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Online Learning in the Second Half

Education Podcasts

In this podcast, John Nash and Jason Johnston take public their two-year-long conversation about online education and their aspirations for its future. They acknowledge that while some online learning has been great, there is still a lot of room for...

Location:

United States

Description:

In this podcast, John Nash and Jason Johnston take public their two-year-long conversation about online education and their aspirations for its future. They acknowledge that while some online learning has been great, there is still a lot of room for improvement. While technology and innovation will be a topic of discussion, the conversation will focus on how to get online learning to the next stage, the second half of life. Click here to give us feedback on our podcast!

Language:

English


Episodes
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EP 42 - Einstein: How a "cheating bot" started the conversation we needed with developer Advait Paliwal

3/7/2026
In EP 42, John and Jason talk with Advait Paliwal, the young entrepreneur behind "Einstein, "an (OpenClaw) AI agent that went viral for claiming to autonomously complete college coursework. Together, they unpack the intentional provocation behind the product, the legal fallout that followed, and what it all reveals about the urgent need for higher education to rethink assessment, relevance, and the human role in learning as agentic AI reshapes the world. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bio: Advait Paliwal is a a 22 year old founder who is passionate about building technology that makes a meaningful impact on people's lives. He recently created the Einstein bot at companion.ai Connect with Advait https://www.advaitpaliwal.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/advaitpaliwal/ Resources: https://www.theaugmentededucator.com/p/the-einstein-ai-panichttps://www.ed.gov/media/document/evaluation-of-evidence-based-practices-online-learning-meta-analysis-and-review-of-online-learning-studies-revised-september-2010-107159.pdf Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Jason: So, tell us who are you and why are you single-handedly trying to destroy education? [00:00:07] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:09] Jason: Hey John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half, the online learning podcast. [00:00:14] John Nash: We're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last three years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, and a lot of it still isn't. [00:00:27] Jason: Mm-hmm. [00:00:27] John Nash: Jason, how are we going to get to the next stage? [00:00:31] Jason: That's a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:00:34] John Nash: I think that's a great idea. And what do you want to talk about today? [00:00:39] Jason: Well, today we have a guest, and we'll introduce our guest in a moment. Maybe we'll have Advait say hello. Just so people know that we're not just making up this guest advent's actually with us. Hey, Advait, how are things today? [00:00:55] Advait: Thanks for Great. Went on a run had some food, did some work, and yeah, ready to have this conversation. [00:01:01] Jason: Alright. Yeah, that sounds like a good day so far. And John, it's good to see you again. You know, any day I get to have a conversation with John is a good day. We had a lot of conversations this last weekend because we were working on a writing project together. The deadline happened to be yesterday, and we were working on it quite a bit yesterday, so, so, but it's nice to see you again as well. so, tell us a little bit about you. It sounds like you have an interesting educational background. Just love to hear more about it. [00:01:26] Advait: I'm Advait Paliwal, I've been in many schools throughout my life and I've transferred. In and out of many schools as well. I was born in India ended up moving to Japan when I was two. That's where I did my kindergarten. And I moved back to India in a different city in Mumbai where I did my first through seventh grade. And in the middle of seventh grade, I ended up moving to Texas and where I did my eighth grade to a bit of ninth two different schools and. the middle of my ninth grade, I moved to Michigan where I completed my high school. Then I went to Wayne State for my first year of college. Then I transferred to Michigan State for my, last two years where I graduated early and I started at Brown for master’s...

Duration:00:59:42

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EP 41 - Moving Beyond Copy-Paste AI Syllabus Policies with John Nash & Jason Johnston

1/22/2026
In EP 41, John and Jason discuss the evolving challenge of moving beyond 'copy-paste' AI policies to create syllabus guidelines that encourage students to engage in the 'productive struggle' of learning. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too) Host Bios: Walk into schools today and generative AI is on the agenda—and many leaders aren’t sure what to do with it. John Nash helps them figure it out. An associate professor at the University of Kentucky and founding director of the Laboratory on Design Thinking, he makes AI practical and useful, not just theoretical. He’s on two generative AI advisory boards at the University of Kentucky and one at MidPacific Institute in Honolulu, advising educators from local superintendents to teachers in international schools. He teaches courses in design thinking, leading deeper learning, and mixed methods research, and his research interests study the application of human-centered design in organizational leadership. Jason Johnston is the Executive Director of Online Learning & Course Production in Digital Learning at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His background includes developing and launching online degree programs, directing educational technology, teaching, and working as an audio engineer. Holding a PhD in Educational Leadership, an M.Ed. in Educational Technology, and an M.Div., Jason advocates for humanity and equity in online education while helping educators leverage technology for the future. He co-hosts the podcast Online Learning in the Second Half (www.onlinelearningpodcast.com) and enjoys playing guitar, building Lego, and traveling with his family. Resources: https://celt.uky.edu/ai-course-policy-exampleshttps://writingcenter.utk.edu/sample-syllabus-statements-for-ai-guidelines/https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MG9h68__uqPSz6HXNeVymJhal1VNapjyK-2PFa5QFxI/edit?usp=sharinghttps://johnnash.notion.site/John-Nash-s-Stance-on-Generative-AI-Use-by-Students-in-Courses-2eff24fd17cc8043ae2be34712680c28https://www.chronicle.com/article/im-an-ai-power-user-it-has-no-place-in-the-classroom Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Battle Hymn of the Republic is public domain from the Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-767050/ Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Jason: Can we do the quick intro? [00:00:02] John Nash: Yeah, hold on. [00:00:03] Jason: That was the intro to your other podcast. [00:00:06] John Nash: Yeah, [00:00:06] Jason: John, have you [00:00:07] John Nash: exactly. [00:00:08] Jason: Beyond My Back? [00:00:10] John Nash: No, I am not podcasting. Behind your back. I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:15] Jason: John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half the [00:00:19] John Nash: I. [00:00:19] Jason: Learning podcast. Mm-hmm. [00:00:20] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last three years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but a lot still has a way to go. How are we going to get to the next stage, Jason? [00:00:35] Jason: is a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:00:39] John Nash: Perfect. What do you want to talk about today? [00:00:41] Jason: You know, you always ask me that question and I really appreciate it. But what do you want to talk about today, John? [00:00:47] John Nash: Oh, you know what I want to talk about today? I want to talk about the struggle that instructors are having to set guidelines for the use of generative AI in their...

Duration:00:28:51

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EP 40 - Does Allowing AI Reduce AI? A Surprising Finding with Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt

1/15/2026
EP 40 - Does Allowing AI Reduce AI? A Surprising Finding with Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt In EP 40, John and Jason talk with Megan Haselschwerdt about her transformative semester moving from a futile "cat-and-mouse" game of AI detection to a trust-based partnership with students, demonstrating how transparent dialogue, a more open policy, and addressing "insurmountable" assignment loads are far more effective than policing. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bio: Megan Haselschwerdt, Ph.D., serves as an Associate Professor and HDFS Graduate Program Director in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Human and Community Development from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and a B.S. in Psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington. As an interpersonal violence and family science scholar, Dr. Haselschwerdt’s research focuses on intimate partner violence (IPV) from the perspectives of victimized adults, young adults with childhood exposure, and support professionals. Specializing in qualitative methodologies like grounded theory and reflexive thematic analysis, she also collaborates on mixed-methods studies to examine help-seeking behaviors and develop trauma-informed interventions. She currently directs the Family Violence Across the Lifespan research team, leading initiatives such as the REVEAL Project and the Young Adults Live and Learn Project to promote safety, healing, and justice. Resources: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=hTSsBcQAAAAJ&inst=9897619243961157265https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I2THuGIaKYstGyZylQS4FgvbNV0B1j3Q3hEpGI4K_l4/edit?usp=sharinghttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1MG9h68__uqPSz6HXNeVymJhal1VNapjyK-2PFa5QFxI/edit?usp=sharing Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Jason: I'm going to butcher your last name probably [00:00:02] Megan: Oh yeah, that's okay. We do too. [00:00:03] Jason: us with that [00:00:05] Megan: Yeah. So, we say it all very differently in our family, so it's totally fine. I, I say Haselschwerdt as though there's a z Yeah. Other people, other family members say hassle, but yeah, I say it as though there's a z Hazel Schwart. [00:00:16] John Nash: Okay, cool. I was, [00:00:18] Jason: Hazel Schwart [00:00:20] Megan: Mm-hmm. [00:00:21] John Nash: I took German for years and so I love the sound of German, so I Yeah. I said, [00:00:27] Megan: Yes. Yeah, we, we. [00:00:29] John Nash: be totally German of [00:00:30] Megan: We offend Germans when I say, like, what, how we say our last name? Yeah. It's unrecognizable. Yep. [00:00:36] John Nash: Nice shirt. Yeah. Okay, cool. [00:00:40] Jason: Haz-el-Schwart [00:00:41] John Nash: Haselschwerdt, [00:00:42] Jason: You [00:00:42] Megan: Yep. That's totally fine. [00:00:44] John Nash: Okay. Haselschwerdt. [00:00:45] Megan: I think Jo, uh, John has it the authentic way and Jason's American butchered from Ellis Island Way works just well too. [00:00:53] John Nash: I can't, yeah, I can't help myself though. So [00:00:55] Jason: I can't help myself either [00:00:57] Megan: ha ha... Intro [00:00:58] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:01:01] Jason: Hey John Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning the second half the Online Learning Podcast [00:01:06] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last three years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but a lot of...

Duration:00:42:18

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EP 39 - The Higher Ed AI Solution: Good Pedagogy with Lance Eaton

1/7/2026
In EP 39, John and Jason discuss with Lance Eaton the threat that AI-driven "agentic browsers" pose to continue industrialized online learning models, the necessity of clear institutional policies to support instructors, and why good pedagogy remains the best solution to the “AI problem” and faculty exhaustion. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bio: Lance Eaton, Ph.D. is a writer, educator, faculty developer, instructional designer, and educational consultant based in Providence, Rhode Island. He holds degrees in History, Criminal Justice, American Studies, Public Administration, Instructional Design, and Higher Education. His writing has appeared in newspapers, trade publications, academic journals, books, and encyclopedias. With more than 15 years of experience creating online content—including blogs, a YouTube channel, and other digital projects—his work spans education, technology, and learning design. He has extensive experience working with youth, nonprofit organizations, higher education, and online communities. Connect with Lance at his website here: https://www.lanceeaton.com/ , his substack here https://aiedusimplified.substack.com/, and LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaton01/ Resources: Looking for ChatGPT Teaching Advice? Good Pedagogy is Nothing NewAI Diatribe Podcast.https://members.ncfdd.org/finding-way-ai-education-webinar?submissionGuid=b1228e61-a304-42ca-a174-83c92a56a7e5 Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! Cold Open [00:00:00] Jason: Lance you had brought up AOL - don't know if either one of you knew, but just recently, September 30th, they actually finally stopped servicing their dial up. Just September 30th, 2025. [00:00:14] John Nash: I heard about that there were some people That were still dialing up. [00:00:19] Jason: Yeah. for a lot of our listeners, they don't even realize that, that we use the dial up sound in the beginning of our podcast very intentionally because we were talking about online learning in the second half, and that was an artifact of. The first half of online learning, we would call it where people had kind of sketchy internet connections weren't able to do a lot, but it was the beginning, you know, as, as we kind of talked about, you talked about Lance starting in online education even in the early two thousands. So, so I wondered if maybe because I, I thought you guys would understand, maybe we take a moment of silence for the, the AOL dial up service. [00:01:01] Lance Eaton: I feel like there should be a digital bugle. [00:01:05] Jason: Yeah, yeah, that's right. Playing some digital taps. [00:01:09] John Nash: Alright. [00:01:09] Jason: Yep. Intro [00:01:10] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason [00:01:11] Jason: Hey John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half the Online Learning Podcast. [00:01:17] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last three years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but some still has a way to go. So how can we get to the next stage, Jason? [00:01:33] Jason: that is a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:01:38] John Nash: I think that's a fabulous idea. What do you want to talk about today? [00:01:40] Jason: Well, first I want to say it has been three years for the podcast, I think now. Right? But you and I have been having this conversation a lot longer than that now, John. [00:01:49] John Nash: We have. We have,...

Duration:00:43:33

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EP 38 - Canvas, Credentials, and the Agentic AI Classroom: Ryan Lufkin, VP of Global Academic Strategy Instructure

12/17/2025
In EP 38, John and Jason talk with Ryan Lufkin of Instructure about the evolution of online learning, the impact of Agentic AI on education, and how Canvas is shaping the future of digital classrooms. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bio: Ryan Lufkin is the Vice President of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure, where he works to enhance the academic experience for educators and learners, worldwide. With over two decades in the edtech world, Ryan has experience with every major technology platform that institutions use to deliver education, from the LMS to the SIS, and all the systems in between. A well-known thought leader in the edtech industry, Ryan is a podcast co-host, frequent media spokesperson, and speaker at industry conferences and webinars. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations/Communications from the University of Utah and certificates in Data-Driven Marketing and Brand Management from eCornell. Resources: https://www.instructure.com/canvashttps://www.instructure.com/resources/podcasthttps://qualitymatters.org/qa-resources/resource-center/articles-resources/CHLOE-10-report-2025 Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript: We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] John Nash: You, you ready? Jason? Anything else? [00:00:02] Jason: Nope. Just taking a drink, that's all. [00:00:04] John Nash: Alright, I'll let you do another one. [00:00:06] Jason: Yeah, that's [00:00:07] Ryan Lufkin - Instructure: Do the vocal exercises, you the [00:00:08] John Nash: yeah, me, Mimi. Red leather. Yellow leather. Yeah. [00:00:12] Ryan Lufkin - Instructure: Yeah. [00:00:13] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:15] Jason (2): Hey, John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half, the Online Learning podcast. [00:00:20] John: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last three years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but some of it still isn't. And so how are we going to get to the next stage, Jason? [00:00:35] **Jason:**John, that's a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:00:39] John Nash: Perfect. What do you want to talk about today? [00:00:42] Jason: Honestly, and I'm not just saying this 'cause Ryan's in the room, but one of our favorite ed tech tools, Canvas. And we're here today with Ryan Lufkin from Instructure to talk to us. Welcome, Ryan. [00:00:56] Ryan Lufkin - Instructure: Thanks for having me. I love these conversations. Looking forward to it. [00:00:59] Jason: Good. Why don't you just kind of describe the role that you play at Canvas? [00:01:04] Ryan Lufkin - Instructure: Yeah so I'm the Vice President of Global Academic Strategy which means I, I spent a lot of time talking about the trends that are impacting education across the globe. In that role, I travel all over the globe. Honestly, I was in Singapore and Meine Columbia and me. City and all over the United States this year. Talking about exactly the topics that you all focus on as well. How does technology impact learning experience good and bad? And what does that look like? And I've been within Instructure it's funny 'cause I always say Instructure the makers of Canvas because everybody, Canvas is a household name. Fewer people know the company name. [00:01:35] Jason: Right. [00:01:36] Ryan Lufkin - Instructure: But I've been there for seven years now. I've been an ed tech for over 25 years, and I just love the company, love our mission. I love the focus...

Duration:00:45:48

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EP 37 - Agentic AI is here. What does it mean for Online Education? A conversation with Anna Mills.

12/1/2025
In EP 37, John and Jason talk to Anna Mills about Agentic AI and See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bio: Anna Mills is a leading voice in the responsible integration of AI in education, drawing on nearly two decades of teaching experience and a deep commitment to open educational resources. Her expertise spans AI literacy, academic integrity, and the critical use of AI in higher education, work informed in part by her role as the sole education specialist invited to test GPT-4 pre-release for OpenAI. She is widely recognized for her influential resource curation, national and international faculty development sessions, and published contributions in major higher-ed outlets. Mills also authors the widely adopted OER How Arguments Work and advises multiple AI-focused initiatives—you can find Anna Mills here on LinkedIn. Resources: https://annamills.substack.com/p/the-time-to-reckon-with-ai-agentsJohn’s LinkedIn postJohn’s YouTube videoAnna’s LinkedIn post about Yun Moh’s request of CanvasPerusallHypothe.sishttps://www.forbes.com/sites/avivalegatt/2025/09/25/colleges-and-schools-must-block-agentic-ai-browsers-now-heres-why/ Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! EP 37 Anna Mills - Oct 28, 2025 [00:00:00] John Nash: Hey. Quick pause we're collecting listener testimonials, and so if this show has influenced your thinking or your practice in any way, you can share that with us at onlinelearningpodcast.com. There's a link at the top of that page. You can't miss it. Just click that it takes just a second and we'd love your testimonial. [00:00:19] Jason: That's right, just right at the top in kind of obnoxious yellow font, to be honest. But it's a black background and so it's accessible, but still, you should see it at the top. We'd love your feedback. [00:00:31] John Nash: And if this conversation is useful. Take a moment to follow the show so you don't miss any new episodes in Apple Podcasts. Just tap the plus sign on the show page, and in Spotify just tapped the follow button. [00:00:44] Jason: Also, if you like this podcast, we'd love your rating. It helps us in the algorithms kind of bump to the top. So, in Apple Podcasts, you scroll all the way down and find the stars and put the stars in. In Spotify, you hit the three-button menu and then rate this podcast. We'd appreciate. [00:01:03] John Nash: So many steps, but I tell you it's worth it. Alright, to the episode. [00:01:08] Jason: To the episode. [00:01:09] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:01:11] Jason: John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half the Online Learning Podcast. [00:01:15] John Nash: We're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last three years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but there's still some ways to go here. So how can we get to the next stage? Jason, [00:01:32] Jason: Well, how about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:01:34] John Nash: I love that idea. What should we talk about today? [00:01:37] Jason: John, there's a lot of a lot of people talking on LinkedIn. This might be the end. [00:01:41] John Nash: Do you think so? Is this where I disclose that I am not actually hosting today, that my Comet browser is hosting for me today? [00:01:49] Jason: This is Comet John. You're doing a great job. It's very, it's almost as believable as the real John, and maybe we're not so bad off after all. But yeah, the, all the talk this week on LinkedIn has been about, agentic...

Duration:00:36:23

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EP 36 - Miriam Reynoldson: The Open Letter Shaking Up the AI-in-Education Conversation

11/11/2025
In EP 36, John and Jason talk to Miriam Reynoldson of Melbourne, Australia, about the Open Letter From Educators Who Refuse the Call to Adopt Gen AI in Education. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too) Guest Bio: Miriam Reynoldson is a learning design specialist, educator, and design facilitator working across higher ed, VET, and professional learning. She is currently completing an interdisciplinary PhD exploring the value of learning beyond formal education in postdigital contexts. Miriam researches and writes about education, sociology, and philosophy, and teaches educational design at Monash University. You can connect with Miriam at https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-reynoldson/ or her blog https://miriamreynoldson.com/ Resources: https://openletter.earth/an-open-letter-from-educators-who-refuse-the-call-to-adopt-genai-in-education-cb4aee75https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/assemblyhttps://designjustice.org/https://michellemillerphd.substack.com/p/r3-117-september-15-2023-reflection Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Middle Music: Hello (Chiptune Cover) by RoccoW is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! Miriam Reynoldson EP 36 [00:00:00] Jason Johnston: Miriam, you are part of an open letter from educators who refuse the call to adopt gen AI in education. Would you, for us, summarize what this letter's about before we get into the details? Miriam: So it's a really short letter. It's a 400-word statement that essentially positions a certain stance for educators, in saying, "I choose not to use GenAI to teach, to assess to build my course materials. And I do not want to sell these products to students to do their work, either. John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. Jason Johnston: Hey John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half the Online Learning Podcast. John Nash: Yeah. We're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation that we've been having for the last almost three years now about online education. Look, [00:01:00] online learning has had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but a lot still isn't. And so how are we going to get to the next stage? Jason Johnston: John, that's a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? John Nash: I think that's a great idea. What do you want to talk about, today, Jason Johnston: Today I'm not sure we've covered this at all. How about we talk a little bit about AI for a change, right? John Nash: Never Jason Johnston: That's a joke. Never heard of it. Well, I'm Just very excited today to be talking with Miriam Reynoldson. We connected on LinkedIn, and she is somebody I just really wanted to have this conversation with around ai. She's an instructor and a student, a learning designer in Melbourne, Australia. Welcome, Miriam. Would you maybe just introduce yourself to our listening audience a little bit? Miriam: No worries. I am a bit difficult to introduce because I really don't know where I am. I'm kind of juggling multiple identities at the moment and across multiple universities. So, [00:02:00] probably my primary identity in this conversation is mostly my teaching at Monash University. I'm also doing my PhD exploring non-formal learning in digitally mediated spaces at RMIT. I do a little bit of teaching there as well, and I'm also a digital learning design specialist. Jason Johnston: That's great. Yeah, we on LinkedIn and we'll probably talk a little bit more about how that came about, but a lot of it was around an open letter that you are part of an open...

Duration:00:53:43

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EP 35 - Educators with or versus AI? Grammarly, Canvas AI, and Cyborg Pedagogy

10/6/2025
In EP 35, John and Jason kick off fall 2025 with a conversation on how AI has been added to Grammarly and Canvas (whether we like it or not) and if the future of online learning will be formed by Cyborg pedagogy (and what that means). See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bios: Resources: Canvas and OpenAI Partnership Press Release Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript: We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! EP 35 - Educators with or versus AI? Grammarly, Canvas AI, and Cyborg Pedagogy Jason: But I'm looking forward to the, great list of potential guests that we have. I don't want to say any names yet 'cause nobody said yes yet. John: No. Jason: We don't have any yeses yet, John: Yeah. Everybody's just Jason: on the calendar yet John: our list is amazing, Jason: Yeah, we've got a great list. John: no one's, we haven't sent them invitations yet. Jason: Yeah. Well, yeah, I guess there's that too. So we haven't gotten any nos. That's a good part John: No. No. Jason: Yeah. John: No. Yes. I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. Jason: Hey, John. Hey everyone. And this is Online Learning in the second half, the Online Learning podcast. John: Yeah. We're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for now our third season kicking off about online education. I know. And so, hey, newsflash, online learning is still trying to be great. Some of it is, a lot of it still isn't quite there, Jason. We're gonna keep talking about how to get it to the next stage. How are we gonna do that? Jason: That is a great question. How about we talk about today, what we're thinking about this fall as we head into this new school year and new season? John: Yeah, absolutely. It's been an interesting summer. Little things popping up here and there. I notice Grammarly's doing some interesting things. Looks like Canvas is doing some things. A lot of stuff on the horizon. Jason: . Yeah. And I would love to get into those, but I wanted to just kind of on the front end as we're kind of restarting the season, just even talk a little bit about, just a overall standpoint just for a moment here to talk about why we are doing this podcast. What do you think, John? Why are we doing this podcast again? John: I think we're doing this podcast for a couple of reasons. I'll throw out the very selfish reason why I'm doing this podcast. This is my professional development activity. This keeps me honest in terms of thinking about what I believe is important about teaching and learning online. It also gives me a chance to hear what you're thinking and I value your opinion and your philosophies a lot. And I think it also lets us share some ideas with like-minded people who are really interested in trying to make online teaching and learning better. Jason: Yeah. That's good. I've got a check mark beside all those. Always enjoy the conversation with you, John. This is a big part of wanting to do these. I always look forward to them and And we realized when we started adding guests to our podcast, although we really enjoy our conversations, but it just adds another element of another voice. And that's one thing I really value about bringing different guests with different viewpoints in. As we get started this year, I hope to bring in some different viewpoints, not just people that would just agree with everything that we have to say, but people that maybe would challenge us and challenge some of our approaches to online learning and integrating technology and trying to humanize online learning, all of those things. I would love to get into...

Duration:00:34:45

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EP 34 - The Evolution and Future of Online Learning with Dr. Judith Boettcher

2/24/2025
In EP 34, John and Jason discuss with Dr. Judith Boettcher the evolution of online learning, the importance of instructional design, and the centrality of student engagement. The conversation also touches on project-based learning, AI's impact on education, and the critical role of teacher-as-mentor. Tune in for an insightful discussion on making online learning more effective, human, and future-ready. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Learn more about Dr. Judith Boettcher on her website: http://designingforlearning.info/about-dr-boettcher/ Resources: PLATO Computer SystemJudith’s WebsiteOnline Teaching Survival Guide (2021)Michelle Miller “Minds Online”Flower Darby - “Small Teaching Online”Catherine Denial “Pedagogy of kindness”Student-Centered Learning in Dewey’s Holodeck – It Doesn’t Get Any Better than This—Now!The Absurdity of Asynchrony Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Jason: Today is a fulfillment of a little bit of a dream of mine. Do you know this? So thank you for helping me fulfill one of my dreams. [00:00:06] Judith: Wow. Sounds like excellent planning, Jason! [Intro Music] [00:00:10] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:13] Jason: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the online learning podcast. [00:00:19] John Nash: Yeah. We're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the past. Wow. Are we going to start our third year of this soon? Yeah. [00:00:28] Jason: I guess so. [00:00:30] John Nash: About online education, online learning has had its chance to be great and some of it is, but still a lot of it isn't. So how are we going to get to the next stage, Jason? [00:00:39] Jason: That is a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:00:44] John Nash: I'd love to do that. What do you want to talk about today? [00:00:47] Jason: Well, I'm very excited today, John, because we have a very special guest with us. Somebody that I've been reading her work now for a while and it is Judith Betcher. Judith, welcome. [00:01:00] Judith: Well, thank you very much for being here. I'm delighted to be part of your series. [00:01:04] Jason: Yeah, well, it's so great to have you. Judith, why don't you tell us just a little bit about kind of your your background? What have you been up to for the last little while? I know that a big part of your life is online learning and you've done it both in various capacities. So just tell us a little bit. [00:01:19] Judith: well, actually, getting ready for this podcast, I started going back and thinking, and when you're as old as I am, that's kind of dangerous, you realize, and I thought, Oh my God, my first experience with anything approaching online learning was when I was working for a computer company and we were building and designing. What was called at that time computer based instruction. So, as man, as we've moved along here, over these years, I was thinking it's actually online learning has become it actually is a merging of the computer based instruction movement with the traditional distance learning, in the old distance learning correspondence learning. So what we have Today in 2025 is really elements of all of these different movements, starting back with the like I said, the computer based instruction movement. [00:02:11] Jason: Yeah, that's great. And do you mind me asking what year that might have been with a computer based instruction? I just think it's interesting to think about historically our, trajectory with...

Duration:00:53:04

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EP 33 - Flower Darby on Improving Online Teaching: Small Changes, Outsized Impact

12/13/2024
In EP 33, John and Jason talk to Flower Darby about small steps for inclusive, equitable, and humanized online learning, and explore the transformative power of community, connection, and compassion in digital classrooms while tackling the future of AI’s role in education. Join Our LinkedIn Group - Online Learning Podcast Resources: Flower Darby WebsiteSmall Teaching OnlineThe Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teachinghttps://seagull.wwnorton.com/equityguide99 Tips For Creating Simple and Sustainable Educational Videos(book)Circle of Control - Circle of Influencehttps://www.chronicle.com/article/5-small-steps-for-ai-skepticsI’m a Doctor. ChatGPT’s Bedside Manner Is Better Than Mine. Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! False Start [00:00:00] Flower Darby: It's always fun to talk to interesting, intelligent people who care deeply about our work. So I've, enjoyed our conversation, right? [00:00:11] Jason: us. So that's our, that's a lot of our main goal here, really, John, is to get to that point. So and to know what's coming from a real person. I mean, ChatGBT loves everything I say, NotebookLM. Absolutely adores every article I've ever written and every line, but to know this is coming from a real person makes a difference for me. So thank you. Real Start [00:00:34] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:37] Jason: John. Hey, everyone. And this is online learning in the second half, the online learning podcast. [00:00:42] John Nash: Yeah. We're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last couple of years about online education. Look, online learning's had its chance to be great and some of it is, but there's still some that isn't. So can we get to the next stage? [00:00:56] Jason: That's a great question, John. How about we do a podcast to talk about it? [00:01:00] John Nash: I think that's a great idea. What do you want to talk about today? [00:01:04] Jason: Well, you know, one of the great things about being able to do a podcast is meeting cool people and people that can help us answer this question about, you know, what are we going to do in the second half of life it comes to the online podcast? And maybe the second half of our lives too. I don't know, John. We could, I guess we could that into some of our podcast, actually get some, get some life coaching or something from the, from the guests as they come in. [00:01:32] John Nash: if that involves me divulging my age. I'll, I'm not doing that yet. [00:01:36] Jason: Okay. All right. Well, I think I just did a little bit, so, in just in a general sense. So that's good. Well, we have Flower Darby with us as a guest. And so I'm really excited to talk to Flower. Hi Flower. How are you? [00:01:51] Flower Darby: Hi, Jason. I'm so good. Hi, John. Thank you so much for inviting me onto your podcast. It is always a pleasure and a privilege. I don't take that for granted at all, but anybody cares what I think about anything. So thanks for having me. [00:02:05] Jason: Yeah, well, thank you so much. Yeah. How would you like to introduce yourself, Flower? I mean, we could read some of the things off your bio, but what would you like our audience to know about you that might be helpful for them to understand our conversation today? [00:02:21] Flower Darby: Sure, let me just quickly and conversationally sum up my background I don't, I'm not a fan of reading a bio, people can look that up themselves if they would like to get more information, right, But I have been teaching in higher education for coming up on 29 years, this January, it'll make 29 years, I have taught lots of different things, including English, dance, Pilates,...

Duration:00:43:40

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EP 32 - Pedagogy of Kindness: Fostering it Online with Cate Denial

11/12/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk with Cate Denial, author of “Pedagogy of Kindness” about kindness to self and students in the online classroom. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Guest Bio: Cate Denial is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Her new book, A Pedagogy of Kindness, is now available from the University of Oklahoma Press. Her historical research has examined the early nineteenth-century experience of pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing in Upper Midwestern Ojibwe and missionary cultures, research that grew from Cate’s previous book, Making Marriage: Husbands, Wives, and the American State in Dakota and Ojibwe Country (2013). From July 2022 to December 2023, Cate was the PI on a $150,000 Mellon-funded grant bringing together thirty-six participants from across higher education in the United States to explore “Pedagogies, Communities, and Practices of Care in the Academy After COVID-19.” Cate consults on teaching in higher education with individuals, departments, and institutions in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. Connecting with Cate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-denial-8869a115b/https://bsky.app/profile/cjdenial.bsky.socialhttps://catherinedenial.org/ Links and Resources: Critical Digital Pedagogy: A CollectionA Pedagogy of Kindness (book)Michelle Miller’s post on Same Side PedagogyRethinking RigorAnnotate Your SyllabusDigital Pedagogy Lab 2025 Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! False Start [00:00:00] Jason: good Well, thank you. Yeah, that was a great conversation [00:00:02] Cate Denial: Yeah. Let me know, you know, if you need anything from me and otherwise I'll look forward to listening in when you get it all done. [00:00:10] Jason: Okay, our our timeline is usually somewhere between two weeks and six months [00:00:18] Cate Denial: Okay. Start [00:00:19] John Nash: I'm John nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:22] Jason: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning, the second half, the Online Learning Podcast. [00:00:28] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last two years about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great and some of it is, but. A lot of it still isn't. So how are we going to get to the next stage? [00:00:43] Jason: That's a great question. How about we do a podcast, John, and talk about it? [00:00:48] John Nash: I think that's a perfect idea. What do you want to talk about today? [00:00:51] Jason: Well, today we have a special guest with us. With us is Catherine Denial. Cate is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Welcome, Cate. [00:01:07] Cate Denial: Thanks for having me. [00:01:09] Jason: Can we call you Cate? [00:01:10] Cate Denial: Of course. [00:01:12] Jason: Sometimes I take that liberty when people have that on their little thing in the video screen. I say, well, if it's there, then I guess we can call them that. [00:01:20] Cate Denial: Yeah, absolutely. [00:01:22] Jason: Yeah. Well, good. Well, it's so great to have you here. One of the reasons why we reached out to you is because of your book, which we'll get to. But even before that , in the spring of this last year, so I've got a digital critical pedagogy book club that we started in the spring. So. There's a great anthology that you're part of that talks about the...

Duration:00:52:36

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EP 31 - Notebook LM's "Do It For Me" Podcast Button: A Threat to Real Educator Voices?

10/28/2024
In this episode, John and Jason react to the new button in Google’s Notebook LM that allows users to make an instant podcast. Will it be a threat to educators' voices and hard-working podcasters everywhere? See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: NotebookLMBetter Definitions of Distance EducationAI Deep Dive Podcast based on the article Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Jason: That's onlinelearningpodcast.com. [00:00:03] John: Perfect. And that was a real human doing that. [00:00:06] Jason: That was a real human, even though I sounded a little more. I leaned into the mic to make it sound a little more podcasty. [00:00:12] John: Good. Well, we'll have to work on our upbeat banter between [00:00:16] Jason: guess so. [00:00:16] John: too. [00:00:17] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:20] Jason Johnston: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the Online Learning Podcast. [00:00:25] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last couple of years about online education. Look, online learning's had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but a lot of it still isn't. How are we going to get there, Jason? [00:00:40] Jason Johnston: That is a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:00:45] John Nash: That's a great idea. What do you want to talk about today? [00:00:48] Jason: Nice to see you. How's Sweden? [00:00:50] John: Sweden is good. It's a little rainy here, but now the sun is coming out. It looks like we'll have a nice weekend here. So, it's [00:00:57] Jason: Yeah. Good. [00:00:59] John: So, Jason, what do you think about Google's notebook the LM and what it's doing in particular with these that we'll make from content? Yeah. [00:01:12] Jason: was wild, we've been at this at least a couple of years talking about, at least between you and I, and then like a year and a half here in the podcast, talking about AI and some of its effects on education primarily, but also just on a lot of the creative work that you and I do in different ways. Right. And I joked with somebody that, was fine when AI came for the graphic designers because, I'm not a graphic designer and, when it came for the writers and because I've never been that enthralled with the five paragraph essay anyways, [00:01:45] John: yeah. [00:01:45] Jason: the, the podcasting [00:01:47] John: it's fine that AI put the writers and the graphic designers out of business, but this part about podcasters, that's just too far, That's right. Exactly. [00:01:55] Jason: Notebook LM has been at it for about a year. I believe is the first time that I used it. And it had some nice features of pulling in different content and so on, but they just popped out this podcasting feature and I was blown away by how natural it sounded and then how like up and positive and excited the podcast hosts were about everything that it talked about. John maybe we can listen to a couple of clips that we made. Here's one that I made actually out of a 2020 article that I had published around creating new definitions of distance education. And so, yeah, anyways, let's listen to a little bit and, and see what you think. [00:02:44] John: Yeah, let's do that, because I think that'll show the banter and the give and take. [00:02:48] Notebook 2: Totally. Technically, both are distance learning, but they're totally different experiences. Night and day. And I think that's why you started seeing...

Duration:00:21:57

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EP 30 - Dr. Omid Fotuhi and the Sense of Belonging in Online Learning

9/9/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk with Dr. Omid Fotuhi, a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh and the Director of Learning Innovation at WGU Labs, about the notion of belonging in the evolving landscape of online learning. They discuss the WGU model and how it breaks traditional barriers through competency-based, self-paced education, the critical role of fostering a sense of belonging for student success, the need for institutions to move beyond temporary interventions to address deeper structural issues, and the future of education where learning becomes more independent. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too) Links and Resources: Inscribehttps://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade4420https://www.linkedin.com/in/omidfotuhi/ Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Omid Fotuhi: The notion and the assumption that learning happens best, as measured by seat time, the number of hours you spend.

Duration:00:58:16

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EP 29 - Dr. Ericka Hollis - Teaching in the Digital Age: Cultivating Belonging and Excellence Online

7/29/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk to Ericka Hollis, PhD, about silence as liberatory practice, student backchannels, belonging in the online classroom, and leadership challenges with professional development. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: Great list of foundational articles on the Community of InquiryACUE's Effective Teaching Framework for Higher EducationA Tale of Two Forums: One Professor's Path to Improve Learning through a Common Online Teaching ToolACUE Pageehollis@acue.orgLinkedInTwiiter / X Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! Mic Check [00:00:00] Jason Johnston: Hey, John, could I ask you will you tilt your mic back a little bit? I'm sorry to be so mic-picky these days. [00:00:09] John Nash: Should I talk while I do that? Here's where it was and now I'm still talking and here's where it's going and now it's here. [00:00:17] Jason Johnston: Yeah, that's pretty good. [00:00:19] John Nash: I do appreciate your pickiness. I do. Silence as Liberatory Practice [00:00:21] Jason Johnston: All right. As you can see, this is pretty pretty tight operation we run here. The Online Learning Podcast. Heh. We basically When we started it, we decided that we would just do what we could do. You know what I mean? And we're having a good time. And I think that, I, we're getting some good responses from it. I think people that listen and we produce it up to the level that we can manage. And yeah. And this is it. [00:00:50] John Nash: I especially like the silences. It's a solace, not soul less. It's a SOLACE. [00:00:57] Jason Johnston: Solace. The silences. Yeah. [00:01:00] John Nash: Yes. [00:01:00] Ericka Hollis: One of the effective teaching practices is wait time. Most of the time in education, we don't wait long enough. So for someone to actually think and respond, right? There's research behind that when you jump right in. And so I love awkward silence. I'm really an introvert. Although most of my career, I do things that are very extroverted. So I'm okay with the pause and the solace, if you will, John. Yeah, [00:01:30] John Nash: we'll just do Erica Hollis episode and we'll just have it be 40 minutes of no talking. [00:01:36] Jason Johnston: Yeah. Like John Cage, if you're familiar with his pieces. He sits at the piano and he's got sheet music and it's all blank. After four minutes and thirty three seconds, packs up the sheet music and then goes. But I feel you on that. I'm an introvert as well. And I'm also, I feel like I'm slower, sometimes slower to respond, especially in a classroom where I'm taking in a lot of stimulus. And so I always found in the face to face classrooms, I would think of really like good things to say, like later two hours later, or good questions to ask, but it was rarely like right in the moment. It was like, it was always later which is one of the things I liked about online learning is that it was the asynchronous gave some simmer time for me and some time to think about things and to be able to respond some. [00:02:29] Ericka Hollis: I think that's a fair point. That's one of the reasons I have one of my youngest sister is she has extreme social anxiety, and she has just done so much better in asynchronous online courses, even as an undergraduate student. Just because that works better for her, instead of being like called on in the class, like cold calling, we cold call on people. And some people are like, yeah, they jump right in. And some people you can see like terror in their face when you call on them. And so I think it's a...

Duration:00:53:11

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EP 28 - Spring 24 Check-in focusing on AI in Education: Navigating Ethics, Innovation, Academic Honesty, and the Human Presence online.

6/17/2024
In this Spring 2024 check-in, John and Jason talk about AI-created voices, the importance of human presence in online education, the challenges of AI detection like Turnitin, and insights from their spring conferences and presentations. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: Eleven labs AI voice generation (on OpenAI)AI as an instructional designer and a tutorThe Ezra Klein Show - Interviewing Dario Amodei Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! False Start: John Nash: Okay, we'll get AI to fix that. Jason Johnston: You can maybe get AI to fix that. Intro: AI Speaker 1: Hi, I’m not John Nash and I’m not here with Jason Johnston. AI Speaker 2: Hey, not-John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the online learning podcast. AI Speaker 1: Yeah, and we are doing this podcast to let you all in on a conversation we’ve been having about online education for the last few years. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great and some of it is, but some of it isn’t. What are we going to do to get to the next stage, not-Jason? AI Speaker 2: That’s a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? AI Speaker 1: That sounds great. What do you want to talk about today? AI Speaker 2: I’ve got a big question for you not-John. Are you ready? AI Speaker 1: Okay, shoot. AI Speaker 2: If we carefully and lovingly create a script for an online learning video (or podcast) but then have AI-created voices read that script. Are we humanizing or de-humanizing online learning? AI Speaker 1: I’m just a text-based large language model chat-bot and I don’t think I’m equipped to answer that question. Maybe we should bring in the real John and Jason? John? Jason? What do you think? John Nash: I think it's a great question, real Jason. Jason Johnston: Yeah, real John. It's it's good to see you in real Zoom. and that is a great question that this our chatbots pose for us today. And I think that yeah, I'm not, what do you have any initial responses to the question if we use AI tools to lovingly create our scripts for online videos or for podcasts, are we dehumanizing or are we, humanizing these experiences John Nash: Well, it's a classic academic answer, isn't it? It depends. Jason Johnston: Depends. John Nash: But I think used exclusively, I think it does dehumanize. I think used judiciously and with an agenda to humanize, I think they could be helpful, but the jury's probably out because it's all context, isn't it? Jason Johnston: Yeah, definitely context and it gets into some philosophical questions as well, when we talk about humanizing. There is the act, there is the perception, right? And so, this goes back to some of the things that are going on even with AI telehealth, and so on. Or AI therapy. If the people don't know, does it matter? Does it feel human? Have they had the experience of being with a human, even though it wasn't a human? And then does it matter? I guess there's a ethical question about, It matters because we want to be transparent and we want to be honest with people and so on. But if at the end of the day they feel like that they've been in a humanized situation and it gives them maybe a positive outcome for them. John Nash: Yes. Yes. Yes. I think we discussed that last year a little bit. Yes. So essentially what we're saying is that if we fake them into feeling belonging, then that's okay. Jason Johnston: yeah. As long as maybe we're not being dishonest with them. Or maybe not, I shouldn't say maybe. As long as we're not being...

Duration:00:35:25

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EP 27 - Christelle Daceus from Johns Hopkins University - Humanizing Online Learning, Inclusive Practices, and Digital Neo-colonialism

5/20/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk to Christelle Daceus of Johns Hopkins University chats about digital neo-colonialism and efforts to humanize online learning through training about AI and promoting inclusive practices. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: Excellence Within Reach Johns Hopkins Excellence in Online Teaching SymposiumSlide Deck (via Gamma.app)Christelle’s symposium video Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions or can help with any corrections! [00:00:00] Jason Johnston: What'd you have for breakfast? [00:00:01] Christelle Daceus: I did not have breakfast. I was thinking here that I have two dogs, so that my mornings consist of a lot of making sure they get their walk in and getting my nice kind of walk in the morning and things like that. It helps me start my day. And I spend a lot of time just hydrating, tea, I like, because I think I have a full plate, I would call it. I like to have a really quiet morning, just like the simplest morning that I can have, depending on what my first thing is to do that day. This is my first meeting today, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna chill with the dogs, get into my emails and things like that. [00:00:40] John Nash: Nice. We've been getting more into tea lately. There's wonderful woman-owned emporium near our house called White Willow and they've got a new herbalist and, we picked up a lavender earl gray tea there last night. [00:00:53] Christelle Daceus: Ooh, that sounds good. [00:00:54] John Nash: The little things. I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:01:00] Jason Johnston: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the online learning podcast. [00:01:05] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last two years about online education. Look, online learning's had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but there's still quite a bit that isn't. And Jason, how are we going to get to the next stage? [00:01:20] Jason Johnston: That's a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:01:24] John Nash: That's perfect. What do you want to talk about today? [00:01:27] Jason Johnston: Well, today we're probably going to hit some pretty big themes, John, and it's partly because we have connected with somebody that we first connected with at the Johns Hopkins Online Teaching Excellence Symposium. So we have with us today, Christelle Dacius. Thank you so much for joining us. And we're really just looking forward to talking to you today. [00:01:51] Christelle Daceus: too. Thank you so much. [00:01:54] Jason Johnston: Well, we wanted to get started by just talking a little bit about what is it you do currently? You're connected in with JHU maybe talk about that first, but I also know that you're an entrepreneur. They have other pursuits outside of JHU as well. [00:02:07] Christelle Daceus: Yeah, I am a long time educator. I've had my hands in all things education at various levels. And yeah, now I'm at J. H. U. Working for the School of Engineering, working for the Center for Learning Design and Technology. I work as a course support specialist with the instructional designers and technologists, creating Materials for courses at the School of Engineering at Helmwood making sure that they're accessible and those materials are accessible, like videos have captions and are able to be, process and materials are able to be read by screen readers. And then we also have the faculty forward Academy where we provide professional development for faculty and...

Duration:00:43:47

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EP 26 - 1st Anniversary Special - Year 1 in review and the educational and ethical considerations around AI-generated music and video.

4/1/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk IN PERSON, reflecting on year one of their podcast. Keeping with the theme, they also find a few rabbit holes to chase, consider developments in AI, and talk about educational and ethical considerations around AI-generated music and video. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: Hard Fork PodcastSORA OpenAI VideoAlibaba EMO Video Demo (Jason’s LinkedIn post)Suno.aiGangstagrassMr. Beast on Youtubemakeup brush holder Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions! 1 Year Anniversary Special [00:00:00] Jason: Would you happen to have a pen I could borrow? Yeah. [00:00:02] John: Felt blue, black. [00:00:04] Jason: That is amazing. I've just this moment, I just noticed your incredible, your - you've got like a pen store. [00:00:10] John: These are makeup brush holders. [00:00:12] Jason: Oh really? Okay. Black, please. [00:00:15] John: ballpoint, flare [00:00:17] Jason: pen, Flare. Perfect. [00:00:19] John: yeah [00:00:19] Jason: And would you happen to have any sticky notes? That's incredible. You are really set up here. That is something else. [00:00:24] John: I dream that someone, no one visits me. I'm set up for a full-on brainstorming session with a gigantic. Five feet by three-foot whiteboard and 500 colored sticky notes. [00:00:34] Jason: Sticky notes galore. [00:00:35] John: Yeah, I'm ready to change things if anybody wants to come over. [00:00:38] John: I'm John Nash here in the same room with Jason Johnston. [00:00:43] Jason: Hey John, hey everyone, and this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the Online Learning Podcast. [00:00:48] John: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last couple of years about online education. Look, online learning's had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but there's still a lot that quite isn't there. How are we going to get to the next stage, Jason? [00:01:02] Jason: How about we create a podcast and talk about it? [00:01:06] John: How about we do that? How about we create a podcast, do it for a year, and then talk about what that year was like? [00:01:11] Jason: that sounds great! Happy anniversary, John! [00:01:13] John: Happy anniversary, Jason. [00:01:15] Jason: I should have brought you something. I didn't. I'm sorry. How about we go out to lunch and we and we celebrate? [00:01:20] John: yeah, and maybe we can get a demo of the Apple Vision. [00:01:23] Jason: Oh, that'd be cool. Yeah. There's a little place right there where we can grab some lunch and maybe go over to the Apple store. See what's going on. [00:01:30] John: Yeah, [00:01:31] Jason: That would be thematic. A lot of this podcast has been a number of things. One, talking about online learning, but also talking about the new tech and how it might affect online learning in the last year. [00:01:41] John: Yeah. We are EdTech nerds also. [00:01:43] Jason: We are, we tend to nerd out on a few of these things. Today on my way over here, because I had to drive to this podcast today. I didn't do this podcast in my pajamas. [00:01:54] John: Horrors. And you drove yourself. You had to operate a machine to get here. [00:01:59] Jason: But it gave me, afforded me a little bit of time in the car to listen to a podcast. I listened to our first episode. It was kind of nostalgic, [00:02:06] John: you weren't tuning in to our first episode just out of some kind of vanity thing Oh, I love listening to me. [00:02:12] Jason: No, it was not because I like the sound of my own voice. Although after doing a podcast for a year, you get used to it. [00:02:18] John: you don't even know what you sound like. You're...

Duration:00:41:45

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EP 25 - AI Guidance from Oregon State University Ecampus with Karen Watté

3/20/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk to Karen Watté, the Senior Director of Course Development and Training at Oregon State University’s Ecampus about their free tools for AI guidance in higher education and how to humanize online education. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/faculty/artificial-intelligence-tools/https://michellemillerphd.substack.com/p/r3-117-september-15-2023-reflectionhttps://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/faculty/artificial-intelligence-tools/readiness-playbook/ Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions! [00:00:01] Jason Johnston: I picture everyone in Oregon in Log cabins and so on. Is that correct? [00:00:04] Karen Watté: no, not at all. [00:00:06] Jason Johnston: What? [00:00:07] Karen Watté: I always say tell our candidates who are coming, I say, we have the best of both worlds. You're an hour from some beautiful ski areas, you're an hour from the coast. And boy, if you wanna see the desert, you just head on a little bit further. And we've got the high desert. So, we've got something of every, for everyone here. I've lived other places too and I come back, and I say, oh, this is, this has got it all. [00:00:31] Jason Johnston: I grew up in Canada, and sometimes we would talk to people about the igloos that we lived in and having to check our dog sleds at the border and those kinds of things. Sometimes they believed us, sometimes they didn't. [00:00:44] Karen Watté: Yeah. [00:00:45] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:48] Jason Johnston: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the online learning podcast. [00:00:53] John Nash: we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation that we've been having for the last couple of years about online education. Look, online learning's had its chance to be great and some of it is, but there's still a lot that really isn't. So, Jason, how are we going to get to the next stage? [00:01:08] Jason Johnston: That is a great question. How about we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:01:13] John Nash: I love that idea. What do you want to talk about today? [00:01:16] Jason Johnston: I am really excited to be talking today with Karen Watté. She's the Senior Director of Course Development and Training at the Ecampus Oregon State University. Welcome, Karen. How are you? [00:01:28] Karen Watté: I'm good. Thank you. [00:01:29] Jason Johnston: We, connected at OLC, Online Learning Consortium conference as part of their leadership day that they do ahead of time, and it was very fortuitous, I think, because we had just come through this summer where everybody was scrambling around AI, trying to figure out what to do, and while we were, trying to come up with some ideas and so on all of a sudden Oregon State had a full-fledged website built out with resources and stuff like that. And we're like, this is amazing. Over here at University of Tennessee and it was really well done. So, we got chatting about that at OLC and then we got chatting about being on the podcast. So, thanks for joining us. Cause I'm really excited about talking with you today. [00:02:10] Karen Watté: Yeah. Thanks for inviting me. Glad to be here. [00:02:12] Jason Johnston: Tell us a little bit about what you do at Oregon State and your role there. [00:02:17] Karen Watté: Yeah, as you mentioned, I'm the Senior Director of Course Development and Training with eCampus, and at Oregon State, eCampus is a centralized distance education unit, so we're serving all of the colleges within OSU. We have about 13,000 fully online students that we serve, and that's about one third of all the...

Duration:00:38:31

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EP 24 - I Cancelled My Midjourney Account - The Great Big Fat AI Ethics Episode

2/19/2024
In this episode, John and Jason talk about the ethics of AI, including how ethics are formed and a few scenarios like if it’s ethical to use Midjourney. Listen in to find out who says no! See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: Part 1Part 2Part 3It's Not Like a Calculator, so What Is the Relationship between Learners and Generative Artificial Intelligence?FAFSA Assistant GPT”Right Choices: Ethics of AI in Education”School Leader AI Bootcamp Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions! Podcast Episode on AI Ethics - January 29, 2024 False Start [00:00:00] John Nash: Should we do the intro? [00:00:01] Jason Johnston: Yeah, let's do the intro. [00:00:03] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:06] Jason Johnston: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning Podcast. The Online Learning Podcast. Let's try it again. [00:00:12] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:14] Jason Johnston: That reminded me of do you ever watch The Office? My name is Kevin, because that's my name. My name is Kevin, because that's my name. So this is the Online Learning Podcast, the Online Learning Podcast. Episode [00:00:30] John Nash: I'm John Nash here with Jason Johnston. [00:00:32] Jason Johnston: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the Online Learning Podcast. [00:00:38] John Nash: Yeah, we're doing this podcast to let you in on a conversation we've been having for the last couple of years about online education. Look, online learning's had its chance to be great, and some of it is, but still a lot of it isn't. How are we going to get to the next stage, Jason? [00:00:52] Jason Johnston: That is a great question. Why don't we do a podcast and talk about it? [00:00:56] John Nash: That's perfect. What do you want to talk about today? [00:00:59] Jason Johnston: John, I've got some ethical questions for you. [00:01:02] John Nash: You do? [00:01:03] Jason Johnston: I've been wondering about the ethics of using AI for certain tasks. And maybe we'll get back to some specifics later on. But how do we form our ethics to begin with when it comes to AI and using AI these days when we think about education? [00:01:19] John Nash: I'm stealing your line from the intro. That is a great question. How do we form our ethics? I think they're formed by the values and the beliefs we bring to anything we do. You've had a longer background and thinking and considering about ethics, both in your professional life and your education life. What do you think about in terms of what sensibilities people bring to any task? [00:01:45] Jason Johnston: Yeah, I think so. I like where you started there because sometimes people start externally. They think ethics are clear, right? We're not supposed to steal people's cars and we're not supposed to, kill people when we walk in front of them or whatever. And, but it's not that clear when it comes to certain things. Certainly we can follow the ethics of a country or a city or institution, AI is something new. We haven't dealt with some of these questions before. And because of that, it does take some ethical reasoning. I happened to talk to a number of PhD students taking an instructional systems design course. I was asked to come in by one of our previous guests, Dr. Anilda Romero Hall, and to talk about ethics in instructional design. And where I started with that was this question of what do we bring to the table? If we can understand what forms our ethics, our beliefs, our positionality to begin with, then we can start to understand why we might have some knee jerk reactions to certain things. [00:02:49] Jason...

Duration:00:29:51

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EP 23 - Johns Hopkins Excellence in Online Teaching Symposium 2023 Wrap-Up Session and 6 Guideposts for Humanizing Online Learning

1/29/2024
In this episode, John and Jason close off the 2023 Johns Hopkins University Excellence in Online Teaching Symposium with a live podcast recording, summarizing the day’s sessions and interacting with the audience around 6 Pillars of Humanizing Online Learning in the Second Half. See complete notes and transcripts at www.onlinelearningpodcast.com Join Our LinkedIn Group - *Online Learning Podcast (Also feel free to connect with John and Jason at LinkedIn too)* Links and Resources: Slide Deck (via Gamma.app)Johns Hopkins Excellence in Online Teaching Symposium10.1080/03075079.2019.1672647Peabody Institute“Path to Funding” guideAdvancing Diversity in AI Education and Research Symposium - StanfordTeaching from the Same Side Theme Music: Pumped by RoccoW is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. Transcript We use a combination of computer-generated transcriptions and human editing. Please check with the recorded file before quoting anything. Please check with us if you have any questions! [00:00:00] Introducer: Welcome everyone. It's been a great day and we have. A very fun way that we're going to be ending today. So this is our final session. I appreciate everyone greatly for attending our inaugural excellence and online teaching symposium and we're going to be ending our session with a live recorded podcast. We have Jason Johnston and John Nash, go ahead and take it away whenever you are ready. [00:00:33] John Nash: Hi, I'm John Nash and I'm here with Jason Johnston [00:00:36] Jason Johnston: Hey, John. Hey, everyone. And this is Online Learning in the Second Half, the online learning podcast. [00:00:44] John Nash: Yeah, and we are doing this podcast to let you all in on a conversation we've been having and to let you be part of the conversation that we are having about online education. Look, online learning has had its chance to be great and some of it is, but there's still quite a ways to go. What are we going to do to get to the next stage, Jason? [00:01:05] Jason Johnston: That's a great question. How about we make a podcast and talk about it? [00:01:10] John Nash: That sounds great. What do you want to talk about? [00:01:13] Jason Johnston: Today I think it'd be great to continue our theme of how to humanize online learning in the second half and to do it with a number of our friends here. So today we want to not only do a podcast, but do a session here at the Johns Hopkins Excellence in Online Teaching Symposium, the first ever. Is this right, Olysha? We're on the first ever. [00:01:36] Olysha Magruder: That's correct. This is the inaugural symposium. So you're a part of the new wave. [00:01:43] Jason Johnston: We're so glad to be here. Thank you for the invitation. And this is exciting that we're here and we're doing a live session where we are recording. And we had the auspicious and difficult task of trying to bring a little summary to this day. It's been a good day, hasn't it, John? [00:02:01] John Nash: Yeah, it's been amazing. We've been in every session that we could attend. We split up and took some notes along the way about what the overarching themes were and where we see some opportunity, but we're so excited to see what you all think as well and what you took away. [00:02:17] Jason Johnston: Yeah, so here's how we are planning to proceed in the next little bit here. Our ideal as we were looking at the day is to try to give us some guidelines to talk about. We tried to pull a few quotes. We have a A little bit of an outline that will guide us, but first we thought we should probably introduce ourselves. John, you wanna go first? [00:02:41] John Nash: Yeah, sure. I'm John Nash. I am an associate professor at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies, where I'm also the Director of graduate studies. We are an all online. Department and a graduate program offering master's and the doctorate at the EDD and PhD level, and I'm also the director of...

Duration:00:48:20