In this episode, Ruth Jeminiwa, PhD, discusses active learning strategies that increase engagement, support students, and improve learning outcomes. She offers practical advice to develop more student-centered lessons that lead to deeper learning and well-prepared learners who can apply their knowledge through problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world connections.

Guest: Ruth Jeminiwa, PhD

• Role: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

• Expertise: Pharmacoeconomics, active learning, shared decision-making, improving patient health outcomes

Quote from the Episode: “Traditional lectures can sometimes feel like a one-way street where the expert provides information... Active learning flips that dynamic. Students become active partners. They help to build their own understanding by engaging directly with the content.” Ruth Jeminiwa, PhD

Getting Started:

• Explore active learning strategies and determine what might work well for your learners.

• Implement one strategy in a part of your course and gather student feedback.

• Make changes to the strategy you tried and incorporate other strategies to build your active learning tool kit.

• Contact us to talk about active learning strategies and implementation.

Terms to Know:

The terms below are mentioned in the episode, and for context and clarity, we've provided brief definitions of potentially unfamiliar terms you may hear.

• Active Learning: Engaging students as partners in the learning process, in contrast to “traditional” methods where students passively receive knowledge from an expert.

• MOOC: Acronym for Massive Open Online Course, a free online course open to anyone who wants to take it.

• Flipped Classroom: a type of instruction where students complete some knowledge acquisition tasks independently before class, and class time is devoted to reinforcing or applying the knowledge.

• Case-based Learning: an active learning strategy in which students apply their knowledge to real-world case studies.

• Jigsaw Activity: A strategy in which students work in small groups to develop knowledge about a given topic, becoming “experts,” before teaching what they have learned to another group, comprised of “experts” on other topics. (For example, groups AAA BBB CCC re-group into ABC ABC ABC and teach their groupmates.)

• Think-pair-share: A simple active learning strategy where the instructor poses a question or problem, students think for a moment on their own, then spend a few moments discussing the answer with someone near them and finally share out to the rest of the class what their pair discussed.

Selected Resources: The Learning Curve team curated this list based on university resources or guest recommendations.

1. Learner Engagement – Academic Commons Page
2. Jeminiwa, R. N., Abillar, T., Szeliga, M., Patel, H., & Santiago, E. (2025). The impact of a modified jigsaw activity incorporating educational YouTube reels on pharmacy students’ learning outcomes. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning, 17(10), 102437. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2025.102437
3. Major CH, Harris MS, Zakrajsek T. Teaching for Learning : 101 Intentionally Designed Educational Activities to Put Students on the Path to Success. Second edition. ROUTLEDGE; 2021.
4. K. Patricia Cross Academy Higher Education Teaching Techniques Video Library
5. Academic Commons Upcoming Workshops and Events

In this episode, Julian Harris, PhD, shares how alternative grading practices better reflect student learning, foster a growth mindset, and allow for meaningful feedback loops. He offers practical insights into his experiences with alternative grading, the challenges encountered along the way, and the benefits of transitioning to a different assessment model. This conversation provides valuable insights and key strategies for implementing alternative grading in your classroom.

Follow and subscribe to be notified about new episodes! Episodes premiere monthly, every first Wednesday at 10:30AM. Head over to our webpage to check out more episodes and learn more about the podcast!

Guest: Julian Harris, PhD

• Role: Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

• Expertise: biochemistry, alternative grading systems, growth mindset

Quote from the Episode:

• “They [students] feel seen by the grading system. That it helps them think about learning and growth mindset from the more sort of malleable perspective, where they really do view the mistakes as opportunities to get better.” - Julian Harris, PhD

Getting Started:

• Start small with assessment changes, such as allowing for exam corrections, or offering a retake of a single exam.

• Approach alternative grading practices with a growth mindset: reflect on what works and what doesn’t, and adjust without expecting perfection the first time.

• Create intentional changes for students to revisit material, learn from feedback, and show improvement.

• Contact us to talk about incorporating alternative grading practices in your classroom.

Terms to Know:

The terms below are mentioned in the episode, and for context and clarity, we've provided brief definitions of potentially unfamiliar terms you may hear.

• Standards Based Grading: A grading system in which an instructor creates a list of clear standards that describe specific things students will learn to do. Each assignment is aligned with one or more of the created standards; each standard is assessed multiple times to meet the standard without penalty.

• Specifications Grading: A grading system in which an instructor creates a list of specifications that describe the qualities and characteristics of a successful submission for an assignment. Student work is graded holistically, earning a single mark: “Satisfactory” or “Not Yet”.

• Growth Mindset: The belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and dedication rather than being fixed, innate traits. A growth mindset also views perceived failures as opportunities to learn and grow.

Selected Resources: The Learning Curve team curated this list based on university resources or guest recommendations.

1. Clark D. Grading for Growth : A Guide to Alternative Grading Practices That Promote Authentic Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education. First edition. (Talbert R, ed.). Routledge; 2023.
2. Yik BJ, Machost H, Streifer AC, Palmer MS, Morkowchuk L, Stains M. Students’ Perceptions of Specifications Grading: Development and Evaluation of the Perceptions of Grading Schemes (PGS) Instrument. Journal of chemical education. 2024;101(9):3723-3738. doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00698
3. Nilson LB. Specifications Grading : Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time. First edition. Stylus; 2016.
4. Academic Commons Upcoming Workshops and Events

In this episode, Thomas Schrand, PhD, shares how the Hallmarks Core and its Power Skills cultivate adaptable, intellectually curious graduates prepared for an evolving, AI-influenced world. He offers practical insights into learner-centered teaching, critical thinking, and reflective practice that help students build durable, human-centered competencies. Educators will gain strategies for strengthening meaningful learning across disciplines.

Follow and subscribe to be notified about new episodes! Episodes premiere monthly, every first Wednesday at 10:30AM. Head over to our webpage to check out more episodes and learn more about the podcast!

Guest: Thomas Schrand, PhD

• Role: Associate Dean for General Education & Professor of History
• Expertise: Curriculum development, pedagogy, general education, and active learning.

Quote from the Episode:

“At the end of four years of this experience… you end up as someone who can think on their feet, someone who has confidence in what they're saying and their ability to grapple with challenging and nuanced questions.” - Thomas Schrand, PhD

Getting Started:

• Ask students to apply course concepts to real‑world or professional scenarios, reinforcing both disciplinary relevance and transferable competencies.
• Start each class with a device‑free expectation to promote presence, note‑taking by hand, and deeper engagement with peers and content.
• Build in reflective moments—such as end‑of‑week or end‑of‑unit prompts asking students to identify key takeaways or what learning mattered most to them.
• Contact usto talk about learning design and incorporating these skills into your classroom.

Terms to Know:

The terms below are mentioned in the episode, and for context and clarity, we've provided brief definitions of potentially unfamiliar terms you may hear.

• Learner Centered Teaching: An approach that focuses on how students learn—emphasizing engagement, active participation, and cognitive processes rather than instructor-led delivery.
• Active Learning: Any instructional method that requires students to be metacognitive and engage in meaningful activities (e.g., discussion, problem solving) rather than passively listening to lectures.
• Cognitive Psychology: A branch of psychology which explores the mental process related to perceiving, attending, thinking, language, learning, and memory.

Selected Resources: The Learning Curve team curated this list based on university resources or guest recommendations.

1. The Science of Learning – Academic Commons Self-Paced Program
2. Designing Learning that Endures: The Science of Learning in Practice: Academic Commons Self-Paced Program
3. The Hallmarks Core Program – Thomas Jefferson University Page
4. Major, C. H., Harris, M. S., & Zakrajsek, T. (2021). Teaching for learning : 101 intentionally designed educational activities to put students on the path to success. (Second edition.). ROUTLEDGE.
5. Zakrajsek, T., & Nilson, L. B. (2023). Teaching at its best: a research-based resource for college instructors (Fifth edition.). Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Brand.
6. Academic Commons Upcoming Workshops and Events

This episode features Pamela Walter, MFA, the Director of the Office for Professional Writing, Publishing, and Communication (OPWPC). Pam shares how the OPWPC supports researchers in writing, publishing, presenting, and navigating the complexities of scholarly communication. This episode also highlights common writing challenges, the importance of narrative flow in scientific communication, team-based approaches to increasing publication output, and the influence of generative AI in academic writing.

Follow and subscribe to be notified about new episodes! Episodes premiere monthly, every first Wednesday at 10:30AM. Head over to our webpage to check out more episodes and learn more about the podcast!

Guest: Pamela Walter, MFA

• Role: Medical Editor/Writer and Director of the Office for Professional Writing, Publishing, and Communication
• Expertise: Professional writing skills, publishing practices, and presentation skills.

Quote from the Episode:

• "If you can speak, you can write, and there are plenty of resources available to turn that unpolished writing into polished writing." Pam Walter, MFA

Getting Started:

• Participate in writing retreats for focused, uninterrupted writing time, and use short writing sprints to overcome writer's block and make consistent progress.
• Take advantage of in-house services like manuscript reviews, presentation feedback, and workshops to enhance the quality and impact of your research communication.
• Use connective words and a logical flow to make your research writing more engaging and easier to follow, even for technical audiences.
• Utilize tools like BioRender to create graphical abstracts and visually summarize your research.
• Contact us to improve your academic writing.

Terms to Know:

The terms below are mentioned in the episode, and for context and clarity, we've provided brief definitions of potentially unfamiliar terms you may hear.

• Connective Words: A word or phrase whose function is to link linguistic units together.
• Narrative Writing: In essence, story writing; it can be fiction or nonfiction. If it has a narrative structure and tells a story, it is narrative writing.
• Generative AI: An AI system capable of generating text, images, or other media in response to prompts.

Selected Resources:

The Learning Curve team curated this list based on university resources or guest recommendations.

1. Professional Writing & Communication (OPWPC)
2. Jefferson Libraries Homepage
3. AI for Educators: From Basics to Best Practices
4. Research Administration Center of Excellence (RACE)
5. Hillier, A., Kelly, R. P., & Klinger, T. (2016). Narrative Style Influences Citation Frequency in Climate Change Science. PloS One, 11(12), e0167983.
6. Academic Commons Upcoming Workshops and Events

This episode features Nanette Tomicek, PhD, and a discussion on designing effective and inclusive learning objectives. Emphasizing the importance of planning, multiple pedagogical frameworks, and inclusive language in curriculum design. This episode highlights practical strategies for educators to develop well-crafted, measurable objectives.

Guest: Nanette Tomicek, PhD

• Role: Course Director for Anatomy & Physiology, East Falls Campus, Associate Professor
• Expertise: Pedagogy, active learning, laboratory, and excellence in anatomy and physiology education.

Quote from the Episode: "The learning outcome has to be measurable. That's very important. [...] you need to be thinking about what do you want your students to be able to do, at the end of the course.” - Nanette Tomicek, PhD

Getting Started:

• Collaborate with colleagues to help plan development of learning objectives and gain diverse perspectives.
• Clearly define what you want students to get out of the course.
• Stick to one verb per learning objective that leads to observable and measurable student actions.
• Contact us to talk about designing effective learning objectives.

Terms to Know:

The terms below are mentioned in the episode, and for context and clarity, we've provided brief definitions of potentially unfamiliar terms you may hear.

• Learning Objective: A statement describing what a learner should be able to know or do by the end of an instruction period, using measurable and observable actions.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy: A framework which classifies different levels of human thinking and learning – i.e., thinking, learning, and understanding.

Selected Resources: The Learning Curve team curated this list based on university resources or guest recommendations.

1. Learning Design – Academic Commons Page
2. Zakrajsek, T., & Nilson, L. B. (2023). Teaching at its best: a research-based resource for college instructors (Fifth edition.). Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Brand.
3. Bloom’s Taxonomy - Center for Teaching Excellence - The University of Utah. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://cte.utah.edu/instructor-education/Blooms-Taxonomy.php
4. Writing Measurable Course Objectives - The Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://teaching.charlotte.edu//teaching-guides/course-design/writing-measurable-course-objectives
5. Academic Commons Upcoming Workshops and Events

Follow and subscribe to be notified about new episodes! Episodes premiere monthly, every first Wednesday at 10:30AM. Head over to our webpage to check out more episodes and learn more about the podcast!