Episodes

I speak with Mathieu Bouchard and discuss how experiential learning can help first-year business students move beyond passive listening and connect classroom concepts to professional life. At the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, professor Mathieu Bouchard shares lessons from teaching large classes and explains why engagement matters for students and instructors alike. He keeps lectures varied, limits uninterrupted speaking, uses concise slides and visuals, and builds predictable routines alongside occasional surprises.

I explore how experiential learning can make accounting education more engaging and relevant. With Bobby Joe Duffy, Accounting Technology Learning Manager at Holland College, I discuss moving beyond lectures and repetitive practice to help students apply accounting concepts in real-world contexts. Bobby shares how Monopoly can teach journal entries and financial statements, while smoothies and sandwich projects make costing tangible. Her gingerbread-house exam brings labor, materials, overhead,...

I speak with Jean Beauchemin, professor of business and program coordinator at Cambrian College, about preparing students for a fast-changing world shaped by fragmented media, AI, and instant access to information. Jean explains that students are informed, but need support in slowing down, connecting ideas, and understanding cause and effect. That makes the instructor’s role more than delivering facts: we must build trust, bring experience, and create opportunities to practice real-world thinkin...

I explore how board game design can make experiential learning in higher education with associate professor William Gatti. We discuss why he moved beyond business school teaching and chose games as a way to help students model complex systems. Designing a game requires students to choose meaningful variables, build rules, consider incentives, and see how decisions create consequences. Gatti explains that games unite systems thinking, design thinking, and interaction in a way static frameworks ca...

I explore how instructors can turn campus resources into hands-on learning experiences. I speak with Algonquin College professor Patrick Charlton and innovation manager Matthew Jerabek about breaking down academic silos and making makerspaces more accessible to faculty and students. Patrick shares how a conversation with Matthew inspired a makerspace activity for his Product and Pricing Strategies course. Drawing on Jake Knapp’s Sprint methodology, student teams sketched, designed, and prototyp...

Why does domestic recruitment matter as international enrollment shifts and competition for students grows? I speak with business professors Barb Ringelson and Ben Oliver about taking experiential learning into high schools through Praxar simulation sessions. Students meet faculty, work in teams, and get a taste of the learning they could experience in college. During 75-minute visits, professors introduce their programs, run simulations, and award prizes to top teams. They also use case studies...

How AI can support experiential learning without replacing the thinking, practice, and reflection that make learning meaningful? Matthew Schonewille and I discuss why instructors should understand AI and begin with the purpose and learning outcomes of each activity. Matthew urges educators to critically evaluate AI’s polished-sounding output and use it to organize and repurpose existing materials, create tailored case studies, generate questions that test understanding, and build more responsive...

In this episode of the Experiential Edge Podcast, host Trevor Finch speaks with Jennifer Hainsworth, a business instructor at Olds College, about her innovative use of virtual reality (VR) in the classroom. They discuss the challenges of teaching real-world applications in higher education and how VR can create immersive learning experiences that engage students in critical thinking and decision-making. Jennifer shares her experiences implementing VR in her operations management course, the feed...

In this episode of the Experiential Edge podcast, host Trevor Finch engages with Dr. Svan Lembke, a professor at Okanagan College, to discuss the transformative power of experiential and iterative learning in higher education. They explore innovative teaching methods, particularly the use of simulations to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. Dr. Lembke shares her experiences with first-year students, emphasizing the importance of reflection, competition, and adapting teaching strat...

In this episode, Trevor Finch discusses the challenges of time poverty faced by educators with guest Kim Donaldson. They explore effective strategies for time management, the importance of preparation, and innovative feedback mechanisms that enhance student learning. Kim shares her experiences with peer-led learning and the use of technology to streamline grading processes, emphasizing the significance of student ownership in their learning journey. The conversation highlights practical time-sav...