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PODCAST

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education Podcast from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Keystone Concepts in Teaching is a higher education podcast from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at George Mason University. We focus on impactful teaching strategies that support students and faculty. Join us for conversations with experienced educators across disciplines and instructional modalities who share their actionable, evidence-based tips from the classroom!Why keystone concepts? These are essential ideas that support effective teaching and learning. Our podcast aims to

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All Episodes

22:13

S5 E42: Finding Inspiration at George Mason's...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/09/30

In this special episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Breana Bayraktar speaks with attendees and presenters from George Mason University’s 18th Annual Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference about what makes ITL such a meaningful space for faculty learning, connection, and inspiration. Guests Cindy Parker of Costello College of Business, Colleen Reynolds of English, Lorena Jordan of Libraries at Schar School of Policy and Government, and Sanja Avramovic of the College of Publ...

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23:43

S5 E41: Teaching Beyond Content Delivery

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/09/16

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, guests Joy Banks and Min Park from the College of Education and Human Development share with us how they create meaningful learning experiences across in-person and online teaching. Drawing on examples from their own courses in Education and Tourism Management, they reflect on how thoughtful course design—not just modality—shapes student engagement. The conversation also explores how faculty can help students grapple with complex and sometimes...

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24:49

S5 E40: Teaching Relevance Across Languages and...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/09/02

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, we spoke with two George Mason University Korea faculty from very different disciplines, Statistics professor Ajiboye Babalola and Business and Law professor Omario Kanji, about how instructors can build relevance in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on examples from both their classrooms and life experiences, they discuss how connecting theory to real-world practice helps students see why course concepts matter beyond the classroom, from lega...

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25:39

S5 E39: Perspective-Taking in the Classroom

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/08/19

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, Ana Farnham and Kristin Johnsen-Neshati from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University share how perspective-taking can deepen teaching and learning across disciplines. Drawing on examples from graphic design and theater, they discuss how helping students consider audience, interpretation, and intent can deepen students’ thinking about how their work is experienced by others. The conversation also explores Universal ...

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23:38

S4 E38: Creating Human-Centered Classrooms

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/08/05

In this inspiring episode about humanizing higher education classrooms, host Rachel Yoho speaks with George Mason University English instructor Eric Auld and Xiaoyu Gao (former instructor with George Mason's English department at time of recording) about practical, research-informed strategies for building authentic connections with students across modalities—from asynchronous online courses to face-to-face composition classrooms. Our guests share concrete activities they use in their own cla...

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25:22

S4 E37: The Inside Perspective from Graduate Students...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/05/06

For the first time, Keystone Concepts in Teaching features a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and a graduate instructor as guests, offering faculty a candid look into the student-instructor perspective. Host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Sehaj Gill and Yasmin Rahmani, who share anecdotes from teaching introductory labs and lectures at George Mason University while pursuing their own graduate degrees. The conversation emphasizes the importance of relatability, patience, and clear communication...

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24:12

S4 E36: Recognizing the Value of Investing in Teaching

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/04/22

How do we develop, support, and recognize effective teaching across career stages in higher education? In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Christi Wilcox, Director of the Office of Outreach, Student Success, and Engagement in George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing, for a wide‑ranging conversation about faculty development, graduate student preparation, and the recognition of teaching and learning work. Together, they expl...

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22:39

S4 E35: Faculty Mental Health Matters

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/04/08

Faculty mental health is rarely discussed—but deeply connected to teaching, learning, and student success. In this Hear From Your Host episode, guest host and Producer Kelly Chandler turns the microphone toward our host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to explore faculty mental health as a critical, and often overlooked, aspect of higher education. Drawing on research and observations, the conversation examines structural stressors in academia, the isolating nature of teaching, and the importance of communi...

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22:29

S4 E34: Career Readiness as a Teaching Practice

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/03/25

George Mason’s University Career Services Executive Director, Saskia Campbell, joins host Dr. Rachel Yoho to explain the role her office plays in supporting students at the university and highlight practical ways faculty can partner in preparing students for life after graduation. The conversation explores George Mason’s career outcomes data, the chaos theory of careers, and the transferable skills employers value most. Faculty will also learn about low‑effort, high‑impact teaching practices ...

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29:48

S4 E33: Faculty Support is Student Support

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/03/18

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Dr. Rachel Yoho sits down with Dr. Kim Eby, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development at George Mason University, for a wide‑ranging conversation about faculty recognition, teaching, and the changing landscape of higher education. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience at George Mason, Dr. Eby reflects on student‑centered learning, interdisciplinary teaching, and what it means to support faculty across career stages in a time of ...

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22:58

S4 E32: Academic Advisors as Partners in Student Success

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/02/25

What exactly do academic advisors do—and how can faculty benefit from understanding that role more clearly? In this episode, four of George Mason University’s professional academic advisors unpack the realities of advising with our host, Dr. Rachel Yoho. They explain where their work begins and ends, how they partner with faculty, and why collaboration matters more than ever for student success. Faculty listeners will gain insight into how advisors’ unique relationships with students can comp...

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24:31

S4 E31: Supporting Faculty in Today's Higher...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/02/11

Find out how the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence are natural collaborators as we navigate how to support faculty in today’s higher education landscape. In this episode, your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, explores this dynamic educational partnership with guests Dr. Indigo Eriksen and Hector Revollo from NVCC. These two institutions share a region, many students, resources, and

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29:36

S4 E30: Everyone Should Learn to Teach

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/01/28

Dive into our discussion with Drs. Stephanie Bluth and Alyssa Bivins from the Graduate Division! The host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, explores how our guests developed their innovative graduate teacher training programs, the importance of strategic unit collaboration across universities, and why everyone could benefit from having teaching skills. Find out how the Graduate Division developed evidence-based solutions to a ubiquitous issue in higher education: how many college instructors do not receive any

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23:36

S4 E29: Sensible Approaches to Teaching in the Age of...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2026/01/14

In this episode, Dr. Tawnya Azar joins your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to share actionable strategies about how to avoid becoming the “AI Police” and teach students to think critically about how and when to responsibly use AI in college. Additionally, she shares how to meaningfully build rapport and trust with students in an online classroom and provides insightful tips to help students find value in demonstrating their learning – rather than relying on AI. Listen in to find out how Dr. Azar found joy

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29:13

S3 E28: Dynamic Faculty Transforming Education

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2025/12/03

Drs. Esther Park, Iulia Fratila, Allison Miner, and Yanika Kowitlawakul join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss how they got started as new faculty members, their efforts to transform their teaching and students’ learning, and engagement with professional development. Resource: Stearns Center events calendar: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/events/ (events open to Mason affiliates only) Check out our website!

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31:33

S3 E27: Teaching Overlapping, Socially Pressing Issues

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2025/11/13

Dr. Lynnette Leonard and Dr. Dakota McCarty join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to explore how we approach from different disciplines teaching difficult topics, including those with social contexts and relevance. Resource: Mason Korea website: https://masonkorea.gmu.edu Check out our website!

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28:43

S3 E26: Writing Across the Curriculum

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2025/10/29

Drs. Tom Polk and Joan Hwang join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to explore what Writing Across the Curriculum is, how it has developed, and current initiatives and impacts. Resources: Writing Across the Curriculum: https://wac.gmu.edu/ WAC Research Reports: https://wac.gmu.edu/past-assessment-and-program-review-resources/ Meaningful Writing Report: go.gmu.edu/meaningfulwriting Check out our website!

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26:24

S3 E25: Preparing for and Facilitating Difficult...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2025/10/15

In our second Hear From Your Host episode, Dr. Rachel Yoho, the regular host of the podcast, becomes the guest as Producer Kelly Chandler guest hosts to facilitate a conversation on how we prepare for and navigate difficult situations in educational spaces.Resource: Stearns Center Events Calendar (registrations for George Mason affiliates only): https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/events/ Check out our website!

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28:01

S3 E24: All About Grading

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2025/10/02

Dr. Lisa Gring-Pemble, Dr. Aimee Weinstein, Maoria Kirker, and Doug McKenna join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss alternative grading strategies such as ungrading.Resource: Stearns Center Events Calendar (registrations for Mason affiliates only): https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/events/ Check out our website!

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20:18

S3 E23: Exploring Free Speech and Academic Freedom in...

Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education... ·

2025/09/17

Zach Greenberg, from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), joins your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, as the first guest from outside of the university to have an exploratory and academic talk about the timely topics of free speech and academic freedom. Please note that this episode was planned in June 2025 and recorded in August 2025. This is an academic exploration of a topic, not a set of directives, as are all podcast episodes. Resources: The FIRE Org: https://www.thefire.org FIRE’s

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