Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning

Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning is a podcast from the Columbia University Center for Teaching and Learning. Our mission is to encourage instructors, students, and leaders in higher education to reflect on what they believe about teaching and learning.

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Recent Episodes

Why Are Dead Ideas So Persistent? A Conversation with John Mahoney

Posted January 26, 202300:33:17

Despite the large body of research on effective teaching and learning practices, such research is often ignored or unknown by instructors and students....

Rigor and Assessment from the Student Point of View

Posted December 15, 202200:25:55

How can assessment motivate students to focus on learning as opposed to grades? Can it still be rigorous if it’s not high stakes exams? Today we speak...

Rigor as Skill Building with Larry Jackson

Posted December 1, 202200:35:50

Rigor as Skill Building with Larry Jackson


How can academic rigor be defined and enacted in humanities courses to...

Rigor as Equity with Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford and Hetty Cunningham

Posted November 17, 202200:33:39

What does rigor look like in a healthcare setting? How can instructors achieve both excellence and equity in teaching in such a high-stakes area as...

Rigor as Liberation with Elwin Wu and Kelsey Reeder

Posted November 3, 202200:36:58

In today’s episode, we approach the topic of rigor from the lens of social work instruction with