Converting a Webinar into a Learning Event with Google NotebookLM and Other Tools

The AAPG Enhanced Geothermal Systems webinar has been enhanced to make it possible to have an education version. The video now has learning objectives, multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and a learning guide. Ideal for demonstrating knowledge in a quickly-evolving area of geothermal development and energy generation, and for incorporating in college / university courses in geosciences, energy, environmental science, an d more. The webinar was recorded using Zoom, and pdfs of the PowerPoint presentations were available, which was ideal since Google NotebookLM does not accommodate PowerPoint. 

Link to the webinar: https://youtu.be/mM3NtUAOyec

https://youtu.be/mM3NtUAOyec 

The learning objectives appear in the notes of the video, and the notes and assessments are available by request. Let's share the learning opportunity!

Here's the description of the webinar, and the learning objectives are listed below. I used Google LM to help me create them, and was impressed.  

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are dramatically changing the landscape of geothermal energy, and it is a place where oil and gas technologies are being successfully deployed in the development of the resource. Join geothermal experts to compare enhanced geothermal systems with other geothermal resources along with subsurface characterization. Then, we'll look at where there are currently knowledge gaps and challenges, and explore possible solutions and project economics. We will close with an overview of what the USGS is doing to develop prospectivity and assessment using USGS basin and EGS modeling. This webinar is presented by the AAPG EMD Geothermal Committee, led by Nicole Wagoner, University of Nevada-Reno. Eric Stautberg, Colorado School of Mines Jabs Aljubran, NREL Justin Birdwell, USGS Nicole Wagoner, University of Nevada - Reno Susan Nash, AAPG Would you like to use this webinar as a module in your course?

Here are LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify the key characteristics of EGS resources, including their reliance on engineering permeability in hot, otherwise impermeable rock units, often referred to as "hot dry rock".

• Describe the current state of geothermal energy in the US, including where utility-scale electricity is generated, its contribution to the national energy portfolio, and the US's global standing in geothermal production.

• Explain the basic concept of an EGS, including the process of creating an engineered reservoir through hydraulic, chemical, or thermal stimulation, and the circulation of working fluid to extract heat

• Differentiate between various power plant types used for geothermal electricity generation, with a focus on binary cycle power plants as the typical choice for EGS applications.

• Discuss the benefits of EGS, such as its potential to expand geothermal availability beyond traditional hydrothermal areas, provide clean, baseload energy with limited intermittency, and its low greenhouse gas emissions.

• Outline the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) methodology for assessing EGS potential in sedimentary basins, including the inputs used (e.g., heat flow maps, 3D temperature maps, bottom hole temperatures) and the consideration of various efficiencies.

• Identify specific sedimentary basins where USGS basin modeling tools are being applied for EGS assessments, such as the Williston Basin, Denver-Julesburg Basin, and Onshore U.S. Gulf Coast.

• Explain the concept of Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) as an economic metric for EGS projects and how recent improvements in drilling efficiency have impacted EGS cost

Assessments that tie to the learning objectives (Multiple Choice, Short Answer) are available by request. In addition, a learning guide is also available by request.

PROCESS NOTE: I enjoyed using Google NotebookLM https://notebooklm.google/ as a part of the process. It was remarkably easy to do so since I had an audio file from the webinar that I could upload. I could have uploaded the transcript of the webinar, too. I also had two PowerPoints. Google NotebookLM points to locations in the uploaded original instructional materials files that correspond to the learning objectives, the questions, and the learning guide.

In working with Google NotebookLM, it's all about the way that the prompts are phrased and created. The fact that it uses a RAG model approach makes it easy to check for accuracy if you're a course writer or instructional designer, and not the subject matter expert.

How to Achieve Your Goals Using the SMART Method 🎓

The start of a new school year is the perfect time to set new goals, but it can be hard to know where to begin. The SMART framework is a simple, effective tool to help you set yourself up for a successful year.

Please watch the video: https://youtu.be/xav8p6ZpGYI?si=DkBspvmj6DCfIiiG  

What Does SMART Mean?

• S - Specific: Be specific and clear about what you want to achieve. Instead of a general goal like "I want to get more exercise," a specific goal would be "I will walk for 45 minutes every day."

• M - Measurable: Your goal should be measurable so you can track your progress. For example, the 45 minutes of walking is a measurable unit of time.

• A - Achievable: Make sure your goal is something you can realistically accomplish. If 45 minutes seems like too much, you can break it down into smaller, more manageable segments throughout your day.

• R - Relevant: Your goal should be relevant to your life and aspirations. In this example, walking is relevant because it has positive physical and emotional health benefits, which will help you succeed in school.

• T - Time-bound: Set a timeframe for your goal. This could be a deadline, or, in the case of daily walking, a clear start date, like "I will start walking 45 minutes a day, starting tomorrow."

By using the SMART framework, you can transform a vague idea into a concrete plan for success. What are your SMART goals for the new school year? Share them in the comments!

Problems formatting your articles using APA or MLA? Watch this video: https://youtu.be/dipEba5hTW4?si=CHPh23lDFj0qP1FU 

Does Trupeer Live Up to the Hype? Rapidly Converting a Basic Video into Polished Product with Guides, AI Voice, and Avatars

Please join me as I try out Trupeer in real time, using a video I just made (which you can check out here) on leveraging situated learning for writing courses. I had a lot of fun generating a script for my 2-minute video, then adding effects, substituting my voice for an AI voice, adding background music, and then, translating everything to Spanish and then Russian!

Trupeer, a start-up, just successfully attracted $3million in seed funding, so I expect that there will be additional features in the future. 

I am demonstrating the different voices and avatar selections. 

The only drawback is that I was using ScreenPal to create the video, and it did not pick up the voice generated by the video.  That was probably a settings issue. I would try again, but then you would not get a chance to see me actually try out TruPeer for the first time in real-time to get a sense of the ease of use and the overall UX. 

This is a follow-up to my first "discovery" video (https://youtu.be/2n8rwbOG9qY) where I tried out TruPeer (https://www.trupeer.ai/) for the first time and found the experience to be extremely intuitive, engaging, and something that sparks creativity and self-confidence. 

For this video, I went back to the 2-minute video I uploaded to show the results of trying out the AI voice-over, transcripts, AI avatar, and translation, along with other features.  You'll see how easily I was able to produce a professional end-result.  

This is my "live" first plunge into the program; unfortunately, I did not record the voices - check out the video I made after this one for a demonstration of the voices. 

I was a bit disappointed by the selection of voices and avatars, and was surprised that the avatars did not sync along with the voice. 

I was very impressed with the transcript and the ease of use.  I played around with my original video, filmed in English, then translated the transcript to Spanish and Russian. The transcript and AI voice were both in the target language. It was fun, and a great way to practice your languages! 

Let me know your thoughts.  What's the best application for TruPeer?

Text-to-Video in AI-Enhanced Training and Marketing Modules: Testing Synthesia's Platform

Synthesia https://www.synthesia.io/ is a platform that generates video from text to create product promotion videos, narrated training videos, corporate onboarding and more.  

My first reaction was “wow!” and imagined an AI-powered app that would read a short story or training storyboard and create a full animation based on it.  So, my expectations were really high, and I was envisioning creating videos that could change the world – or at least generate serviceable learning and training videos, and perhaps even creative work. 

Here's a video I made, where I walk through the platform and also play the brief video I made: https://youtu.be/AMJDR67IaXA?si=gx2NXDfmxyATazi1 

I misunderstood the capabilities of the platform, but still, when I experimented with it, I was impressed with what could be done. Basically, Synthesia centers itself around a cast of avatars which are based on real actors, and they can be used to narrate the text in training and promotional videos.  The images and voices are generated from AI.  To deploy the avatars in productive ways, Synthesia has developed templates, which are professionally designed and which have built in some basics of instructional design and marketing.  On the instructional design side of things, they are not as rigorous as they could be, and it’s clear that these templates are points of departure, but not the end product. 

What I liked most about Synthesia:

·      I love the name!  It could be a goddess in ancient Greek mythology, especially if you pronounce it Sin-TAY-zee-a. 

·      Ease of use is a major “plus” – fit for purpose templates reduce the time of content development, and the fact they are modifiable is a huge “plus.”

·      Excellent selection of avatars – they are amazing. The voices are nice, too. That said, the platform allows you to represent yourself or any other person who upload their own videos. 

·      Templates – whether they be for training or product marketing, the templates feature branching scenarios for adaptive learning, corporate training (compliance, etc.), softskill training, product marketing

·      Collaborative capabilities: the platform allows multiple collaborators, and in the case of boo-boos, version history for recovery of work

·      The platform claims to have the ability to translate into 145 languages. It does not say how well, accurately, or idiomatically such a task would be performed.  My personal feeling is, “Don’t hold your breath” and my second thought was “Caution! Never release unchecked and unreviewed from AI into the wild!!!!”

What I liked less about Synthesia:

·      The first thing I noticed when I tried out the program was that Synthesia must review the script and if there is anything that aligns with the program’s “trigger” words, the whole project will be shut down. I experienced that myself.  I thought it would be fun to see how Synthesia tackled the idea of marketing / promoting a novel, Todos Santos, which is both sci-fi and horror, with some zombie elements along with scary technology and a deranged scientist. Welp. Synthesia said “NO” and would not stomach such project. I get it. A rogue scientist creating zombies is not a universally appealing premise. That said, what happens if you are doing medical training or launching a medical product? Will you be censored? 

·      I was really disappointed in the voice-over and the awkward phrasings and pronunciations.  I don’t know how easily one can train the voice, but it’s important. Since the main area of competitive advantage for this product is the idea that you can use an AI avatar instead of voice talent or actors, this is an important point. I guess it depends on what you want your ultimate level of quality to be. 

·      A final little quibble is that the learning templates did not have assessments built in, and I would have hoped for multiple choice quizzes at the very least. 

Final Thoughts

It is fascinating to see how products are being developed that utilize AI in various products.  They test assumptions about how people learn best online, and also encourage engagement.  

As in the case of all AI products, there are ethical issues – for example, in recording and training your own avatar, there could be potential for abuse. Where does the new content reside?  Is your image now in the Synthesia cloud and not actually owned or controlled by you?  Just wondering… 

Bruce Goff, Brilliant Rebel Architect -- Good luck with building permits today!

I’ve always been captivated by the unconventional, the visionary, and the beautifully strange—and no architect embodies those qualities quite like Bruce Goff. His work speaks to me not just as an admirer of design, but as someone who values creativity that refuses to be boxed in by tradition. Goff’s use of unexpected materials—coal, glass cullet, feathers—and his imaginative, almost dreamlike structures make me feel like architecture can transcend mere function and become something poetic, deeply personal, and alive.

So, yes, I love Bruce Goff’s architecture – it’s fanciful, strange, utilitarian, drab, dramatic – and I’m just starting my list of adjectives. 

Since I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, I feel a special connection to Bruce Goff. Even though he was born in Kansas, his long association with Oklahoma—especially through his work at the University of Oklahoma and the unforgettable Bavinger House—makes him feel like a kindred spirit. It inspires me to think that someone from this place, someone shaped by the same winds and skies, could create art that shook the foundations of architectural convention and opened new realms of possibility.

But what I’m sure of is that it’s not and never has been easy to explain to permitting and zoning people.  I think that’s why so many of the wilder architectural experiments have been built out in the country, far from city limits.  Was it necessary to obtain a permit to build the Bavinger House built on farmland northeast of Norman, Oklahoma.  Given that the main design looks like a cross between a Fibonacci sequence, a spiral, rock candy stuck on long thin wires, and some sort of medieval haystack, I doubt it.  It was a round structure with part of it subterranean – really amazing and fascinating, but I think that it was designed to essentially self-destruct by auto-disintegration, and that’s exactly what happened.  I could provide the details, but it’s easy enough to look them up.  I do remember seeing the structure when I was young, but after it became impossibly structurally unsound, it was demolished. It’s a shame, but it might have been rather horrendous to try to keep it from falling apart.  Like other Oklahoma home-growns, the cottonwoods, some just start shedding limbs and rotting from inside out once they hit a certain age.  Not every tree is a sequoia. 

But really – take a good look at the Bavinger House (photo taken before it crumbled into ruin and had to be demolished).  How do you keep those rocks suspended in air?? 

 

The Bavinger House (before it was demolished) in Norman, Oklahoma

On the other end of the spectrum is the Spotlight Theatre building on Riverside Drive between the 11th Street Bridge and 14th Street.  It’s a plain white blocky Bauhaus-esque building with an amazing circular window that is filled with rectangular panes of stained glass, and then rectangular windows and lights along the building. With the paucity of windows, it does have something of a bunker appearance, and it’s hard to imagine really enjoying being inside since there might be illumination coming from the panes of stained glass in the round window, and the too-narrow-for-escape, but literally no view.  I guess any and all air flow would come from the HVAC system, and ingress / egress would be in doors. There must be many doors in the building.  Otherwise, who on earth would issue such a dangerous building any permits??  This is particularly the case since it is a theatre, and appears to have a seating capacity of a hundred or so.  Originally, it was designed as an personal home.  There again, I have to wonder about permits.  Each room is supposed to have two methods of escape.  I just do not see how this building could satisfy such a requirement. That’s not to say it’s not a cool building.  It’s an amazing building and I have taken many, many photos of it.  The building behind the theatre was also designed by Goff and it’s definitely more traditional with windows. It is equally Bauhausian. 

The Spotlight Theatre on Riverside Drive in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The depth and breadth of Goff’s vision are amazing, and I often wonder how he was able to be so prolific and also to be so dramatically divergent in his styles.  Some of the influences seem to be consistently recognizable – Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonio Gaudi come to mind. There are also elements of Le Corbusier (thinking of the Riverside Drive buildings in Tulsa). 

I wonder if Goff kept notebooks, sketches, journals, and records of his ideas. They would be very interesting. I just did a bit of digging and yes, Goff’s archives are held by The Art Institute of Chicago and they are impressive: 

• 200 linear feet (263 boxes), 12 portfolios, 7 oversize portfolios, 12 tubes, and flatfile materials

It’s a shame that they’re not at the University of Oklahoma, but then again, he was fired and was not treated very well at all toward the end.  I have read conflicting accounts. 

Five Iconic Bruce Goff Works in Oklahoma

The Bavinger House (Norman, OK) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavinger_House)

A spiral structure built from native stone, glass cullet, and suspended platforms. It exemplified Goff’s organic architecture and whimsical material use. Though it was tragically demolished, it remains legendary.

Ledbetter House (Norman, OK) (https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2010/08/15/historic-home-in-norman-earns-national-acclaim/61296204007/)

Located near the University of Oklahoma, this is one of Goff’s preserved masterpieces. It features cantilevered roof elements and a dramatic geometric layout. It is still a private residence and a symbol of Goff’s lasting presence in Norman.

Prichard House (Oklahoma City, OK) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pricilla_Myers_House)

Also known as the Joe D. Price House, this residence has been described as a fusion of Eastern influences and American modernism. The structure is known for its richly detailed textures and luxurious materials.

Shin'enKan (Bartlesville, OK) (https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=SH027)

Commissioned by collector Joe D. Price, this residence and museum incorporated Japanese aesthetics. Though it burned in 1996, it remains one of Goff's most spiritually rich and visually poetic designs.

Boston Avenue Methodist Church (Tulsa, OK) (https://tulsaworld.com/archive/bruce-goffs-boston-avenue-church/article_46d6ff6c-02d4-578b-8313-2205df88ff3b.html)

Though designed primarily by Adah Robinson with Goff’s involvement, this Art Deco marvel stands as one of Oklahoma’s most iconic churches. Goff’s early input helped shape its bold verticality and ornamentation.

Understanding the Whole Person

Although I've read articles, walked by houses and building designed by him, and taken many photos, I still do not feel as though I understand Bruce Goff, the person.  The more I study his work, the more intrigued I am. I think it would be worth a trip to the Chicago Art Institute, and definitely worth reading more about the people he grew up with, worked with, and dreamed with as they commissioned his work. 

Teaching Technical Subjects Online? Tap Into the Brain’s Design Creativity Engine

Designing effective online courses—especially for technical disciplines like engineering, data science, and computer programming—requires more than organizing lectures, videos, and assignments. It demands creativity at every level, from course structure to learner engagement. But what kind of creativity are we talking about?

A fascinating 2018 paper by Leslee Lazar, "The Cognitive Neuroscience of Design Creativity," provides a roadmap. According to Lazar, design creativity is distinct from both artistic and scientific creativity. It’s uniquely tied to how humans solve complex, ambiguous, and evolving problems—what the paper calls “ill-structured tasks.” For instructional designers in the digital space, especially those working with technical subjects, this insight is profound. To truly prepare learners for the real world, our courses must engage their "design brains."

Embrace Ill-Structured Problems

In traditional education, especially in technical fields, we often rely on "well-structured" problems—those with clear parameters, predictable outcomes, and established solution paths. Think of solving an algebraic equation or calculating the flow rate through a pipe. While these tasks are useful for teaching fundamentals, they fall short of preparing students for the ambiguity and complexity of real-world challenges.

Lazar emphasizes the power of “ill-structured” problems—open-ended scenarios where both the problem and the solution evolve during the process. These are the kinds of problems that designers and engineers face daily: how to reduce waste in a city, optimize a software interface, or create a sustainable energy model. In online technical education, embracing this approach means offering scenarios that encourage learners to frame the problem themselves. Instead of handing students a tightly defined task, present them with a realistic challenge and ask, “Where would you begin?” This not only cultivates critical thinking but activates deeper brain networks associated with creativity and real-world problem solving.

Foster Divergent Thinking

One of the hallmarks of design creativity is the ability to generate many possible solutions to a problem. This process, known as divergent thinking, involves connecting seemingly unrelated ideas, drawing analogies, and pushing past conventional answers. It’s also associated with right-brain activation—particularly in the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal regions tied to memory and mental imagery.

To foster divergent thinking in an online technical course, instructors can build in brainstorming activities and reflection prompts that go beyond “what’s right?” to ask “what else could work?” For instance, in a course on systems design, pose a challenge like “design a water filtration system for a desert environment,” and invite students to submit five distinct conceptual sketches or approaches. Tools like digital whiteboards, collaboration platforms, and creative forums can provide the space for learners to explore without judgment. Emphasizing breadth before depth in the early stages of learning taps into this essential phase of the creative process and helps learners become flexible, innovative thinkers.

Balance with Convergent Thinking

While divergent thinking opens up possibilities, convergent thinking brings clarity. It is the process of narrowing down options, analyzing trade-offs, and making decisions. According to Lazar, this phase activates more analytical regions of the brain—primarily the executive control networks in the prefrontal cortex. Together, these processes form what researchers now view as a “dual-process model” of creativity: oscillating between the expansive and the focused, the imaginative and the evaluative.

In online learning, this means we shouldn’t stop at brainstorming. Learners also need structured opportunities to analyze and refine their ideas. For example, after generating a set of potential designs for a circuit or a software interface, students can be asked to evaluate each against a rubric that considers feasibility, efficiency, and user experience. Peer reviews, instructor feedback, and self-assessment tools can support this critical convergence stage, helping students internalize the skills needed to assess and refine their own solutions. Building this evaluative loop into course design teaches not only technical accuracy but the judgment needed for innovation.

Integrate Emotion and Intuition

An especially intriguing insight from Lazar’s review is the role of emotion in design decisions. During evaluation and final decision-making, brain areas like the medial prefrontal cortex and default mode network become active. These regions are associated with emotion, intuition, and personal preference—what designers often describe as a “gut feeling.”

This has profound implications for online learning. While we often focus on cognitive load and performance metrics, we shouldn’t overlook the emotional and intuitive dimensions of learning. Giving students space to reflect—through design journals, voice notes, or video reflections—can deepen their engagement. When students articulate why they chose a specific solution or how they felt about their learning process, they begin to integrate their analytical and emotional selves. This not only mirrors how real designers work but helps learners develop self-awareness and intrinsic motivation.

Use the “Design Brain” to Train Technical Brains

The neuroscience evidence is clear: expert designers think differently than novices. Their brains activate differently, especially in regions responsible for hypothesis generation, analogical reasoning, and mental imagery. Importantly, these skills can be taught—but not through lectures alone.

To help online learners move from novice to expert, instructors must model their thinking processes. Use screen recordings, narrated walkthroughs, or “design thinking in action” videos where experts tackle real problems. Make your own reasoning visible: how you define a problem, discard options, draw analogies, and iterate. This transparency helps learners build mental models of expert thought. Scaffold assignments with opportunities for learners to practice these same steps—first with support, then independently. Over time, learners will internalize the cognitive habits of expert designers, which are essential for mastering technical fields in the real world.

Conclusion: Teach Like a Designer

Teaching technical subjects online is a challenge—but also an opportunity. By drawing on insights from neuroscience and design cognition, we can create courses that mirror how real problem-solving happens. Instead of just transmitting content, we can build learning environments that activate the same brain systems used by innovative designers, engineers, and thinkers.

When we do this, our courses don't just inform—they transform. They help students become agile, creative, and confident problem solvers, ready to tackle the complex challenges of tomorrow.

So the next time you open your LMS or course builder, pause and ask: am I laying out a lecture... or designing an experience?

Reference

Lazar, L. (2018). The Cognitive Neuroscience of Design Creativity. Journal of Experimental Neuroscience, 12, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/1179069518809664

Summary of a Conversation with Rochelle Owens, July 2

In this wide-ranging, philosophically rich conversation, (linked here) Rochelle Owens reflects on aging, bodily transformation, philosophical influences, quantum mechanics, and poetic creation.  The main question – what have been the core issues and ideas that animated you during COVID and after, are addressed.  The answer starts with a frank acknowledgment of the physical body the houses the ideas that lead to production of art and literature. 

Rochelle Owens, Patterns of Animus

Owens connects deeply with Simone de Beauvoir’s acknowledgment of aging and the erosion of bodily confidence, and extends that to broader reflections on identity, creativity, and survival. Owens references Descartes, Wittgenstein, and quantum physics to explore the mystery of existence, the fragmented nature of perception, and the survival-driven evolution of the brain. Her poetic practice is framed as deeply bodily, rooted in the mammalian, the grotesque, and the juxtaposition of horror with incantatory grounding through language. Owens touches on cultural archetypes, spiritual symbolism, and historical trauma, all while interweaving lived experiences and abstract concepts with profound emotional and intellectual insight.

Connecting the Conversation to The Aardvark Venus and Patterns of Animus

Rochelle Owens' reflections in this conversation are intimately tied to the thematic core of both The Aardvark Venus and Patterns of Animus. In The Aardvark Venus, Owens explores the visceral and grotesque aspects of female embodiment, often juxtaposing biological processes and spiritual crises. Her discussion of aging and Simone de Beauvoir’s quote—“to lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself”—echoes through The Aardvark Venus, where the speaker is often caught between decay and a raw, vital drive to speak, to create, to assert meaning through language. The poetic voice in that work occupies what Owens describes as “the edge of clarity and horror”—a place of dispassionate awareness of the body’s inevitable breakdown paired with ecstatic linguistic invention.

Similarly, Patterns of Animus engages in the ritualistic repetition Owens discusses in the interview. The incantatory refrain—“Black and hot my coffee. Work is a binding obligation”—functions as both mantra and existential acknowledgment. Her conversation expands on that theme by situating it in the biological and survivalist imperative of the body. The notion that “the brain is an organ that, like other human brains, is trying to survive” is palpable in Patterns of Animus, where the poetic self loops through trauma, memory, and obligation, always returning to grounding acts like drinking coffee, marking labor, or repeating phrases. These repetitions reflect a need for coherence amid the chaos of political, spiritual, and physical entropy.

________________________________________

Ties to Owens’ Earlier Work

These ideas resonate with Owens’ earlier poetic experiments—particularly her I Am the Babe of Joseph Stalin’s Daughter (1972) and Black Chalk (1992)—which challenge traditional logic and syntax, offering instead a brutal, surreal body-consciousness. Her focus on the grotesque and spiritual in female embodiment can be seen even in these earlier works, where language is both medium and subject. The interview’s references to Wittgenstein’s notion—“not how the world is, but that it is, is the mystery”—echo the metaphysical tension in these earlier texts, where language fails even as it compulsively tries to name and frame the world.

Additionally, Owens’ reflections on the symbolic power of patterns, especially within Native American beadwork and clothing, align with her long-standing attention to ceremonial forms and mythic residues in language. Just as traditional patterns once served protective spiritual functions, Owens’ poetic structures function as psychic armor—often enacting their own brutalities in the service of deeper truths.

Final Reflection

Ultimately, Owens positions poetry as a biological and philosophical necessity: a defiant act of naming amid mortality and mystery. Her fusion of philosophical discourse, embodied awareness, cultural critique, and poetic intuition in this conversation deepens our understanding of her poetic voice—especially as it evolves in The Aardvark Venus and Patterns of Animus. Her voice remains fierce, mordant, grounded in paradox, and vibrantly alive with intellectual audacity.

Rochelle Owens: Reflections on Body, Mind, and Mystery

Conversation on July 2, 2025 with Susan Smith Nash

Susan Smith Nash: With the advent of COVID and devastating global events, Rochelle Owens produced new poetry with deep philosophical insights that connect with her body of work, and also forges new directions and connections. 

Her books during that time include The Aardvark Venus: New and Selected Poems (1961 – 2020) published in 2020   and Patterns of Animus: Poetry, with Accompanying Essays and Reviews (2022).

I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Rochelle Owens on July 2.  Here is a transcript of her words.  I am deeply grateful – her insights are so illuminating!

Rochelle Owens: I have been aware for several years now that my body is not what it was, that my energy and everything is changing because I'm old. In this period of understanding and acknowledging the transformation of my body, I find myself identifying with certain parts of Simone de Beauvoir's vast literary work in ways I never could before.

Simone remembered that her father told her she had the brain of a man because she was so intelligent and different from other little girls of that period—very curious and scholarly, wanting to know everything, an exceptional child who always knew she wanted to write books. She said something that I find quite pertinent: "When I was a child, when I was an adolescent, books saved me from despair. That convinced me that culture was the highest of values."

I identified with that completely. Books saved me too when I was a child. I walked to the library and read all the time, and it saved me. This corresponds with her father's observation about her having "the brain of a man"—because that is part of the destiny projected onto us women. Men are supposed to invent and create, while women are meant to listen, to be cheerleaders.

Simone also said something that strikes me deeply now: "To lose confidence in one's body is to lose confidence in oneself." When she was getting older, she felt her body changing and admitted she lost confidence. I can identify with that profound connection between physical and spiritual confidence.

This leads me to think about René Descartes, the 17th-century philosopher and forerunner of very modern thinking about the body. He said something very pertinent: "The only thing we have power over in the universe is our own thoughts." Before Descartes, I used to think there was a God, some idea of a personal God, and that made me feel comfortable. But then the state of being an atheist also makes me feel quite comfortable.

I listen to Luc Ferry a lot, in French of course, and I relate to his thinking about this transition. Ferry helps me understand how we can move between these states of belief and disbelief without losing our sense of meaning or comfort. His work on how philosophy can provide consolation even in a secular age resonates with my own journey from theism to atheism.

And then there's Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose influence on modern thought is enormous. He captured something I've reflected in many of my poems: "Not how the world is, but that it is, is the mystery."

Everything that exists in the universe is made up of atoms, and when we leap to quantum mechanics—which in my brash and nonconformist manner I know very little about, yet feel I know enough to enrich my blood cells and brain—we're dealing with these minuscule particles and their bizarre interactions that make up the universe. Science has determined with advanced technology the reality of atoms, which are made up of even smaller particles that our eyes cannot see without instruments.

What fascinates me is this interaction we don't understand, this bizarre phenomenon that simply happens. It's a mystery—the fact that the universe and we exist is a mystery. There's a phenomenon called superposition in quantum mechanics, where particles seem to be not just in one determinate position at one time, but somewhere here and also there simultaneously. This radical view turns many common-sense metaphysical ideas on their head. Imagination does that too.

The brain, like other human organs, has this premise: survive. The body must survive. And yet I'm an old woman now, and I have lost confidence. This connects to whether we police our thoughts, whether physical caution starts applying to our mental and intellectual selves. That could be dangerous.

I remember when I was in Oklahoma with my Georgie, attending a concert by a famous African-American folk singer. Before that concert, the policeman in my mind was inhibiting me—I began to police myself. But after the concert, I got on the speeding roller coaster higher to inventiveness and creativity, thinking of how male philosophers, with their scrotums, have always been given the authority and privilege of wanting to outdo other male geniuses. Male geniuses want to rival each other and win, whereas women are trained differently.

Much of my later poetry is filled with the idea of the mammalian—the body and the organs—because that is everything. Without our brain, our sophisticated human categorizations, we wouldn't have this evolutionary strategy to survive. We developed all these functions anatomically: five fingers on each hand, everything in order.

I think of Ötzi, the Iceman, the oldest mummified human being from 5,000 years ago, found preserved in ice in the Alps between what we now call Italy and Austria. He had a fanny pack, arrows—he'd been walking and was pursued and killed, shot with arrows. His body was preserved by ice and climate, and we can still study him. We are the body—everything. My poems have always been concerned with the body because I am the body.

There are persistent ideas that run through my work like threads: the worm, the rot, the horror of consciousness. But I like to stand firmly on the edge of clarity and horror—the clarity and dispassionate awareness of what might be horrific description. My horrific descriptions are very concrete, but they're not disgusting because of juxtaposition. You'll have the worm or the rot or the skull, but then there's this incantatory repetition—"hot and black and hot my coffee"—that grounds the reader and makes them connect to their own lived experience.

The antidote to this diffuse horror is work. "Work is a binding obligation"—everyone can identify with that line. We all have to work. Whether it's domestic work or warrior work, work is what we're supposed to do. The Comanche women did both: all the domestic work—making teepees, feeding families—and they had powerful spiritual authority too. In Native American culture, women have spiritual authority. They were creators of artwork, beadwork, embroidery, the patterns that were spiritual and prescribed, meant to protect. They used traditional imagery: the four directions, the four winds, animals with their protective qualities.

I'm very glad they didn't practice female genital mutilation like some Egyptian and African tribes, or foot binding like the Chinese. The constant pain of bound feet, women hobbling around because they were crippled—it makes me angry to think about it.

This all comes back to the mystery Wittgenstein spoke of, the strange fact that anything exists at all. The atoms and particles, the consciousness and horror, the body aging and losing confidence, the work that binds us—all of it part of this inexplicable phenomenon of being. Whether we believe in God or consider ourselves atheists, whether we think the words of scripture were written by human beings with their brains or inspired by something beyond—the mystery remains. That it is, not how it is, but that it is at all.

Building Fortress-Level Assessment Security: What 591 Accounting Faculty Taught Us About Online Assessment Integrity

 Picture this: You've just finished designing what you think is a bulletproof online course, complete with engaging content and thoughtful assessments. But then that nagging voice in the back of your head whispers, "How do I know students aren't just Googling or ChatGPTing their way through my carefully crafted exams?"

If you're an instructional designer who's ever lost sleep over assessment security, you're not alone. A comprehensive study by researchers Nas Ahadiat and Mohamed I. Gomaa surveyed 591 accounting faculty across 921 U.S. universities to understand perceptions of security and integrity in online assessments. While their focus was accounting education, their findings offer a treasure trove of insights for any of us designing secure online assessments.

🔍 The Security Hierarchy: What Faculty Really Think

The research revealed a clear "trust hierarchy" when it comes to assessment security, and the results might surprise you with how stark the differences are.

🥇 Face-to-Face Assessments: The Trusted Champion Traditional classroom assessments remain the undisputed favorite among faculty for security. An impressive 54% of faculty rated face-to-face delivery as "most secured," while only 1% considered it "most unsecured." This overwhelming confidence speaks to the power of physical presence and direct supervision that many of us take for granted when designing in-person experiences.

🥈 Hybrid Courses: The Strategic Middle Ground Here's where things get interesting for us as instructional designers. Hybrid delivery emerged as a compelling compromise, with 35% of faculty rating it as "secured" or "most secured." What makes this approach so appealing is that it offers significantly more security than fully online options while maintaining much of the convenience that makes online education attractive. It's a thoughtful balance that doesn't force educators to choose between accessibility and integrity.

🥉 Synchronous Online: The Power of Presence When faculty had to choose between online delivery methods, synchronous options won decisively. The research showed that real-time, live online assessments were perceived as significantly more secure than their asynchronous counterparts. There's something about the immediacy and live monitoring capability that creates accountability and reassurance for faculty. It captures some of the supervisory benefits of face-to-face delivery, even when mediated through technology.

📱 Asynchronous Online: The Trust Gap Challenge Asynchronous assessments faced the biggest credibility hurdle in the study. Only 12% of faculty rated this delivery mode as "secured" or "most secured," while a concerning 35% considered it "unsecured" or "most unsecured." For those of us designing online learning experiences, this represents our biggest challenge—and our biggest opportunity to innovate around security and integrity measures.

Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.

🎯 Beyond Accounting: Security Strategies for Every Subject

While this study focused on accounting, the principles apply beautifully across disciplines. Here's how to fortress-fy your assessments:

📊 Data-Heavy Subjects (Statistics, Economics, Analytics)

The Challenge: Easy to find formulas and solutions online 

The Solution:

• Use unique, real-world datasets for each assessment
• Require students to show their work process, not just final answers
• Implement timed assessments with randomized question pools
• Consider hybrid proctoring for high-stakes exams

🧬 STEM Fields (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

The Challenge: Standard problems with readily available solutions 

The Solution:

• Create scenario-based problems using current events or local contexts
• Use virtual labs with unique parameters for each student
• Implement peer review components that require original thinking
• Design multi-step problems where each answer builds on the previous

📚 Literature and Writing Courses

The Challenge: AI writing tools and essay mills 

The Solution:

• Focus on personal reflection and analysis rather than summary
• Use discussion forums for peer interaction and idea development
• Implement portfolio-based assessment with draft iterations
• Require students to connect readings to personal or local experiences

🏛️ Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science)

The Challenge: Widely available information and opinions online 

The Solution:

• Use current events that post-date available study materials
• Require primary source analysis with specific citation requirements
• Implement case study analysis with local or regional focus
• Design collaborative projects that require real-world interaction

🛡️ The Arsenal: Top Security Tools Faculty Recommend

The study revealed faculty preferences for different security strategies:

• Live Proctoring: The Heavy Artillery
• 84% rated as "secured" or "most secured"
• Best for high-stakes assessments
• Implementation tip: Reserve for final exams or certification tests to manage costs

Remote Proctoring (ProctorU): The Smart Compromise

• 74% positive rating
• More scalable than live proctoring
• Implementation tip: Provide clear tech requirements and practice sessions

Plagiarism Detection (Turnitin): The Safety Net

• 78% positive rating for written work
• Implementation tip: Use as both detection and deterrent tool

Hybrid Delivery: The Goldilocks Solution

• Best of both worlds approach
• Implementation tip: Conduct major assessments on-campus, everything else online

💡 Smart Implementation Strategies

Start with Risk Assessment

• Not every quiz needs Fort Knox-level security. Categorize your assessments:
• Low stakes: Weekly quizzes, participation checks → Minimal security needed
• Medium stakes: Module exams, major assignments → Moderate security measures
• High stakes: Final exams, certification tests → Maximum security protocols

Build Security into Learning Design

Instead of bolting security onto existing assessments, weave it into your instructional design:

• Scaffolded assessments: Build knowledge progressively so cheating becomes harder
• Application-focused questions: Test understanding, not memorization
• Personalized content: Use student location, interests, or program focus in questions

The Transparency Approach

• Be upfront about security measures:
• Explain why academic integrity matters in their field
• Share consequences of dishonesty in professional practice
• Make security measures feel supportive rather than punitive

🔮 Looking Forward: Emerging Trends

The research highlighted some fascinating patterns:

• AACSB-accredited programs showed higher confidence in security measures
• Graduate programs were more concerned about asynchronous security than undergraduate programs
• Public institutions favored face-to-face assessments more than private institutions

These patterns suggest that institutional culture and student population significantly impact security needs and perceptions.

🎯 Your Action Plan

Ready to level up your assessment security? Here's your starter toolkit:

This Week:

• Audit your current assessments using the risk categories above
• Identify which delivery mode best fits each assessment type
• Research institutional resources for proctoring and plagiarism detection

This Month:

• Pilot one hybrid assessment approach
• Create a question bank with randomizable elements
• Develop clear academic integrity policies for your courses

This Semester:

• Implement differentiated security based on assessment stakes
• Gather student feedback on security measures
• Analyze any integrity incidents to refine your approach

🐕 The Bottom Line

The research from these 591 accounting faculty confirms what many of us suspected: there's no one-size-fits-all solution to online assessment security. The key is matching your security strategy to your specific context—your subject matter, student population, institutional resources, and assessment stakes.

Remember, the goal isn't to create an adversarial relationship with students, but to design assessments so robust and engaging that cheating becomes both difficult and pointless. When students are genuinely learning and applying knowledge to meaningful problems, academic integrity often takes care of itself.

What security strategies have worked best in your online courses? Have you noticed differences between synchronous and asynchronous assessments? Share your experiences in the comments below!

________________________________________

About the Research: This post is based on "Online accounting education: How to improve security and integrity of students' performance assessments" by Nas Ahadiat and Mohamed I. Gomaa, published in the Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, Volume 24. The study surveyed 591 accounting faculty across 921 universities in the United States.

Tags: #OnlineAssessment #AcademicIntegrity #InstructionalDesign #ELearning #AssessmentSecurity #OnlineEducation #Proctoring

Posted to E-Learning Corgi by Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. 

When Academia Meets the Abyss: Review of H. N. Hirsch's murder in academia mystery, Winter

 H.N. Hirsch's mystery novel, Winter (Pisgah Press, 2025) operates as both an academic mystery and an intimate domestic drama, weaving together the public investigation of the murder of an obnoxious professor with the private crisis threatening a colleague and his long-term relationship The novel's strength lies in its authentic portrayal of academic culture, drawing on Hirsch's extensive experience in higher education to expose the toxic intersection of intellectual ambition, institutional politics, and personal vendettas.

The murder investigation serves as a catalyst for exploring deeper themes of truth, loyalty, and moral compromise. The murder victim, Charles Silver, functions as a complex antagonist whose sexual compulsions and intellectual arrogance create a web of potential suspects, each representing different aspects of academic dysfunction—from career rivalry to administrative corruption to intellectual obsession. The revelation of Silver's HIV diagnosis adds another layer of consequence to his reckless behavior.

Parallel to the mystery, an infidelity subplot provides the novel's emotional core. Hirsch handles this marital crisis with remarkable sensitivity, using grief over a parent's death and fear of aging to explain without excusing betrayal. The therapy sessions and gradual reconciliation feel authentic, avoiding both easy forgiveness and melodramatic dissolution.

The academic setting allows Hirsch to satirize university culture while maintaining respect for intellectual work. The portrayal of faculty politics, administrative bureaucracy, and the pressure for academic advancement rings true without descending into caricature. 

Structurally, the novel balances multiple plotlines effectively, creating a rich family tapestry that grounds the more sensational murder plot. The resolution suggests that truth in both crime and relationships often remains partial and complicated, reflecting the novel's sophisticated understanding of human motivation and institutional corruption.

Links to purchase

Paperback  http://www.amzn.com/B0F64CZK88 

Kindle  http://www.amzn.com/B0F92ZZ8XM

Also available for immediate shipment from Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winter-h-n-hirsch/1147333399?ean=9781942016960