Writing
Course design, the C.O.R.E Framework, Universal Design for Learning, active learning, feedback, AI in higher education, and PT education. 83 articles, newest first.
Featured
9 min read
A field guide to the questions that build understanding in course design: priming, guiding, probing, critical, clarifying, retrieval, reflective, transfer and enduring questions, and who should be asking them.
84 min read
AI reliably improves what students produce, but it does not reliably improve what they learn. Engagement, leadership, and the design choices underneath AI in higher education.
9 min read
Video did not kill the radio star, and it will not kill the lecture either. What Mayer's multimedia research says about instructor faces, generative pauses, and choosing between Camtasia and Loom, plus five ways to use video in PT education.
14 min read
When AI can answer almost anything, the skill left for students is the one it cannot do for them: thinking about their own thinking. Sarah Robertson's six metacognition strategies, translated for a health professions classroom, with cautions on where AI belongs.
11 min read
I have been mentored badly by generous people and mentored well by people who had very little time for me. If I am being honest, I have probably also been both types of mentors as well. The difference was never warmth, a
12 min read
We have all been there. Sitting in a classroom (or logged into a Zoom call) that felt, well, a little uninspired. The slides are clean. The information is accurate. The professor clearly put in hours of preparation. And ...
7 min read
For decades, researchers have known that how students regulate their own learning matters at least as much as what they study. Students who set goals, select effective strategies, monitor their progress, and reflect on o...
14 min read
In March 2020, educators around the world experienced what can only be described as an educational baptism by fire. Without warning, without preparation, and without the luxury of a gradual transition, millions of instru...
16 min read
When I was a younger man, I did a fair amount of stand-up comedy. While I had a lot of fun developing and performing material, it could get repetitive and boring. The jokes were the same every night. The audience was dif...
11 min read
When a large language model tells a physician that a drug interaction is safe when it isn't, or fabricates a clinical study that doesn't exist, we call it a hallucination. The term itself reveals our confusion about what
5 min read
In previous posts, we explored how the quality of your questions, multiplied by the frequency you ask them, raised to the power of the integrity of your answers, determines the power of your outcomes. This formula applie...
8 min read
Physical therapy sits at a fascinating intersection. It's simultaneously a rigorous scientific discipline and a profoundly human art. When students enter PT education, they're not just learning to apply techniques. They'...
11 min read
How do you know if your teaching is effective? How do you even define "effective?" It's not just whether students pass tests or complete assignments, but whether they gain a deep understanding.
17 min read
Effective feedback is not a discrete event. When designed well, it transforms assignments from isolated performances into an elegant learning system with iterative cycles where students develop increasingly sophisticated...
11 min read
In my previous essay, I introduced the concept of directionality as the fundamental architecture of learning: the idea that what matters most isn't whether you're lecturing or leading a discussion, but rather how informa...
19 min read
In 2007, a group of Italian researchers led by Dr. Fabrizio Benedetti performed what seemed like a simple experiment. They gave morphine to patients recovering from thoracic surgery. Half received the painkiller from a d...
4 min read
For more than a century, one phrase has clung stubbornly to popular culture: survival of the fittest. It appears in business books, political speeches, sports commentary, and even classroom conversations. It has become s...
3 min read
Martin J. Eppler is Professor of Media and Communication Management at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and Director of its Institute for Media and Communication Management. He has won 12 MBA teaching awards an...
21 min read
Picture students logging into an online anatomy lecture on a Tuesday evening. Fifty participants appear as black squares on the screen, cameras off, names barely visible. The recorded lecture plays: a teaching fellow adv...
12 min read
I have a confession to make. I watch a lot of detective shows. Law & Order, CSI, any British mystery series I can get my hands on. And somewhere between season 3 of a police procedural and preparing to teach Advanced Cli...
9 min read
When I lost over 200 pounds more than 20 years ago, I learned something fundamental about human motivation: engagement is an energy management problem. This insight, born from personal transformation rather than pedagogi...
5 min read
Do I belong? It's a question I've often contemplated, whether I realized it or not. Human beings are hardwired to seek social connections. In some cultures, the ultimate punishment is to be shunned. We long to belong, bu...
10 min read
Before the written word, before formal education systems, before PowerPoint presentations and learning management systems, there were stories. Storytellers held positions of honor in their communities, chosen not just fo...
11 min read
What if your teaching could be as valued as your research? What if the innovations you develop in your classroom could advance your career just like publishing in top journals? That's the promise of the Scholarship of Te...
14 min read
Every educator faces a fundamental tension: how to provide honest, rigorous feedback without crushing students' spirits. Too harsh, and we risk pushing learners away. Too soft, and we deny them the critical information t...
58 min read
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) represents a fundamental reconceptualization of how we approach education in the 21st century. Rather than designing curricula for an imagined "average" student and then retrofitting a...
19 min read
A Universal Design for Learning Perspective on Belonging in Education
17 min read
Being called stupid sucks. Believing it is devastating.
13 min read
Picture two classrooms down the hall from each other.
8 min read
Every semester, I watch the same pattern unfold. A student masters the technical skills, aces every exam, demonstrates perfect recall, but when faced with an authentic problem, they freeze. They know what to do but canno...
15 min read
Introduction: The Knowledge Transfer Problem
7 min read
Log entry, 202509271845: We have created machines that learn and teach one another. We are unsure how they do it, and we are certainly not in control of the internal world they are creating among themselves. While this g...
4 min read
🐾On September 26, 2025, I had the privilege of attending a very insightful and heart-centered professional development session at the FPTA conference in Orlando. It was a deep dive into Animal-Assisted Interventions (AA...
4 min read
Attending the 3D Printing in Physical Therapy Education seminar presented at the Florida Physical Therapy Association Meeting in Orlando on September 27 was a truly eye-opening experience.
8 min read
For decades, physical therapy education programs have relied heavily on traditional metrics to predict student success: undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, and prerequisite course performance. While these numbers tell us some...
8 min read
The Science Behind AI's Confidence Problem: What Educators Need to Know
6 min read
A Case for Incorporating Appropriate Humor Into Your Teaching and Why
5 min read
How “Difficult” Strategies Actually Fit the Framework
4 min read
Authentic Questions in the Mentor Mindset: Definition, Science, and Practice
4 min read
Fostering Growth Through High Expectations and High Support
3 min read
The inquiry mindset is about asking questions that get below the surface, challenge assumptions, and lead to thoughtful decisions. Several tools embody this mindset, helping us think clearly and communicate with care. Le...
10 min read
A Strategic Approach to Active Learning in Physical Therapy Programs
10 min read
When I tell PT students they need to understand the hypothetico-deductive model, I usually get one of two reactions. Either glazed-over eyes (because it sounds theoretical and boring) or anxiety (because it sounds compli...
28 min read
Introduction: The Price of a Dream
5 min read
Artificial Intelligence has shaken the foundation of higher education. But before we label this disruption as a catastrophe or a revolution, it’s critical to return to a central question: What is the true purpose of high...
3 min read
Why PT Students Should Learn SBAR: Speaking the Language of Healthcare
16 min read
If you are an educator and a health professional like me, think of FERPA as the HIPAA of educational settings.
4 min read
We’ve all been there—stuck in a lecture hall, eyes glazed, mind drifting, wondering how something as fascinating as the universe can sound so... boring. Physics, a subject built on curiosity and explosive questions, too ...
5 min read
Education isn’t just about preparing students to graduate; it’s about preparing them to contribute meaningfully to the world. While students are the primary recipients of education, the impact of their learning extends f...
5 min read
“Far too often, we assume that if somebody doesn't understand what we're telling them, it's because they are 'stupid' or 'closed-minded.' That is very rarely the case. While we know our subject matter, we may fail to kno...
6 min read
From ancient Greece to today, questions have been recognized as one of the most powerful tools for intellectual growth and discovery. Throughout history, great thinkers have used questions not just as a means of obtainin...
5 min read
Strong Start to Finish (SStF) is at the forefront of educational reform, dedicated to ensuring that every student, particularly those from underrepresented and underserved communities, has the opportunity to succeed in h...
5 min read
The key to unlocking the potential of today’s students lies not in empty promises of future success or short-term rewards but in offering them a clear sense of purpose.
4 min read
In education, a sense of belonging plays a crucial role in determining a student’s success and well-being. Greg Walton, a professor at Stanford University, has dedicated his research to understanding how belonging impact...
4 min read
An authentic question is one in which the asker genuinely does not know the answer and is open to learning from the respondent. This differs from rhetorical or leading questions, where the asker often assumes they alread...
6 min read
When I was in my 30s, I ventured into stand-up comedy. Yes, I can be funny. . . or so I think.
3 min read
The CORE Framework, which stands for Concise, Organized, Relevant, and Engaging, is a structured approach to instructional design and content creation that places the learner at the center of the educational experience. ...
4 min read
Humor, in the context of education, can be defined as the intentional use of jokes, wit, playful language, or amusing anecdotes to create a more engaging, enjoyable, and relaxed learning environment. When used effectivel...
6 min read
Traditional methods of teaching and learning are increasingly being challenged by more dynamic and student-centered approaches. One such approach is Design Thinking, a methodology that originated in the fields of design ...
4 min read
The diagram to the left illustrates the varying degrees to which different generations interact with technology, a spectrum ranging from Digital Averse to Digital Native.
6 min read
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel is a landmark book that offers profound insights into how learning actually works. The book delves into the...
6 min read
Understanding the complexity of the world is increasingly essential for students as they navigate a rapidly changing and interconnected global landscape. Complex Systems Theory provides a framework for understanding how ...
5 min read
Students are valuable stakeholders in the creation and continuous improvement of curriculum. We want their feedback to be honest, accurate, and, most of all, useful. The reality is that most students don't complete the c...
4 min read
In today’s fast-paced, high-tech educational environment, students are bombarded with vast amounts of information. The challenge for educators is to deliver content effectively and ensure that students retain, comprehend...
5 min read
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a framework that emphasizes flexibility and inclusivity, ensuring that all students, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds, have equal opportunities to learn. The CORE ...
8 min read
Hybrid programs have become increasingly popular in higher education, offering the flexibility of online learning combined with the hands-on experience of in-person sessions. However, a key component of these programs—th...
4 min read
In the realm of education, we often talk about the importance of delivering high-quality content and fostering meaningful learning experiences. However, educators must consider another crucial aspect: respecting a learne...
4 min read
The Importance of Vocabulary in Advanced Learning
8 min read
10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager provides a fresh, research-based perspective on guiding young people through the crucial developmental years between 10 and 25. By exploring the science be...
4 min read
Scientific Teaching challenges educators to apply the same rigor they use in research to their teaching practice. The book translates complex findings from education, learning, and cognitive psychology into practical, ac...
3 min read
"A More Beautiful Question" by Warren Berger explores the power of inquiry, emphasizing how asking the right questions can lead to innovation, personal growth, and deeper understanding. The book argues that cultivating t...
3 min read
Originally penned by Kim Scott, a former executive at Google and Apple, Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity introduces readers to a revolutionary approach to feedback and relationship-building...
4 min read
UbD answers a deceptively simple question: How do you design curriculum that actually leads to understanding rather than just coverage? The book presents "backward design": starting with desired results, then determining...
2 min read
In their insightful book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning, authors José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in educat...
4 min read
Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind offers more than just a history lesson. The book’s deep dive into the evolution of humanity provides a lens through which educators and academic leaders can reima...
3 min read
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck is a transformative book that explores the profound impact of our beliefs about our abilities and potential. Dweck introduces two core concepts: the "fixed mindset...
5 min read
Molly Wright was a 7-year-old Grade 2 student from Queensland, Australia when she delivered this talk, making her one of the youngest TED speakers in history. She is an aspiring wildlife warrior, performer, and budding s...
3 min read
"Daisy's Different," a beautifully illustrated children’s book authored by Dr. Russ L'HommeDieu, DPT, and Karen L'HommeDieu, LMSW, and illustrated by Patrick Carlson, is more than just a story. It’s a heartfelt journey t...
3 min read
In Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool upend the myth that innate talent is the key driver of exceptional performance. Through decades of research, Ericsson introduces us to t...
