Episode 111 - Simon Howard
On today’s episode, we talk with Simon Howard, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Miami, about his recent TikTok assignments. In his social psychology course, he was looking for new ways to engage and assess his students, and during the pandemic he landed on the very short video format of TikTok as a solution. Simon is a first-generation college graduate who completed his undergraduate degree at San Jose State University and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Tufts University. He now directs the Psychology of Racism, Identity, Diversity, and Equity, or PRIDE, Lab at the University of Miami, where he teaches a variety of psychology courses. Leading Lines producer Julaine Fowlin brings us this interview, where Simon Howard talks about his educational journey, the TikTok assignment, and engaging students with creative, technology-supported alternatives to traditional exams and papers. Links • Simon Howard on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DrSimonHoward • Student-produced TikToks, https://twitter.com/DrSimonHoward/status/1314300480793849859 • Student-produced spoken word, https://twitter.com/DrSimonHoward/status/1452437843964530691 • Simon’s playlist assignment, https://twitter.com/DrSimonHoward/status/1332082784404459528 • Quarantine Rap, by Simon Howard, https://www.tiktok.com/@sihowthedoctor/video/6826779650748845318?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 • Sutori, https://www.sutori.com/en/ • McNair Scholars, https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triomcnair/index.html • “Why Wordle Works,” Dan Meyer, https://danmeyer.substack.com/p/why-wordle-works-according-to-desmos