Prof Talk Pod

In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Katie is back to tackle the topic of the course syllabus. Should it be a graphical, engaging roadmap or a traditional, standardized contract? Katie and I share what we think are the essential components of an effective syllabus and how to navigate adding university policies. I share my strategy of writing the syllabus directly to the student to build buy-in, while Katie and I emphasize the critical rule: the syllabus is a contract, so only include policies you are willing to enforce. We break down how to structure your syllabus around three key questions of what, how, and when students will learn and why you must include university-required boilerplate content verbatim. Finally, we agree that including an explicit AI disclosure policy is critical right now to clearly communicate student expectations and force you to think critically about AI use in your classroom.

In this solo episode of the Prof Talk Pod, host Becky Achen shares how Generative AI is shifting the way I design active learning in the classroom.

It’s no surprise that students have started leaning on ChatGPT to breeze through in-class activities. While the "quick answer" is tempting, our goal is to move them toward intentional, critical use of these tools.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• A structured process for in-class activities that prioritizes human brainstorming and root-cause identification before bringing in technology.

• How to guide students to use ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot to fill specific knowledge gaps, rather than outsourcing the entire solution.

• Using LLMs to poke holes in human ideas and refine them before a final pitch.

• Why you should demonstrate how you use AI so students see the process in action.

We don’t want our students to be "lazy AI users." To help get students ready for the workplace, scaffold AI use in your own courses, explain the "why" behind your constraints, and lead by example.

In this solo episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Becky discusses the importance of balancing student accountability with support, and offers actionable strategies to help students stay on track. From the hands-off approach to personalized check-ins, discover methods to foster a supportive learning environment while encouraging independence. Focused on retaining students and enhancing their success, Becky emphasizes the human aspect of teaching and shares tips for developing student skills in attendance, participation, and assignment completion.