Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning

The Students Have the Final (and Best!) Word on the Science of Learning

Apr 20, 2023

Emily Glover and Kyle Gordon, undergraduate Columbia University students and teaching and learning consultants, discuss the research on teaching and learning. They explore student engagement, assessment, debunking dead ideas in higher education, the benefits of being 'uncomfortable' while learning, and the importance of discussion-based classes at Columbia University.

31:34

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Episode guests

Emily Glover and Kyle Gordon

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Quick takeaways

Grades do not define learners' intelligence and the focus on quantification neglects the complexities of learning.

Alternative assessment methods, such as interviews and group discussions, promote deeper engagement and understanding of the material.

Deep dives

Importance of understanding learning beyond grades and quantification

One main point discussed in the podcast is the shift in understanding learning beyond grades and quantification. The students emphasized that grades do not define who they are as learners and that learning cannot be reduced to a quantitative measurement. They highlighted the erroneous mindset of equating academic excellence and accolades with intelligence, and how this mindset affects their self-conception as learners. They argued that learning is subjective and complex, and that traditional grading focuses too much on objective standards, overlooking the intricate complexities that define them as learners.

Introduction

3min

Assessing Abilities and Aptitudes

16min

Experiences with Core Curriculum and Discussion-Based Learning

2min

Redefining Intelligence and Overcoming Fear of Being Wrong

8min

Reassurance, Motivation, and Possibility: Students' Perspective on Changing Higher Education

4min

In our final episode of Season 6, we speak with two undergraduate Columbia University students, Emily Glover and Kyle Gordon, who serve as Teaching and Learning Consultants as part of our Center’s Students as Pedagogical Partners initiative. Through the initiative, Emily and Kyle have immersed themselves in the research on teaching and learning, broadening their understanding of how learning works, and of the many pervasive dead ideas in higher education. In this episode, they reflect on how this knowledge has changed them as learners, including how they think about student engagement, assessment, learning styles, and the benefits of being “uncomfortable” while learning.

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Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning

The Students Have the Final (and Best!) Word on the Science of Learning

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Importance of understanding learning beyond grades and quantification

The impact of assessment on learning

Challenging dead ideas and embracing new approaches

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts