TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast

In this episode, hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by Angela Gunder and Jessica Knott to consider the powerful humanizing and empathy-building roles storytelling can play in online education. Tools and frameworks for incorporating story in courses, mentoring, and professional development are discussed.

Online faculty are at the heart of successful (and unsuccessful) online courses. Hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson explore several of the ways online instructors can make or break courses through their online teaching practices.

What do we know about online learning leaders? Hosts Kelvin and Tom are joined by Dr. Eric Fredericksen who is now the “keeper of the list” of 1500+ disparate online learning leaders of US higher education institutions after conducting two recent research studies into their roles, preparation, and priorities.

In this episode, hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh share the details of a strategic blended learning course redesign initiative with the potential to impact student success at an institutional scale.

About Episode 34: Hosts Tom and Kelvin are joined by returning guest Dr. Katie Linder to discuss the research preparation and engagement of instructional designers through the lens of a recent study Katie has released. Additional resources for conducting and applying research are also suggested. Podcast Recording Download Transcript [PDF, RTF] Episode 34 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: Mexico...

About Episode 28: “Policy” might or might not be one of your favorite things, but online education professionals must understand policy in order to be effective. In this episode join Tom and Kelvin as they think through the multi-tiered relationships between policy and online education. Download Transcript [] Episode 28 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: Ethiopia Harrar (featured in this episode) Java...

About Episode 9: While online education has proven to be a positive venue for women as learners, how welcoming is this field to women as leaders? Join hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson as they discuss this important issue with their guest Dr. Liz Ciabocchi. Episode 9 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: India Tree-Dried -Mallali Estate Amrita (featured in this episode) Article: "New(ish) Methods...

About Episode 8: Join hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson for this episode’s consideration of the importance of free and open resources in the advancement of online teaching and learning. Tom and Kelvin discuss the power of institutions and professional organizations sharing their resources for the greater good. Episode 8 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: Storyville Prologue Blend View photos of...

About Episode 7: Leaders have to read the signs of the times and influence others to be ready for the future or to even invent it! Join Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh for this episode's discussion of possible developments in online education over the next five years and the role of leaders in getting there. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2015 OLC International Conference. The topic was selected by crowdsourcing via social media prior to the conference....

2015 OLC TOPcast Live Bonus Content View the story "TOPcast Live! + Engagement Campaign" on Storify TOPcast Episode 7: The “Delicate Dance” of Leaders: Shaping the Future of Online Learning was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2015 OLC International Conference. Listen to the bonus audio track to hear about the genesis of TOPcast from Tom, Kelvin, and OLC Chief Knowledge Officer, Karen Pedersen. A brief Q&A session that was recorded following the Live! episode begins at 05:20....

About Episode 6: In this episode, join hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson as they discuss online competency-based education (CBE) in its various forms. Tom and Kelvin consider whether CBE is evolutionary, revolutionary, or both as higher education institutions innovate in the ways they serve their students. Episode 6 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (featured in this...

About Episode 5: In this episode, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson explore the range of options available to higher education institutions seeking to better serve specific student sub-groups. Join in as Tom and Kelvin disentangle concepts, jobs to be done, and specific examples. Episode 5 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links (From the people who bring you the Goodhousekeeping Seal of Approval) “Best Single...

About Episode 4: Blended learning can combine the best features of online and face-to-face. Join hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson as they extend their previous discussion about blended learning into concrete strategies for designing effective blended courses. Episode 4 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: Storyville (featured in This Episode) Fun Link Hot Shots Part Deux Content Links UCF’s Rosen...

About Episode 3: Blended learning can outperform online and face-to-face courses but is sometimes overlooked as an institutional strategy. Join hosts Kelvin Thompson and Thomas Cavanagh as they consider both the pedagogical and institutional benefits of blended learning. Episode 3 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Coffee Profile: Storyville (featured in This Episode) 01 Coffee: Short Article on Coffee Blends V Single...

About Episode 2: Online teaching and learning research has evolved over the past couple of decades. Join Tom and Kelvin for this episode’s discussion of the findings emerging from the on-going inquiry into online teaching and learning practice. Episode 2 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Brazil Daterra Villa Borghesi Daterra Coffee Content Links Master Site for “Babson Survey” Versions DoE/Means Study (PDF) DETA at UW...

About Episode 1: In this episode, join hosts Tom Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson as they explore the deceptively simple question: “what is online learning?” With an eye toward clearer communication and institutional effectiveness, Tom and Kelvin unbundle a number of concepts and labels associated with online learning. Episode 1 Show Notes: Episode Synopsis via Twitter View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter Coffee Links Kao Jai coffee from Thailand (featured in this episode)...