tetreault, E. (Eds.). (2017). Crossing divides: Exploring translingual writing pedagogies and programs. University Press of Colorado., https://louisville.edu/faculty/bmhorn01, Canagarajah, A. S. (Ed.). (2013). Literacy as translingual practice: Between communities and classrooms. Routledge., Canagarajah, S. (2016). Translingual writing and teacher development in composition. College English, 78(3), 265-273. 

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Dr. Laina Lockett, the STEM Education Specialist in the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, joins us to talk about the “big thing” right now in education: artificial intelligence-based text generators. We explore actionable strategies for continuing impactful and engaging teaching in this new educational context. 

Resources: Your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho’s, publication on inclusive teaching now that we have AI text generators: Yoho, R. (2023). No, Let's Not Go Back to Handwritten Activities: Inclusive Teaching Strategies in the Context of ChatGPT. In The National Teaching & Learning Forum (Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 1-4). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ntlf.30379, Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at George Mason University recommendations for teaching considering AI text generators:  https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/ai-text-generators/, Inside Higher Ed article mentioned in the episode:  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/artificial-intelligence/2024/07/23/new-report-finds-recent-grads-want-ai-be  

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Dr. Laura Poms, Director of the Mason Core at George Mason University, joins us to explore what Core courses can teach us about teaching.  We discuss content relevant to instructors who are – and are not – teaching in the undergraduate core curriculum program.

Resources: Mason Core Website:  https://masoncore.gmu.edu/, Mason Core Categories:  https://masoncore.gmu.edu/mason-core-course-categories/, GMU Learning Services:  https://learningservices.gmu.edu/, GMU Learning Services Video Series:  https://learningservices.gmu.edu/academic-skills-videos/, Distinguishing novice and expert learning practices: Daley, B. J. (1999). Novice to expert: An exploration of how professionals learn. Adult education quarterly, 49(4), 133-147. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/074171369904900401 

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Dr. Crystal Anderson returns to discuss the practical aspects of course design, transparency, and productively using feedback in our course.  This relates to our overall intentionality about how we approach teaching to support all students’ learning.  We also talk about how to approach teaching if you are handed a pre-made syllabus. 

For more information about student evaluations: 

• El-Alayli, A., Hansen-Brown, A. A., & Ceynar, M. (2018). Dancing backwards in high heels: Female professors experience more work demands and special favor requests, particularly from academically entitled students. Sex roles, 79, 136-150. 
• Boring, A., & Ottoboni, K. (2016). Student evaluations of teaching (mostly) do not measure teaching effectiveness. ScienceOpen research. 
• Kreitzer, R. J., & Sweet-Cushman, J. (2021). Evaluating student evaluations of teaching: A review of measurement and equity bias in SETs and recommendations for ethical reform. Journal of Academic Ethics, 1-12. 

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We welcome Dr. Crystal Anderson for a conversation about what teaching looks like today, particularly coming off several years of pandemic teaching.  We also explore how we engage students across different modalities, whether face-to-face, hybrid, online, or others.

Stearns Center Teaching Online:  https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/online-teaching/

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