Podcasts

The recorded conversations

Podcasts and video conversations

Researchers and educators explored the connections between discovery, teaching and everyday life.

PIR’s VROC program developed a suite of recorded discussions that teachers and students could access beyond a live classroom call. Kevin Cougler hosted conversations with educators, researchers and professional guests.

This Week in Science and Education

Historical This Week in Science and Education artwork
T-WiSE aimed to make science innovations accessible to students in Grades 5–12. Its backgrounder describes an informal discussion involving a host, researcher, educator and guest expert. It names Kevin Cougler as host, Dr. Thomas Merritt as researcher, and Colin Jagoe as educator. The July 2011 VROC newsletter recognizes Colin Jagoe of the Kawartha Pine Ridge school board and Dr. Thomas Merritt of Laurentian University for their contributions to the science series.

This Week in Technology and Education

The technology series brought educational practice into the conversation. The same newsletter credits Ron Berti of the Upper Grand District School Board and Norma Bingham of the Grand Erie District School Board.

This Week in Engineering and Education

Chantal Guay of Engineers Canada and Clayton Ellis of the Peel District School Board contributed to the engineering series. The newsletter records a June 1, 2011 episode with Ellis’s Grade 12 biology class at Heart Lake Secondary School in Brampton.

Science Careers Weekly

Science Careers Weekly: Science Career Ideas for Students

Science Careers Weekly introduced students to people working in science and the paths that brought them there. The supplied archive preserves Episode 1, What Is a Geneticist?, featuring Dr. Thomas Merritt of Laurentian University. Watch the complete preserved episode below, or listen to its audio edition.

Episode 1: What Is a Geneticist? · Dr. Thomas Merritt, Laurentian University · 11 minutes, 41 seconds. Publication date unconfirmed.

Download the video (MP4, 62 MB) · Download the audio edition (MP3, 11 MB)

Listen to the preserved audio edition

This is an archived recording. Research descriptions, institutional roles and career information reflect the time it was made.

Four short series about STEM careers

Historical robot artwork for Science Scoop, Tech Talk, Engineer This and Why Math?
Original artwork associated with VROC’s four STEM career series.
The backgrounders describe a format of approximately five-minute video podcasts, showing experts in their working environments and connecting their work to society, the environment and career choices.
  • Science Scoop: careers and research across the sciences.
  • Tech Talk: people developing and applying technology.
  • Engineer This: engineering work in the field and its effects on the world around us.
  • Why Math?: careers that use mathematics, showing why continued study could keep students’ options open.
The October 2012 VROC newsletter lists episodes and guests across all four series. Its Why Math? examples include Cirque du Soleil structures, motorsport testing and reproductive science at the Toronto Zoo.

From VROC Video to PIR TV

Historical PIR TV graphic
PIR’s 2016 Executive Director Report records the rebranding of VROC Video as PIR TV in 2015. PIR TV brought purpose-made videos, partner content and recordings of PIR Live Events together in YouTube playlists. The supplied archive also preserves short excerpts of earlier classroom videoconferences, with subjects ranging from genetics and space to environmental science and engineering. These classroom clips are a different format from the named podcast series.

Original program backgrounders

Download the original one-page introductions to these five series. They explain each program’s purpose, format and intended audience.

These are historical documents. Contact details, participation instructions, website links and curriculum references reflect the period; they are preserved as part of the original record.

About this record

Sources: the T-WiSE and four STEM career-series backgrounders; the Science Careers Weekly Episode 1 title card and media files; VROC E-News, October 2012; Brent Peltola, Executive Director Report 2016, p. 8; VROC E-News, issue 1, July 2011, and the November 24, 2011 federal announcement. The newsletter is hosted by the Thames Valley Science and Engineering Fair. The episode above is preserved from the supplied archive. The other source links document historical programs; they do not form a complete episode library. This page records a historical PIR program. It does not offer current bookings or registration.