Limed: Teaching with a Twist
Season 2, Episode 6

This month, we talk with Lynette Carlson, who has created comic strips to help her athletic training students discuss topics like identity and bias. Associate Professor of Human Service Studies, Vanessa Drew-Branch, Exercise Science student and Center for Engaged Learning student scholar, Tiffanie Grant, and Associate Professor of Learning Sciences, Ty Hollett embrace the idea of using a fun, visual medium and meeting students where they are in their learning. The panel discusses what they like about this approach, the importance of representation in the classroom, and other ways to co-create learning aids like Dr. Carlson’s comic strips. 

This episode was hosted, produced, and edited by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning.

About the Guest

Lynette Carlson is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator in the Graduate Athletic Training Program, Department of Health and Human Performance, at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). Lynette has been a certified athletic trainer since 2000. She is a proud graduate of Southern Illinois University and UTC! She has spent the majority of her career in the field – having worked in the WNBA, Junior A Hockey, high schools, colleges, physician practices, outpatient therapy clinics, private practice, clubs, and youth sports. Her passion for teaching led to earning a Doctorate in Health Science in 2015 from Midwestern University. She enjoys sharing her clinical experiences with students while continuing to practice. Her recent research explores cultural humility and interprofessional education in healthcare. Carlson is the author of Using Graphic Novels to Teach Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice: An Educational Technique, and she has a forthcoming chapter in a graphic medicine textbook. In her spare time you’ll find her somewhere in the woods – rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, and hiking, or on the water! 

Interested in collaborating with Lynette? You can reach her at lynette-carlson@utc.edu or on LinkedIn.  

About the Panel

Vanessa Drew-Branch. A member of Elon’s faculty since 2018, Dr. Drew-Branch is an Associate Professor of Human Services Studies and African and African American Studies and the Director of Poverty and Social Justice Studies program. Dr. Drew-Branch regularly incorporates a variety of innovative, inclusive, and equity-minded teaching and learning strategies into her courses, including culturally responsive teaching, alternative modes of assessing knowledge, and community-engaged courses. Learn more about Dr. Drew-Branch and connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Tiffanie Grant, a sophomore from Charlotte, NC majoring in Exercise Science with minors in Psychology and Statistics at Elon University, embodies unwavering dedication to her studies. Recognized as an Odyssey Scholar and recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, Tiffanie is deeply committed to academic excellence. Engaged as a proactive Student Scholar for the Center of Engaged Learning, she actively fosters innovation and collaboration. Through this program, she hones valuable skills and knowledge crucial for her academic journey and beyond. Moreover, Tiffanie’s role as a Center for Engaged Learning Student Scholar offers a unique opportunity to provide a student perspective on a three-year research seminar focused on Mentoring Meaningful Learning Experiences. Her commitment to equitable practices and advocacy efforts reflects her diligent and exemplary leadership within the college community. Passionate about equitable healthcare practices, Tiffanie seeks to make a meaningful impact by advocating for inclusive healthcare practices and mentorship initiatives. 

Ty Hollett is an Associate Professor in the Learning, Design, and Technology program at Penn State University. His research celebrates and amplifies the kind of learning that is often devalued and marginalized, particularly by formal learning settings and the contemporary neoliberal marketplace. In doing so, his research imagines future learning environments that are more equitable, inclusive, and consequential, with recent work seeking alternatives to the learning trajectories determined by neoliberal capitalism. 

Resources Related to this Episode

Please note: Some of these resources referenced by guests on the show and listed below include media that contain explicit language and mature themes or content. 

Aronofsky, Darren. 2010. Black Swan. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures. 

Beyoncé. Lemonade. 2006. Parkwood Entertainment. http://www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.  

Bie, A. D., Marquis, E., Cook-Sather, A., & Luqueño, L. P. 2021. Promoting Equity and Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership. Stylus Publishing, LLC. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/books/promoting-equity-and-justice-through-pedagogical-partnership/.  

Cole, J. 2017. “J. Cole – Neighbors (Official Music Video),” Youtube video, 1:19, May 1, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nfVWiXY3WY.  

Gracie’s Corner. 2023. “Row Row Row Your Boat Remix | Featuring Big Freedia | Gracie’s Corner Kids Songs + Nursery Rhymes,” Youtube video, 4:09, June 14, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJorqHMkbiE.  

hooks, bell. 1996. Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.  

Levinson, Sam. 2019. Euphoria.  

Peerson, Markus. 2011. Minecraft. Windows. Sweeden: Mojang. 

Phillips, Todd. 2019. Joker. United States: Warner Brother Pictures. 

The Notorious B.I.G. 2015. “Big Poppa (2007 Remaster),” Youtube video, 4:09, August 7, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QceVTChhlJM.  

The Notorious B.I.G. 2011. “The Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy (official video) [4K],” Youtube video, 4:12, September 6, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw.