Transform Your Teaching

In this episode, Rob and Jared reflect on the OLC Accelerate 2025 conference in Orlando, FL. They are joined by Dr. Bob Lutz, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Cedarville University. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What did Rob and Jared take away from our series, “Have You Tried...”? What innovative strategies made their way into their classes? Join Rob and Jared as they reflect on the series and how they tried to put these ideas into practice. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

We've discussed how mind mapping can impact teaching and learning, but what other applications exist? How can mind mapping help solve problems or organize thinking? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Larry Cox II (Senior Instructional Designer at Virginia Tech) about his presentation on using mind mapping techniques in systems thinking while at the 2025 OLC Accelerate Conference. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources Organise Ideas: Thinking by Hand, Extending the Mind – Caviglioli and Goodwin FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What is mind mapping? How can it be an effective tool for making connections between concepts? How can it help us process knowledge more effectively? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss how mind mapping can help students and teachers work through ideas. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources The Ultimate Book of Mind Maps - Tony Buzan Learning with concept and knowledge maps: A meta-analysis - Nesbit, J. C., & Adesope, O. O. FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What impact can familiar and unfamiliar music have on students in teaching? Do beats per minute correlate to cognition? Join Rob and Jared as they reflect on their interview with Dr. Deforia Lane and discuss the usage of music in education. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What happens in the brain when music is played? How can music be used for teaching and learning? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Deforia Lane (PhD in Music Education & Music Therapy from Case Western Reserve University) about how educators can use music to influence their students’ success. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What are the benefits of personal storytelling in the classroom? How can an anecdote enhance or support direct instruction? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss their own views on storytelling and reflect on their conversation with Dr. Q. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What are Dr. Q’s essentials for good storytelling? How can storytelling be used as an effective tool for teaching and learning? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Quentin Schultze (PhD in Communication from the University of Illinois - Urbana) about how he uses storytelling to connect with his students and make content more memorable. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!: Life Lessons from the Movie A Christmas Story – Quentin Schultze FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What are some studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of gamification? How can the work that others have done to gamify their classes help you? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss examples from five different gamification studies. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources Impact of Gamification on Students’ Learning Outcomes and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Study Comparing Online, Traditional, and Gamified Learning - Lampropoulos & Sidiropoulos How Gamification Boosts Learning in STEM Higher Education: A Mixed Methods Study - Ortiz‑Rojas; Chiluiza; Valcke & Bolanos‑Mendoza Gamification during Covid-19: Promoting active learning and motivation in higher education - Rincon-Flores & Santos-Guevera Higher Education Students’ Assessments towards Gamification and Sustainability: A Case Study - Santos-Villalba; Olivencia; Navas-Parejo & Benitez-Marquez Stats Kwon Do: a Case Study in Instructional Design, Multimedia and Gamification of Instruction - Coffland & Huff Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

If you gamify your class, how do you ensure that students remember content, not just the game that they played? What would it look like if you wanted to integrate learning into a game? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Daniel Singletary (EdD in Educational Technology, Boise State University) about how gamification can be used to motivate students. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What are the differences between gamification and game-based learning? How can one small “gamifying” step increase student engagement and make content stick? Join Rob and Jared as they define gamification, consider the underlying frameworks associated with gamification, and share some easy applications. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources Self-Determination Theory - Deci & Ryan Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The Octalysis Framework for Gamification & Behavioral Design - Yu-kai Chou FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What do gaming, storytelling, and music have in common? Can they be used in innovative ways in our teaching practices? Join Rob and Jared as they begin a new series where they will explore how these seemingly uncommon applications in education could be used in innovative/common ways. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How can teachers use brain science to design more effective lessons? What do metaphors, working memory, and even a “quadrapus brain” have to do with student learning? In this extended episode, Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Barbara Oakley, author of Uncommon Sense Teaching , about how metaphor and clear direct instruction help both “race cars” and “hikers” learn more deeply. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn – Oakley, Rogowsky & Sejnowski (Amazon) Learning How to Learn – Dr. Barbara Oakley (Coursera) FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How does someone remain a faithful educator over the course of their teaching career? What does it look like to invest in students beyond the classroom? How can you effectively pass the baton from one generation of teachers to the next? In this episode, Rob, Jared, and Wes Baker chat with our good friend “Mr. L” (Jim Leightenheimer, Former Associate Professor of Communication at Cedarville University 1982 to 2025) about his time at Cedarville and hear from former students about Mr. L’s influence on their lives and careers. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How has flipped learning developed over time? What are the best strategies for pushing students towards higher levels of learning? Is there any place for AI in flipped learning? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Wes Baker (former Professor of Communication Arts at Cedarville University from 1977 to 2017). Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What is prompt engineering? How can you use prompt engineering to improve the output from Generative AI? In this episode, Jared Pyles reflects on his presentation at the Ohio STEM conference in June and shares CRISPE, an easy-to-use prompt engineering framework. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources CRISPE — ChatGPT Prompt Engineering Framework - Denys Dinkevych FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How did Dr. Thomas White move Cedarville University forward through the implementation of ChatGPT Edu across its entire campus? How will this campus-wide initiative make an impact on students, faculty and staff? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss these questions and more with Dr. Thomas White (President of Cedarville University). Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What can an instructor do to seem approachable to students? How does an instructor’s enthusiasm or attitude affect how students interact with them or their class? What kinds of assessments seem to be most effective for learning from a student’s view? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss the instructor-student relationship, assessments and more with Lauren and Daniel. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How does the continued rise of technology affect how instructors should approach learning? What is a thoughtful usage of technology? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Derek Bruff, author of Intentional Tech , about what principles are most relevant six years after his book was released. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology College Teaching - Derek Bruff Intentional Teaching Podcast - Derek Bruff FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

In this episode, Rob and Jared review “Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching” by Dr. Derek Bruff. They discuss the key principles of the book and their major takeaways. Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey . This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Your response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology College Teaching - Derek Bruff FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

What are the major takeaways from our “Online Teaching Practices” series? In this episode, Rob and Jared reflect on the lessons they learned throughout this series and provide some next steps for educators who want to improve their online teaching. Lesson 1: Reflective Practice Fuels Everything Lesson 2: Organization Is an Act of Empathy Lesson 3: Collaboration—You’re Not on an Island Lesson 4: Crystal-Clear Communication Lesson 5: Cultivating Community Online Lesson 6: Media Matters—More Than You Think View a transcript of this week's episode. Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How can media enhance an online course? What are the markers of “quality” media in an online course? How can instructors take their media from good to better to best? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Jacob Lashuay, the CTL’s instructional media producer, about some practical ways to make high quality media in your courses. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources Best Practices for Webcam Recording - FOCUS Blog FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

Can you really create a good sense of community in an online course? What does it look like? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss what community is, the value of community in an online course, and the best way to encourage community among online students. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How is being clear about content and grading in an online course different from face-to-face? What needs to be emphasized? What should be avoided? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss clarity in online teaching. Clarity in an online course can be achieved by avoiding “UNCLEAR” practices: U – Unexplained jargon or acronyms N – Nonspecific instructions or vague prompts C – Complex, run-on sentences L – Lack of examples or concrete models E – Erratic formatting or inconsistent styling A – Assumptions about prior knowledge R – Rushed or delayed feedback Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions

How can someone else help you develop better teaching practices? Who should you collaborate with as you design courses? What forms can collaboration take? In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss how collaboration can lead to better teaching and learning. Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode! View a transcript of this week's episode . Resources FOCUS Blog - Cedarville University CTL Chat with us! Take our survey Connect with us via LinkedIn Contact us at [email protected] with any questions