Welcome to Talking Learning and Teaching, a new Podcast all about learning and teaching in Higher Education. During each episode, we will be speaking to a teach...
In this episode, we dive into the world of HyFlex learning with Professor Brian Beatty, the visionary behind the HyFlex model. We explore the pedagogical principles that guided its creation and how it meets the diverse needs of today's learners. Professor Beatty shares insights on learning outcomes across in-person, synchronous online, and asynchronous participation, revealing the factors that shape student success in this flexible approach.
We also tackle the practical side of HyFlex teaching - how educators can manage the complexities of course design and delivery, and strategies to ensure equity and access for all learners, especially those facing technological or connectivity challenges. Finally, we look to the future: how will HyFlex evolve in response to new technologies and shifting landscapes? Whether you're an educator, administrator or curious learner, this episode offers a thought provoking exploration of the HyFlex model and its potential to transform learning and teaching.
Dr. Brian Beatty is Professor of Instructional Design and Technology in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University. Brian’s primary areas of interest and research include social interaction in online learning, flipped classroom implementation, and developing instructional design theory for Hybrid-Flexible learning environments. At SFSU, Dr. Beatty pioneered the development and evaluation of the HyFlex course design model for blended learning environments, implementing a “student-directed-hybrid” approach to better support student learning.
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50:41
Beyond Accessibility: Tech That Transforms Learning with Chris Bugaj
In this episode of the Talking, Learning, and Teaching Podcast, we dive into the future of inclusive education with assistive technology expert Chris Bugaj. From captions that keep students engaged to AI tools that personalize learning, Chris explains how assistive tech is evolving to benefit all learners—not just those with disabilities. Discover practical tips on using tools like speech-to-text, visual aids, and even generative AI to make classrooms more adaptable and engaging. Whether you’re an educator, student, or tech enthusiast, this conversation will change the way you think about learning.
Chris Bugaj is an assistive technology specialist and self-described "inclusive design facilitator" for Loudoun County Public Schools in Northern Virginia. With years of experience in assistive technology, Chris focuses on transforming educational environments to make them more inclusive and accessible for all learners. He has authored multiple books, including The New Assistive Tech: Make Learning Awesome for All and Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year, both published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). A seasoned podcaster, Chris co-hosts Talking with Tech, where he explores augmentative and alternative communication, advocating for tech innovations that often originate for accessibility but benefit everyone.
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42:17
AI, Digital Literacies and Interdisciplinarity with Ann Thanaraj
In this thought-provoking episode, we dive into the fast-evolving world of AI and digital literacies with Dr Ann Thanaraj, unpacking why these are must-have skills for today’s higher education students. We start by defining what AI and digital literacies really mean and explore why they’re critical for navigating our digital age. Ann shares insights into how universities are embedding these skills into their curricula, despite facing significant challenges, and highlights some cutting-edge teaching methods and frameworks making waves across diverse disciplines.
But we go deeper - beyond digital fluency - into the power of interdisciplinary opportunities. Why is blending knowledge from different fields increasingly vital for students’ academic and career success? How are these cross-disciplinary pathways reshaping the student experience and enhancing career readiness? Ann shares what the future might hold for interdisciplinary education and how it’s set to transform higher education over the next decade. Whether you’re an educator, student, or just curious about the future of learning, this episode offers a roadmap for navigating and thriving in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
Dr Ann Thanaraj is an Associate Professor and Assistant Director of Digital Transformation at Teesside University, as well as a National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of Advance HE. Ann is also the Chair of the University's AI Operations Group who is doing some tremendously innovative work around reimagining what an AI fuelled digitally empowered curricula looks like. Her practical and research work intersects between AI and digital both in Higher Education Learning, Teaching, and Assessments, as well as in Legal Education and practice. Ann’s work has contributed enormously to the national conversation on digital literacies in the curriculum, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to train students in research. I am very excited to be speaking to Ann today. Ann Welcome to the show.
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46:18
Student Belonging with Rebecca Hodgson
In this episode, we dive deep into the growing importance of student belonging in higher education with Professor Rebecca Hodgson. We explore why this concept has become a central focus today, examining what's missing in current discussions and how changes in the socio-economic landscape, like the rise of commuting students, are reshaping the sense of community on campuses. Rebecca shares practical strategies universities can adopt to foster belonging in academic spaces like lectures, seminars, and workshops. We also discuss the evolving role of technology—its potential to both enhance and challenge student connections—and the critical skills academics need to build inclusive communities. Finally, we consider the long-term impacts of embedding belonging into the student experience amid financial constraints and evolving demands in higher education. Tune in to discover how institutions can create environments where all students feel seen, supported, and connected.
Rebecca Hodgson is Professor of Higher Education in the Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester. With a background in adult and community learning and development, followed by post-16 teacher education, she has developed her career in teaching and learning leadership across a diversity of settings in UK higher education. Her values are grounded in her practitioner background, and centre on the provision of an excellent student experience via authentic leadership, the support and development of academic staff, and effective partnership working with all stakeholders in the exchange that is education. Her research interests include professional identity in academics and higher education staff more broadly, exploring belonging, mattering, and self-efficacy, and the intersection of this with the student experience and student outcomes.
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46:55
Cognitive Compassion with Theo Gilbert
In this awesome episode, Professor of Compassion-Focused Pedagogy, Theo Gilbert focuses on supporting the sector's move towards teaching, learning and credit-bearing assessment of cognitive compassion as in effective team meeting/discussion management. Examples at University of Hertfordshire are seen in Law, Engineering, Computer Science, History and Business. This is done via filmed, research-driven, student team/groupwork discussions where criticality is key.
But what do the verbal and non-verbal micro skills of cognitive (not 'emotion-based') compassionate communications in student team/group work actually mean and how do they motivate and equip students to build the psychological safety and space for each other to think at their best - resourcefully and innovatively. Here is what this authentic ('research + criticality + effective group management') assessment addresses as seen in studies so far: students' inappropriate use of AI; employers' stated needs for good graduate team and communication skills; indefensible awarding gaps; unnecessarily heavy marking workloads on staff; and student-reported enhancements to engagement and interculturalisation with 'others' in studies so far across disciplines and compared to controls.
Universities across the sector are accessing and deploying new evidence - from the neurosciences, anthropology, psychology - on the nature of cognitive compassion not just into their classrooms but into their five-year strategic plans too. In this episode, Theo shows in very practical terms, how any teacher can legitimise their students' appetites to help dismantle the destructive types of competitive individualism on which current HE is too much based, and so help us stem the waste of staff and student belonging and achievement potentials. A truly fabulous episode!
Based at University of Hertfordshire's Centre for Learning, Access and Student Success, and Business School. He is creator of the Compassion in HE Network with its website of free, practical resources for any compassion-curious educator:
https://compassioninhe.wordpress.com/. The network is of staff from, so far, 90 universities across 12 countries to help each other get the science of cognitive compassion onto the curricula, in almost any discipline that assesses team/group work. He is very keen to support and link staff with others in their disciplines and/or beyond, and has supported effective teamwork at, e.g., the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, The Food Standard’s agency. He’s the 2018 Advance HE's/Times Higher's Most Innovative Teacher of the Year and a keynote speaker at the Annual National Teaching Fellow/CATE Symposium (2020). He has a strong presence on You Tube and is published in a number of journals and book chapters. Contact: [email protected] for help or support.
Welcome to Talking Learning and Teaching, a new Podcast all about learning and teaching in Higher Education. During each episode, we will be speaking to a teacher about a different topic related to learning and teaching in UK Higher Education. Whether it's practical ideas that can be used to support student learning, sharing of perspectives on key topics, or insights into future developments, there is something here for everyone with a passion for learning and teaching.
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