Good teaching is not just about content. It is about connection, purpose, and making sure students can actually access the learning.

For this July Summer Short, we revisit three conversations about designing learning experiences students can connect with. Dr. Bonni Stachowiak discusses the role of presence and relationships in effective teaching. Monica Cornetti explains why meaningful gamification is not just about points, badges, or leaderboards, but about helping students see how learning connects to real life. Peter Berryman offers practical advice for making course materials more accessible, beginning with small steps faculty can take in familiar tools like Microsoft Word and the course syllabus.

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AI can help faculty think beyond static course content and toward learning experiences where students practice, reflect, receive feedback, and connect ideas to their own interests.

For this June Summer Short, Andrew Everett revisits three conversations about AI and course design. Dr. David Wiley discusses how generative AI may change the future of open educational resources by creating more customized learning conversations. Dr. Rafael Pacheco shares how an AI-powered adaptive learning tool can provide immediate feedback and support students with different levels of preparation. Arthur Takahashi, Jeff Mastromonico, and Andrew also return to the idea of vibe coding and how faculty can start small with AI-assisted building through announcements, content pages, study guides, and other low-risk course materials.

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Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson, also known as Dr. PBJ, joins Speaking of Higher Ed to discuss faculty burnout, recovery, and reconnecting with purpose. She explains how burnout differs from ordinary end-of-semester exhaustion, why productivity fixes often fall short, and how faculty can recognize signs of surviving, overwhelm, and burnout.

The conversation explores compassion fatigue, boundaries, guilt around rest, and how institutions can better support faculty well-being. Dr. Jackson also offers practical ways faculty can pause, recover, and reset their rhythm before the next academic year.

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