Podagogies: A Learning and Teaching Podcast
Podagogies is a learning and teaching podcast that explores the pedagogy of post-secondary educators who bring scholarship to students in compelling, innovative, and surprising new ways. Each episode focuses on teaching practices and educational approaches in higher education. The podcast is produced by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at Toronto Metropolitan University. More information is available at torontomu.ca/teachingcentre.
Episodes
Live from the LTC: Conversations from TMU's 2026 Learning and Teaching Conference
Chelsea and Curtis return to the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Learning and Teaching Conference to speak with faculty, contract lecturers, and staff attending this annual event. Attendees share their thoughts on the conference, collaboration, and building trust in the classroom. Many thanks to James Loney, Ashley Hannah, and James Maclean from TMU Libraries’ Digital Media Experience (DME) Lab
Mastering Math Learning and Teaching with Dr. Anna Stokke
In this episode of Podagogies, we speak with mathematician, educator, and 3M National Teaching Fellow Anna Stokke about what cognitive science can teach us about learning. We explore retrieval practice, “desirable difficulties,” phones and laptops in the classroom, and the growing impact of Generative AI on math education. Anna also reflects on why so many students come to believe they are “not ma
Learning Through Making with Dr. Sarah Bull
Going beyond the traditional English lecture, this episode explores Dr. Sarah Bull's course Cultures of the Book, where students explore the technology behind the text. From working with oak gall inks to creating new visions of what a book can be, Sarah shares how she uses experiential learning to engage her students in an exploration of the written word.
Dr. Sarah Bull is an Associate Professo
Teaching Equity through Critical Hope with Dr. Leanne Taylor
In this episode of Podagogies, Dr. Leanne Taylor shares how she teaches required equity-focused courses in spaces where resistance is real, and learning is sometimes hard-earned. She reflects on how critical hope shapes her approach to course design, assessment, emotional labour, and institutional change. From building classroom community to moving beyond traditional essays, this conversation expl
DocTalks: Education Research in Medicine with Dr. Jonathan Sherbino
Have you been listening to DocTalks, the branch of Podagogies dedicated to exploring the world of medical education? We're cross-posting DocTalks Episode 9 here on Podagogies to share what we can learn from medical educators about how to improve our teaching practice.
Emergency physician and award-winning educator Dr. Jonathan Sherbino joins DocTalks to unpack why education research matters, and
Rethinking the Teaching of Stats with Dr. Alyssa Counsell
TMU Psychology Professor Dr. Alyssa Counsell joins us to unpack what statistics literacy truly involves. She shares research that complicates common assumptions about “stats anxiety,” revealing that students’ attitudes are more nuanced than the usual narrative, and strongly shaped by instructor rapport. Alyssa also discusses her work experimenting with interpretation-focused assessments and why ma
The Trickiness of Care in the Classroom with Dr. May Friedman and Fiona Cheuk
This episode of Podagogies is an exploration of care, from showing care for students in our classes to how instructors can ensure their own care needs are met. Dr. May Friedman and Fiona Cheuk from Toronto Metropolitan University share their approaches to navigating this complicated balance.
May Friedman is a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. Much of May’s work explores issues of fat
Unlocking Learning: Escape Rooms in the Classroom (and Beyond) with Arica Oliver and Dr. Mark Julien
What happens when you turn a lecture hall into an escape room? In this episode of Podagogies, Brock University’s Arica Oliver and Mark Julien discuss how they've gamified human resources education. From puzzle-based test prep to navigating campus offices, their escape room activity blends competition, collaboration, and critical engagement with equity and human rights. The conversation explores ho
Live from the LTC: Conversations from TMU's 2025 Learning and Teaching Conference
In this special edition of Podagogies, Chelsea and Curtis sit down with faculty, contract lecturers, and staff attending Toronto Metropolitan University’s 2025 Learning and Teaching Conference. The conference has been a tradition every May at TMU for over thirty years. From considering the impacts of GenAI, to imagining more collaborative, caring, and inclusive learning spaces, members of TMU’s te
Teaching Sustainable Fashion through Land-based Learning with Rachel MacHenry
In this episode of Podagogies, we speak with Dr. Rachel MacHenry, Assistant Professor of Fashion at TMU, about her innovative course that brings first-year students to the rooftop urban farm to grow, harvest, and dye with natural plants. Blending sustainability, decolonization, and hands-on learning, the course invites students to reimagine fashion as a practice rooted in land-based knowledge and
Podagogies Presents DocTalks, Episode 1: Introduction with Dr. Teresa Chan
In this inaugural episode of DocTalks, we introduce a brand-new branch of Podagogies dedicated to exploring the world of medical education. Co-hosts Curtis Maloley and Chelsea Jones welcome the new DocTalks co-host, Dr. Heather McNeil, Interim Assistant Dean of Faculty Development at the TMU School of Medicine. To kick things off, we’re joined by Dr. Teresa Chan, an educational leader, researcher,
Trust, Critical Thinking, and AI in Large Classes with Educational Developer Dr. M Dougherty
In this special episode of Podagogies, Chelsea Jones shares insights from her experience leading a massive first-year course with 1,100 students, discussing the challenges of AI, academic integrity, and student engagement. Joined by educational developer Dr. M Dougherty, Chelsea explores critical questions: How are students actually using AI? How do we foster trust in the classroom? And what does
Scaling Up Accessibility in Large Classes: Chelsea talks with Educational Developer Dr. Ann Gagné
In this episode of Podagogies, Chelsea Jones and Curtis Maloley continue their deep dive into the realities of teaching a large first-year course with 1,100 students. This time, the focus is on accessibility. Chelsea shares insights from an accessibility audit conducted by Dr. Ann Gagné, Senior Educational Developer for Accessibility and Inclusion at Brock University’s Centre for Pedagogical Innov
When Grief Comes to Class with Dr. Jennifer Poole
Join us for an insightful episode with Dr. Jennifer Poole, an Associate Professor of Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University and a Teaching Fellow at the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Dr. Poole shares her groundbreaking research on grief in educational settings, drawing from her extensive experience and personal journey. We explore her use of circle methodology to create s
Decolonizing Psychology with Dr. Becky Choma, Anik Obomsawin and Jaiden Herkimer
In this episode, we explore the integration of Indigenous perspectives into psychology education with guests, Dr. Becky Choma, a social and political psychology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, and graduate students Anik Obomsawin and Jaiden Herkimer. They discuss the purposeful process they undertook to begin developing a new course on Indigenous Peoples and Psychology, which is bein
Confronting What AI Means for Higher Education with Dr. Bonnie Stewart
Join hosts Chelsea Jones and Curtis Maloley as they dive into the world of open education and digital technology with Dr. Bonnie Stewart, a keynote speaker at the 2024 TMU Learning and Teaching Conference and associate professor at the University of Windsor. In this episode, Dr. Stewart shares her insights on generative AI, reflecting on her initial skepticism and her current views shaped by decad
Imagining Climate Futures Across Disciplines: Dr. Christine Bolus-Reichert and Dr. Matthew Hoffmann
The climate crisis affects students and educators alike, and requires complex solutions that draw upon expertise that transcends disciplinary boundaries. In this episode, Dr. Matthew Hoffmann and Dr. Christine Bolus-Reichert discuss a course they co-teach at the University of Toronto on Climate Futures, which brings together students from the disciplines of Political Science and English to engage
Embracing Dissonance in Learning and Teaching with Dr. Maureen Connolly
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Maureen Connolly about the value of dissonance in post-secondary learning and teaching. A 3M National Teaching Fellow, Dr. Connolly discusses how her pedagogy focuses on cycles of change: changing knowledge, changing methods of learning and teaching, and a learning environment that is designed to move students out of habitual behaviors and habits of thought. The
Navigating Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom
Ready or not, Artificial Intelligence is part of our classrooms, and we can only begin to predict its impact on learning and teaching in higher education. In this episode, we chat pedagogy, academic integrity, and AI anxiety with Dr. Lai-Tze Fan, Dr. Jan Frijters, and Allyson Miller.
Guest Speaker Bios:
Lai-Tze Fan's general research and teaching interests include interactive and digital storyte
Open Pedagogy with Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani
In this episode, Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani discusses the role of Open Pedagogy in digital justice and digital education futures. From creating and assessing Open Educational Resources to navigating digital redlining, we critically cover a range of pedagogical practices meant to offer students more agency.
Guest Speaker Bio:
Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani is the Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning at Brock Unive
Teaching Climate Change w/ Dr. Katrina Moser, Dr. Beth Hundey, Sara Mai Chitty and Serena Mendizabal
In this episode, we speak to a teaching team behind "Connecting for Climate Change Action," a course that blends science with storytelling and student reflection to help students take action. Dr. Katrina Moser, Dr. Beth Hundey, Sara Mai Chitty and Serena Mendizabal relay student stories and tell us how they learned to do more than teach the science of climate change as they work together to expand
Failure, Creativity, and Well Being in the Classroom with Dr. Krystal Nunes and Dr. Dave Colangelo
In recognition of Wellbeing Week at TMU, two professors discuss their research on how educators can be purposeful about fostering student wellbeing in the classroom. Dr. Krystal Nunes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology who is studying how students can develop the skill of resilience and learn to appreciate the importance of failure in the sciences. Dr. Dave Colang
Heart-centred Pedagogy with Dr. Robyn Bourgeois
In this episode, Brock University Acting Vice-Provost of Indigenous Engagement Dr. Robin Bourgeois explains what it means to bring “heart-centered” pedagogy to the classroom and beyond. From the position of a classroom “auntie” who invites students to make mistakes, Dr. Bourgeois reveals the magic of her heartful teaching and its wide, growing reach across universities and communities.
Read the t
Imagining Better Learning Spaces with Dr. Terri Peters
Dr. Terri Peters is an Assistant Professor of Architectural Science at X University. Her research focuses on building design, sustainability, health and wellbeing. In this episode, we imagine the future of classroom learning spaces, the benefits of biophilic design, and what it means to invite students back to in-person learning after two years of remote teaching during a global pandemic.
Read th
Unpacking Academic Misconduct with Dr. Eric Da Silva
Dr. Eric Da Silva is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Chair of the Designated Decision Maker Council at Ryerson University (renaming in process), a group of faculty members who are trained to adjudicate suspicions of academic misconduct. In this episode, we discuss the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and remote teaching on the prevalence of academic misconduct, and discuss ways that educator
Solution-Focused Graduate Supervision with Dr. Yukari Seko and Asmaa Malik
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Yukari Seko and Asmaa Malik about what they call a “solution-focused” approach to graduate supervision. Together with seven other graduate supervisors they have been exploring new supervisory strategies that meet the needs and academic development of today's graduate students.
Read the transcript: https://tinyurl.com/sdn83zhk
Ungrading with Dr. Ebru Ustundag
In this episode, we explore the concept of ungrading: What is it? How do we get started? What might it mean for students in higher education? After attending the Digital Pedagogy Lab in 2019, Dr. Ebru Ustundag began exploring ungrading in her classes. Over the past year and half she has used ungrading as a teaching strategy to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, and to deepen student learning and ag
Pedagogies of Distress with Dr. Fady Shanouda and Dr. Tobin LeBlanc Haley
In this episode we discuss the theme of distress in our pedagogy and how we handle and address distress with our students in an era of social crisis. Joining us is Dr. Tobin LeBlanc Haley, a Mad critical political economist and critical disability studies scholar who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at X University, and Dr. Fady Shanouda who is an Assistant Professor at The
Cultivating Indigenous Collaboration in Curriculum with Dr. Shiri Pasternak
As a non-Indigenous educator, and someone who's committed to developing an anti-colonial curriculum, Dr. Shiri Pasternak received a teaching grant to explore possibilities for centering Indigenous analysis, experience, history and epistemology in her classroom, and to do so in ways that take responsibility and build relationships with Indigenous peoples. This past year, she also surveyed her stude
Critical Digital Pedagogy with Dr. Jesse Stommel and Sean Michael Morris
Jesse Stommel teaches courses in pedagogy, film and new media, and is the Executive Director of Hybrid Pedagogy at the Journal of Critical Digital Pedagogy. Sean Michael Morris is a Senior Instructor of Learning Design and Technology in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado and Director, and Director of the Digital Pedagogy Lab, an experiential development pla
Slow Teaching with Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois
Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois is an Assistant Professor of Creative Industries, and Director of the Future of Entertainment Lab at Ryerson University. In transitioning his courses to an emergency remote environment, Louis decided to take a Slow Teaching approach that he describes as being "low tech and high human," and that focuses on time well spent.
You can also read a transcript of the episode: htt
Discussions Done Differently with Dr. Damien Lee
Dr. Damien Lee is an Assistant Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Biskaabiiyang and Indigenous Political Resurgence in the Department of Sociology at Ryerson University. In this episode we discuss Dr. Lee's unique approach to asynchronous discussions in remote teaching.
A transcript of this episode is available here: https://bit.ly/3mycfCj
Teaching with Podcasts: A conversation with Dr. Lorena Escandon, Wendy Garcia and Angela Glover
Podcasts can be an effective tool for delivering course content and assessing student learning as post-secondary educators prepare to transition to fully remote teaching in the fall. Our guests share their own personal strategies for integrating podcasts in a range of disciplines from Communications to Nursing, and we discuss the impact of podcasts on student learning and engagement. Lots of great
Teaching Philosophies with Dr. Annette Bailey
In this episode, we discuss the process of writing a teaching philosophy with Dr. Annette Bailey who is Associate Director of the Collaborative Degree Program in Nursing at Ryerson University. A recipient of numerous teaching awards and honours, Dr. Bailey shares her own teaching philosophy, and discusses how she builds intellectual partnerships with both graduate and undergraduate students to co
Transforming Graduate Education with Dr. Jennifer Mactavish and Dr. Samantha Wehbi
What does a relevant 21st century graduate education look like? As the purpose, meaning and scope of graduate education evolves to meet the challenges of an ever-changing social and technological landscape, we speak with two leaders in the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Ryerson University: Dr. Jennifer Mactavish, Vice Provost and Dean, and Dr. Samantha Wehbi, Associate Dean, Student Affairs.
Reimagining Science Education with Dr. David Cramb
Dr. David Cramb is Dean of the Faculty of Science at Ryerson University, and a passionate advocate for reimagining science education at the post-secondary level. In this episode, we discuss how to shift the culture of science pedagogy in a direction that encourages students to embrace failure, to own the process of learning, and to learn science by doing science. From competency-based assessments
2018 OCUFA Award Winner Dr. Frankie Stewart on Teaching Large Classes
This year’s OCUFA teaching award winner Frankie Stewart is known for her advocacy, mentorship, and her leading role in teaching students how to find their own voice and get buy-in for their ideas. She teaches hundreds mechanical engineering students each year—many in a movie theatre in downtown Toronto. Her tricks for reaching individual students in large classes? Structure, group work, and a stea
Identity, Inclusion and Difficult Classroom Discussions with Dr. Anita Jack-Davies
In this episode, Dr. Anita Jack-Davies discusses culture clashes in the classroom and what it means to open difficult conversations about race, relationships, and (safely) bringing your identity into the classroom. From “other mothering” to filling in policy gaps, Dr. Jack-Davies discusses ways to support underrepresented students in our classrooms.
A transcript of this episode is available here:
Creating an Open Access Textbook with Dr. Paul Chafe and Aaron Tucker
After two years in the making, Paul Chafe and Aaron Tucker launched a team-built open access textbook this fall called "Write Here, Right Now: An Interactive Introduction to Academic Writing and Research." The interactive book serves an introductory writing course that seats over 1,000 students each year - and you can use it, too. In this episode, Chafe and Tucker explain why they opted to build a
"Super" Experiential Learning and Teaching with Vincent Hui
What happens when you ask students to build a structure that will stop a hamster from falling into a bucket of boiling water? In the fourth episode of Podagogies, Vincent Hui leads us through a "super" experiential learning moment in his classroom.
The award-winning instructor explains why he approaches teaching in a relational way, even if you're teaching classes not everyone likes to teach. Se
Debwewin: On the Pedagogy of Truth with Dr. Sheila Cote-Meek
Can we really decolonize classrooms? In this episode, Dr. Sheila Cote-Meek cautions against jumping into "decolonization" too quickly. She describes her research on Indigenous learners and teachers' classroom experiences and strategizes around teaching difficult knowledge. Cote-Meek is the author of Colonized Classrooms: Racism, Trauma, and Resistance in Postsecondary Education and was the 2018 ke
Accessibility in the Classroom with Dr. Eliza Chandler
Dr. Eliza Chandler is an Assistant Professor in the School of Disability Studies at Ryerson University. She is also the founding artistic director of Tangled Art Gallery, Canada's first art gallery dedicated to showcasing disability art and advancing accessible curatorial practices.
A transcript of this episode is available here: https://bit.ly/3l1ZkbJ
Introductions and Land Acknowledgements
Welcome to the first episode of Podagogies. In this episode, we discuss the format and aims of the podcast, and unpack how educators might use land acknowledgements in their teaching. Please send us your feedback, questions and comments at podagogies@ryerson.ca
A transcript of this episode is available here: https://bit.ly/38806Ap
