Episode 182: When is “Good Teaching” Just “Good Teaching?”

Guest Dr. Thomas J. (Tom) Tobin joins hosts Tom and Kelvin for a slightly spicy conversation about the extent to which general teaching behaviors can be meaningfully separated from other factors such as course modality, student characteristics, institutional resources, and more.

Content Links 

• Dr. Thomas J. Tobin’s Website
• [Book] Evaluating Online Teaching (co-written by Dr. Tobin)
• [From Higher Ed Dive] “Ed Department changes reporting requirements for online colleges” (January 2025)
• [From Wikipedia] History of the “Loyal Opposition” 
• [OLC Innovate 2022 Keynote Plenary] “Let’s Not Romanticize 2019 for Online Learning” (Hill and Moreau. edited transcript and video on OnEdTech blog)  
• [From EDUCAUSE’s Game Changers ebook] “The Postmodality Era: How Online Learning Is Becoming Learning” (Cavanagh, 2012) 
• TOPcast Episode #177 “Creating the Digital Learning Future Our Students Deserve” (featuring cameo by Dr. Tobin)
• TOPcast Episode #160 “‘Remember the Why:’ Designing Meaningful Learning Assignments” (with guest Dr. Jean Mandernach)
• TOPcast Episode #127 “Community Wisdom: Students, Hybridity, and More!” (including “call-in” comment by Dr. Tobin)

Extra Special Feature

• Video Version of This Episode!