Teaching in Higher Ed Metaphors, Free Speech, and How We Learn with Barbara Oakley
7 snips
Oct 16, 2025 
Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor and author of "Learning How to Learn," dives into compelling discussions on free speech, metaphors in teaching, and course design. She shares insights about the historical context of free speech and its paradox in educational settings. Oakley highlights the importance of vivid metaphors for enhancing learning and provides tips on iterative course development. Additionally, she introduces tools like Sway.ai that foster engagement among differing opinions, making critical dialogue more accessible.
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Basket Conversation In Damascus
- Ibn Khaldun was lowered in a basket to speak with Tamerlane during the siege of Damascus to explain societal cohesion.
- Barbara Oakley uses this vivid historical scene (via AI-enhanced imagery) to introduce trade-offs in free speech.
Free Speech Feels Invisible Until Lost
- Oakley describes free speech as like air: you don't miss it until it's gone and people support it until it affects them.
- She connects rising safe-space practices to shutting down university debate and discouraging difficult discussions.
Soviet Trawlers And Fear Of Speaking
- Barb recounted seeking firsthand experience by serving on Soviet trawlers to understand how repression silenced dissent.
- She observed real terror about saying the wrong thing and how regimes suppressed speech, motivating her course.
