Back to School Again

Episode Ten: A technical upgrade with Corey Stroeder

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0700

I met Corey back in season one when he was working as a multi-media producer, responsible for audio and video production as well as web design. He’s enrolled in the eLearning certificate program at the University of Calgary and is also taking Project Management courses with MacEwan University. Now, I’m putting him in front of the microphone to share his story. We talk about...

Early career choices and moving from the hospitality industry to post-secondary education
Changes in the multi-media production landscape
Why Corey is back in school and what he hopes to achieve with his new skills
Corey's passion for making digital environments accessible
Overcoming past negative experiences to embrace future possibilities

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

Episode Nine: Making a masters possible through online learning with Jackie Lessard

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0700

She needed an online program that provided her with the flexibility to study while balancing a demanding job and raising four kids. Athabasca University was the perfect fit, allowing Jackie to turn pretty much every setting (including ringside at her kid’s hockey games) into a classroom. We talk about....

Loving your work, but knowing you need to upgrade your skills to take on more responsibilities
Why online learning was the perfect option for Jackie's busy life and independent personality
How Jackie "triaged" family, work and school to complete her degree
Advice for those thinking about similar journeys
Jackie's great new job that leverages her past skills and new credentials

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

Episode Eight: Pursuing the dream of being a professor with Germaine Chan

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0700

It first meant believing that attending university was even possible. Then, once that hurdle had been overcome, Germaine started down the PhD path in her 30s, but life got in the way. Two decades later, fueled by a personal crisis and a well-placed online ad, she connected with Athabasca University. Now, Dr. Chan has completed her degree and landed one of a small handful of tenure track academic jobs in Canada. We talk about....

How early family life can shape our expectations around education
The importance of finding what you love (accounting!) and having a role model
Why Germaine quit doing a PhD and what made her return to finish it
How Germaine connected with Athabasca University and why this PhD program was a great fit
Finding a community to support what can be a long and lonely journey
Thoughts on online learning from both the student and teacher perspectives

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

Episode Seven: Nursing, the North and next steps with Bobbi Scott

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0700

It was a long road, filled with twists and turns, but she did it. Find how this mom of two managed her long-distance, online education with Athabasca University to achieve her RN. We talk about...

The beauty and benefits of life in Northern Canada
Finding the time to go back to school and making sure school plans align with family plans
The unique challenges of doing a long distance degree and how Bobbi managed to make it work
How community support (specifically a guy named Andrew) and the amazing support of her husband were key ingredients that helped Bobbi finish her degree
Continuing the learning journey

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

Episode Six: Two women who are building their future with Lola Hynes and Katelyn Wheeler

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0700

Mom, Lola, shares how a rocky start led her to overcoming the challenges of being a single mom and working many different jobs to make ends meet. Now remarried and with her kids grown, she’s recently completed training as a Class One Driver with Women Building Futures. That, in turn, inspired daughter Katelyn, now a first-year electrician, to also take the Women Building Futures journeywomen program. We’ll hear how these dynamic women are forging a path in the trades. We talk about...

Overcoming obstacles in life and moving forward despite set backs
Discovering the trades as a place to build a satisfying, well-paid career
The importance of role models, mentors and community
Why Women Building Futures is such an amazing program, the impact it had on Lola and Katelyn and why the trades can be a great place to build a career

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network and learn more about the Women Building Futures program.

Episode Five: A law degree for non-lawyers with Tim O'Brien

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0700

He’s now in year two of his degree and is applying his newly honed legal knowledge to his work as a technology evangelist. Tim explains why he’s so enthusiastic about education and how he fits his studies into his busy life. We also talk about our shared passion for technology ethics. We talk about...

Why Tim went back to school to study law when he doesn't want to be a lawyer
The differences in being a student in your 20's and 30's vs in your 50's
Making time for school while also managing a demanding career and family life
How Tim's dad was a role model for life long learning
The learning culture at Microsoft
Why tech ethics is an important and timely topic

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Episode Four: Studying the skeleton in the living room with Kristin Zabos

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 08:00:00 -0600

She enrolled at the University of Alberta to finish a bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology, which also led her to buy a skeleton! We’ll explain more as we explore her back to school story. We talk about...

The joys and challenges of being your own boss
How being a wedding photographer was like getting a PhD in psychology
Biological anthropology, it's dark historical roots and why this field speaks to Kristin
How it felt stepping into the classroom the first day of school
Kristin's plans for a masters degree
Why there's a skeleton in her living room (and where you can buy one, should you feel so inclined!)

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Episode Three: Cruisin' through a degree with Allan Reid

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 08:00:00 -0600

Armed with a suitcase full of books, Allan (amazingly!) found the discipline to study onboard cruise ships while sailing around the world. Many years, courses, and ports of call later, he now holds a bachelor’s degree in English and is a writer with Monday Magazine. We talk about...

Why Allan decided it was time to return to the classroom
The importance of making a back to school journey work for the whole family
How Allan connected to Athabasca University and how online learning made his academic dream possible
How learning technologies have evolved from old school bulletin board services to new online tools
Learning how to learn again
How to focus and have the discipline to study while travelling the world
Studying what you love, broadening your horizons and learning more about the world and yourself
Writing for Monday Magazine and working on a novel about average people caught in a slightly dystopian, uncertain world that's changing them against their will (sounds familiar!)

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Check out some of Allan's work with Monday Magazine.
Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Episode Two: HR bounty hunter with Gabriel Wilhelm

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:00:00 -0600

He applied his skills to help companies find the perfect candidates with the tenacity of a bounty hunter! However, like many people, Gabriel saw his own role downsized with the onset of COVID-19. Now, he’s making the most of this time to add to his education with an MBA. We talk about...

Choosing open studies before landing on a direction for his degree
The importance of flexible class schedules when working and going to school and how online learning was a great fit
The many practical benefits of an education in HR and how Gabriel applied his learning on the job
Working in recruitment and the differences between a recruitment agency and in house recruitment
How Gabriel's time as an online student at Athabasca prepared him for learning online this Fall with his MBA program

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. Learn more about the Bachelor's of Human Resources and Labour Relations degree.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Episode One: Research in a time of COVID-19 with Cedric Cordero and Jane Duffy

Katrina Ingram — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 09:28:32 -0600

Research can be a lonely part of the grad school experience. This Spring, COVID-19 made that journey a little lonelier and a little more chaotic. We talk about...

Deciding on a research project and conducting literature reviews
Our diverse research projects which include digital signage and patient experience in healthcare (Cedric), assessing the post-secondary instructor review process (Jane) and applied ethics for AI projects in healthcare (Katrina)
How COVID-19 impacted us personally and how it impacted our research
Ethics applications and the benefits of getting things done early
Letting go of expectations, accepting the limits that COVID-19 imposed and moving forward anyways
Supervisors and how they shaped our work
Life after our master's degrees

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Learn more about the Master of Arts in Communications and Technology program at the University of Alberta.
Find out more about Katrina's research on AI and ethics at Ethically Aligned AI.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Season Four Trailer

Katrina Ingram — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 09:08:44 -0600

Find out more about Athabasca University.

Bonus: Applying machine learning to solve business problems

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 05 May 2020 08:00:00 -0600

The final assignment walks through how a fictitious property management firm could use machine learning to improve their business. If you haven't listened to Episode 3: Machine learning for everyone, we suggest you do that first.

Learn more about Athabasca University and their PowerEd offerings and don't forget to use offer code INGRAM20 if you sign up. We're proudly affiliated with the Alberta Podcast Network - home to fantastic local podcasts.

Episode Three: Machine learning for everyone with Marcin Mizianty

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0600

I've recently completed Athabasca University's PowerED course, Using Machine Learning for Competitive Advantage. Marcin Mizianty, VP Datascience at AltaML and one of the course subject matter experts, joins me to explain how machine learning can be applied to a variety of industries to solve real-world business problems.

We talk about...

How Marcin chose to focus his PhD on AI and became a data scientist before it became such a hot area.
Hollywood depictions of artificial intelligence and why those are NOT what AI is about! AI is all around us playing useful functions - from fraud detection to spam filters.
How AltaML has partnered with Dynalife to use computer vision to help them reduce testing time and costs for healthcare testing.
The steps of a machine learning project, why Marcin feels that defining the business problem is the most important step and who should be involved in this process.
Marcin's favourite question to help companies find an ML project in their company
What it means to train a model in non-technical terms (and making sure it works beyond the training data). How to make sure you don't build a model that states the obvious.
What Katrina learned about data from taking this course and what characteristics within data you should look for in your data
How to locate, assess and prepare your data to make it "machine learning ready"
What's it REALLY like to be a data scientist and why data science is actually a team sport.
The role of communication in ensuring a successful machine learning project and helping customers better understand the ROI for their business.
The importance of ethics in AI and ML and the role of governance and oversight.

Episode Two: The power of micro-learning with Jessica Scott

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0600

PowerED Director, Jessica Scott joins me to share the story of PowerED and how it’s reshaping the way individuals and companies access professional development.

We talk about...

How Jessica's background in media leading digital transformation initiatives was the perfect fit for her current role leading PowerED.
How PowerED expands AU's offerings into new areas by providing on demand micro-learning courses and certificates for individuals, delivering custom training for corporations and helping organizations develop and build their own digital training strategies.
The importance and need for skill development that is "just in time, just enough and just for me" and how PowerED helps meet these new realities.
Using market research to find the skill gaps and building programs based on the results
The importance of partnerships and how PowerED has partnered with organizations like the Rick Hansen Foundation to deliver unique programs like Accessibility Certification Training
How AU helped Amazon deliver its first online version of AWS Academy and won an award for this new offering
Why expanding online requires huge investments in infrastructure and resources and how PowerED is positioned to help organizations build turnkey online education solutions
Learning management systems, technology and how PowerED delivers an easy to navigate, intuitive, fully responsive and visually appealing online space for learners
Using rich media and curating content across learning styles (VARK) to fully leverage the online experience
Micro-learning, micro-credentialing and how they fit into the bigger educational landscape
Jessica's experience in doing her MBA online and why she is excited to be going back to school again for a PhD online at Athabasca University, of course!

Episode One: The future of online learning with Dr. Neil Fassina

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0600

They pioneered the world's first online MBA 25 years ago and now, they are boldy creating a fully integrated, immersive "digital campus" to bring online learning to the next level.

We talk about...

AU's place in the academic landscape within Alberta and its unique focus on "democratizing" access to education by taking learning to the learners
Moving from delivering "books in a box" in the 70s and 80s to online learning
Launching the world's first online MBA in 1994 (on dial up!) and pioneering the use of the internet for education
Delivering complex STEM courses like chemistry to home-based learners (safely!)
How online learning can be for everyone and how AU leverages the unique aspects of online delivery to create great learning experiences.
Where Professors and Instructors fit into the process of designing learning experiences that can be delivered at scale and how this shifts the traditional notion of their role
The importance of delivering full support systems for learners in an online format, not just the educational content.
Why current learning management systems aren't sufficient to provide a fully integrated learning environment and what needs to happen to change this dynamic.
Future predictions for the fully cloud based "digital campus" and envisioning the university of 2067, the role 5G infrastructure and augmented intelligence will play and why we might one day be learning philosophy from Socrates on the Holodeck.

Learn more about Athabasca University and their PowerED offerings and don't forget to use offer code INGRAM20 if you sign up. We're proudly affiliated with the Alberta Podcast Network - home to fantastic local podcasts.

Season 3 Trailer

Katrina Ingram — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 09:30:00 -0600

This special mini-series created in partnership with Athabasca University explores online learning, micro-credentialing and machine learning. Launches April 14th.

Episode 7: Exploring HR and cannabis with Dan Chernyk

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0700

That led to employment in a new industry – cannabis! Dan shares how he manages his study schedule as a busy dad of two young kids, the importance of having a supportive spouse and his impressions of working in the cannabis industry during its early days.

We talk about...

Starting a degree in his twenties but then finding that life had other plans that led to a career, a series of promotions and a family
How a major jolt in the form of a corporate restructuring became the catalyst for Dan to evaluate what he really values and pointed him towards a career in human resources
Approaching school as a mature student and why spending “adult money” on education means more to him
Carving out time to focus on studying and learning how much time we actually waste. Scheduling to ensure he can still be present for important family activities
Modeling being a student for his kids and reading their textbooks together
The challenges of working in the early days of the cannabis industry while trying to balance being a student
Finding a sense of completion in coming back to finish an educational journey that he started over a decade ago

Find out more about cannabis industry training at NorQuest College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Episode 6: Mastering the art of mediation and public administration with Shari-Anne Doolaege

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Many people might need a break from studying after all that - not Shari-Anne! She then went on to become a Qualified Arbitrator and recently finished coursework towards becoming a Qualified Mediator. We talk about the joys of grad school, running a business, competing with your kids for the best grades and creative ways to fund your education as an adult.

We talk about...

choosing the right time to go back to school, while never losing sight of the goal
choosing the masters of public administration at Dalhousie University and how it allowed Shari-Anne to leverage her work experience as part of her entrance to the program
being a role model for her kids and supporting each other in their respective learning
how scaling back work to focus on school led to the launch of Sage Analytics and the challenges and joys of running your own business
how to creatively fund your education through a combination of savings, loans, scholarships, bursaries and contract work
how a masters opened the door to additional credentials
why Shari-Anne encourages people to consider a career in public service

Connect with Shari-Anne at Sage Analytics
Learn more about funding your education through early withdrawal from RRSPs or the life long learning plan (Canada)
Learn more about provincial education funding opportunities in Alberta here

Episode 5: Researching recreation in "retirement" with Jane Hurly

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Her research centres around how leisure, particularly being in nature, can help with resettlement for new immigrants. Jane shares her own immigration story that took her from the UK to South Africa to Canada, why she decided to pursue her PhD and how we are redefining what it means to be retired.

We talk about...

Leaving apartheid South Africa to raise a family and build a life in Canada
Jane’s storied career in TV, feature films and then communications strategy
Returning to university at the age of 60 to get a master’s degree at Royal Roads which led to doing some coursework at the University of Alberta.
How unanswered questions from a master’s class in global politics and the massive migrations starting to take place in 2012 turned into the desire to do a PhD
Researching leisure and its role in resettlement
The process and demands of doing a PhD
Finding the right supervisor
Challenges with ageism in the educational system
The amazing richness of resources in post-secondary libraries

I’m proud to be a member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. Special thanks to our sponsors NorQuest College.

Episode 4: The path to a PhD with Dr. Robin Woywitka

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 09:00:00 -0600

His deep curiosity and a colleague’s off the cuff comment led him back to the classroom in 2012 and he has recently completed his PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. We talk about managing the psychological journey of a PhD, the importance of a great supervisor and embracing the questions as much as the answers.

We talk about....

the adventures of being an archaeologist including encounters with Federales, lightning strikes and bear attacks
how the love of junk, dirt, going to the dump and avoiding calculus led to a career in archaeology
the Archaeological Survey of Alberta and its role in managing Alberta geography with respect to archaeological sites within Alberta
what drove Robin back to school to do a PhD ( and why there is no such thing as low hanging fruit for a PhD!)
the process of a PhD - the vital importance of having a good supervisor
making it through the grueling candidacy interview (freaking out is normal)
managing the psychology of the PhD process
formulating your research questions and designing your project
being comfortable NOT (fully) answering your question

Learn more about the Archaeological Survey of Alberta.

Episode 3: Striving for a better life with Nimaya Lodu

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 09:00:00 -0600

Determined to move beyond “survival jobs”, Nimaya has retrained as a Health Care Aide with aspirations to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. He shares his inspiring story of making a major career transition while building a life for himself and his young family in a new country.

We talk about...

living in constant danger in South Sudan
getting educational credentials assessed in Canada and realizing that his degree would not be recognized here
taking survival jobs as a means to an end but continuing to hold a vision for a better future
upgrading at NorQuest College and signing up for a new career as a Health Care Aide
working full-time and going to school full-time for six long months! Doing assignments on breaks and readings at midnight. Even Nimaya doesn’t know how he managed to do it!
how the Health Care Aide certificate is one step towards the bigger goal of becoming a nurse
comparing getting an education in South Sudan vs in Canada
embracing the challenge of starting over in a new country

Learn more about academic upgrading at NorQuest College.

Learn more about the Academy of Learning Health Care Aide program

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Episode Two: Embracing Wahkotowin with Elliott Young

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 09:00:00 -0600

We talk about...

the role of community engagement in bringing the voices of vulnerable or marginalized to the table
why Elliott chose to study community engagement to complement his undergrad in Native studies and his background in policy development
exploring what it means to be Indigenous and post-colonial approaches to engagement. Nothing about us without us.
the meaning of Wahkotowin – we are all related – not just as people, but to everything and how it leads to a wholistic approach of looking 7 generations ahead
walking in multiple worlds (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) and being able to survive in both
the wisdom of pacing yourself in your educational journey
the importance of having a supportive family, workplace and supervisor

Learn more about Elliott and the team at NorQuest College’s Indigenous Student Services Centre

Learn more about Dr. Rob McMahon’s project, We are all related , that uses Augmented Reality to integrate Indigenous knowledge
Learn more the University of Alberta MACE Program

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Balancing entrepreneurship and education with Aretha Greatrix and Carina Ludgate

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:30:00 -0600

Katrina is joined by her MACT colleagues, documentary filmmaker Aretha Greatrix and branding expert, Carina Ludgate to talk about how they balanced running a business with the demands of a master’s program.

We talk about…

what compelled Aretha and Carina to launch their businesses
getting over the “illusion of a stable job” and why a 9-5 job isn’t for them
the joys and challenges of doing creative work
how to manage your life with inconsistent income streams
how they balanced client and school deadlines and when to say “no” to a project
why they went back to school and what they hope to achieve with this degree
our 2nd Spring Institute compared to the first one
framing a research project for a master’s degree

I’m proud to be a member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. Special thanks to our sponsors NorQuest College.

Learn more about Aretha Greatrix and Miyo Pimatisiwin
Check out Sixties Scoop: More than sorry

Learn more about Carina Ludgate and Henryk Branding

Learn more about the University of Alberta MACT Program

Season Two Trailer

Katrina Ingram — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:00:00 -0600

Season two features conversations with entrepreneurs who balanced school with running their business, a new immigrant rebuilding his life in Canada, a NorQuest College staff member enhancing his professional credentials and folks who chose to take on a PhD a little later in life.

Episode 10: Rockin’ retirement as a music student with Donna Dawson

Katrina Ingram — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 21:00:00 -0700

When she retired, she decided it was time to step things up and in her early sixties, she became a student at the University of Alberta where she is pursuing a Master’s in Ethnomusicology. Donna is a multi-instrumentalist, playing violin, drums, flute and a mean ukulele.
We talk about....

Knowing exactly what you want to be when you grow up (or not!)
The Edmonton Medical Professional Orchestra (TEMPO)
The amazing CKUA Ukelele Choir
What exactly is ethnomusicology?
Having a love hate relationship with the use of technology in education
Edmonton's incredible music scene
Completing a degree primarily for personal development, not for career aspirations
Is becoming a student a new trend for retired people?
Being a passionate amateur and allowing yourself to try new things