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The What And Who Of EDU

The What And Who Of EDU

By: Macmillan Learning
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 Welcome to The What and Who of EDU. Join us as we talk with thought leaders, educators, and experts to explore the latest trends, innovations, and best practices shaping education today. Whether in the classroom or beyond, we equip educators with the tools and insights to support student learning anytime, anywhere.2025
Episodes
  • EP 09: From Blah to Aha! 10 Instructor-Approved Ways to Engage Students

    EP 09: From Blah to Aha! 10 Instructor-Approved Ways to Engage Students
    Jun 4 2025
    Lectures have a reputation. And it’s... not great. Think glazed eyes, hidden phones and the eternal question: “Will this be on the exam?” But lectures don’t have to be one-way streets. In this Top 10 episode of The What & Who of EDU, we share 10 engagement strategies straight from real educators who’ve wrestled with disengaged students, and won. 🔥 Spoiler: There are iClickers, Disney villains, coloring pages, and even campaign speeches involved. Brought to you by Macmillan Learning 🎓 Episode Highlights: Don’t Compete With AI—Do What It Can’t [00:01:27] Break the Spell—Reset Focus Every 15 Minutes [00:03:47] Pop In a Checkpoint—Mid-Lecture, Not Midnap [00:5:21] Let Students Take the Wheel [00:07:14] iClickers = Speed Bumps for Your Brain [00:08:17] Remix the Medium—Even Disney Counts [00:10:20] Don’t Just Lecture—Choreograph Learning [00:11:41] Asynchronous ≠ Autopilot [00:14:05] Build Belonging Into the Bones [00:15:50] Have Students Direct (And SOmetimes Eat) Their Learning [00:18:18] Flip the Script—Let Students Lead the Questions [00:20:34] 📌 Educator Bios & Resources: Learn more about our amazing featured educators Dr. Ryan Herzog is an Associate Professor of Economics, Program Coordinator, and Faculty Fellow at Gonzaga University, where he has been teaching for 16 years. His work focuses on macroeconomics, financial markets, and public policy. Dr. Erika Martinez is a Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida, where she has been teaching economics for 14 years. She also teaches at UNC-Kenan Flagler Business School’s MBA@UNC online program and Santa Barbara City College, covering courses from principles of economics to advanced microeconomic theory and many economic electives. She is the recipient of multiple teaching awards and is passionate about making economics accessible and engaging for all students. Dr. Margaret Holloway is an Assistant Professor of English and the Composition Coordinator in the English & Modern Languages Department at Clark Atlanta University. Her research is rooted in the rhetoric and composition discipline, and she has nine years of college-level teaching experience. Dr. Mike May is the lower division coordinator in the department of mathematics and statistics at Saint Louis University, where he has taught for more than 30 years. During that time he has looked at how to effectively incorporate numerous technologies into effectively teaching mathematics. He is currently looking at using spreadsheets in teaching mathematics to business students. Dr. Christin Monroe is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Landmark College, where she has been teaching for five years. She teaches in Principles of Chemistry, Introduction to Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry, with a focus on supporting neurodivergent learners through inclusive and innovative teaching practices. Jennifer Duncan is Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. Jennifer has been teaching English literature and composition for twenty-five years and specializing in online teaching for fifteen. Dr. Derek Harmon is an Associate Professor - Clinical in the Department of Biomedical Education and Anatomy at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. For over a decade, he has taught anatomy to medical, graduate, physical therapy, and occupational therapy students, medical residents, and practicing clinicians. His research is focused on the impact of immersive technology on anatomy education and medical simulation. Betsy Langness has been with Jefferson Community and Technical College since 2002. Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member in 2015, she was a Counselor at the college and taught as an adjunct for 9 years. Before coming to Jefferson, she was a Senior Academic Advisor for the Honors Program at the University of Louisville. She is currently teaching general and developmental psychology courses in a virtual, asynchronous environment. Dr. Charlotte de Araujo is an Assistant Professor, York University with 16+ years of post-secondary undergraduate and graduate teaching experience geared towards biology and biomedical science students. She was recently recognized with a 2023 Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Charlotte has coordinated large-scale biology/biochemistry programs at multiple Ontario based universities and is also a consultant. Dr. Jennifer Ripley Stueckle has spent the past 17 years as a Teaching Professor and Non-Majors Biology Program Director at West Virginia University. While Dr. Ripley Stueckle expertise centers around toxicology and fish physiology, she has taught introductory biology, introductory biology labs, immunology, and human physiology, in addition to creating and directing the introductory biology courses offered through dual enrollment at West Virginia high schools. Adriana Bryant is an English and Developmental English Instructor at ...
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    24 mins
  • EP 8: Little Reflections, Big Gains: Digging Into the Data on Student Belonging & Metacognition

    EP 8: Little Reflections, Big Gains: Digging Into the Data on Student Belonging & Metacognition
    May 21 2025

    We talk a lot about helping students succeed, but what if the most powerful tools aren’t new technologies or teaching hacks, but the quiet moments where students reflect, connect, and feel like they actually belong?

    In this special edition of Digging Into the Data on the What & Who of EDU, host Marisa Bluestone returns with Marcy Baughman, VP of Learning Science & Research at Macmillan Learning, to unpack findings from a large-scale, IRB-approved study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. With data from 726 students across 29 institutions, this episode explores two deceptively simple tools: a metacognitive reflection resource and a digital tool that fostered real belonging. The results were statistically significant, and included higher exam scores, increased engagement and students saying, “I actually felt like I belonged here.”

    Whether you're curious about the impact of “soft skills,” want to support first-gen students or are just looking for a low-lift way to improve outcomes, this episode has practical insights you can use right away.

    Brought to you by Macmillan Learning

    🔍 What You’ll Learn:

    • Just because students don’t say “I need belonging” doesn’t mean they don’t.
    • How small, reflective check-ins led to measurable gains in student performance.
    • What students really mean when they talk about feeling lost in college.
    • How one grief-sharing moment sparked peer support and classroom connection.
    • Why instructors who responded to student insights saw the biggest payoffs.
    • The surprising power of mentors in normalizing academic doubt.
    • How “good enough” engagement with these tools still moved the needle.
    📚 Today's Syllabus:
    • What Makes IRB-Approved Research So Powerful – 00:01:58
    • The Scale and Diversity of the Research – 00:03:18
    • Why Instructors Helped Design the Tools – 00:06:05
    • Belonging in Student Language (Not Research Jargon) – 00:08:01
    • What Reflection Really Looks Like for Busy Students – 00:9:56
    • Why It Worked: The Surprising Impact – 00:10:32
    • Reflection That Actually Changed Outcomes – 00:12:44
    • The Power of Peer Mentorship (Even on Video) – 00:13:43
    • Belonging, Made Visible – 00:14:55
    • How Instructors Integrated These Tools – 00:18:26
    • Implementation Wins and “Good Enough” Habits – 00:21:04
    • What’s Next for the Belonging Tool – 00:22:06
    • Final Takeaways & Tips Recap – 00:24:06

    Required Reading:

    • Interested in participating in the research? Let us know! https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8198865/F25-Macmillan-Research-Study-Instructor-Interest-Survey

    • Sense of Belonging and Metacognition Study Overview: https://community.macmillanlearning.com

    • Goal Setting and Reflection Surveys Research Note: https://go.macmillanlearning.com/rs/1

    • About Achieve: https://go.macmillanlearning.com/achieve

    Guest:
    Marcy Baughman
    VP, Learning Science & Research, Macmillan Learning

    Office Hours:
    Have a classroom story, tip, or question? Call (512) 765-4688 and you might be featured in a future episode.
    Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Email us at TheWhatAndWhoOfEDU@macmillan.com
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    29 mins
  • EP 7: Four Strategies, Five Point Gains: Digging Into The Data on The Real Impact of Evidence-Based Teaching

    EP 7: Four Strategies, Five Point Gains: Digging Into The Data on The Real Impact of Evidence-Based Teaching
    May 14 2025

    What if improving your students’ exam scores didn’t mean more grading, longer lectures, or sacrificing your personal life to the pedagogical gods? In this special episode of Digging Into the Data, host Marisa Bluestone sits down with Marcy Baughman, VP of Learning Science & Research at Macmillan Learning, to break down a large-scale study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The focus? Four powerhouse evidence-based teaching strategies and the measurable impact they had on over 1,400 students across three semesters.

    From surprising subgroup insights to tips you can try tomorrow, we’re giving you the research-backed goods—and a few mic-drop moments you won’t want to miss.

    Brought to you by Macmillan Learning

    🔍 What You’ll Learn:

    • Why “thinking about thinking” might just be the ultimate grade booster.

    • What instructors think they’re doing vs. what students feel they’re experiencing.

    • How small digital nudges created big academic wins.

    • Why it’s not just what you teach—but how students understand they’re learning.

    • What students really need to hear when they’re knee-deep in coursework (and why you should say it more often).

    • How the simple act of assigning the right resource can unlock better outcomes—without adding more to your plate.

    • The one strategy students loved... but couldn’t name.

    📚 Today's Syllabus:

    📜 The Goals Behind the Study → 00:02:01
    📊 Defining the Four Strategies → 00:03:28
    🏫 The Biggest Surprises → 00:05:10
    💡 Metacognition's Outsized Impact → 00:07:17
    🛠 Scaling Strategies: What’s Ready, What’s Not → 00:09:02
    🔍 Bridging Perception Gaps in Active Learning → 00:12:23
    ✨ Instructors Who Pivoted Mid-Semester → 00:13:21
    🎓 One Simple, Powerful Teaching Habit → 00:15:40
    🎯 How to Implement Goal Setting and Reflection → 00:17:11
    🧠 The 5-Point Impact of Evidence Based Teaching → 00:19:03
    ✨ What We Learned Today — A Brief Summary → 00:22:18

    📖 Required Reading:

    Links to studies, references, and Macmillan Learning resources mentioned in the episode:

    • Macmillan Learning. Goal Setting and Reflection Surveys Research Note. (2024). https://community.macmillanlearning.com

    • About Achieve: https://go.macmillanlearning.com/achieve

    • Goal Setting and Reflection Surveys Research Note: https://go.macmillanlearning.com/rs/1

    • Digging Into the Data: Why Metacognition is the new Meta in Learning Apple | Spotify

    • Learning Forward – Evidence-Based Teaching Practices That Work: https://community.macmillanlearning.com/t5/learning-stories-blog/learning-forward-evidence-based-teaching-practices-that-work/ba-p/23054

    Guest:

    Marcy Baughman
    VP, Learning Science & Research, Macmillan Learning

    Office Hours:

    📞 Leave us a voicemail! Got a classroom story, tip, or question? Call (512) 765-4688 and you might be featured in a future episode.

    📨 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Email us at TheWhatAndWhoOfEDU@macmillan.com.
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    27 mins
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