Professor, librarian co-teach students to create open access podcast
The university is continuing efforts for reaffirmation of accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, whose peer review team will visit KU in March 2025. The HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation based on the standards of quality outlined in its Criteria for Accreditation. Criterion 3 focuses on teaching and learning, particularly in their quality, and level of resources and support to students, instructors and staff.
HLC in action
To connect with and engage students, as well as use KU’s resources to the fullest, Shannon O’Lear, professor in the Department of Geography & Atmospheric Science, and Tami Albin, associate librarian, have partnered to teach Environmental Geopolitics. As part of the class, students learn to communicate their research through podcasting and publishing their work as a collection in Pressbooks, an online publishing platform.
The Pressbook, “Podcast Perspectives of Environmental Geopolitics,” has received more than 19,500 views from people around the world since its launch in fall 2022. From analyzing the impact of fast-fashion giant Shein to looking deeper into U.S. fire suppression practices, students critically analyze a wide range of topics through O’Lear’s environmental geopolitics framework...