The Letters and Science Exchange

We continue our series exploring student perspectives on AI at UW–Madison. In this episode, three L&S undergraduate students, Evan, Hriday, and Devin, share how they’re thinking about AI both inside and outside the classroom. They consider the ethics and complexities of AI use in academic settings and share effective approaches to AI that they’ve experienced in their courses. Don’t forget to check out Part 1 for more student points of view.

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The Chazen Museum of Art may just be the largest classroom on campus. We talk with Chazen Chief Engagement Officer Berit Ness and Academic Coordinator Mieke Miller about what it looks like for students to spend a class session at the Chazen, home to tens of thousands of artifacts from across place and time. They share how slowing down to look closely at an object can help students build observation and argumentation skills, while inspiring creativity and community. And they invite instructors of every discipline to consider bringing their classes to the Museum for a memorable learning experience customized for their course. 

Transcript

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching, Learning, & Academic Planning and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

We launch our short series exploring AI at UW-Madison with a snapshot of the student learning experience. We hear from two L&S undergraduate students, Madison and Margaret, who share their thoughts around adjusting to college, connecting with other students and instructors, and the influence of AI. How do these students think about learning? And how is AI shaping their educational experience? Listen for insights from students and consider how they might inform your teaching practice.

See the transcript for this episode. Episode 36: Human Connection in an AI World

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

In this episode, we speak with Łukasz Wodzyński, Assistant Professor in the Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+ and winner of the 2026 Chancellor’s Teaching Innovation Award. Łukasz talks about making learning portable, connecting course themes to student experiences, and the value of the humanities in a changing world.

Access the transcript for this episode.

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

In this episode, we speak with Brandon Bloch, Assistant Professor of History and winner of the 2026 William H. Kiekhofer Distinguished Teaching Award at UW-Madison. He shares how he engages students in their own areas of interest while teaching challenging subjects in the age of AI. He also discusses the many influences on his teaching practice and recommends resources for other instructors.  

See the transcript for this episode. Episode 34: Supporting First-Year Students
The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

In this Article Remix, IDC team members Maria Widmer and Molly Harris chat about their recent L&S Design for Learning article “Supporting First-Year Students.” They share tips from research literature and examples from L&S instructors on how to support first-year students’ academic and social transition to college. Find inspiration and consider how you might incorporate these strategies into your own classroom.

See the transcript for this episode.

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

We talk with pianist, composer, and L&S Teaching Assistant Daria Tennikova about her expansive teaching experience. From private piano lessons to group music theory and composition courses to a YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers, Daria brings a commitment to helping others enjoy learning. In this episode, she shares her approaches to teaching and provides insights into practice, feedback, and creativity that can be brought into any discipline.

See the transcript for this episode.

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

In this Article Remix, IDC team members Laura Schmidli and Molly Harris chat about their recent L&S Design for Learning article “Maximizing Impact: Effective Strategies for Large Lectures.” They share examples from their research and from L&S instructors for fostering belonging, engaging students, and promoting learning in a large course environment. How might you embrace the challenges of a lecture hall and turn numbers into an asset?

See the transcript for this episode. [Link]

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

We kick off Season 4 with a conversation about music, creativity, and the art of learning. We hear from two UW-Madison music educators, Assistant Professors Amy Lewis and Jesse Rathgeber, as well as L&S students. They share stories of curiosity, improvisation, and connection that can inspire us all as instructors. 

See the transcript for this episode.

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching, Learning, and Academic Planning and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

Join the Conversation How did this episode make you think? What’s on your mind about inclusive teaching? Send us an email. We may ask to feature your contribution in this or a future episode.

We welcome six L&S undergraduate students to the Exchange for a roundtable conversation about teaching and learning. Through their personal stories, these students share what makes an assignment spark curiosity, how interdisciplinary learning has brought value to their lives, and why they love a challenging course.

See the transcript for this episode. Episode 29: Student Perspectives on Teaching and Learning

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.