Learning Innovation: The Teaching & Learning Podcast

Beyond the obvious benefits exercise has on your body, research shows that it has powerful benefits on your brain, too—like improved memory, attention, and processing speed.

Simon Schaerz (Exercise Science instructor at Lethbridge Polytechnic), David Selles (Physical Education student from the University of Lethbridge), and Tyler Duffy (Exercise Science student at Lethbridge Polytechnic) discuss exercise cognition and its profound impacts on the brain—specifically, on executive functioning.

During the show, guests and host (Craig) mention:

Instructor Kathie Ervin and Instructional Designer Craig McCarthy collaborated to revamp Kathie's Distance Learning (DL) course in the Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Therapeutic Recreation Gerontology program. 

The goal? Create a more hands-on learning experience for DL students. 

Kathie and Craig outline their revision strategy, share stories about student creativity and community, and explain why they think the project was so successful. The pair also share tips on how other instructors can revamp their DL courses. 

During the episode, Donna (host) and guests mentioned:

Students Cory, Adam, Lenae, and Maddie share all about their Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences at Lethbridge Polytechnic. 

No matter the program, classroom theory comes to life when students are paired with real-world scenarios – and the lessons are invaluable.

Students discuss favourite moments and key insights from their WIL experiences. They also exchange strategies for navigating challenges like imposter syndrome – sometimes it helps to don a "suit"!

Stone Pipe Days is a four-day event recognizing the pride, history, and culture of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) community here at Lethbridge Polytechnic. Jordan Head, Indigenous Cultural Advisor, is a key organizer for this year's Stone Pipe Days, and he joins us to share all about this special event.

Jordan outlines the agenda (opening ceremonies, meals, guest speakers, films, a traditional powwow), and he expands on the meaningful partnership Stone Pipe Days represents between the Blackfoot people and the polytechnic. He also shares a piece of his personal journey, including how his family inspired and guided him toward education – which eventually led him full circle back to Lethbridge Polytechnic.

During the show, Jordan and Donna (host) mention:

Dr. Erika Smith (Educational Development Consultant at the University of Calgary), Richard Hayman (Associate Professor and Digital Initiatives Librarian at Mount Royal University), and Constance Sheriff (Research Services Librarian at Lethbridge Polytechnic) explore the daunting task researchers face in sharing their work with their audiences. 

Erika, Richard, and Constance explain how using strategies like Knowledge Mobilization and Knowledge Translation, and finding support through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning can help dismantle barriers in dissemination–especially when researchers strive to become Networked Scholars.

Even if you don't want your work to be published, there are so many benefits from engaging in scholarly research, like improved:

And there's more where that came from.

Constance Sheriff (she/her) is a Research Services Librarian who has been at Lethbridge Polytechnic for nearly 20 years. Her focuses include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Integrated Librarianship, Research Ethics, and Research Data Management. 

Dr. Erika Smith (she/her) is an Educational Development Consultant specializing in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Calgary. She has an interdisciplinary background in digital humanities and completed her PhD in Adult, Community and Higher Education at the University of Alberta. She has 20 years of professional experience in diverse learning environments. Erika supports curriculum, pedagogy, and technology innovations and initiatives under the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning umbrella. She is Senior Associate Editor and a founding member of Imagining SoTL, a peer-reviewed open-access journal, and co-PI on a SSHRC-funded Scholarship of Teaching and Learning initiative that integrates students as partners in knowledge co-creation. She has written for The Conversation and widely shares and translates knowledge via videos, infographics, and social media. Her research interests include educational development, digital literacies, and emerging technologies in higher education. 

Richard Hayman (he/him) is an Associate Professor and Digital Initiatives Librarian at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. As a researcher-practitioner interested in open access and scholarly communications, educational technologies, and evidence-based practice in academic (library) settings, his expertise engages multidisciplinary modes of knowledge exploration, creation, mobilization, and translation. He is committed to open practices in research ensuring his publications are available via open access and supporting others seeking to do the same. Richard is currently co-PI on a SoTL-focused scoping review project.

"It's my dream. It's our dream. It's the polytechnic's dream. But it's a dream of our elders that we keep going." ~ Marcia Black Water, Indigenous Coordinator for the Centre for Business, Arts, and Sciences 

Marcia Black Water (Indigenous Coordinator for CBAS), Jessica Fox (English and Blackfoot Instructor), and Sandra Atwood (Indigenous Studies Instructor) partnered to create A'paitsitapisksinimaattsaa – a program rooted in Blackfoot ways of knowing.

The trio hope that through pommotsiiysinni (a Blackfoot word meaning the transfer and gaining of knowledge, and understanding your place in the world) this program will meet both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students where they are at – and even spark the next generation of leaders.

During the show, guests and host (Donna) mention:

Black History Month is a time to pause, rest, and reflect on who you are, and what makes you special as a Black person.

Lethbridge Polytechnic students Noel, Michelle, Janet, and Tony explore what Black culture means, and how they navigate mental wellness as students.

This lively group argues about how they find healing and talks about how they love to share culture – the food, the fashion, the music, and of course the party! 

During the show, guests and host (Donna) mention: 

The only of its kind in Canada, the Wildlife Analytics Lab (WAL) specializes in wildlife cementum (mineralized tissue covering tooth roots) analysis. Through this process, technicians can determine wildlife age and life history to better inform resource conservation practices.

WAL has numerous implications for transformational research (including becoming the new standard for aging wildlife), and fruitful collaborations with multiple stakeholders (including government, industry experts, and organizations).

Dr. Everett Hanna (Scientific Lead and Environmental Sciences Instructor), Kelsey Gourlie (Lead Lab Technician), and Marcela Leija Montoya (Laboratory Technician) join the pod to offer their perspectives.

Everett details how the facility is shaping current and future sustainability efforts. Kelsey and Marcela share how this lab gave them (as former students) invaluable Work-Integrated Learning experiences that helped them transition to their exciting new careers at the polytechnic.

Like probiotics are for your gut, mycorrhizal fungi are for soil in vitalizing millions of microorganisms!

Dr. Adriana Morrell, Instructor and Mycology Lab Scientific Lead from Lethbridge Polytechnic shares about her sustainable research project on soil reclamation. Adriana's aim? Identify effective treatments to spur biologically diverse and productive outcomes after a disturbance (like coal mining) as quickly as possible. 

Adriana was recently awarded $250K from Alberta Innovates, and she is already prepping for the spring, where native grasses pre-inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi will be relocated to select sites in the Crownest Pass.

During the show, guest and hosts mention:

“The key thing that we keep emphasizing, you'll hear us say it over and over again, is we have to be where industry is, and where industry wants to be next.” ~ Andrew Dunlop, Associate Vice President of Research at Lethbridge Polytechnic

Dave McMurray, Applied Research Manager at Lethbridge Polytechnic, and Andrew Dunlop, Associate Vice President of Research at Lethbridge Polytechnic discuss the inner workings of the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CARIE). 

Dave and Andrew share how applied research differs from university research, including IP property, moving at the speed of business, and direct industry connections.