Social Learning Amplified hosted by Eric Mazur

In this episode of Social Learning Amplified, host Eric Mazur sits down with Alison Cook-Sather, the Mary Catherine Woodward Professor of Education at Bryn Mawr College and founder of the internationally recognized Students as Learners and Teachers program, to explore the power of pedagogical partnership and whole class co-creation. The two discuss how shared responsibility deepens motivation, agency, belonging, and empathy, especially in the age of AI, when it’s easier than ever for students to outsource their learning. 

Ahead of her forthcoming open access book from Elon University, Enacting Whole Class Co-creation: Faculty and Student Experiences of Sharing Responsibility in Teaching and Learning, Alison shares how co-creation can work even within a traditional grading system through tools like course commitment forms and student self-assessment. 

Get the book: https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/publications/open-access-book-series/forthcoming-books/

Teaching is unpredictable — so why do we pretend it isn't? In this episode of the Social Learning Amplified podcast, Eric Mazur sits down with Jessamyn Neuhaus, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University, to talk about her book, Snafu Edu: Teaching and Learning When Things Go Wrong in the College Classroom. Jessamyn unpacks the STIR framework (Stop, Think, Identify, Repair) for navigating classroom disruptions, explores how traditional grading fuels distrust and disconnection, and presents that the goal isn't fewer snafus — it's a healthier relationship with the fact that things can, and will, go wrong.Along the way, she and Eric dig into student-centered learning, power dynamics in the classroom, and why "the super teacher" is a myth worth letting go of.Get Snafu Edu: https://www.oupress.com/teaching-engaging-and-thriving-in-higher-ed-series/

In this episode of Social Learning Amplified, host Eric Mazur sits down with Dr. Jarek Janio, ESL professor and faculty coordinator at Santa Ana College and founder of the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Symposium, to unpack the case for treating learning as observable competency rather than inferring it from proxies like grades, attendance, or engagement.

Eric and Jarek explore the difference between performance-based and product-based assessment, how ungraded and multiple-measures approaches can reduce bias in evaluation, and what it might mean to build a classroom — and a student-teacher relationship — around a shared, visible record of ability.

Get Interrogating, Disrupting, and Reframing College Student Learning Outcomes: https://www.routledge.com/Interrogating-Disrupting-and-Reframing-College-Student-Learning-Outcomes/Janio/p/book/9781041194194

In this episode of Social Learning Amplified, host Eric Mazur talks with David Gooblar, associate professor of English and director of General Education Literature at the University of Iowa, about his latest book, One Classroom at a Time. David takes us through how his research exposed a gap between what we know helps marginalized students learn and what most equity initiatives actually do, and why he came to see teaching itself as an act of social justice.
David and Eric explore why grades so often override meaningful feedback, and how starting conversations with shared goals rather than methods can win over skeptical colleagues. They look at what institutions need to change, from tenure incentives to class sizes, to back up equity commitments with real structural action in a grounded, research-driven case for putting students, not systems, at the center of teaching.
Get One Classroom at a Time: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674297487

In this episode of Social Learning Amplified, host Eric Mazur is joined by Ted Dintersmith, author of the newly released Aftermath: The Life-Changing Math That All Schools Must Teach, to make the case that math is the last great frontier of school reform — and why AI is forcing that reckoning to happen now. Together, they explore why math carries such outsized weight in schools despite how little of it adults actually use, and how standardized tests, APs, and college admissions keep outdated curricula locked in place. Dintersmith shares classroom examples of teaching math as a way of thinking rather than a set of memorized procedures, and offers practical advice for parents and teachers ready to act now, rather than wait for the next decade of reform.

Get Aftermath: aftermaththebook.com

How do we teach and assess in a world where AI can do so much of the work for us? In this special live recording from the Perusall Exchange 2026, Eric Mazur sits down with the three authors of the highly anticipated The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching (W.W. Norton, Summer 2026): Annette Vee, Associate Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh; Marc Watkins, Director of the AI Institute for Teachers at the University of Mississippi; and Derek Bruff, Associate Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at UVA.

Together, they explore why "AI-aware" is the right framework for this moment — not resistant, not fully integrated, but grounded in pedagogy. The conversation covers making thinking visible in the age of AI, rethinking assessment from artifacts to performance, the dangers of the "illusion of mastery," and why talking openly with students about AI might be the most important move an educator can make right now.

Whether you're overwhelmed by AI in the classroom or eager to engage with it more intentionally, this episode offers both inspiration and practical first steps.

Want to be part of the conversation? Read alongside the authors in their 4-week community book event on Perusall -- starting July 6th!

Learn more & register: www.perusall.com/engage

What does it take to truly thrive as an online instructor — and why does it matter so much for students? In this episode, Eric Mazur sits down with Flower Darby, Associate Director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri and author of the recently published book, The Joyful Online TeacherFinding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes. Flower shares why instructor well-being isn't a luxury but a pedagogical necessity, how meaningful social connections can combat the isolation that plagues asynchronous courses, and why joy may be one of the most underrated tools in an educator's toolkit. Whether you teach online, in person, or somewhere in between, this episode is a reminder that centering the people in your classroom (starting with yourself) makes all the difference.

In this engaging conversation, host Eric Mazur and guest John Warner explore the evolving role of AI in writing education. They discuss the diverse perspectives on AI's impact, the opportunities it presents, and the challenges it poses to academic integrity and assessment practices. Warner emphasizes the importance of human elements in writing and the need for educators to rethink their approaches to teaching and assessment in light of AI advancements. The discussion culminates in actionable takeaways for educators to foster collaboration and critical thinking in their classrooms.John Warner's latest book, More Than Words, is available through Hachette Book Group. Discover more Social Learning Amplified episodes on perusall.com/podcast and join the conversation on www.perusallexchange.com.

In this episode of Social Learning Amplified, host Eric Mazur speaks with writer and educator Jonathan Malesic—author of The End of Burnout—about how generative AI is reshaping reading and writing in higher education. Together, they explore pressing questions: Are students still motivated to read deeply? Can AI tools support or sabotage real learning? What’s lost when students (and faculty) turn to summaries and shortcuts?Drawing on Malesic’s essays in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, this thoughtful conversation examines how educators can foster intrinsic motivation and rebuild student confidence in reading. They discuss strategies for reintroducing long-form reading, the shifting value of writing assignments, and whether the academy can still champion intellectual growth beyond job training.

In this episode of Social Learning Amplified, host Eric Mazur is joined by Marc Watkins—educator, academic innovator, and director of the AI Institute for Teachers of Writing at the University of Mississippi. Together, they discuss how generative AI is reshaping reading, writing, and student-teacher relationships. From introducing “friction” into the reading process to encouraging ethical, reflective use of AI tools, Marc offers a grounded, human-centered perspective on navigating this rapidly evolving landscape. Tune in for a conversation about the future of learning, critical thinking, and the role of relationships in education.

Marc Watkins is also a Perusall Exchange® 2025 presenter! Register for free