Degrees of Freedom

Degrees of Freedom

The Degrees of Freedom podcast aims to empower learners and teachers in Higher Education in their goals. We host conversations between teachers and students on pedagogical, practical, cultural, and inspirational topics with the goals of strengthening the community and its members. -+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+- The podcast is produced at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Science of the University of Groningen, in The Netherlands, by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri.

  1. Apr 30

    S4E05 - Embodying science values

    In this episode, we explore a provocative question raised in Tassos’s Research Methods course: Can scientists truly live up to the ideals of "disinterestedness" and "communalism" in an academic world dominated by competition and the "credit cycle"? We are joined by Stefanos Zelkas Sapountzis, whose inquiry instigated this discussion, Ivar Hjortfors Lozanovic, master student of Philosophy and Psychology, and we welcome back Maarten Derksen, historian and philosopher from the Psychology department. Together, we deconstruct Merton’s Norms, describing the traditional ethical pillars of science, and contrast them with the pragmatic pressures of publishing, funding, and reputation. We then relate this with embodied training, asking how higher education can move beyond purely intellectual instruction to account for the emotional, physical, and human dimensions of being a scientist. Links for the episode: Maarten Derksen’s professional pageRobert K. Merton’s "The Normative Structure of Science" (1942)The DORA Initiative and the Recognition & Rewards movement in the NetherlandsDegrees of Freedom s3e8b, where Maarten Derksen previously joined as guest - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren ⁠⁠⁠www.annecaesar.nl⁠⁠⁠ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of ⁠⁠⁠silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠.

    S4E05 - Embodying science values

  2. Mar 19

    S4E04 - Tales from EuroSoTL Conference 2025 - Building Bridges in Higher Education with Irma Meijerman

    We are joined by the Chair of the EuroSoTL Network, Irma Meijerman, to discuss the evolution, challenges, and rewards from engaging with the EuroSoTL community. As the academic landscape shifts from expertise-led instruction to evidence-based pedagogical practice, how can individual educators navigate this change without becoming overwhelmed? Irma shares the story of how a grassroots need for connection transformed into a formal European network and offers advice for academics looking to turn their teaching curiosities into researchable projects. Links for the episode ⁠Irma Meijerman's website⁠EuroSOTL 2025⁠The Utrecht roadmap to SoTL research - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren ⁠⁠www.annecaesar.nl⁠⁠ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of ⁠⁠silvermansound.com⁠⁠.

    S4E04 - Tales from EuroSoTL Conference 2025 - Building Bridges in Higher Education with Irma Meijerman

  3. Mar 18

    S4E03 - Tales from EuroSoTL Conference 2025 - An interview with Helga Dorner

    Join our conversation with Helga Dorner, Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University, as we explore the transformative world of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Recorded on-site at the EuroSoTL 2025 conference in Groningen, this episode explores what it means to treat the classroom as a site for inquiry, problem-solving, and professional growth. And what challenges and opportunities we face in this fast changing world. Links for the episode Helga Dorner's websiteEuroSOTL 2025 - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren ⁠www.annecaesar.nl⁠ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of ⁠silvermansound.com⁠.

    S4E03 - Tales from EuroSoTL Conference 2025 - An interview with Helga Dorner

  4. 12/10/2024

    S4E02 - Emotional health and mindfulness in education

    Join our conversation with Chris May, Maya Schroevers and Marieke van Vugt  as we peek into the world of well-being and mental health in educational institutions. Starting from the challenges faced by staff and students, we explore the importance of cultivating emotional health and its role in fostering understanding and resilience. Mindfulness emerges as a valuable tool to support both well-being and academic success within educational settings. The discussion takes a panoramic look at the hopes, challenges, and risks of incorporating mental well-being tools into the curriculum. Along the way, our guests share their perspectives and some practical tips on prioritizing self-care and awareness in daily life. For those curious to learn more, these show notes are completed by plenty of useful resources. Episode links: Chris May's website Maya Schroevers's website Marieke van Vugt's website The Embodied Critical Thinking project and a Mind&Life Europe summer school to go deeper on contemplative research and education More information on the research on violence in schools mentioned in the episode can be found in Chapter 15 of Dan Goleman's Emotional Intelligence and the references therein Additional resources from our guests: Mind & Life, discussions with researchers on meditation, and in particular an episode on the philosophical issues related to Cartesian dualism (podcast) UCLA Health free guided meditations (in a number of languages!) (audio recordings, app available) Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes (TED talk) Judson Brewer: A simple way to break a bad habit (TED talk) Emotional health and mindfulness apps (free, developed by scientific foundations or non-profits) Healthy Minds Program (both meditation and emotional health program) How We Feel Medito (includes UCLA meditations linked above) Smiling Mind Minfulness Coach - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren ⁠www.annecaesar.nl⁠ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of ⁠silvermansound.com⁠.

    S4E02 - Emotional health and mindfulness in education

  5. 10/01/2024

    S4E01 - Curiosity and wonder

    For the first episode of Season 4, Philip Ball and Brian Ostafin join us to talk about curiosity and wonder. Tracing the historical evolution of these emotions and exploring their psychological underpinnings, we look into the challenges of harnessing them productively and constructively in education and scientific research. Along the way we touch upon many themes, and revisit our thoughts in light of internet searches and AI. Links of the episode: Philip Ball's website Curiosity: how science became interested in everything (2013) Brian Ostafin Robert White, Motivation reconsidered: the concept of competence (1959) G.H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology (1940) Degrees of Freedom S1E7 - Failing Forward Marret Noordewier and Małgorzata Gocłowska, Shared and unique features of epistemic emotions: Awe, surprise, curiosity, interest, confusion, and boredom (2024) Jonathon Macphetres, Oh, the things you don’t know: awe promotes awareness of knowledge gaps and science interest (2019) Professor Tailoerd AI tutor – engagement doubled (Harvard Gazett, 2024) and the draft of the related paper - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren www.annecaesar.nl What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com.

    S4E01 - Curiosity and wonder

  6. 05/06/2024

    S3E07 - Developing a good relationship with writing

    This episode continues the discussion we started in the episode on reading, https://soundcloud.com/degrees_of_freedom/s03e04-learning-to-read-and-reading-for-learning In this episode we investigate good and bad practices in academic writing, discussing many tips to help oneself to overcome the writer block and make the most of their writing experience. We touch upon a wide variety of topics: writing as an act of reflection and learning, the important relation with self-acceptance and in looking for feedback, and the way our approach writing is evolving. The recent evolutions of large language models are already forcing us to revisit the way we write, not necessarily in a negative way, but they need to be used mindfully. Links from the episode: - Catriona Ryan's Scriptorcube: https://www.scriptorcube.com/ - Ole Gmelin's personal page: https://www.rug.nl/staff/j.h.gmelin/ - Michael Billig's "Learn to write badly": https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/learn-to-write-badly/ - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren www.annecaesar.nl/ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com.

    S3E07 - Developing a good relationship with writing

  7. 04/01/2024

    S3E06 - Ungrading

    Ungrading is perhaps hard to define, in broad strokes this is a movement that aims at improving the educational experience shifting the focus from the grade transaction to fostering effective learning experience. This does not necessarily mean removing the grades but often leads to deep changes in the way grades appear in our courses. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Berfu Ünal and Dr. Tamás Görbe, which will engage with us in a reflection around ungrading: starting from its meaning, we will explore pros and cons of some of the ideas involved in the practice. As you will hear the reflection goes deep and forced us multiple times to take a step back and reflect on our aims as lecturers and our relationship with our students and our institutions. Links from the episode: - Berfu Ünal personal page: https://www.rug.nl/staff/a.b.unal/ - Tamás Görbe personal page: https://www.tamasgorbe.com/ - Grading fro Growth (the website, contains plenty of experiences and comments on the research and practice around Ungrading): https://gradingforgrowth.com/ - Grading for Growth (the book): https://www.routledge.com/Grading-for-Growth-A-Guide-to-Alternative-Grading-Practices-that-Promote/Clark-Talbert/p/book/9781642673814 - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren www.annecaesar.nl/ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com.

    S3E06 - Ungrading

  8. 03/08/2024

    S3E05 Groningen Podcasters United - What's the purpose of Higher Education?

    In this episode we meet Ludi and Emma from FSE Radio and Simon Fokkema from Teaching Talks, the other two educational podcasts at our University. Together, we revisit the theme of our first episode: what is the point of higher education? We discuss how the role of higher education is changing in an ever evolving society, starting from the current experience of our students, wheter this does fall short in meeting their expectations, what is already going well and what can we done to improve it. Share your thoughts on the purpose of higher education: https://forms.gle/oXh62fhTSV5s8cTJ8 Don't forget to tune in and listen to our friends: - FSE Radio https://open.spotify.com/show/1wi0YWwEQiZHyNDEYG2KHz - Teaching talks https://open.spotify.com/show/3RIS9KNhBy4k3eRktQyh9Z - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Produced by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri, at the University of Groningen - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - Illustrations by Anne Caesar van Wieren www.annecaesar.nl/ What's the Angle and Zen Garden are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com.

    S3E05 Groningen Podcasters United - What's the purpose of Higher Education?
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About

The Degrees of Freedom podcast aims to empower learners and teachers in Higher Education in their goals. We host conversations between teachers and students on pedagogical, practical, cultural, and inspirational topics with the goals of strengthening the community and its members. -+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+- The podcast is produced at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Science of the University of Groningen, in The Netherlands, by Tassos Sarampalis and Marcello Seri.

Information

  • Creator
    Degrees of Freedom
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Degrees of Freedom
  • Show Website
    Degrees of Freedom