Learning Innovation: The Teaching & Learning Podcast

E49: Generative AI and instructional design: Emphasizing the process of learning over the product of learning

Kristin Bond and Craig McCarthy, instructional designers at Lethbridge College, join the pod to talk about their experimentation using generative AI to help build course rubrics. The pair discuss how ChatGPT saves hours on tedious, low-level tasks, and creates opportunities for more creative, higher-level thinking in course development.

Craig and Kristin pose thoughtful questions about a more reflective learning process, and how, through open dialogue, instructors and students can navigate how to use generative AI, both in project work and in assessment methods.

During the recording, Craig, Kristin, and Donna (host) mention:

• UDL – Universal Design for Learning 
• University of Lethbridge 
• SAMR – Substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition 
• SAMR and AI Chatbots 
• Grammarly 
• Teaching Writing with Generative AI by Leon Furze (how generative AI is shifting how English instructors are grading writing) 
• John Dewey’s Learning Theory: How We Learn Through Experience (the process of learning vs product of learning comes from John Dewy’s teaching philosophy) 
• AI: the New Electricity? by Dr. Phillipa Hardman (she discussed reframing how we think of AI, not as technology but more as an infrastructure) 
• Prompt engineering – giving generative AI context (such as a role) for what you’re asking. For example, a prompt could be: “You’re a marine biologist working on Vancouver Island. What are your top 5 climate change concerns regarding your industry?” Generally, the more context you can provide, the better your generative AI output will be. 
• Try out Chat GPT! It’s so easy to try, and your experiments might surprise you. You could start with a prompt as simple as: “Hey it’s my first time here. Tell me what to ask you!” 

E48: Indigenous Policing Microcredentials at Lethbridge College – Seeking to give back to Indigenous communities by nurturing deeper cultural empathy

Trudi Mason, dean of Justice and Human Services; Lowell Yellowhorn, manager of Indigenous services, and Mark Smallbones, instructor and placement advisor with the School of Justice Studies, discuss the massive community effort in developing Lethbridge College’s Indigenous Policing Microdcredentials. 

This six-course suite was created by several key stakeholders with unique lenses, including members of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy), Métis Nation, and Blood Tribe Police Service. These microcredentials are helping public safety officers (and anyone who takes them) better understand, empathize with, and serve Indigenous communities in southern Alberta. 

During the episode, Trudi, Lowell, Mark, and Donna (host) mention:

• Indigenous Policing Microcredentials Suite: 
  • History, Culture, and Reconciliation 
  • Trust, Respect, and Communication 
  • Human Trafficking 
  • Intimate Partner Violence & Abuse of Elderly Persons 
  • Sexual Abuse and Missing Persons 
  • Drugs and Addictions in Indigenous Communities 
• Blackfoot Confederacy 
• Métis Nation
• Blood Tribe 
• Blood Tribe Police Service 
• Rolf Inquiry
• Inikiikawaiks – the people who go and catch people; catching people. This is a Blackfoot term some people use to describe the police
• RCMP – Royal Canadian Mounted Police 
• Piikani Nation 
  • Lone Fighter challenges (Lone Fighters divert Oldman)  
  • LNID – Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District 
• The Cardston Blockade of 1980 (2-minute news report) 
• Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site 
• Sundance: Blackfoot spirituality from a member of the Horn Society on Face to Face 
• Red Crow College 
• Kainai Peacemaking Center Sod Turning Ceremony (3-minute video) 
• Stand Off, Alberta 
• Chief Mountain (located in Montana, US, and visible from southern Alberta) 
• TRC - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 
• Generational trauma refers to the emotional, psychological, or social wounds and adverse effects passed down through successive generations, often resulting from significant and traumatic events experienced by a community, family, or cultural group. 
• Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families by Kevin M. Gilmartin 
• FTO – Field Training Officer 
• Dene 
• Cree

Trudi, Lowell, Mark, and Donna thank everyone involved with the creation of the Indigenous Policing Microcredentials, including elders and Indigenous community members, Blood Tribe Police Service and leadership, Lethbridge College Indigenous Services and faculty, and finally, the Government of Alberta. 

E47: Updates in STEM – Sparking real-world connections between K-12 and the Trades to foster early career passions

Warren Anderson and Spencer Wenzel from Westwind School Division, and Eric Mitchell, an automotive instructor from Lethbridge College, share how the STEM collaboration has evolved between Westwind School Division and the college.

The trio discuss their roles in the collab, and dive into detail on the resources they're developing – specifically the STEM kits that are helping to make learning sticky for students. These kits are categorized into three tiers, including demo kits, tool kits, and project kits, and they offer learners practical examples to help build deeper conceptual learning.

During the podcast, Warren, Spencer, Eric, and Donna (host) mention:

• STEM at Lethbridge College 
• Westwind School Division
• LITL-Pod E28: K-12 STEM Collaboration - Supporting Authentic Learning Experiences through the Trades 
• Centre for Trades at Lethbridge College  
• Wind Turbine Technician at Lethbridge College 
• Carpentry Apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Welding Apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Plumber Apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Culinary Arts at Lethbridge College 
• Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Agriculture Equipment Technician Apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician at Lethbridge College 
• Electrician Apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Oersted’s compass demonstration (2½ -minute video) 
• Ohm’s law states that the current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across it and inversely proportional to the resistance. 
• Want to talk about STEM/STEAM? Have feedback on the kits or suggestions on more we should add to our STEM site? We want to hear from you! Send an email to stem@lethbridgecollege.ca 

E46: Student-led learning – Shifting theory into practice with real-world project management

Kelly Thompson, Lethbridge College business instructor, is making waves in the third iteration of her project management class–where students are building, managing and implementing group projects (typically fundraisers for local charities).

Kelly is joined by her former student, Josh Helmer, and the pair discuss the far-reaching impacts this hands-on teaching style has for learners, instructors, and the community as a whole. 

During the podcast, Kelly, Josh, and Donna mention: 

• Lethbridge College Business Administration 
• University of Lethbridge 
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charity 
• Boys & Girls Club Lethbridge 
• Lethbridge Foodbank 
• Aha moment 
• WBS – work breakdown structure 
• Interested in implementing student-led learning projects in your classroom? Reach out to Kelly Thompson to chat! 

E45: Truth and Reconciliation at Lethbridge College – Gathering to remember the past and protect the future of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Marni Hope Miisomii'kitsikaakii (Long Time Offering), Lethbridge College’s Indigenous student support and events coordinator, shares about Truth and Reconciliation events happening around campus. Marni emphasizes the far-reaching impacts of these efforts, and ways we can personalize and practice applying Truth and Reconciliation principles daily. 

During the podcast, Marni and guest-host, Jordana, mention: 

• Winter Count Robe 
• Lethbridge Kodiaks Indigenous Logo 
  • Kodiaks Athletics
• Lethbridge College Culinary Arts Program
• Lethbridge College Culinary Services
• Bannock 
• Fry bread 
• ELT - Executive Leadership Team 
• Piikani Nation
• Blackfoot Confederacy 
  • Blackfoot Confederacy Flag 
• Trades Building, Cousins Building (view locations on a Lethbridge College virtual tour) 
  • Hubbard Collection virtual tour 
• Indigenous Services at Lethbridge College 
• William Singer 3rd biography  
• Innii is the Blackfoot word meaning Buffalo
• Interactive map of residential schools in North America 
• Wider Horizons Fall 2023: The New Buffalo –> be sure to pick up a hard copy at the college or around the city of Lethbridge! 
• Sundance - Blackfoot spirituality from a member of the Horn Society on Face to Face 
• Video: We Are Aikowania 
  • This logo won a CCAA Innovation Award
• Bones of Crows
• 94 Calls to Action  
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 
• Tokenism (according to Cambridge Dictionary): something that a person or organization does that seems to support or help a group of people who are treated unfairly in society, such as giving a member of that group an important or public position, but which is not meant to make changes that would help that group of people in a lasting way.
• Niitsitapi Proficiency Microcredential -> reflect on the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada 

E44: The art of narrative instruction – Promoting more active & authentic learning

Rosemary Shannon, Instructor and Chair of Lethbridge College’s Massage Therapy Program, shares her use of narrative instruction that's bringing learning to life for her students. Rosemary uses illustrative language to guide her students in developing hands-on skills from day one. This method not only saves Rosemary hours in demonstration time, but it’s also helping her students gain confidence in establishing a practice that’s uniquely their own.

References: 

• Massage Therapy Program at Lethbridge College 
• Draping (in massage therapy) uses sheets, towels, or blankets to cover and expose only the specific areas of the body being worked on while maintaining the client's comfort, privacy, and modesty.
• Effleurage is a massage technique characterized by long, gliding strokes using the palms or fingertips, typically used as a gentle and relaxing introductory movement. 
• Malcolm Gladwell popularized that achieving expert-level proficiency in a field typically requires around 10,000 hours (about one year and one and a half months) of deliberate practice, as highlighted in his book, Outliers: The Story of Success.
• Coaldale, Alberta
• Want to join a narrative instruction community of practice? Connect with Rosemary Shannon!

E43: Integrating Sustainable Development Goals into Curriculum to Promote Equity, Environmental Literacy, and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning

Dr. Tai Munro, Sustainability Professor at MacEwan University, and Dr. Jaddon Park, Educational Development Specialist at Lethbridge College, share how sustainability is a common throughline connecting us all – from agriculture to accounting! Tai and Jaddon discuss the social and cultural implications of striving for holistic sustainability, and how it can empower both instructors and students to see beyond 'the triple bottom line' and into a space of community, multiculturalism and Systems Thinking. 

References

• MacEwan University 
• SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals 
• Systems Thinking 
• Competencies for Advancing Transformations Towards Sustainability
• Student Core Competencies 
• Greenest School in Nepal 
• Triple Bottom Line
• Three Pillars of Sustainability
• Alternative Grading 
• CoP - Community of Practice

E42: Peer-to-Peer Mentorship – Creating Space for Student Connection and Belonging Amid Challenges of Post-Secondary Environments

Guests from Lethbridge College gather to share about an innovative Peer-to-Peer Mentorship initiative from the college's Learning Café and Student Affairs. Laura Coad (she/her), Integrated Support Specialist/Academic Writing Strategist, Elizabeth Eremenko (she/her), Academic Strategist Math and Science, and Kelly Bari (she/her), Coordinator First Year Experience, discuss how this initiative is supporting both mentors and mentees in creating a space of belonging, connection – and soft-skills development. 

References: 

• Criminal Justice Policing – CJ 
• Bachelor of Nursing (NESA) 
  • NESA: Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta 
• Kodiaks Athletics 
• CAST – Center for Applied Special Technology 
• Student Affairs 
• Learning Café 
• Student Core Competencies
• SAIT – Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 
• Laura’s reference to the article about salespeople versus peers: Why peer mentoring is an effective approach for promoting college student success 

E41: How ChatGPT is Evolving the Way We Teach and Assess Academic Writing

Dr. Lindy Ledohowski, COO at Wizeprep, Dr. Alec Couros, educational technology & media professor at the University of Regina, and Tatiana Kloster, faculty development lead and academic student support lead from Lethbridge College join the podcast! The trio discusses the good, the bad, and the exciting potential ChatGPT is creating in our teaching and learning ecosystems. They pose thoughtful questions on intelligently integrating language models into the curriculum – not only to accommodate learners and facilitate critical thinking but to mitigate limitations and address ethical implications this technology inherently brings with it. 

References:

• Wizeprep
• EssayJack
• Turing.com
• OpenAI
• Quillbot
• Hamlet 
• Fuco Ueda
• Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton – 6 Tenets of Postplagiarism: Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence 
• Chegg.com 
• UDL - universal design for learning
• Khan Academy
• Duolingo
• U of R
  • CTL - Centre for Teaching & Learning
• Artificial Intelligence and YOU – A Mini MOOC facilitated by Dr. Alec Couros 

E40: Student Core Competencies – Future-proofing Tomorrow’s Workforce with Transferable Life Skills

Seanna Uglem (Career Development Coordinator) and Tanya Weder (Multimedia Production Instructor) join us from Lethbridge College to shed light on the importance of the Student Core Competencies (SCCs) and how learners are naturally developing these critical life skills within curriculum. SCCs (such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, etc.) are among the soft skills employers are looking for in future employees, and so, integrating SCCs into curriculum is equipping learners for greater professional success as they transition into the workforce.

References: 

• Student Core Competencies 
• Multimedia Production Program at Lethbridge College  
• Student Hive 
• Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation 
• Multimedia Production project with SCCs (testimonials)
• Welder apprenticeship at Lethbridge College 
• Alberta 2030: Building skills for jobs 10-year strategy for post-secondary education 
  • “Stakeholders agree that the post-secondary education system plays a crucial role in education as a whole and it's essential to prepare learners for careers. As such, it should focus on broadly applicable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership and communication” (Alberta Advanced Education, 2021, p.13). 
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein 
• Imposter Syndrome 
• Discord 
• TECCONNECT 
• AR – Augmented Reality 
• VR – Virtual Reality