TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast

By Thomas Cavanagh & Kelvin Thompson

What's TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast about?

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.

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TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast episodes:

04.15.2024
Episode 160: “Remember the Why:” Designing Meaningful Learning Assignments
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.
04.01.2024
Episode 159: “Adjusting Your Sails” in Online Ed Based on the Data
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.
03.18.2024
Episode 158: AI-Assistance Built-In: Less Obvious/More Useful
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.
03.10.2024
Episode 157: Pending Changes to Inclusive Access Programs
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.
02.19.2024
Episode 156: Reframing the Data That Tell the Stories About Online Students
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.
02.05.2024
Episode 155: High-Quality Online Discussions — Here’s How.
In this episode, springboarding 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.
01.15.2024
Episode 154: Alternative Educational Programs and Digital Higher Ed
Guest 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.
01.01.2024
Episode 153: Better Serving Learners Through Transformed Business Models
As 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...
12.18.2023
Episode 152: Still “Be Prepared” for Disruption with Digital Learning
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.
12.04.2023
Episode 151: “What a Year [of Disruption] It Has Been! […But] 2024 is Upon Us!”
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...
11.20.2023
Episode 150: A Global, Holistic, 360 Degree Perspective on Online Higher Education
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...
11.06.2023
Episode 149: “Baking AI into the Process” of Digital Learning Over the Next Five Years
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.
10.16.2023
Episode 148: Fostering Digital Learning Innovation
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.
10.02.2023
Episode 147: “Faculty Preparation” and More QA Insights from CHLOE 8
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.
09.18.2023
Episode 146: Get Hands-On with AI
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.
09.05.2023
Episode 145: “More of the Human Element:” Dolly, Picard, Ray, Dede, and More
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...
08.21.2023
Episode 144: Helping with “Running the Business” for 100 years
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.
08.07.2023
Episode 143: “Speaking in Dollars and Cents” About Online Learning
Hosts 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.
07.17.2023
Episode 142: “Repurposing” – Working Smarter, Not Harder
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.
07.03.2023
Episode 141: “It’s Star Spangled Learning, Baby!”
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.
06.19.2023
Episode 140: Maturing the Core Work of Online Education
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.
06.05.2023
Episode 139: Automating Digital Teaching — What Can Go Wrong?
More options to scale efficiencies through automation 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.
05.15.2023
Episode 138 Bonus: The Department Knew What It Meant:” DCL + OPM + TPS = OMG!
In this bonus podcast, guest Jarret Cummings joins host Tom to unpack the issues surrounding the US Department of Education’s 2023 communications regarding “third-party servicers” in higher education.
05.15.2023
Episode 138: “The Department Knew What It Meant:” DCL + OPM + TPS = OMG!
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.
05.01.2023
Episode 137: Digital Learning ABCs: A Primer for Innovation and Dissemination
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e137/
04.17.2023
Episode 136: Online Higher Ed: Finding Ourselves in Other People’s Stories
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....
04.03.2023
Episode 135: Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit:...
03.20.2023
Episode 134: Self-Care and Online Education: Saying Yes, Saying No, and Why
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....
03.06.2023
Episode 133: Professional Development Across Our Online Education Community
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e133/
02.20.2023
Episode 132: Lessons from Leading a Remote Online Learning Team
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. For show...
02.06.2023
Episode 131: ChatGPT: Friend or Foe?
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. For show notes and...
01.16.2023
Episode 130: Data, DETA, Design, and More
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). For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e130/
01.02.2023
Episode 129: Education Deserts and Online Strategy
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e129/
12.19.2022
Episode 128: Strategic Imperatives from 1EdTech
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. For...
12.05.2022
Episode 127: Community Wisdom: Students, Hybridity, and More!
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...
11.21.2022
Episode 126: COLOs, Context, and Community
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. For show notes...
11.07.2022
Episode 125: Serving Our Communities with Non-Credit Online Learning
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities,...
10.17.2022
Episode 124: Reliable “Buckets:” Toward Modality Clarity
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. For show...
10.03.2022
Episode 123: Hybridity Predicted and More from CHLOE 7
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit:...
09.19.2022
Episode 122: More Equitable Outcomes Through Instructional Design
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities,...
09.06.2022
Episode 121: “Surprisingly Awesome” In-Person Engagement
Join hosts Tom and Kelvin 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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit:...
08.15.2022
Episode 120: Academic Innovation Lessons: Hype vs. Hope
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities,...
08.01.2022
Episode 119: Chatbots in 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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit:...
07.18.2022
Episode 118: Observations on the Online Education Job Market
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e118/
07.04.2022
Episode 117: Online Discussion-Enhancement Tools
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e117/
06.20.2022
Episode 116: 3Fold Gains and the Improvement of Higher Ed
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please...
06.20.2022
Episode 116 Bonus: Ehrmann on Chickering & Ehrmann (1996)
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...
06.06.2022
Episode 115: “Blendedness:” Deliberate Design with Student Benefit
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. For...
05.16.2022
Episode 114: Making Sense of COVID’s Ongoing Impact on Online Higher Ed
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. For show notes and interaction opportunities, please visit: http://cdl.ucf.edu/topcast-s08e114/
05.02.2022
Episode 113: The Three Students You Might Meet in Your Online Class
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. For show notes and...

What's TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast episodes:

Episode 160: “Remember the Why:” Designing Meaningful Learning Assignments

Episode 159: “Adjusting Your Sails” in Online Ed Based on the Data

Episode 158: AI-Assistance Built-In: Less Obvious/More Useful

Episode 157: Pending Changes to Inclusive Access Programs

Episode 156: Reframing the Data That Tell the Stories About Online Students

Episode 155: High-Quality Online Discussions — Here’s How.

Episode 154: Alternative Educational Programs and Digital Higher Ed

Episode 153: Better Serving Learners Through Transformed Business Models

Episode 152: Still “Be Prepared” for Disruption with Digital Learning

Episode 151: “What a Year [of Disruption] It Has Been! […But] 2024 is Upon Us!”

Episode 150: A Global, Holistic, 360 Degree Perspective on Online Higher Education

Episode 149: “Baking AI into the Process” of Digital Learning Over the Next Five Years

Episode 148: Fostering Digital Learning Innovation

Episode 147: “Faculty Preparation” and More QA Insights from CHLOE 8

Episode 146: Get Hands-On with AI

Episode 145: “More of the Human Element:” Dolly, Picard, Ray, Dede, and More

Episode 144: Helping with “Running the Business” for 100 years

Episode 143: “Speaking in Dollars and Cents” About Online Learning

Episode 142: “Repurposing” – Working Smarter, Not Harder

Episode 141: “It’s Star Spangled Learning, Baby!”

Episode 140: Maturing the Core Work of Online Education

Episode 139: Automating Digital Teaching — What Can Go Wrong?

Episode 138 Bonus: The Department Knew What It Meant:” DCL + OPM + TPS = OMG!

Episode 138: “The Department Knew What It Meant:” DCL + OPM + TPS = OMG!

Episode 137: Digital Learning ABCs: A Primer for Innovation and Dissemination

Episode 136: Online Higher Ed: Finding Ourselves in Other People’s Stories

Episode 135: Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals

Episode 134: Self-Care and Online Education: Saying Yes, Saying No, and Why

Episode 133: Professional Development Across Our Online Education Community

Episode 132: Lessons from Leading a Remote Online Learning Team

Episode 131: ChatGPT: Friend or Foe?

Episode 130: Data, DETA, Design, and More

Episode 129: Education Deserts and Online Strategy

Episode 128: Strategic Imperatives from 1EdTech

Episode 127: Community Wisdom: Students, Hybridity, and More!

Episode 126: COLOs, Context, and Community

Episode 125: Serving Our Communities with Non-Credit Online Learning

Episode 124: Reliable “Buckets:” Toward Modality Clarity

Episode 123: Hybridity Predicted and More from CHLOE 7

Episode 122: More Equitable Outcomes Through Instructional Design

Episode 121: “Surprisingly Awesome” In-Person Engagement

Episode 120: Academic Innovation Lessons: Hype vs. Hope

Episode 119: Chatbots in Online Education

Episode 118: Observations on the Online Education Job Market

Episode 117: Online Discussion-Enhancement Tools

Episode 116: 3Fold Gains and the Improvement of Higher Ed

Episode 116 Bonus: Ehrmann on Chickering & Ehrmann (1996)

Episode 115: “Blendedness:” Deliberate Design with Student Benefit

Episode 114: Making Sense of COVID’s Ongoing Impact on Online Higher Ed

Episode 113: The Three Students You Might Meet in Your Online Class