New Episodes of D2L's Teach and Learn Podcast
Upskill and learn from fellow educators and leaders across the world! Every first Thursday of the month, we'll update this thread with the latest episode of D2L's Teach and Learn podcast, hosted by our very own Dr. Cristi Ford, Chief Learning Officer and Dr. Emma Zone, Senior Academic Affairs Director.
Each episode features experts from across the K-20 education space as they discuss trending educational topics, share teaching strategies and dive into the challenges facing today's schools and higher education institutions.
Subscribe and follow the Teach and Learn Podcast on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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January 8 - From Strategy to Action: Building the Role of Chief Online Learning Officers
What does it take to lead online learning in today’s higher education landscape?
In this episode of Teach & Learn, Dr. Cristi Ford sits down with Dr. Thomas B. Cavanagh and Dr. Jocelyn Widmer, editors of the Chief Online Learning Officer’s Guidebook, to explore how digital learning leadership is evolving and why this resource is becoming essential for institutions everywhere. From strategic planning to operational execution, the guidebook offers practical insights for COLOs and anyone shaping online education.
You’ll hear how leadership competencies, entrepreneurial thinking, and future-focused skills like Futures Literacy are redefining what it means to lead in a post-pandemic world.
💬 “The future of online learning leadership will be defined by leaders who are not constrained by the way we’ve always done things.” — Dr. Thomas B. Cavanagh
What Cristi, Thomas and Jocelyn talk about:
☑️ Why the COLO role matters now more than ever
☑️ Strategic and operational frameworks for success
☑️ Lessons from CIO evolution and leadership competencies
☑️ Preparing for the future with Futures Literacy
☑️ Practical advice for new and aspiring COLOs
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
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[Special Episode w/ John Baker] Jan 15 - From AI to Competency-Based Education: Key Forces Shaping Education
🎓 What does the education landscape look like in 2026? From artificial intelligence to competency-based education, the future of learning is being shaped by multiple forces. And institutions need to adapt fast.
In this episode of Teach & Learn, Dr. Cristi Ford sits down with John Baker (CEO, President and Founder of D2L) to explore how AI, immersive learning and skills-focused strategies are transforming education. You’ll hear why non-degree credentials are surging, how AI is reducing course development costs and why human connection still matters in a tech-driven world.
Baker shares practical insights on building flexible learning ecosystems, leveraging AI responsibly and moving beyond outdated standards like SCORM to create engaging, interactive experiences. This conversation is a roadmap for leaders ready to embrace innovation and prepare learners for the future.
💬 “The urgency has never been greater. Institutions need to step up and tackle the big challenges of re-skilling the workforce and preparing students for a new world with AI.” — John Baker
🔍 Cristi and John discuss:
☑️ The biggest forces shaping education in 2026
☑️ How AI is transforming course design and reducing costs
☑️ The rise of competency-based education and non-degree credentials
☑️ Moving beyond SCORM to open, interactive learning standards
☑️ Practical strategies for institutional leaders
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February 5 - Shaping Expertise, Bias and Responsibility in the Age of AI
In this episode of Teach & Learn, host Dr. Cristi Ford is joined by Dr. Ayanna Howard, a leading roboticist, former electrical engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and dean of The Ohio State University College of Engineering, to explore what it means to be human in an AI-driven world. Drawing from her keynote at the D2L Executive Summit and her audiobook Sex, Race, & Robots, Dr. Howard challenges how we define expertise, reframes how we think about bias and offers a hopeful, practical vision for more equitable learning and work.
Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for human expertise, Dr. Ford and Dr. Howard chat about how AI can act as a collaborator, supporting curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving when educators and learners engage with it thoughtfully.
In this episode, Dr. Ford and Dr. Howard discuss:
- Why AI should be approached with intention, not blind adoption
- How expertise is shifting from static knowledge to dynamic, human skills
- Why bias in AI isn’t inherently harmful—and how context matters, including in areas like medicine
- How a lack of diverse voices and lived experiences leads to inequitable outcomes
- Practical actions educators, leaders and technologists can take to shape AI responsibly
As Dr. Howard reminds us, being human in the age of AI means leaning into curiosity and creativity—and taking responsibility for the systems we help create.
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March 5 - The Truth About Innovation Mindsets
In this episode of Teach and Learn, Dr. Emma Zone speaks with Dr. Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden, authors of Innovation-ish, about how creativity and innovation develop in learners. Drawing from years of teaching innovation at Harvard, Stanford and in executive learning spaces, they unpack why so many people stop identifying as ‘creative’. They also share how cognitive science shows that innovation is a learnable process rather than an innate personality trait.
Together, they explore the institutional habits, cultural assumptions and classroom norms that prevent experimentation. They also share practical ways educators can create conditions that support mindset flexibility, risk taking and real-world problem solving through small, low-risk steps that build confidence and momentum over time.
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April 5 - The AI Divide in Higher Ed: Identity, Expertise and the Future of Learning [Part 1]
In this special two-part episode of Teach & Learn, host Dr. Cristi Ford sits down with Laura Zarrow, executive director of the Wharton Generative AI Labs (GAIL) at the University of Pennsylvania, to explore the growing divide in higher education.
Across campuses, leaders are setting bold AI-first visions. But inside classrooms, faculty are navigating something far more complex, a shift that challenges long-standing pedagogical practices, assessment models and even professional identity.
But as Zarrow explains, “Subject matter expertise has never been more important.”
Rather than replacing educators, generative AI raises the bar. It demands deeper judgment, sharper discernment and a renewed commitment to meaningful learning. The question isn’t whether AI belongs in higher education; it’s how institutions align leadership ambition with faculty culture, capacity building and daily classroom practice.
In this conversation, Cristi and Laura unpack:
- Why AI strategy often moves faster than institutional scaffolding
- How generative AI is reshaping expertise, authority and academic identity
- What must evolve in assessment to support deep learning, not just compliance
- How AI can serve as a collaborator, coach and creative partner in the classroom
- Lessons higher education can draw from past technological shifts
This episode offers a clear-eyed but optimistic perspective: transformation requires more than tools. It requires trust, alignment and the courage to rethink long-standing systems.
