On Episode 592, I welcome Barbara Oakley. She is globally renowned for her hit course “Learning How to Learn” and is a celebrated voice on the science of learning—to Teaching in Higher Ed. We explore her extraordinary journey, spanning a US army career, Antarctic research, and time spent on Soviet trawlers, which informs her thoughtful perspective on the role of free speech in education. Our conversation centers on Barbara’s latest project, the “Speak Freely, Think Critically” course, and delves into why free speech is essential across disciplines, not just as a legal principle but as a catalyst for intellectual rigor and growth.

Resources from the episode:

• Speak Freely, Think Critically: The Free Speech Balance Act
• SwayBeta.AI
• Barbara Oakley – Coursera Instructor Profile
• Learning How to Learn
• Think Critically: Deductive Reasoning and Mental Models
• Barbara Oakley’s Website
• Barbara Oakley – Wikipedia
• Academy of Ideas: The Hidden Neuroscience of Democracy
• A Mind for Numbers, by Barbara Oakley
• Retrieval Practice (retrievalpractice.org)
• Obsidian
• How and Why I Use Obsidian, by Robert Talbert
• SmarterHumans.ai

Episode topics:

• Metaphors and Storytelling in Teaching
• Historical Perspectives on Free Speech
• Neuroscience and the Motivations Behind Censorship
• Building Brave and Intellectually Rigorous Learning Environments
• The Role of Narcissism in Shutting Down Free Speech
• AI Integrations in Course Design (Sway AI Example)
• Flexible vs. Deep-Seated Beliefs in Learning
• Teaching Strategies for Critical Dialogue
• Using Visual Metaphors and AI Tools in Instruction
• Lessons Learned from Course Design Mistakes

Discussion questions:

1. Barbara Oakley shares a story about Ibn Khaldun being lowered down in a basket to meet Tamerlane. How does this historical metaphor help us think about the origins and importance of free speech in society and education?
2. Barbara describes free speech as “like air—you don’t miss it until it’s gone.” In what ways have you seen this paradox play out in higher education or other settings?
3. The course Barbara discusses aims to equip people to talk to those with whom they strongly disagree. What instructional strategies or activities could help foster such brave and intellectually rigorous learning environments?
4. Narcissism is described as a heritable trait that can negatively affect organizations, including universities. How does understanding narcissism help us better navigate challenges to free speech and organizational change?
5. Barbara is a strong advocate for using metaphors and analogies in teaching. What are some of your favorite metaphors for complex concepts, and how have they enhanced your students’ learning?

Related Episodes

Barbara Oakley’s reflections on metaphors, free speech, and how we learn connect beautifully to other Teaching in Higher Ed conversations about dialogue, agency, and intellectual humility.

Episode 560: Equip Students to Dialog Across Differences Using an AI Guide w/ Nicholas DiBella & Simon Cullen

DiBella and Cullen share Sway, an AI-supported platform that pairs students with differing viewpoints to practice respectful, evidence-based disagreement. As Cullen discussed about his “dangerous ideas” course:

Most of my students have not heard cogent arguments on the other side of whatever their own position is because they've been so siloed.

Episode 563: Defy: The Power of Saying No in a World That Demands Yes with Sunita Sah

Sah explores the psychology of influence and the courage it takes to resist compliance pressures, encouraging educators and students to act from conviction rather than convenience.

Defiance is a practice, not a personality.

Episode 474: Deliberative Pedagogy with Timothy J. Shaffer

Shaffer offers frameworks for fostering civic listening and reasoned exchange, helping classrooms become laboratories of empathy and inquiry.

Deliberation is not about winning; it’s about learning in public.

Together, these three episodes invite us to cultivate the habits of curiosity, courage, and careful dialogue that make deep learning and true freedom of thought possible.

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