Shows
The Grading Podcast126 - AI-Aware Teaching, Mastery Quizzes, and the Future of Grading with Derek BruffWhat happens to grading when AI can do so much of what we’ve traditionally asked students to do by hand? In this episode, Boz and Sharona talk with educator, author, and podcaster Derek Bruff about his three-stage journey into mastery-based assessment, from early test corrections to coordinated mastery quizzes to rebuilding exams in a cryptography seminar—then zoom out to the upcoming Alternative Grading Institute at UVA, where faculty will redesign courses around specs, standards-based, and collaborative grading in response to pandemic-era lessons, public skepticism about higher ed, and the rise of generative AI.LinksPl...
2025-12-0957 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationCareers in Educational Development with Leslie Cramblet Alvarez and Chris HakalaQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.On the show today I talk with Leslie Cramblet Alvarez and Chris Hakala, authors of the new book Understanding Educational Developers: Tales from the Center from Routledge Press. The book blends scholarship and personal narratives to explore the career trajectories of the professionals who work at CTLs. How do academics move into these careers? And what can these careers look like over time? Leslie Cramblet Alvarez is assistant vice provost and director of the Office of Teaching and Learning at the University of Denver. C...
2025-11-0441 min
Transform Your TeachingIntentional Tech with Dr. Derek BruffHow does the continued rise of technology affect how instructors should approach learning? What is a thoughtful usage of technology? In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Derek Bruff, author of Intentional Tech, about what principles are most relevant six years after his book was released.Have questions about some of the topics we’ve discussed recently? Drop all your burning questions in our form for an upcoming Q&A episode!Please take this opportunity to fill out our end-of-the-year survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous. If you would li...
2025-08-0829 min
Get Down to College BusinessShowing Value in Centers of Teaching and Learning with Derek BruffCould a better way to support faculty actually decide which universities survive the coming years? In this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD, talks with Derek Bruff, the Associate Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia, about how Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) shape a college’s future, even when budgets are tight and change is constant. Derek shares his candid perspective on what makes a CTL truly matter: it’s not just space and tech, but trust-based relationships, faculty skill-building, and aligning with what the university really values. If you’ve ever wonder...
2025-06-1034 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationTeaching with AI Agents with Matthew Clemson, Isabelle Hesse, and Danny LiuQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.Cogniti is a tool developed at the University of Sydney that instructors can use to create custom AI chatbots ("agents") for use in their teaching. Cogniti makes it easy to create a special-purpose agent, invite students to interact with the agent, and have some visibility into how students are using the agent. I have a theory that in a few years, teaching-focused custom AI chatbots are going to be standard tools available to higher education instructors. I may be wrong about that, but if i...
2025-06-1041 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationAI-Integrated Assignments with Kiera Allison, Jamie Jirout, Spyros Simotas, & Jun WangQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.On the podcast today, I talk with four University of Virginia faculty who are serving this year as Faculty AI Guides. This provost-funded program has enlisted 51 faculty to explore potential uses of generative AI in their teaching and to share what they learn with colleagues in their departments and schools. Back in January, we invited the Faculty AI Guides to share assignments from their fall courses that thoughtfully integrated AI to support student learning. I put some of these assignments in a collection on the UVA...
2025-05-2052 min
EdUp Provost5. The Future of Educational Technology: A Conversation with Derek BruffIn this conversation with EdUp Provost host Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dr. Derek Bruff discusses the integration of technology in higher education, emphasizing the importance of aligning teaching goals with technology use. He shares insights on supporting faculty in adopting new technologies, balancing innovation with traditional educational values, and the role of AI in teaching. Dr. Bruff also highlights the significance of creating learning communities and effective faculty development programs to enhance teaching and learning experiences. In this conversation, Derek Bruff and Gregor Thuswaldner discuss the importance of providing faculty with the time and expertise needed to effectively integrate technology into...
2025-01-1545 min
EdUp Provost5. The Future of Educational Technology: A Conversation with Derek BruffIn this conversation with EdUp Provost host Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dr. Derek Bruff discusses the integration of technology in higher education, emphasizing the importance of aligning teaching goals with technology use. He shares insights on supporting faculty in adopting new technologies, balancing innovation with traditional educational values, and the role of AI in teaching. Dr. Bruff also highlights the significance of creating learning communities and effective faculty development programs to enhance teaching and learning experiences. In this conversation, Derek Bruff and Gregor Thuswaldner discuss the importance of providing faculty with the time and expertise needed to effectively integrate technology...
2025-01-1545 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationAn Oral History of the Vanderbilt Center for TeachingQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.In 1986, Vanderbilt University established a new Center for Teaching, a unit that would help thousands of faculty and other instructors at Vanderbilt and across higher education develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas in teaching and learning. I’m Derek Bruff, and I worked at the CFT, as we called it, from 2005 to 2022, serving as its director for over a decade. When I left Vanderbilt, I wanted to find some way to honor the good work of the Center for Teaching. It played an...
2024-11-121h 35
Teaching in Higher EdCuration, Collections, and Collaboration: Insights from UVA’s Teaching Hub, with Derek BruffDerek Bruff shares about curation, collections, and collaboration and the insights he’s gained from UVA’s Teaching Hub on episode 543 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.
Quotes from the episode
We’re working with a ton of curators who have some expertise in an aspect of teaching and learning.
-Derek Bruff
The more diverse voices we have in it, the more powerful the teaching hub will be.
-Derek Bruff
Teaching is an ongoing creative process.
-Derek Bruff
Resources
Past P...
2024-11-0745 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationNeurodivergent Students and Active Learning with Mariel PfeiferQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.Today on the podcast I talk with Mariel Pfeifer, assistant professor of biology. Mariel started at Ole Miss just about a year ago as part of a cluster hire of three STEM faculty who are on the tenure track at UM doing disciplinary based education research. I was excited to hear Mariel was coming to the university because I was already familiar with her work. Back in the spring of 2023, I lead a faculty learning community on the topic of active learning in large enrollment STEM...
2024-09-0339 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationMultimodal AI Projects with Emily BruffQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.A few episodes ago, I talked with Marc Watkins of the University of Mississippi about the many ways that generative AI is beginning to intersect with student learning. Marc noted that the newest versions of ChatGPT and similar tools are no longer just text generators, but multimodal in nature. That is, they can work with text and images and audio and in some cases video, too. To help us better understand what roles these AI tools might play in multimodal assignments, this episode features a...
2024-07-2326 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationUniversal Design for Learning at Scale with Thomas J. TobinQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for improving learning for all learners based on the science of how humans learn. It involves providing learners with multiple means of engagement, representation, action, and expression. We’ve mentioned the framework on the show from time to time, and I thought it was time to dig in a little deeper. Naturally, I thought of inviting Thomas J. Tobin on the podcast. Tom helped found the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Teaching, Learning, & Mentoring, and he is...
2024-04-2339 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationInstructional (Re)Design with David Hinson and Shawndra BowersQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.David Hinson is the R. Hugh Daniel professor of architecture at Auburn University. David teaches a course in professional practice, a course that covers such things as running a business, marketing and communication, and professional ethics. When he realized that his lecture course needed an overhaul, he reached out to Auburn’s center for teaching and learning, the Biggio Center, for an instructional design consultation.Shawndra Bowers is the associate director of learning experience design at the Biggio Center, where she manages a team of...
2024-03-2638 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationInclusive STEM Teaching with Tershia Pinder-Grover and Sarah HokansonQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.The Inclusive STEM Teaching Project is a free, online, six-week course “designed to advance the awareness, self-efficacy, and ability of faculty, postdocs, and doctoral students to cultivate inclusive STEM learning environments for all their students and to develop themselves as reflective, inclusive practitioners.”On the podcast today, I talk with two of the project team members. Tershia Pinder-Grover is director of the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering at the University of Michigan, and Sarah Hokanson is assistant vice president and assi...
2024-02-2739 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationEnhancing Inclusive Instruction with Tracie Addy, Derek Dube, and Khadijah MitchellQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.Tracie Addy, Derek Dube, and Khadijah Mitchell are authors of a new book called Enhancing Inclusive Instruction: Student Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Advancing Equity in Higher Education. It’s a sequel to their 2021 book, What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching, both from Routledge. In this episode, the three co-authors talk about the origins of the book series, the importance of hearing student voices when practicing inclusive teaching, and how someone like me, who has been practicing active lea...
2024-02-1340 min
The Mt. San Antonio College PodcastFurther Exploring Course Designing In The Age of Generative A.I With Derek Bruff, PhD.If you enjoyed our previous episode featuring Dr. Derek Bruff's Keynote on Teaching and Learning In the Age of Generative A.I captured at Fall Flex Day 2023, then today's episode we have more on this topic for you. Listen in as Dr. Bruff does an even deeper dive in his follow-up discussion also taken from the 2023 Fall Flex Day. Enjoy. Resources: https://inworld.ai https://beta.character.ai https://lmsys.org/blog/2023-03-30-vicuna/ Presentation: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/chkue44f9tkma7q...
2023-10-0336 minTeaching in Higher EdAssignment Makeovers in the AI Age, with Derek BruffDerek Bruff shares about assignment makeovers in the AI age on episode 481 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast
Quotes from the episode
The technologies at play in higher education changed dramatically in a very short amount of time, and that required us to kind of rethink what we were doing as teachers.
-Derek Bruff
For my course, I felt like it is fine to teach them to write using the AI tools as long as I can help them learn to use the tools well.
-Derek Bruff
2023-08-3144 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationTeaching Outside with Rosemary McGunnigle-GonzalesQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.Earlier this year, I had the good fortune to speak at a teaching conference hosted by Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. My favorite presenter at that conference was a sociology professor named Rosemary McGunnigle-Gonzales. Not only did she go on a beautiful rant about the deficiencies of our traditional classroom spaces, she also shared a fantastic story about taking her students outside to draw chalk timelines on the sidewalks around her classroom building. Rosemary is an adjunct assistant professor in sociology at both Hofstra...
2023-08-0839 min
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationTransparent Teaching with Mary-Ann WinkelmesQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.In this episode, I talk with Mary-Ann Winkelmes, a longtime colleague in the world of educational development. Mary-Ann has worked at teaching centers at Harvard University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and Brandeis University. She’s also the founder and director of the TILT Higher Ed project. TILT stands for “transparency in learning and teaching,” and the project works with instructors and institutions to practice transparent course and assignment design. With all the conversation in higher education today about rigor and fl...
2023-01-1044 min
The Family Gamers Podcast317 – Derek Bruff, First Player Token Podcast
Welcome Derek Bruff to the podcast! Derek is active in our Family Gamers Community and also hosts his own podcast, First Player Token.
317 fact: There is only one currently sold LEGO set with 317 pieces: The Ice Cream Truck Police Chase (https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/ice-cream-truck-police-chase-60314 )
Sponsor message: If you have student loans (and live in the USA), you should go to StudentAid.gov and fill out the application for student loan forgiveness (if possible). You might not qualify, but the application only takes a minute. If you would like to talk to someone...
2022-11-141h 11
Intentional Teaching, a show about teaching in higher educationTrailerQuestions or comments about this episode? Send us a text message.Welcome to the Intentional Teaching, a podcast aimed at educators to help them develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas in teaching. I’m your host, Derek Bruff.I directed the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University for over a decade, and I’ve worked with faculty and other instructors at dozens of colleges and universities, helping them to become more intentional and effective teachers. I’ve written two books on teaching in higher education: Teaching with Classroom Response Systems: Creating Active Learning Enviro...
2022-10-2102 minTeaching in Higher EdLeading Lines - A Retrospective, with Derek BruffDerek Bruff shares some highlights from the Leading Lines podcast episodes on episode 434 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.
Quotes from the episode
I am not done podcasting.
-Derek Bruff
Resources
International Podcasting Day
Leading Lines podcast
Celebrating 100 Episodes of the Leading Lines Podcast, by Derek Bruff
Mike Wesch’s ANTH101
Leading Lines Episode 11: Kathryn Tomasek
Leading Lines Episode 54: Mike Caulfield
Mike Caulfield’s SIFT (the four moves)
Loom
Leading Lines Episode 62: Chris Gilliard
Teaching in Higher Ed Episode 170 with Cathy O’Neil: Author of Weapon...
2022-10-0640 min
Think UDLIntentional Tech Solutions with Derek BruffWelcome to Episode 77 of the Think UDL podcast: Intentional Tech Solutions with Derek Bruff. Derek Bruff is the Assistant Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University and Interim Director of Digital Commons as well as a Principal Senior Lecturer in Mathematics. He is also the host and producer of the educational technology podcast Leading Lines. Derek has recently written the book Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching. My colleagues and I at Appalachian State who are “faculty Champions,” faculty who help our peers with tech and teaching prob...
2022-01-251h 00
One-Time PodEpisode 45 - The Fourth Amendmentby Nathan Chang
This podcast gives insight into the progression of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution through time via two court cases, Carpenter v. United States and Smith v. Maryland. These two cases were both integral to how the advancement of technology has affected American legislation by addressing intrusive surveillance technology such as pen registers and CSLI, or cell-site location information. With new technology constantly springing up, our privacy has never been more vulnerable.
Works Cited
Carpenter v. United States. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved April 7, 2021, from
https://www.oyez.org...
2021-08-0910 min
One-Time PodEpisode 40 - Gait Recognitionby Ethan Barr
In this podcast I bring awareness to the future of surveillance, through gait recognition, while also describing the way it has developed over the recent years. This idea of being identifiable through the way you walk brings up the questions of whether it is an intrusion to one’s privacy or strictly a moral form of surveillance. These questions are left unanswered in the podcast, but through the information available to you, as the audience, think about the stance and how you perceive this type of surveillance. I wanted this podcast to draw those th...
2021-08-0408 min
One-Time PodEpisode 39 - The Crypto Warsby Aliyah Weaver
This episode of One-Time Pod focuses on the 1990s “crypto wars,” a power struggle between the government and the American public. How much privacy does the general American public deserve in terms of encryption, and what are the limits of the government’s surveillance of the American public?
References:
Bankston, K., Kehl, D., Wilson, A. (2015). Doomed to Repeat history? Lessons from the Crypto Wars of the 1990s. New America. https://static.newamerica.org/attachments/3407-doomed-to-repeat-history-lessons-from-the-crypto-wars-of-the-1990s/Crypto%20Wars_ReDo.7cb491837ac541709797bdf868d37f52.pdf. Accessed March 30, 2021.
Freeh, L. J. (19...
2021-08-0311 min
One-Time PodEpisode 38 - Carpenter v. United Statesby Kurt Urban
Here’s a story about a man sentenced to 116 years in prison. He appealed his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court… and won. The court’s controversial ruling dramatically changed a new and fast-growing field of law, one that could shape the future of US society. In this episode of One-Time Pod, how the courts are upending the battle between privacy and surveillance.
Bibliography
Auxier, B., Rainie, L., Anderson, M., Perrin, A., Kumar, M., & Turner, E. (2020, August 17). Americans and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control Over Their...
2021-08-0210 min
One-Time PodEpisode 37 - TikTokby Benjamin Cox
On this episode of One-Time Pod we will be discussing President Trump’s 2020 ban on the viral video app TikTok, and the subsequent controversy between the United States and China. Should users of apps like TikTok fear that their data may fall into the wrong hands?
References
Allyn, B. (2021, February 11). Biden Administration Pauses Trump’s TikTok Ban, Backs Off Pressure To Sell App. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/966584204/biden-administration-pauses-trumps-tiktok-ban-backs-off-pressure-for-tiktok-to-s
Department, P. B., & 10, M. (2021, March 10). TikTok top countries iOS revenue 2021. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1090641/tiktok-ios-revenue-in-leading-markets/#:~:text=TikTok iOS...
2021-08-0109 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show17. Tokaido In this episode, we travel to 17th century Japan for some competitive vacationing in the board game Tokaido!Tokaido is a 2012 game designed by Antoine Bauza with art by Xavier Durin and published by Funforge. Players take on the roles of travelers in 17th century Japan making their way along the Tokaido, which means “eastern sea road.” The Tokaido was an important route during the Edo period in Japan, connecting the cities of Kyoto and Edo, which is modern-day Tokyo. In the game, you travel that route, stopping along the way to do relaxing or interesting things, like...
2021-07-3011 min
One-Time PodSeason 4 IntroductionIs it legal for police to track suspected criminals using location data from their cellphone providers? Should people have the right to have their personal data deleted from databases and websites? Are privacy concerns about apps like TikTok warranted? How might our lives change when we can be identified by surveillance cameras by our faces or even just the way that we walk?
Welcome to Season 4 of One-Time Pod. These are just a few of the hard questions about privacy and surveillance we tackle this season, through episodes produced by students in Derek Bruff’s spring 2021 first-year wr...
2021-07-2903 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show16. The CrewWe’re back with another family game recommendation, one that will have you taking tricks and exploring space: The Crew!“The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine” is a 2019 game from Kosmos Games designed by Thomas Sing with art by Marco Armbruster. In the game, players take on the role of astronauts working together to find a mysterious ninth planet at the edge of the solar system. The Crew is a trick-taking game, like Hearts or Spades. But The Crew is not just a trick-taking game, it’s a cooperative trick-taking game. Instead of trying to outscore your opp...
2021-06-2516 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show15. SprawlopolisThis is a short podcast for people who enjoy playing games with family and friends, but this time, I’m recommending a game to play without family and friends: the city-building, solo game Sprawlopolis.Sprawlopolis is a 2018 release from Button Shy Games, designed by Steven Aramani, Danny Devine, and Paul Kluka, with art by Danny Devine. Like all Button Shy games, it consists of just 18 cards. Three of those cards will be randomly selected to provide scoring conditions for the city you build out of the other 15 cards. You’ll lay one card at a time, adding to o...
2021-05-2308 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show14. Abandon All ArtichokesWe’re back with another family board game recommendation, one that will have you eating your vegetables: Abandon All Artichokes!Abandon All Artichokes is a 2020 game from Gamewright designed by Emma Larkins with illustrations by Bonnie Pang. No one likes to eat artichokes, right? That’s the premise behind this game, which has players composting artichokes in favor of more tasty veggies like carrots and peas and broccoli. Abandon All Artichokes is a “deck wrecking” game in which each player starts with a person draw deck of ten artichokes. As they play, they add other vegetables to their de...
2021-03-2810 min
First Player TokenEpisode 13 – Sheriff of NottinghamIn this episode, we recommend a game that will have you bluffing, bribing, and smuggling: Sheriff of Nottingham.
2021-02-1412 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show13. Sheriff of NottinghamWe’re back with another family board game recommendation, this time with a game that will have you bluffing, bribing, and smuggling: Sheriff of Nottingham.If you’ve ever wanted to play a bad guy, then Sheriff of Nottingham, a 2014 game from Arcane Wonders, is the game for you. In the game, designed by Sergio Halaban, Andre Zatz, and Bryan Pope, players are transported back to the world of Robin Hood. In the name of Prince John, the sheriff has set up checkpoints outside the city, examining any incoming merchant carts for what the sheriff calls contraband. Merc...
2021-02-1411 min
First Player TokenEpisode 12 – ICECOOLWe're back with a family board game recommendation for a game that will have you cheering on cute, colorful penguins: ICECOOL.
2021-01-1611 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show12. ICECOOLWe’re back with another family board game recommendation, this time with a game that will have you cheering on cute, colorful penguins: ICECOOL.ICECOOL is a 2016 game designed by Brian Gomez and published by Brain Games. The kids call it the “penguin game” because it involves flicking little plastic penguins around a cardboard maze decked out to look like a penguin school in the Antarctic. One player is the Catcher, trying to tag all the other players, the Runners, who are basically playing hooky from school. ICECOOL is light, fun, and a little bonkers, especially when you co...
2021-01-1611 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show11. Rocky Road a la ModeWe’re back with another family board game recommendation, a game that will make you want an ice cream cone: Rocky Road a la Mode!Rocky Road a la Mode, a 2017 game from Green Couch Games, is a compact, colorful, and easy to learn game for 2 to 4 players that captures a bit of that ice cream truck magic. The game was designed by Joshua J. Mills, with art and graphic design by Adam P. McIver, and it plays in about 20 to 30 minutes. Players take on the role of ice cream truckers, driving around the neighborhood bringing sweet tr...
2020-12-1811 min
First Player TokenEpisode 11 – Rocky Road a la ModeWe're back with another family board game recommendation, a game that will make you want an ice cream cone: Rocky Road a la Mode!
2020-12-1811 min
First Player TokenEpisode 10 – GizmosWe have another great family game to recommend: Gizmos. Ever want to make your own Rube Goldberg machine?
2020-11-1309 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show10. GizmosWe’re back with another family board game recommendation. Ever want to create your own Rube Goldberg machine? Then Gizmos is the game for you.Gizmos is a 2018 game from CMON Games designed by Phil Walker-Harding very much in the spirit of a Rube Goldberg machine. Players take on the role of inventors, constructing ever more elaborate contraptions out of simple gizmos, each represented by a card with a whimsical illustration. If you’re clever, at some point in the game, you’ll have a turn where you take an action, which triggers one of your gizmos, which...
2020-11-1309 min
First Player TokenEpisode 9 – HerbaceousWe have another great family game to recommend: Herbaceous. You can't help but want to collect and pot herbs as you play this relaxing game.
2020-10-0909 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show9. HerbaceousIn this episode, I have another family board game recommendation: Herbaceous.Herbaceous was designed by Steve Finn and published in 2017 by Pencil First Games. The game’s art is by the amazing Beth Sobel. Sobel’s art makes Herbaceous is one of the prettiest games we own. Players take on the roles of herb collectors, growing and potting herbs like tarragon, rosemary, sage, and lavender. Sobel’s illustrations of these herbs are lovely, and you can’t help but want to collect them as you play this relaxing, 20-minute game.Herbaceous is a great family game, bu...
2020-10-0909 min
First Player TokenEpisode 8 – WingspanIn Wingspan, players take on the role of bird enthusiasts, trying to collect the best birds for their wildlife preserves. It's a great game for couples, and might just turn players into birdwatchers.
2020-09-2121 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show8. WingspanIn this episode, I have another recommendation for a great game for couples: Wingspan, a game about birds.Wingspan was published in 2019 by Stonemaier Games. It was designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and features art by Natalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, and Beth Sobel. Back in 2014, Hargrave and her husband had recently started birdwatching. Around that time, she also started playing more board games, and became interested in designing her own game. She’s been quoted as saying, “There were too many games about castles and space, and not enough games about the things I’m interested in. So...
2020-09-2121 min
First Player TokenEpisode 7 – PARKSPARKS does a great job of capturing the beauty and wonder of the US National Parks, and it's a fun game for couples.
2020-09-1318 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show7. PARKSIn this episode, I’m changing things up a bit and recommending a great board game for couples: PARKS by Keymaster Games.I’m a big fan of the US National Parks, ever since I took my kids out west on what we called the Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Tour. We saw the largest of each: we went whale-watching off the coast of San Francisco, we saw redwoods and sequoias in California, and we visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We visited three National Parks during that trip—Grand Canyon, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia—and each of them provided amazing sights a...
2020-09-1318 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show6. Forbidden IslandIn this episode, we have another family game recommendation: Forbidden Island.Forbidden Island, published in 2010 by Gamewright, is a cooperative game where the players work together to explore a mysterious island, find its treasures, and escape before the island floods. If you’re successful, then everybody wins! If not, well, in my house, we usually want to play again to see if we can beat the game. I never played a cooperative board game when I was a kid, but I wish I had. Instead of competing with your dad or your brother, you’re helping each othe...
2020-08-2308 min
First Player TokenEpisode 6 – Forbidden IslandForbidden Island is a cooperative game where the players work together to explore a mysterious island, find its treasures, and escape before the island floods.
2020-08-2308 min
First Player TokenEpisode 5 – Deep Sea AdventureDeep Sea Adventure is a push-your-luck game with colorful components about diving for underwater treasure.
2020-08-1610 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show5. Deep Sea AdventureIn this episode, we have another family game recommendation: Deep Sea Adventure.Deep Sea Adventure is a push-your-luck game with colorful components about diving for underwater treasure. It was designed by Jun Sasaki and Goro Sasaki, and published in 2014 by Oink Games, a Japanese publisher that specializes in games that come in very small boxes. In Deep Sea Adventure, between two and six players on the role of down-on-their luck treasure hunters. You’re in search of treasure at the bottom of the ocean, but you’ve only got enough funds for one submarine. This means that all...
2020-08-1610 min
First Player TokenEpisode 4 – Sushi Go!In this episode, we have another family game recommendation: Sushi Go! It is by far my favorite game about anthropomorphic sushi!
2020-08-0911 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show4. Sushi Go!n this episode, we have more family game recommendations: Sushi Go! and its sequel, Sushi Go Party!In some sushi restaurants, the sushi comes out on a conveyor belt, and customers pick the sushi they want as it moves past them. The game Sushi Go! plays with that idea, using what it calls “pick and pass.” The game consists of a big deck of cards, each one featuring some adorable smiling sushi—nigiri, tempura, sashimi, maki rolls, and more. Each turn you pick a card from your hand to add to your collection, the pass the rest of you...
2020-08-0911 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show3. Love LetterThis episode features another family game recommendation: Love Letter, designed by Seiji Kanai, and now published in the US by Z-Man Games with art by the amazing Andrew Bosley.In Love Letter, players try to get their love letter to the princess. The original game featured just 16 cards, with colorful characters from the royal court: a prince, a king, a handmaid, a baron, and, oh yes, the princess herself. How much fun can you have with a game consisting of just 16 cards? As it turns out, a lot! Love Letter is one of our family’s favorite ga...
2020-08-0309 min
First Player TokenEpisode 2 – Space ParkIn this episode, I have another family board game recommendation, Space Park. In Space Park players cruise around the galaxy collecting crystals and trading those crystals in for badges.
2020-07-2609 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show2. Space ParkIn this episode, I have another family board game recommendation, Space Park. The game was published in 2018 by Keymaster Games, and it was designed by Henry Audubon with art by Brian Edward Miller.In Space Park, players cruise around the galaxy collecting crystals and trading those crystals in for badges. Keymaster, as I’ve learned, makes really amazing looking games, and Space Park is no exception. But Space Park isn’t just a pretty game, it was a really good game, and it’s one that I’ve played a lot with my kids and my niece and neph...
2020-07-2609 min
First Player TokenEpisode 1 – KingdominoWelcome to the First Player Token podcast, a short podcast for folks who enjoy playing board games with family and friends. In this episode, we’re taking a look at a great family game called Kingdomino.
2020-07-2007 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show1. KingdominoWelcome to the First Player Token podcast, a short podcast for folks who enjoy playing board games with family and friends. In this episode, we’re taking a look at a great family game called Kingdomino.Kingdomino was published in 2016 by Blue Orange Games. It was designed by Bruno Cathala and features art by Cyril Bouquet. In Kingdomino, players take on the role of monarchs building their kingdoms. In the game, kingdoms are made of colorful, chunky tiles, each of which is a rectangle made of two squares, kind of like a domino. Get it? Kingdom + domino = Ki...
2020-07-2007 min
First Player Token, a short board game review show0. IntroductionWelcome to the First Player Token podcast, a short podcast for people who enjoy playing board games with family and friends. If you’d like to try a few new board games, but don’t know where to start, this podcast is for you.In each episode of the First Player Token podcast I review and recommend a game that’s been a hit with my family or friends. I’ll share a little about how the game plays, why it’s fun, and why you might want to try it. Most episodes focus on a game that’s kid...
2020-07-1806 min
One-Time PodEpisode 36 - Musical Cryptographyby Audrey Scudder
We are constantly surrounded by music in our everyday lives, and as technology has progressed, it’s become even more prevalent. But what if this music could be used as more than just a form of entertainment? For centuries, authors, composers, and scientists have been experimenting with the possibility of musical cryptography and steganography. In this episode, we explore different methods of encrypting and hiding messages in music, the history of the practice, and how musical cryptography affects how we analyze music from the past and how we could produce music in the future....
2019-12-1911 min
One-Time PodEpisode 35 - The Lorenz Cipherby Spencer Jones
This podcast is about the Lorenz cipher machine. The Lorenz cipher was Hitler’s preferred method of encryption used by himself and all his officials for communication. The Lorenz is simply described as an Enigma machine—- with millions of more possible keys and configurations. This podcast describes the conception of the Lorenz, how the encryption works, and how the code was ultimately broken by the Allies with the help of the world’s first computer.
References:
(n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2019, from https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/project...
2019-12-1809 min
One-Time PodEpisode 34 - The McCormick Cipherby Chandu Kona
Ranked among the greatest unsolved ciphers in history, Ricky McCormick’s notes have baffled intelligence agencies, wanna-be sleuths, and everyone in between for the past two decades. In 1999, Ricky McCormick was found dead in a ditch with two notes hidden inside his pocket. First revealed to the public a decade later, the notes appear to be filled with nonsense and unreadable sentences; but this seemingly random sequence of characters may not be so random at all. The authorities believe that these notes may hold the key, quite literally, to solving Ricky McCormick’s murder, but...
2019-12-1710 min
One-Time PodEpisode 33 - Jefferson's Wheel Cipherby Stella Wang
Thomas Jefferson is revered as a diplomat, politician, and thinker, but his role as an innovator is lesser-known. One of his many inventions includes the wheel cipher: America’s first cryptographic device. In this episode of One Time Pod, the story of the wheel cipher, and Étienne Bazeries’ invention of an extremely similar device 100 years later, is uncovered.
Narrator: Stella Wang
Thomas Jefferson: Zach Gruber
Étienne Bazeries: Cooper Scanlon
Works Cited
Kahn, D. (1973). The code breakers: The story of secret writing. New York: The Macmil...
2019-12-1611 min
One-Time PodEpisode 32 - W. B. Tylerby Wayne Wu
This episode talks about the story of two ciphers that appear in the magazines in the 1980s. A reader named W. B. Tyler wrote the ciphers in a letter and sent to the editor Edgar Allan Poe. The two images below are the two ciphers of W. B. Tyler. After these two ciphers were published in the magazines, these two ciphertexts had been forgotten for about a hundred fifty years and no one had solved these. With the proposition that Tyler and Poe were actually the same person, these two ciphertexts emerged again. Finally...
2019-12-1310 min
One-Time PodEpisode 31 - The Unabomber Ciphersby Kellia Love
My podcast “Kaczynski Ciphers: The Unabomber’s Unused Encryptions” is about the serial killer Dr. Theodore Kaczynski. It covers what he did before starting a life of crime, the reason for his crimes, the consequences of his actions, and ultimately, what led him to be caught and his criminal career coming to an abrupt halt. The podcast also covers how the FBI initially reacted to the ciphers that they found and how they went about the situation. For a good portion of the podcast, I explain how the two codes Kaczynski created worked, and also p...
2019-12-1209 min
One-Time PodEpisode 30 - Hieroglyphicsby Daniel Kim
One of the oldest written languages ever, Egyptian hieroglyphics have remained an unsolvable mystery for hundreds of years. And while the intent was not to hide any sort of message, the process of figuring out the correlation between hieroglyphic characters and its meaning took centuries to figure out, which is why they can be considered one of the earliest forms of cryptography known to mankind.
Works Cited
Cryptographic hieroglyphic writing. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/hieroglyphic-writing/Cryptographic-hieroglyphic-writing.
This article helps make the connections between hie...
2019-12-1109 min
One-Time PodEpisode 29 - Hash Functionsby Maxim Mukhin
The hash function is a one way cryptographic tool used to convert words into numbers. Using this function, a website can compare passwords and other sensitive information without actually storing any information except for the numbers, which are meaningless to any unauthorized user. I give a brief introduction as to how in the 1960’s the idea of hashing was created. I then move on to describe potential ways in which hash functions are broken, and the weaknesses of certain examples. Moving into the 1980’s I introduce the two main types of hash functions used in t...
2019-12-1011 min
One-Time PodEpisode 28 - Luciferby Shivam Mohite
The Data Encryption Standard served as the precursor for many of the encryption algorithms that would be employed during the digital age. The prevalent encryption method for 20 years following its inception, DES – and its first iteration, LUCIFER – were instrumental in concealing American communications from malicious foreign operatives. This podcast will not only explore the development of the Data Encryption Standard, but the historical context surrounding its inception. While the Data Encryption Standard has now been proven to be breakable by modern computers, the theory underpinning its mechanics proved to be a lasting strategy when deve...
2019-12-0913 min
One-Time PodEpisode 27 - Numbers Stationsby Hannah Batson
Number stations are one of our most well known forms of modern day cryptography. It was first used during the end of World War I, and was later used through World War 2, and the Cold War. Today you can find many active number stations on your average online shortwave frequency radio. This podcast explores the workings of number stations, as well as popular stations that have been recorded throughout the years. Considering the recency of the confirmation of number stations, and the little knowledge that we have on these stations, this podcast will merely...
2019-12-0610 min
One-Time PodEpisode 26 - Operation Vulaby Miles Borowsky
This podcast explains the story and history behind Operation Vula: a communications system between underground anti-apartheid activists in South Africa and their exiled leaders in London and Zambia. They used telephone dial-tones and an electronic one-time pad encryption software to send messages via payphone between London and South Africa. The success of this project was vital to the downfall of apartheid; it allowed for almost real-time communications while previously, they had been forced to use cumbersome and lengthy methods of communication.
Works Cited
Garrett, R. K., & Edwards, P. N...
2019-12-0510 min
One-Time PodEpisode 25 - The Ave Maria Cipherby Ellie Ragiel
Johannes Trithemius was a 16th century monk and Renaissance man who made a lasting impact on the study of cryptography, but one that is laden with secrecy and tales of dark magic. It has been widely debated whether his work the Steganographia is a book about cryptography, encrypted itself to look like magic, or whether it is just a book of witchcraft, spells, and spirits. Nonetheless, his following work, the Polygraphia, is widely accepted as the first official written work on cryptography, and the Ave Maria cipher and Trithemius square described in this work...
2019-12-0410 minOne-Time PodSeason 3 IntroductionA cryptic note found in the pocket of a dead man in the woods. Secret messages encoded using telephone touch tones, passed between anti-apartheid activists in South Africa and London. A German monk whose encryption techniques had him accused of witchcraft. A team of codebreakers who cracked a World War Two cipher machine without ever having seen one.
Welcome to Season 3 of One-Time Pod, a podcast on the history of cryptography produced by students in Derek Bruff’s first-year writing seminar at Vanderbilt University. Each episode considers a different code or cipher, how it works, and why it...
2019-12-0402 minTeaching in Higher EdIntentional Tech, with Derek BruffDerek Bruff discusses his book, Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching.
Quotes from the episode
We’re learning from and with each other- and that is what I liked to call a learning community.
-Derek Bruff
I love using technology to help students bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the conversation.
-Derek Bruff
There is a different level of student engagement that happens when students know they are writing or creating for the public.
-Derek Bruff
...
2019-10-0338 min
One-Time PodEpisode 24 - The Panizzardi Telegramby Charlie Overton
The Dreyfus Affair was one of the most divisive incidents in the world around the turn of the 20th century. The affair divided France into two opposed groups, resulting in chaos, riots, anti-Semitic violence, and public outrage. However, the influence of codes and ciphers on the affair is often ignored, but it might be one of the most interesting cases of the unintended effects of enciphering messages.
Sources
Details about the Panizzardi Telegram
A little bit about breaking codes, with a specific example of Baravelli’s codes
...
2018-12-1214 min
One-Time PodEpisode 23 - The Voynich Manuscriptby Jojo Dong
The Voynich Manuscript is one of the most puzzling mysteries in the history of cryptography. First presented to the public by Wilfrid Voynich in 1912, the manuscript is filled with bizarre symbols and delicate drawings. Carbon dating has placed the creation of the book in the fifteenth century. Since then, the manuscript has travelled a long way, and is now housed in the Yale Beinecke Library. It’s believed that the manuscript is written in a lost language to preserve a civilization, or in ciphers to record some scientific findings. Till this day, none of th...
2018-12-1110 min
One-Time PodEpisode 22 - The Culper Ringby Jerry Ji
The Culper Ring was America’s first intelligence agency, operating during the American Revolution. It was the only source of information on British activities, and such it was vital to the American victory during the war. This podcast delves into the history and workings of the Culper Ring, as well as the Culper Code that encrypted all of their messages. Although it receives very little recognition nowadays, the Culper Ring was a key factor during the American Revolution.
Works Cited
George Washington, Spymaster. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://www.mo...
2018-12-1011 min
One-Time PodEpisode 21 - The D-Day Carrier Pigeon Cipherby Adrian Florea
In Britain 1982, a skeleton of a carrier pigeon from World War II was discovered in a chimney. It appeared that the bird did not reach its final destination as it was found with a message attached to its leg. To the naked eye, the message looked like nonsense; just a lot of groupings of random letters. However, to cryptographers, the random letters make sense and are a part of an unsolvable cipher called the one time pad. This new way of encoding messages created by Gilbert Vernam changed the ways that encryption was seen...
2018-12-0710 min
One-Time PodEpisode 20 - The Copiale Cipherby Arnie Lal
In this episode, I explore the fascinating case of the copiale cipher, including its origins, method of encryption, method of decipherment, and historical significance. This cipher baffled cyptographers for centuries, and only with the power of computer analytics was this beast of a cipher able to be solved. To learn more, I hope you listen to my podcast, which goes much more in depth into all of these issues. If you desire even more information, I have included below links to various websites that I used as my sources.
Link to the full...
2018-12-0612 min