Speaking of Higher Ed: Conversations on Teaching and Learning

An AI detector may raise questions about a student’s work, but can it provide enough evidence to support an allegation of plagiarism? In this episode, Jeff Mastromonico speaks with Thomas Pear, a lecturer in the Intensive English Program at the University of Miami and author of Due Diligence Before Alleging AI Plagiarism: An Instructor’s Manual. 

They discuss the limitations of AI detectors, the risk of false positives, and other information faculty can consider when student work raises concerns. Thomas also explains why instructors should speak with students before drawing conclusions, how clear AI policies can reduce confusion, and how suspected misuse can become an opportunity for learning. 

Visit our show page to request the free Continuing the Conversation Activity and access full episodes and additional resources. 

AI is already part of how students learn and how professionals work. The challenge for higher education is how to integrate it intentionally while helping students develop the knowledge, judgment, and accountability needed to use it well. 

In this episode of Speaking of Higher Ed, Gage Christianson, Program Director and Assistant Professor of Construction Management at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, joins host Arthur Takahashi to discuss MSOE’s approach to integrating AI across courses and degree programs. They explore the importance of foundational knowledge, critical evaluation, ethical use, disclosure, and human responsibility for AI-assisted work. 

Gage also shares how faculty can begin incorporating AI without rebuilding an entire course. 

Visit our show page to request the free Continuing the Conversation Activity and access full episodes and additional resources

Dr. Jesse Bishop, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Georgia Highlands College, joins Andrew Everett to discuss how making the purpose of learning visible can strengthen student motivation. He explains TiLT’s purpose, task, and criteria framework and shares how LEGO Serious Play-inspired experiences can make abstract ideas tangible through building, reflection, and dialogue. 

Get free access to more of our content, visit our show page for full episodes and additional resources. 

Good teaching is not just about content. It is about connection, purpose, and making sure students can actually access the learning. 

For this July Summer Short, we revisit three conversations about designing learning experiences students can connect with. Dr. Bonni Stachowiak discusses the role of presence and relationships in effective teaching. Monica Cornetti explains why meaningful gamification is not just about points, badges, or leaderboards, but about helping students see how learning connects to real life. Peter Berryman offers practical advice for making course materials more accessible, beginning with small steps faculty can take in familiar tools like Microsoft Word and the course syllabus. 

Get free access to more of our content, visit our show page for full episodes and additional resources. 

AI can help faculty think beyond static course content and toward learning experiences where students practice, reflect, receive feedback, and connect ideas to their own interests. 

For this June Summer Short, Andrew Everett revisits three conversations about AI and course design. Dr. David Wiley discusses how generative AI may change the future of open educational resources by creating more customized learning conversations. Dr. Rafael Pacheco shares how an AI-powered adaptive learning tool can provide immediate feedback and support students with different levels of preparation. Arthur Takahashi, Jeff Mastromonico, and Andrew also return to the idea of vibe coding and how faculty can start small with AI-assisted building through announcements, content pages, study guides, and other low-risk course materials. 

Get free access to more of our content, including the Continuing the Conversation Activity, by visiting our show page for more. 

Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson, also known as Dr. PBJ, joins Speaking of Higher Ed to discuss faculty burnout, recovery, and reconnecting with purpose. She explains how burnout differs from ordinary end-of-semester exhaustion, why productivity fixes often fall short, and how faculty can recognize signs of surviving, overwhelm, and burnout. 

The conversation explores compassion fatigue, boundaries, guilt around rest, and how institutions can better support faculty well-being. Dr. Jackson also offers practical ways faculty can pause, recover, and reset their rhythm before the next academic year. 

You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity by visiting our show page and selecting “Request the Activity.” 

In this episode, Arthur Takahashi talks with Dr. Rafael Pacheco, associate professor and associate dean for digital technologies at the Dental College of Georgia, about how he is using AI to create more personalized learning experiences for students. Dr. Pacheco shares his path from dentistry and computer science to higher education, explains the teaching challenges that led him to build an adaptive learning tool for his courses, and discusses how immediate feedback, branching pathways, and confidence-based decision points can support student learning. He also reflects on using generative AI for smaller instructional tools through vibe coding and considers what great teaching may look like in a future where faculty increasingly serve as guides for critical thinking and human judgment. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity by visiting our show page and selecting “Request the Activity.” 

In this episode of Speaking of Higher Ed, Jeff Mastromonico talks with Monica Cornetti, President of Sententia Gamification, about what gamification really means in higher education. You will hear why meaningful gamification goes beyond points, badges, and leaderboards, how safe failure and visible progress can support learning, and how narrative and role-based design can help students engage more deeply with course content. Monica also shares practical ideas for starting small and bringing gameful design into your own courses. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity by visiting our show page and selecting “Request this Activity.” 

We are seeing more generative AI in higher ed, but what does it look like when we use it to actually build course elements? In this visual episode, you will hear how we use “vibe coding” (coding by conversation) to create interactive learning materials in D2L Brightspace while still relying on the basics: alignment, accessibility, and thorough testing. You will also see real examples, including a gamified misinformation activity, a simulation built from faculty-provided content, and a simple HTML announcement you can try right away.

Watch the video version on Spotify or the Augusta University YouTube channel for the demos.

Visit our show page for free access to more content, including the Continuing the Conversation Activity, plus full episodes and additional resources. 

Dr. Bonni Stachowiak is the host of Teaching in Higher Ed, a long-running podcast focused on the art and science of teaching. In this episode, we talk with her about what years of conversations with educators have taught her about teaching and learning. She reflects on curiosity, presence, relationships, and the role failure plays in meaningful learning. Our conversation also touches on faculty development, navigating change in higher education, and how educators can continue growing over time. 

This episode includes a Continuing the Conversation Activity, an optional resource designed to help you reflect on the ideas discussed and consider how they apply to your own teaching or professional practice. You can sign up to receive the activity on our show page.