Limed: Teaching with a Twist

Engaged Learning
  • 4.7 (3)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Limed: Teaching with a Twist is a podcast that plays with pedagogy. Each episode features the voices and ideas of diverse faculty, staff, and students who workshop our guest's real challenges and opportunities for their classrooms. The show is produced in collaboration with the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University and was created and developed by Matt Wittstein, an Associate Professor of Exercise Science. New episodes release on the third Monday every month. For more information, visit www.centerforengagedlearning.org.

  1. Can Peer Mentoring Power Equity?

    6H AGO

    Can Peer Mentoring Power Equity?

    See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/can-peer-mentoring-power-equity/ In this episode of Limed: Teaching with a Twist, members of Team Augmentors – Krista Craven (Carleton University), Maggie Safronova (University of California Santa Barbara), Diana Gregory (Kennesaw State University), and Olivia Choplin (Elon University) – share insights from their cross-institutional research on peer mentoring programs. Through campus scans, surveys, and in-depth interviews with program leaders across multiple campuses, their team explored how peer mentoring supports student success and equity. Their findings suggest that while these programs consistently promote access, belonging, and navigation of the hidden curriculum, the extent to which they are explicitly framed as equity-driven often depends on institutional context and climate. We discuss the role of peer mentors in demystifying higher education, the importance of training and support, and the challenges of embedding equity and social justice into program design. As the team looks ahead to expanding their framework and studying mentor experiences more deeply, this conversation invites us to rethink mentoring as a shared, relational process that makes opportunity more visible, more accessible, and can involve student partnership at every level. This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi. Show art was created by Jennie Goforth, Nolan Schultheis, and Matt Wittstein. The Center for Engaged Learning uses Rev to create transcripts for each episode.

    45 min
  2. Mentoring Moves

    MAR 16

    Mentoring Moves

    See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/mentoring-moves/ What actually happens in a successful mentoring conversation? In this episode of Limed: Teaching with a Twist, Katia Levintova (University of Wisconsin–Green Bay) and Mario Sto. Domingo (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) share findings from their multi-institutional research on what they call mentoring moves. Through interviews with several mentor–mentee pairs across institutions in the U.S. and Europe, their team examined the specific conversational techniques mentors use and how students experience those same interactions. We explore encouragement, human connection, navigating the hidden curriculum, reframing strengths, and the subtle dynamics that foster trust and belonging. We also discuss where mentors and mentees align — and where gaps emerge — particularly around unseen advocacy and in-the-moment mentoring. If mentoring is one of the most important practices in higher education, this conversation invites us to think more intentionally about the moves we make. Episode Credits This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning.  Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi.  Show art was created by Jennie Goforth, Nolan Schultheis, and Matt Wittstein.   The Center for Engaged Learning uses Rev to create transcripts for each episode.

    42 min
  3. Mapping Mentoring

    FEB 16

    Mapping Mentoring

    See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/mentoring-constellations-research-teaching-with-a-twist-visual-mapping/ In this episode, host Matt Wittstein joins fellow researchers Jenn Aumiller (University of Maryland School of Medicine), Sarah Burns Gilchrist (American University), and Alexis Hart (Allegheny College) to discuss their collaborative research on mentorship as a constellation of relationships rather than a single dyad. Sparked by shared questions about student support, belonging, and engagement, the team explores how students understand and navigate networks of meaningful, supportive, and mentoring relationships across academic and personal contexts. Drawing on survey data, interviews, and an interactive constellation mapping process, the conversation highlights how visualizing mentorship networks can prompt reflection, surface gaps, and challenge assumptions about who “counts” as a mentor. The group reflects on key findings, including students’ realization that they themselves act as mentors, the importance of relationships beyond formal academic roles, and how mentoring needs shift over time. The episode closes with discussion of how constellation mapping might be adapted for professional development, faculty mentoring, and other non-student settings. This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi. Show art was created by Jennie Goforth and Matt Wittstein. ChatGPT 5.1 was used to generate the background image, with an initial prompt of “I'd like to create episode artwork for an episode titled Mapping Mentorship. I'm thinking something like an old style constellation chart." Prompts for revision included, "Let's try a concept that shows someone trying to chart the stars," and finally, "Take the people out of it, and let's just see a cartographic map of the stars and constellations." The Center for Engaged Learning uses Rev to create transcripts for each episode.

    38 min
  4. Rapid Responses: Mentorship, Part 2

    JAN 19

    Rapid Responses: Mentorship, Part 2

    See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/rapid-responses-mentorship-part-2/. Center for Engaged Learning participants in the 2023-2025 research seminar on Mentoring Meaningful Learning Experiences were invited to share their responses to several mentoring related questions. Karina Hamamouche (Butler University), Alexis Hart (Allegheny College), Katia Levintova (University of Wisconsin Green Bay), Gabi Pleschová (Comenius University), and Nira Rahman (University of Melbourne) recorded their responses to a few guided questions about who mentors, what mentoring looks like, and how to improve mentoring in higher education. This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi.  Show art was created by Jennie Goforth and Matt Wittstein with the episode-specific image generated and revised by ChatGPT 5.1 using prompts and re-iterations by Matt.  The Center for Engaged Learning uses Rev.com to create transcripts for each episode.

    14 min
  5. Rapid Responses: Mentorship, Part 1

    12/15/2025

    Rapid Responses: Mentorship, Part 1

    See our full notes for this episode at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/rapid-responses-mentorship-part-1/. Participants from the Center for Engaged Learning's research seminar on Mentoring Meaningful Learning Experiences were invited to share their responses to several mentoring related questions. Karina Hamamouche (Butler University), Alexis Hart (Allegheny College), Katia Levintova (University of Wisconsin Green Bay), and Gabi Pleschová (Comenius University) recorded their responses to a few guided questions about practices and misconceptions in mentoring. This month, hear the first of their rapid responses and join us again next month for a few more ideas you can act on.  This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi. Show art was created by Jennie Goforth and Matt Wittstein.

    10 min
  6. Student Scholar Perspectives on Mentoring Relationships

    11/17/2025

    Student Scholar Perspectives on Mentoring Relationships

    See our full episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/student-scholar-perspectives-on-mentoring-relationships/. In this episode, guests Azul Bellot and Tiffanie Grant, both Center for Engaged Learning Student Scholars at Elon University, share how mentorship has shaped their confidence, sense of belonging, and academic journeys. Through their experiences, we explore the balance of responsibility between students and faculty, the difference between transactional and transformational mentorship, and how open, authentic relationships can empower growth on both sides. Azul and Tiffanie remind us that students aren’t just recipients of mentorship – they’re active contributors to the process, offering lessons that can benefit both students and their mentors. This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning, an international research center. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi. Show art was created by Jennie Goforth and Nolan Schultheis. The Center for Engaged Learning uses Rev.com to create transcripts for each episode.

    37 min
  7. How Scholarship Shapes Our Mentoring Past and Future

    10/20/2025

    How Scholarship Shapes Our Mentoring Past and Future

    See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/how-scholarship-shapes-our-mentoring-past-and-future/ What can the research on mentoring teach us about building stronger, more equitable learning environments? In this episode, guests Ashley Finley, Jane Greer, and Jessie Moore unpack the scholarly roots of mentoring in higher education from foundational studies to the newest approaches shaping the field today. They discuss how theories from psychology, feminist practice, and relationship-rich education inform mentoring across disciplines, and why understanding mentorship as both an individual experience and a systemic force matters now more than ever. Along the way, they explore key questions about intentionality, equity, and what it means to study mentoring not just as an act of support, but as a catalyst for institutional change. This episode was hosted by hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi. Show art was created by Jennie Goforth and Nolan Schultheis.

    44 min
  8. Not Just a Cup of Coffee: Why Mentoring Matters

    09/15/2025

    Not Just a Cup of Coffee: Why Mentoring Matters

    See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/not-just-a-cup-of-coffee-why-mentoring-matters/ In this kickoff to our new season, we explore the heart of mentorship in higher education. Guests Titch Madzima, Sabrina Perkins, and Maureen Vandermass-Peeler share personal stories of the mentors who shaped their paths and reflect on what mentoring really means beyond a casual conversation over coffee. Together, they discuss why mentoring is central to student and faculty success, the challenges institutions face in making it accessible, and why “mentoring constellations” may be the future of more inclusive and supportive academic communities. From authenticity and reciprocity to the barriers of availability and representation, this episode highlights how intentional mentoring can transform both individuals and institutions. This episode was hosted, produced, and edited by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Original music: Kai Mitchell

    31 min
See All (42)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Limed: Teaching with a Twist is a podcast that plays with pedagogy. Each episode features the voices and ideas of diverse faculty, staff, and students who workshop our guest's real challenges and opportunities for their classrooms. The show is produced in collaboration with the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University and was created and developed by Matt Wittstein, an Associate Professor of Exercise Science. New episodes release on the third Monday every month. For more information, visit www.centerforengagedlearning.org.

Information

More From Engaged Learning