

TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast
Thomas Cavanagh & Kelvin Thompson
Hosted by Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson, the Teaching Online Podcast (TOPcast) takes a fun and informative look at the various trends, best practices and technologies in the realm of online education.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 21, 2023 • 34min
Episode 144: Helping with “Running the Business” for 100 years
About Episode 144:
In this episode, UPCEA CEO Dr. Bob Hansen joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss the intertwined histories of professional/continuing education and online education and the importance of attending to the “business” of both.
Podcast Recording
UPCEA CEO Dr. Bob Hansen
Download Transcript: PDF
Episode 144 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Decaf Cafe Carmelita Blend, Tony’s Coffee (Bellingham, WA)
Decaf Humbucker Blend, Fundamental Coffee (Seattle, WA)
“Super Coffee”
Content Links
Dr. Bob Hansen’s Online Profile
UPCEA - University Professional & Continuing Education Association
“The Wisconsin Idea”
[Article in UWisconsin alumni magazine] “Who Needs Classrooms?”
TOPcast Episode #133 “Professional Development Across Our Online Education Community”
TOPcast Episode #126: “COLOs, Context, and Community”
TOPcast Episode #36 “Finding Online Learning Leaders: ‘Fredericksen's List’”
Extra Special Feature
Video Version of this Episode!

Aug 7, 2023 • 31min
Episode 143: “Speaking in Dollars and Cents” About Online Learning
About Episode 143
Hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss how to talk about the value of online education in various ways that matter to different audiences, including speaking about return on investment (ROI), social mobility, quality of learning, and more.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: PDF
Episode 143 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Lenore’s Light Roast (Single-Origin Honduran) from Pike House Coffee, Johnson City, TN
About Pike House Coffee
Content Links
(From Ideas & Insights Blog) “Lifting Lives and Livelihoods - At Scale”
“Kelvin’s Report Out from the First 90 Days and Beyond”
(From Marketing Partners) “Guide to Strategic Message Framing and Reframing”
(From Investopedia) “Value Proposition: How to Write It With Examples”
TOPcast Episode #135 - “Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals”
TOPcast Episode #23 - “What Is Your Elevator Pitch? Talking to the Public about Online” Education
TOPcast Episode #1 - “What is Online Learning? Definitions, Boundary Objects, and Baggage”
Extra Special Feature
Video Version of this Episode!

Jul 17, 2023 • 32min
Episode 142: “Repurposing” – Working Smarter, Not Harder
About Episode 142:
Guest Dr. Kathy Gosser joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss how faculty, instructional designers, and others can adopt habits of “repurposing” across the multifaceted work of online education and digital learning.
Podcast Recording
Download Transcript: PDF
Episode 142 Show Notes:
Episode Synopsis via Twitter
View complete list of episode highlights via Twitter
Coffee Links
Single-origin Honduras from Fante’s Coffee (Louisville, KY)
Keurig’s Original Donut Shop Decaf
Content Links
Dr. Kathy Gosser’s Online Profile
UofL’s Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence
Yum! Brands
Diagram: Reusability/Contextualization (“Modular Content Hierarchy”) based on work of Hodgins (Autodesk)
Extra Special Feature
Video Version of this Episode!

Jul 3, 2023 • 29min
Episode 141: “It’s Star Spangled Learning, Baby!”
In this episode coinciding with American Independence Day, hosts Kelvin and Tom invite a consideration of distinctly American contributions to the models of online higher education. These contributions continue to shape the evolution of online learning around the globe.

Jun 19, 2023 • 30min
Episode 140: Maturing the Core Work of Online Education
Guest Neil Mosley joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss ways to gauge and foster maturity in the way institutions carry out learning design, the core work of online education.

Jun 5, 2023 • 31min
Episode 139: Automating Digital Teaching — What Can Go Wrong?
More options to scale efficiencies through automation are available now than ever before. Join hosts Tom and Kelvin for a consideration of how well-intentioned digital teaching automations can go horribly wrong.

May 15, 2023 • 5min
Episode 138 Bonus: The Department Knew What It Meant:” DCL + OPM + TPS = OMG!
As the conversation continues, guest Jarret Cummings joins hosts Tom to unpack the issues surrounding the US Department of Education’s 2023 communications regarding “third-party servicers” in higher education.

May 1, 2023 • 30min
Episode 137: Digital Learning ABCs: A Primer for Innovation and Dissemination
In this Season 9 kick-off episode, hosts Thomas Cavanagh and Kelvin Thompson get back to basics with an alphabetical primer of concepts foundational to successful innovations in higher ed digital learning.

Apr 17, 2023 • 33min
Episode 136: Online Higher Ed: Finding Ourselves in Other People’s Stories
Guest Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey joins hosts Kelvin and Tom to discuss insights gained from leading a book project compiling case studies of successful online learning organizations. Examining similarities and differences allows us to better understand and improve our own practices.

Apr 3, 2023 • 36min
Episode 135: Different Institutions, Different Methods, Same Goals
In this episode hosts Kelvin and Tom discuss the importance of institutional context in how we carry out our common work of societal transformation through online/digital teaching and learning in higher education.