Active Learning in Further Education and Community College: Five Simple Swaps That Work

Active Learning in Further Education and Community College: Five Simple Swaps That Work

Active learning is one of the most talked about ideas in further education and community college teaching, and one of the most overcomplicated. In this solo episode, Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly cuts through the noise and makes a straightforward case: you do not need to redesign your entire course or spend half your week planning elaborate activities. You need to make one small change at a time. Lauran defines active learning, addresses the myths that put instructors off trying it, and explains why passive teaching simply does not serve the diverse learners in our colleges. This episode gives you five concrete, low-effort swaps you can try straight away in your classroom or learning space, whether you teach in a UK further education college or on a community college campus in the US. From chunking your lecture into five-minute segments to replacing a study guide with a game-based review, each idea is grounded in real teaching and learning practice and comes with clear examples across different subject areas. Lauran also covers the common pitfalls, including over-planning and losing the learning focus, so you can avoid the mistakes and get straight to what works. If innovative teaching feels out of reach right now, this episode is a good place to start. What We Cover in This Episode * 0:44 What active learning actually is and why it matters for college education: a clear definition, the contrast with passive learning, and why diverse learners in further education and community college settings benefit most from approaches that build critical thinking and collaboration. * 4:10 The myths that stop tutors and faculty members from trying active learning: why it does not require a total redesign, why giving up some lecture time is worth it, and the concept of simple swaps instead of full course overhauls. * 7:00 The first three swaps in practice: chunking a long lecture into five to ten minute segments with structured discussion, turning worksheets into problem-solving stations that get learners out of their seats, and using structured peer feedback on drafts to build feedback literacy and reduce instructor workload. * 10:40 Swap four and five: student-created presentations as a way to build higher order thinking from early in the year, and game-based review as an alternative to passive revision, including how to manage mixed attainment groups and keep the energy up in long teaching days. * 16:30 Common pitfalls and how to avoid them: keeping your learning objectives central, not gamifying everything, and the importance of building routines around new activities so students know what to expect and the activity does not lose its value. Links, Resources and Offers Free resource and newsletter: www.alteringcourse.com/shop [https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop] Speaking engagements, coaching and executive function support: www.alteringcourse.com [https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop] About Your Host Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly is an award-winning educator and author who has dedicated her career to transforming lives through education. As a speaker and coach, she helps educators, leaders, and students build skills for creativity and success drawing on experience in American community colleges, British and international schools in England, and her current role as Quality and Innovation Lead in an English college. She shares a nerdy and adventurous life full of books, board games, and travels with her spouse, daughter, and dog. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/altering.course/⁠ ] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurankerrheraly/⁠ ] Website [https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop⁠]

Using AI to Reduce Teacher Workload Without Losing the Human Side: Esam Baboukhan on Innovative Teaching in Further Education and College

Episode Description What does it look like when AI genuinely supports teaching and learning rather than replacing it? In this episode of From College to College, Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly speaks with Esam Baboukhan, an educator and co-founder of TeacherMatic, about how further education and community college professionals can use AI tools to cut through the paperwork and get back to what matters most. Esam brings over twenty years of experience in further education, where he worked as a lecturer, Advanced Practitioner, and e-learning manager before co-founding TeacherMatic, an AI platform built by educators for educators. He also holds a Silver Award from the Pearson National Teaching Awards for Digital Innovator of the Year. This is a conversation about what great college education looks like when technology is done right. Esam and Lauran discuss the 80/20 rule for working with AI, why the human qualities of teaching are becoming more important rather than less, and how innovative teaching can help lecturers, tutors, and faculty members stay energised and effective over a long career. Whether you work in a UK further education college or a North American community college, you will find practical thinking here about preparing learners not just for jobs, but for an unpredictable world. What We Cover in This Episode * 00:01 Esam introduces his background in further education, from teaching BTec qualifications to working as an Advanced Practitioner coaching staff on teaching and learning improvement through non-graded lesson observations * 05:00 Why further education and community college are uniquely innovative environments, and how the freedom to experiment with new technology kept Esam engaged in teaching more or less the same subjects for over twenty years * 07:30 How TeacherMatic came to be, the 80/20 rule for working with AI in education, and why the teacher's twenty percent, the human review and refinement of AI outputs, is the most important part of the process * 10:50 What great teaching looks like in an AI-driven world, including the role of passion, storytelling, empathy, and helping students navigate an unpredictable future through college education that builds adaptable, resilient learners * 19:10 Esam's most profound moment in twenty years of innovative teaching: introducing Microsoft Teams for a student with a hearing impairment, and what happened when that student found his voice Links, Resources and Offers TeacherMatic (AI platform for educators): https://teachermatic.com/ Microsoft story about Kabir (referenced in episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm3fwUd7P14 Free resources and newsletter: https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop Speaking engagements, coaching and executive function support: https://www.alteringcourse.com About Your Host Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly is an award-winning educator and author who has dedicated her career to transforming lives through education. As a speaker and coach, she helps educators, leaders, and students build skills for creativity and success drawing on experience in American community colleges, British and international schools in England, and her current role as Quality and Innovation Lead in an English college. She shares a nerdy and adventurous life full of books, board games, and travels with her spouse, daughter, and dog. * Website [https://www.alteringcourse.com/] * Instagram: ⁠⁠@altering.course⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/altering.course/] * ⁠⁠Lauran Kerr-Heraly, Ph.D. | LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurankerrheraly/] About the Guest Esam Baboukhan is a co-founder of TeacherMatic and a Silver Award winner in the Pearson National Teaching Awards for Digital Innovator of the Year, with over twenty years of experience in further education as a teacher, Advanced Practitioner, and e-learning manager. He has contributed to international blended learning projects and been recognised in the UK EdTech 50 list, and now works with TeacherMatic to help educators use AI to reduce workload while improving teaching and learning. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/esam-baboukhan] Website [https://teachermatic.com] Email: esam@teachermatic.com

Course Redesign, Belonging, and Teaching History at College with Dr. Amy Powers

Episode Description What does it take to make a history course relevant to a nursing student, an accounting student, or someone training in auto technology? In this episode, Lauran Kerr-Heraly is joined by Amy Powers, Professor of History and Faculty Development Coordinator at Waubonsee Community College in Illinois, to talk about community college teaching and learning, course redesign, and what it genuinely means to serve students whose lives outside the classroom are complicated. Amy draws on over 25 years of experience and her involvement in the American Historical Association's History Gateways project to explain how she redesigned her introductory history courses to build relevance, belonging, and intellectual curiosity from the very first session. You will come away from this conversation with concrete ideas you can apply straight away, whether you teach in a further education college in the UK or on a community college campus in the US. Amy and Lauran discuss how to balance rigor with flexibility for students juggling work, family, and study, why asking a good question is a teachable skill worth spending time on, and how metacognition has changed the way Amy approaches faculty development. The conversation is grounded, honest, and full of practical examples that transfer across disciplines and college education contexts. What We Cover in This Episode * 0:00 Amy Powers introduces her role at Waubonsee Community College and her recent move into faculty development, coordinating professional development for around four hundred full time and part time faculty across all disciplines. * 5:20 Why community college is built around more than the individual student: how success for one learner ripples out to families, neighborhoods, and local industries, and why further education institutions in the UK share the same community mandate. * 10:30 The History Gateways course redesign project: how Amy worked with the American Historical Association to rethink introductory history courses, and the assignment called Everything Has a History that asked students to connect the subject to their own chosen fields. * 16:00 Balancing ambitious teaching and learning with the real pressures students face: why empathy first is not a lowering of standards, and how offering flexibility in assignment choice and deadlines keeps students engaged without reducing the rigor of the course. * 23:57 Metacognition as innovative teaching practice: how Amy has introduced reflective assignments into her courses and why helping students understand how they learn has a lasting impact well beyond college education. Links, Resources and Offers American Historical Association [https://www.historians.org⁠] Waubonsee Community College [https://www.waubonsee.edu⁠] Free resources and newsletter: www.alteringcourse.com/podcast [https://www.alteringcourse.com/podcast] Speaking engagements, coaching and executive function support: www.alteringcourse.com [https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop] About Your Host Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly is an award-winning educator and author who has dedicated her career to transforming lives through education. As a speaker and coach, she helps educators, leaders, and students build skills for creativity and success drawing on experience in American community colleges, British and international schools in England, and her current role as Quality and Innovation Lead in an English college. She shares a nerdy and adventurous life full of books, board games, and travels with her spouse, daughter, and dog. Connect with Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly  * Website: ⁠⁠www.alteringcourse.com⁠⁠ [http://www.alteringcourse.com]  * Instagram: ⁠⁠@altering.course⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/altering.course/] * ⁠⁠Lauran Kerr-Heraly, Ph.D. | LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurankerrheraly/] About the Guest Amy Powers is a Professor of History and Faculty Development Coordinator at Waubonsee Community College, just outside Chicago, where she has been teaching U.S. History, Western Civilization, and World History for over 25 years. She is passionate about the community college model and what it means for local students, families, and the wider community. You can find her at the links below. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-powers-323230273/⁠ ] Website [https://www.waubonsee.edu/powers-dr-amy⁠ ] Email: apowers@waubonsee.edu

Executive Function in Further Education and Community College: What Every Educator Needs to Know

Whether you work in further education or a community college, you have almost certainly watched a capable student freeze. They understand the content, they want to do the work, and then they cannot start, cannot organise their time, or cannot follow through. This episode is about why that happens and what educators can actually do about it. Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly draws on her own neurodiverse household, two decades in classrooms and colleges on both sides of the Atlantic, and her current role as Quality and Innovation Lead to explain what executive function is, how it breaks down for learners and staff alike, and why it is a teaching and learning issue as much as a personal one. You will leave this episode with a clearer framework for understanding working memory, mental flexibility, and self-regulation, and with practical ideas you can implement straight away in your college or classroom. From milestone-based assignments to start-here checklists and formative checkpoints, these are strategies that work in further education contexts and transfer directly to community college settings. Lauran also makes the case that supporting executive function is not just good innovative teaching practice; it is an equity issue, and one that leadership has a responsibility to design for. What We Cover in This Episode * 0:00 Why executive function is a teaching and learning issue, not just a student problem: Lauran introduces the episode through her own experience of two ADHD diagnoses in one year and explains what drew her to the language of executive function in her college work. * 4:15 What executive function actually is: A practical breakdown of working memory, including why the post-it note analogy helps educators and faculty members understand why students lose track of tasks before they complete them. * 8:30 Mental flexibility and self-regulation in further education: How cognitive flexibility shows up in lesson planning, team meetings, and the moment a neurodiverse learner has to move between classrooms or adapt to an unplanned change in their college day. * 13:00 Teaching executive function skills inside your course: Why Lauran went back to giving learners a month-by-month study calendar, how to build milestone plans into assignments, and why formative checkpoints reduce the strain of executive function challenges for students in any college education setting. * 17:30 What leaders can do to support innovative teaching and staff: Reducing cognitive load through standardised templates and clearer systems, training support staff in executive function, and designing working environments that make it easier for everyone on your campus or in your college to do their best work. Links, Resources and Offers Free resource and newsletter: https://www.alteringcourse.com [https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop] Speaking engagements, coaching and executive function support: https://www.alteringcourse.com [https://www.alteringcourse.com/shop] About Your Host Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly is an award-winning educator and author who has dedicated her career to transforming lives through education. As a speaker and coach, she helps educators, leaders, and students build skills for creativity and success drawing on experience in American community colleges, British and international schools in England, and her current role as Quality and Innovation Lead in an English college. She shares a nerdy and adventurous life full of books, board games, and travels with her spouse, daughter, and dog. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/altering.course/⁠ ] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurankerrheraly/⁠ ] Website [https://www.alteringcourse.com⁠]

Why Further Education and Community College Change Lives: Widening Participation, Skills and Innovation [Episode 3]

In this episode, Lauran is joined by Rhian Ramsden, Quality and Innovation Lead and professional doctorate student at Wiltshire College and University Centre, to explore why further education and community college are so much more than a second choice. Drawing on over a decade of teaching and quality work across inner city London and rural Wiltshire, Rhian speaks candidly about widening participation, the hierarchy of higher education, and why contextualising learning changes everything for the students schools left behind. Whether you are a lecturer or tutor in a UK further education college or a faculty member at a North American community college, this episode is an honest and energising look at what college education can and should be doing for every learner it serves. What We Cover in This Episode * 00:00 Introduction to Rhian Ramsden and how working in psychiatric care set her on an unexpected path into further education * 04:30 What a Quality and Innovation Lead actually does and why a supportive presence in learning spaces benefits lecturers and learners alike * 09:15 Why further education saves lives and how contextualising learning transforms outcomes for learners that school left behind * 15:00 The hierarchy of higher education in the UK and US and why the prestige attached to certain institutions is completely misplaced * 20:45 Widening participation and rurality as a barrier to access and what the literature tells us about why learners actively choose further education college * 25:30 Skills competitions as safe risk and why putting learners under pressure in a safe environment prepares them for the realities of adult and working life * 28:45 Failure as a learning opportunity and the speed dating interview technique that has resulted in every single one of Riann's students receiving at least one university offer Links, Resources & Offers * Free Newsletter & Episode Resources: Subscribe at ⁠www.alteringcourse.com⁠ [http://www.alteringcourse.com/podcast] * Free Resource: Pathway to Foster Independent Students with Executive Function Skills ⁠www.alteringcourse.com/⁠ [http://www.alteringcourse.com/podcast] * Speaking Engagements, Coaching & Executive Function Support: ⁠www.alteringcourse.com⁠ [http://www.alteringcourse.com] About Your Host Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly is an award-winning educator and author who has dedicated her career to transforming lives through education. As a speaker and coach, she helps educators, leaders, and students build skills for creativity and success, drawing on experience in American community colleges, British and international schools in the U.K., and her current role as Quality and Innovation Lead in an English college. When she's not championing college education, Lauran shares a nerdy and adventurous life full of books, board games, and travels with her spouse, daughter, and dog. Connect with Dr. Lauran Kerr-Heraly  * Website: ⁠www.alteringcourse.com⁠ [http://www.alteringcourse.com]  * Instagram: ⁠@altering.course⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/altering.course/] * LinkedIn: ⁠Lauran Kerr-Heraly, Ph.D. | LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurankerrheraly/] About the Guest Rhian Ramsden has worked in Further Education colleges since 2012 across a range of contexts, from inner‑city London to rural Wiltshire. Primarily focused on health and social care, Rhian has also taught other subjects in the traditional FE spirit, including functional skills math and English. Currently based in the college quality team at Wiltshire College and University Centre, she still keeps a toe in the teaching water. She is in phase 2 of a professional doctorate in education; her thesis explores the role of the Further Education college in widening participation, with a particular focus on rurality as a barrier to access. * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhian-ramsden-9b275364/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhian-ramsden-9b275364/]