KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Dr. Ed Burger

Higher Ed: A+ or D- For Letter Grades?

A Higher Ed listener emailed in asking about letter grades: are they good? Bad? Do they hinder students’ desire to take classes that might be interesting but challenging, too? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about the impact letter grades can have on how we experience and approach our formal education. Imagine what school might be like without grades. Or if students were given the time to master a subject rather than be evaluated on it at pre-set time intervals? Hear Ed and Jennifer further discuss the utility of letter grades and possible alternatives to those A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s, and F’s. It won’t be graded, but see how you do with this week’s new puzzler. Hint: a pair of sunglasses might help!

This episode was recorded on November 18, 2015.

Higher Ed: Learning and Regret

“Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption.” Frank Sinatra sings about regret in “My Way.”  In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about the decisions we make along the way in our formal education, and the role regret can play in lifelong learning. Hear more about how regret can motivate – rather than discourage – our pursuit of knowledge. Ever make a decision about your hair color that you have come to regret? Listen on to find out the solution to last week’s puzzler about truth, lies, and hair color!

Higher Ed: Journeys in Education and Graduate School

When does it make sense for an undergraduate student to continue formal education and attend graduate school? Sometimes, it’s an easy call; if someone wants to be a doctor or a lawyer, it’s a necessity. But how does a student know if that’s really what they want to pursue? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about what to weigh when deciding about that next step in school. Listen to Ed’s own story about his graduate school experience (wait until you hear what profession he almost pursued instead of math and education) and to catch the new puzzler – it’s all about truth, lies, and hair color.

Higher Ed: Instinct vs. Intellect

There are times when we feel like we just “know” something. We can’t necessarily explain why, but we just have a “gut” feeling about it. When is it useful to go with that gut feeling, and when should we slow down and think things through? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about using our instincts and using our intellect. Do you go with your gut when trying to solve the puzzlers, or do you reason them through? Either way, listen on to find out the solution to a puzzler involving money and math.

 

Higher Ed: Pedagogy and Puzzles

Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger is obviously a pretty busy guy. But he does make time to teach a class each year. This fall, he’s teaching a class that’s centered on puzzles. Puzzlers. Teasers. Questions that really make students grapple for the solution. Why a class focused on that? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Dr. Ed Burger puzzle over the value of puzzles to learning. Puzzlers can be more than fun and games; hear Ed argue for the utility of brain teasers in expanding and enhancing learning. Speaking of puzzlers… it’s time for a new one. Click here for the newest puzzler involving money and math.

This episode was recorded on September 30, 2015.

Higher Ed: Expertise in an Age of Rapid Change

Technology allows us to access so much information so easily.  There are not many subjects we cannot learn at least a little something about. But does that knowledge make us all experts? What does it even mean to be an expert anymore? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss expertise in this age of adaptability. They also try to figure out if they’re experts in anything, including math puzzlers. Remember last episode’s puzzler about GPA’s?  Think you figured it out? Join them to hear the solution.

Higher Ed: “Formal” Education

Have you ever heard anyone talk about “getting through” a class or “knocking out” course requirements? What exactly is the point of a “formal” education – just to get a degree, or set a course for life long learning? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger sift through different definitions of a formal education and talk about process vs. outcome. They also introduce a new math puzzler about GPA’s. No calculators needed – just a little brain power.

 

 

Higher Ed: Liberal Arts, Democracy, and the Media

What happens when you mix together liberal arts and democracy and then throw in a little media coverage? You get a fascinating discussion about the intersection of those three storied institutions. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss how liberal arts learning habits can help us navigate our democracy – especially when political discussions in the media sometimes seem more contentious than civil. In this episode, Ed and Jennifer talk politics – or more specifically, they talk about talking about politics. They also hash out the solution to the latest math puzzler about truth-tellers and liars. How can you tell them apart? Listen on for the creative solution.

Higher Ed: Broad Strokes of Learning

Have you ever heard of a “value study” in art? It’s a way to make a quick sketch of whatever you see and then fill it in with shades of gray. It leaves out detail in favor of broader strokes that capture the essence of the subject. Could this also be a way to tackle a new intellectual endeavor? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger translate this art technique to learning. Ed and Jennifer talk about Ed’s summer break (it was only three days long!) and how his art lessons impacted his thinking about education.

This edition of the math puzzler asks you to sort out liars from truth-tellers. It’s trickier than it sounds!

Higher Ed: Conquering Math “Phobia”

“I was told there would be no math!” It’s a line people sometimes say in mock frustration when faced with a situation involving arithmetic.  For some people, the thought of doing addition or subtraction causes their hearts to race and their palms to sweat. Why is that? Why do so many of us fear numbers? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger confront the concept of math phobia and explore ways to conquer it. Ed and Jennifer delve into the reasons why some people are math averse and discuss if it’s really math, or arithmetic, that people don’t like. Whether you love it or can leave it, listen on to hear a celebration of the “nerdiness” of math and to hear Ed issue a heartfelt apology. What for? You’ll only know by checking out this episode.

Higher Ed: Summer Break for the Brain

Once school is over for the summer, many students are tempted to put it as far out of their minds as possible and take a break from the rigors of the academic year.  And they certainly aren’t thinking about the school year ahead. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about striking a healthy balance between letting your brain take a summer vacation and keeping it busy enough to be fresh for the fall. Ed and Jennifer discuss ways students can prepare themselves over the summer for the school year ahead, especially if they are heading to college for the first time. Listen to hear Ed’s one word key to a successful summer.  And find out if you came up with the right solution to the refreshing summer math puzzler involving mango juice.

Higher Ed: Extreme Learning Makeover

A new haircut. Maybe some new clothes. What about gutting a house and rebuilding the whole thing? Those sound like pretty extreme makeovers. What about an extreme learning makeover? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss ways to transform how we teach and learn. Listen on as Ed and Jennifer talk about the ways that education can change lives for the better and help people become their best selves. And be ready for the next math puzzler – and you might want to grab a measuring cup and ladle for this one.

Higher Ed: Deep Rest = Better Learning

Caffeine-fueled all-nighters to finish up that paper or cram for a final exam. For some students, that’s a regular part of their studying routine in higher education. They come to equate intense periods of hard work with more successful achievement and learning. But some research indicates slowing down that work flow might actually be the best recipe for deeper learning. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger have a lively discussion about the benefits of a slower pace. Notice something a little difference about this episode? Ed and Jennifer switch roles, as Ed interviews Jennifer about her insights following a lengthy break from the usually hectic pace of work. Did that break help Jennifer think up the solution to the most recent math puzzler? Listen on to find out.

Higher Ed: Aging and Learning

Remember that early 1990’s television show Doogie Howser, M.D. about a brilliant teenage doctor? Doogie had graduated from college by the age of ten and had become a doctor at 14. Ok, that may be a little extreme, but is it possible that young people could learn that much that early in life? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss some of the commonly held assumptions about age and learning. Most of us associate learning with school. And most of us associate attending school with certain ages and stages of life. Ed and Jennifer discuss the proposition that chronological age is not necessarily related to the ability to learn. What is? Listen on to find out, and to hear this week’s new math puzzler; it’s an especially good one if you happen to be headed to the beach.

 

 

Higher Ed: Creating New Knowledge

What does it take to do heavy duty research and generate new ideas in an academic field? A pile of degrees and years and years spent closed off in a room with noses to the grindstone? Not necessarily! In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore what it takes to create new knowledge and who is actually qualified to do that. They hear from some undergraduate students doing their own original research. Who says research is only for grad students and professors! Ed and Jennifer also discuss what it takes for students and faculty to facilitate original and creative work. Hope you’re feeling creative; the answer to the math puzzler about the deck of cards is revealed.

Higher Ed: How Technology Impacts Learning

With smartphones in the hands of so many people these days, we should be a lot smarter, right? How does technology impact the way we learn? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore the relationship between technology and learning. We’ve come a long way from chalk and erasers. It seems like technology has made it easier to access more information more quickly – think computers. That’s good, right? But can all that hardware, software, and information be more distraction than enrichment? You’ll need to focus to follow the latest math puzzler; and grabbing a deck of cards wouldn’t hurt, either!

Higher Ed: The Meaning and Nuance of Numbers

From pre-K and all the way through graduate studies in math, we learn about numbers. But think about it – what is a number, really? What does the concept of  “four” or a “million” of something actually mean? In this week’s episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed,  KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger try to define what numbers really are. Hear some stories about first graders’ take on the meaning of numbers. And it turns out humans aren’t the only species that uses the concept of numbers. Ever heard of the “limit of four?” Listen on to find out what it means, and what is tells us about how humans and other species make meaning and learn.

Higher Ed: How to Understand Deeply and Make Meaning

Remember “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey,” that spoof of affirmations and pithy sayings?  They’re funny for sure, but the idea of understanding something deeply is a serious part of education during school and beyond. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss how to understand something deeply and how that impacts learning. It turns out that deep understanding doesn’t require delving intensely into the topic; consistent baby steps will actually do the trick. So will stepping back and admitting what you don’t know about a subject; that change of perspective can help you explore new territory.

Higher Ed: Learning to “Unlearn”

Learning…. it’s what we all go to school for, right? Well, have you ever thought about what we’re actually doing when we learn? Sometimes, it’s just memorizing names, dates, or facts that we can reproduce on a test. We might ace the test, but have we really learned anything? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss the important role “unlearning” plays in learning. What exactly is “unlearning?” It may seem counter-intuitive to those in higher ed and all lifelong learners: the idea of “unlearning” old habits that don’t really bring meaning and substance to what we learn. Is it ok to toss out some of those old ideas about what it means to learn, and take a new approach? Absolutely!

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