Concurrent Session Nine
Saturday, June 18, 8:30 – 9:20 am
C9-1a
8:30 - 8:55 am
Room: Arts 102
Regular and timely feedback for student and instructor alike, while connecting inand out-of-class learning
Alison Flynn, Department of Chemistry, University of Ottawa
________________________________________________________________________
C9-1b
8:55 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts102
Grading on the Curve: Are there pedagogical implications?
Robert W. Luth, University of Alberta; Heather A. Kanuka, University of Alberta
________________________________________________________________________
C9-2
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 208
Implementing Adaptive Mentorship© in Practicum/Clinical Education Programs
Edwin Ralph and Keith Walker, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan
________________________________________________________________________
C9-3a
8:30 - 8:55 am
Room: Arts 211
Crossing the informational threshold: Information literacy threshold concepts
Alison Ruth, Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University; Luke Houghton,
Department of International Business and Asian Studies, Griffith Univeristy
________________________________________________________________________
C9-3b
8:55 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 211
To See Ourselves As Others See Us: Exploring the Canadian Campus Novel
Sandra Beardsall Professor of Church History and Ecumenics at St. Andrew’s College;
Perry Millar, freelance editor; Melissa Spore, Instructional Designer, University of
Saskatchewan
________________________________________________________________________
C9-4
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 101
Wiki Wiki Woo Woo: Engaging First Year Students in Many Ways
Lorna E. Rourke, St. Jerome's University; Tracy Penny Light, Sexuality, Marriage &
The Family and History, St. Jerome's University, Waterloo
________________________________________________________________________
C9-5
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 104
Developing Cultural Sensitivity
Peggy Proctor, School of Physical Therapy, University of Saskatchewan; Arlis
McQuarrie, School of Physical Therapy, University of Saskatchewan
________________________________________________________________________
C9-6
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 106
Intuition, Creativity, and Discourse: Addressing Cultural Differences in Knowing in
Higher Education
M.J. Barrett, School of Environment and Sustainability & College of Education
(Curriculum Studies), University of Saskatchewan
________________________________________________________________________
C9-7
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 108
Beyond the OWL: interactive online sessions with students
Anne Loxley Baker, Coordinator, TRU Writing Centre, Thompson Rivers University;
Gary Hunt, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Thompson Rivers University
________________________________________________________________________
C9-8
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 214
Towards the horizon: Linking teaching and research to improve undergraduate
student learning
Marcy Slapcoff, Teaching and Learning Services, McGill University
________________________________________________________________________
C9-9
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 109
Promoting Interprofessional Practice in a High School setting
Lee Murray, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan
________________________________________________________________________
C9-10
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 105
Moderator experience in delivering an interprofessional online blog
Natasha Hubbard Murdoch, Nursing Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied
Science and Technology; Kathy Disiewich, Nursing Division, Saskatchewan Institute
of Applied Science and Technology; Meghan McDonald, Nursing Division,
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology; Cindy Olexson, Nursing
Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology; Darlene Scott,
Nursing Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
________________________________________________________________________
C9-11
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 217
Influence of first time peer review on Science academics’ teaching practice and
philosophies
Maria B. Parappilly, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University;
Richard J. Woodman, Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine, Flinders
University; James E. Harrison, Research Centre for Injury Studies, School of
Medicine, Flinders University
________________________________________________________________________
C9-12
8:30 - 9:20 am
Room: Arts 212
The Next Big Thing In Digital Education
Jeff Snook, Executive Learning Solutions & Channel Director
McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Higher Education Division
Concurrent Session Nine
C9-1a
Room: Arts 102
Saturday, 8:30 - 8:55 am
Regular and timely feedback for student and instructor alike, while
connecting in- and out-of-class learning
Alison Flynn, Department of Chemistry, University of Ottawa
Research Track
Abstract:
Personal response systems, or clickers, are used for many reasons, including those
of engaging students and of gauging students’ learning (Caldwell, 2007; Cossgrove
and Curran, 2008; Broida, 2007; Woelk, 2008). Online homework programs,
which automatically grade student work, provide practice questions for students,
with the options of giving them immediate feedback (ACE Organic http://aceorganic.com/, 2011; OWL - http://www.cengage.com/owl/index.html,
2011; Connect: Teaching and Learning Program - connect.mgrawhill.ca, 2011;
Chamala et al., 2006; Chambers and Blake, 2008; Dillard-Eggers et al., 2008). An
online homework program and clickers have been used together in large organic
chemistry courses of more than three hundred students in order to probe students’
understanding and to connect in- and out-of-class learning. After each class, the
students were responsible for answering a question using an online homework
program. The program gave the students immediate feedback and the students’
answers could be reviewed by the instructor prior to the following class. Clickers
were used in a complementary fashion in class. This is a technique that could be
used in many disciplines and the impact of this technique, student results and
student feedback will be described. There will be an opportunity for participants to
reflect on their own practices and discuss current or future uses for these or related
techniques.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to describe one potential use of
clicker and online homework technologies in large chemistry classrooms in order
to give students and instructors regular and timely feedback. Additionally,
participants will be able to describe one way they do or could obtain feedback for
themselves and their students and encourage students’ learning beyond the
classroom.
Theme: Creative Practices: Teaching, Assessment, and Evaluation
Audience: General
Keywords: regular and timely feedback, assessment, large classes, online
homework program, clickers
C9-1b
Room: Arts102
Saturday, 8:55 - 9:20 am
Grading on the Curve: Are there pedagogical implications?
Robert W. Luth, University of Alberta; Heather A. Kanuka, University of Alberta
Research Track
Abstract:
What does “grading on the curve” mean and is it an appropriate way to grade in
university courses? How common is the usage- either explicitly or implicitly - of
norm referenced grading? We found at our institution that the answer to this
question depends on who is asked: deans, instructors, students. This sort of
discrepancy is disquieting. Perhaps a more important question to consider is: Is
there any pedagogic reason to grade on the curve? Should we have “suggested
grade distributions”? In an attempt to answer these questions, consultations across
the academy with students, instructors, administrators, and staff, were conducted
and measured against the literature on assessment and grading.
The aim of this exploration is to propose a way beyond grading on the curve that
has the potential to improve students’ learning and instructors’ teaching, as well as
improve the alignment of our practices with late 20th century learning theories.
There is evidence that indicates students learn most effectively under certain
conditions, acknowledging that how we assess will for many students define what
they will learn. Such conditions, according to Suskie (2009), include being graded
on important goals, provided with a variety of ways to demonstrate what has been
learned, opportunities to reflect on learning and explanatory feedback.
The objectives of this session are to address the following questions:
• What do we mean by assessment, and how does that differ from grading?
• How do we assess - and grade (at the University of Alberta)?
• What are the suggested distributions, and how have they been constructed?
• Should we be consistent?
• How should we grade?
• Where to from here?
Following a brief presentation on the above questions (10 minutes), an interactive
small group discussion will follow on a proposed solution to address the issues of
how to develop policy on assessment and grading in a university, while
maintaining individual needs and cultures between and across disciplines (10
minutes). Small group responses will conclude with a larger group discussion (5
minutes).
Theme: Institutional Leadership of Teaching and Learning
Audience: Administrators; General; Educational Developers
Keywords: norm referenced grading policy
C9-2
Room: Arts 208
Saturday, 8:30 – 9:20 am
Implementing Adaptive Mentorship© in Practicum/Clinical Education
Programs
Edwin Ralph and Keith Walker, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan
Research Track
Abstract:
Learning Objectives
Workshop attendees will: (a) become familiar with the Adaptive Mentorship©
model, its rationale, and its research results; (b) practice applying it in a simulated
scenario; and (c) assess its potential effects if it were to be implemented in their
respective educational/training contexts.
Session Description
Evidence from the presenters’ cross-disciplinary research (Ralph & Walker, 2010),
and that of others (Allen & Eby, 2007) has confirmed: (a) that the process of
mentorship is crucial to the professional development of prospective practitioners
in all professional fields; and (b) that the effectiveness of mentorship practice is
often hampered by difficulties that arise within the mentor/protégé
interrelationships and interactions.
As a result of these findings, the presenters have developed, researched, and
refined a mentoring model, called Adaptive Mentorship© (AM), which can be used
by persons in mentorship positions in any professional preparation program,
educational/training setting, or occupational/apprenticeship environment. Research
on the AM model has shown that it can enhance the overall mentoring process,
and help reduce or eliminate some of the interpersonal conflicts within
mentor/protégé relationships. Key to AM is that the mentor must appropriately
match his/her mentorship response or style to correspond to the changing
developmental level of the protégé.
In the session, participants will examine the AM model and its research results, and
determine whether AM would: (a) enhance their own mentorship practice, and (b)
warrant collaboration in joint research regarding its effects.
The presenters recently received a Public Outreach Grant from the Social Sciences
and Humanities Research Council of Canada for the purpose of disseminating the
AM model across the professional disciplines. They therefore acknowledge the
support of SSHRC in providing assistance to present this work at STLHE.
Theme: Experiential Learning
Audience: General
Keywords: mentorship, mentoring, practicum, clinical education, coaching,
experiential learning, feedback
C9-3a
Room: Arts 211
Saturday, 8:30 - 8:55 am
Crossing the informational threshold: Information literacy threshold
concepts
Alison Ruth, Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University Luke
Houghton, Department of International Business and Asian Studies, Griffith
Univeristy
Research Track
Abstract:
Early access to computers by the so-called ‘net generation’ means that many
students have high levels of proficiency with the operation of a computer. While
the conceptual framing of the ‘net generation’ as experts has served to provide
understanding of the shift in approaches to computer technology, it is less clear if
the ways this generation uses technology is richer for more time spent using it.
Kennedy et al (2008) questioned the notion of ‘digital natives’ and suggested that
while there is a core set of basic skills that have been developed, there is too much
diversity in the level of skills that students exhibit. They argue that this means there
is little ‘richness’ in skill development beyond the surface level and this does not
equate to ‘proficiency’. Meanwhile, many educators are concerned that this skill
level exceeds their own. Kennedy et al (2008) hints at the deeper problem of not
knowing if these students have an understanding of the technology’s appropriate
use and place in society. However, what Kennedy et al’s study shows is that there
is a range of skill levels and while Prensky (2001) suggests that students have
mastered many of these, there needs to be an elaboration of some threshold
concepts to ensure students actually gain a deeper understanding from any learning
activities to compliment their computer based skills.
The context of this skill development is often embedded within Management
Information Systems type subjects at tertiary level. This context requires learning to
be directed towards an environment where the technology studied reflects practice
around it and through its use. We argue that learning about technology in context
produces the possibility of deep approaches to learning because it moves beyond
the artefact and into practice and social context. We identify some ‘threshold
concepts’ that are facilitative of developing deeper understanding of technology by
Gen-Y. These include: problem solving processes - different approaches to problem
definition and solutions; innovation in business - new business models and the
shifts wrought by computer interactions; knowledge management - similarities
between personal and professional (business) processes; and the rise of social
networking - how sociality and technology (socio-technical systems) have created
new processes for interactions, and systems thinking - relating parts and wholes
within complex problems that combine all of the above.
We show these concepts work through an introductory course where ‘digital
natives’ were exposed to deep thinking approaches using the above threshold
concepts. The findings show that when exposed to these concepts in context,
students demonstrate evidence of deeper thinking and learning about technology.
References
Kennedy, G. E., Judd, T. S., Churchward, A., Gray, K. & Krause, K.-L. (2008). First
year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives?
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(1), 108-122.
http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/kennedy.html
Prenksy, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Theme: Transformational Curricular Design
Audience: General
Keywords: threshold concepts, information literacy, business course
C9-3b
Room: Arts 211
Saturday, 8:55 - 9:20 am
To See Ourselves As Others See Us: Exploring the Canadian Campus
Novel
Sandra Beardsall, Church History and Ecumenics, St. Andrew’s College; Perry
Millar, Freelance Editor; Melissa Spore, University of Saskatchewan
Research Track
Abstract:
What can Canadian literature tell us about Canadian higher education?
This session considers academic culture, teachers, and learners as depicted in
Canadian novels. The Canadian contribution to the genre of the campus novel is
rich but neglected. British writers from the 1920s (such as Dorothy Sayers) through
the 1950s (Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim) and contemporary books by David Lodge
present academic life with humour and a satiric edge. In the United States,
universities are the setting for works by Mary McCarthy, Richard Russo, and Jane
Smiley, whose Moo offers a broad portrait of mid-western university, with some
elements familiar to Canadians: after all, the biology professor tries to murder the
Dean of Extension.
Campus novels are important because they depict faculty, students, and
administrators of institutions of higher education, inviting readers to experience the
institutions in imaginative ways. We might assume that each writer begins from
personal knowledge of a higher education setting (the Toronto Normal School, the
Universities of Manitoba and Toronto, Queens, Ryerson) and creates a new
institution. From this vantage point authors can examine the values of the
institutions, the role and importance of education, the actual experience of being
educated or being the educated. This is sometimes depicted seriously with plots
that integrate growth, even coming of age of a protagonist. Or academia is
presented with some humor or satire–sometimes biting, sometimes gentle–to
examine the limits and human frailties that creep into institutions and shape the
teaching and learning enterprise.
The session will discuss The Measure of the Rule by Robert Barr (1905), The Varsity
Story by Morley Callaghan (1948), The Ragged Regiment by Edward McCourt
(circa1970), Rebel Angels by Robertson Davies, (1981), and Swann by Carol
Shields (1987). It considers what readers who are also practitioners in institutions of
higher learning can both enjoy and learn from this genre.
The three-person panel will discuss the books with the participants, inviting
comments and questions. Each novel will be summarized and compared to the
others and placed in the context of Canadian higher education.
Participants will become aware of
• the tradition of the campus novel
• the variety and substance of Canadian campus novels
• the development of higher education in Canada as reflected in the novels
• the creative depiction of university life and how these works of fiction can both
reflect and entertain those of us working in higher education.
Theme: Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Audience: General
Keywords: novel fiction campus cultire
C9-4
Room: Arts 101
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Wiki Wiki Woo Woo: Engaging First Year Students in Many Ways
Lorna E. Rourke, St. Jerome's University; Tracy Penny Light, St. Jerome's
University
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
At St. Jerome’s , a small Liberal Arts University in Waterloo, Ontario, first semester
students are encouraged to enrol in a course called “Human Sciences 101:
Reflection and Action.” Sections of the course are very small, with 10-15 students
per class, and the course introduces these 17 and 18 year old students to four
classic works of literature and to University life. Each professor who teaches the
course takes a unique approach to the material and to the class. In Dr. Penny
Light’s section, she partners with Lorna Rourke, the St. Jerome’s Librarian, and
other guest speakers to challenge the students as ‘responsible and engaged citizens’
and as ‘scholars of learning.’ Course materials are studied in an academic context
and in a social / cultural context and accommodate many different styles of
learning.
Some examples of the different approaches taken in this course include:
• Students are each given a research topic and no instruction on how to find
information. They conduct their research on laptops in the classroom, then they
come together as a class to discuss the experience, what they found, and how they
might perform more effective research. After this discussion they research the same
topic using the skills they have learned during the discussion.
• The students use E-portolios to document their learning and their experiences in
the classroom and beyond
• Students create posters and presentations based on their E-portfolios
• Class members, professors and the librarian go on field trips–to the Library, to a
campus pub, to a local volunteer centre–for research and discussion
• All students are required to volunteer outside of the university to demonstrate
responsible citizenship; they then reflect on their experience in a variety of creative
ways including paintings, presentations, and brochures.
• Students in the course formed a University-wide Social Justice Club
• A Wikipedia challenge: instead of telling students that Wikipedia is “bad”, they
are asked to choose two topics in which they are interested or consider themselves
to be “experts”. They edit the Wikipedia pages for those topics, adding both correct
and incorrect information, then monitor their pages throughout the semester. This
provides a practical learning experience which allows the students to form their
own opinions about the value of this popular, and often forbidden, research tool.
Feedback from the students about their experiences in Dr. Penny Light’s course has
confirmed that this approach to teaching and learning has been engaging, fulfilling,
and even life changing–for students and teachers alike.
Theme: Experiential Learning
Audience: General
Keywords: experiential learning; information literacy; e-portfolios; service
learning; volunteering; first year students; liberal arts
C9-5
Room: Arts 104
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Developing Cultural Sensitivity
Peggy Proctor, School of Physical Therapy, University of Saskatchewan; Arlis
McQuarrie, School of Physical Therapy, University of Saskatchewan
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
Integral to our overall curricular goals, the School of Physical Therapy strives to
promote the concept of cultural safety and encourage a sense of cultural
appreciation in Physical Therapy (PT) students, as core competencies. We believe
that health care professionals have an ethical responsibility to strive for cultural
proficiency, and to promote cultural safety in patient care (Srivastava, 2007).
Throughout the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) program, students are challenged
to consider, and to understand, many different cultures of the world, including
cultures of local Aboriginal peoples. Our province of Saskatchewan has a young
and growing Aboriginal population. The 2006 Census of Canada data shows that
the Aboriginal population in Saskatchewan constitutes 15% of the total population,
and is projected to be 20% by 2015.
A holistic approach to Aboriginal health issues, and the related socio-economic
factors present, is critical in seeking to understand Aboriginal cultures and
population demographics in the context of our own environment. Healthcare
service delivery and health promotion with Aboriginal populations are recognized
as important content areas in the MPT program at the University of Saskatchewan.
Toward this end, and in collaboration with Aboriginal consultants and colleagues,
we have designed a three-part learning intervention intended to promote
Aboriginal cultural competence and cultural appreciation in our curriculum. This
content is embedded in a course entitled “Physical Therapist as Educator,” since
we see culture and cultural beliefs as central to the construct of teaching and
learning. Component one of the three-part learning intervention is a written
assignment designed to have students explore, examine and define some
fundamental knowledge of Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan. The second
component is a Problem-based Learning (PBL) module on Aboriginal Culture,
Health and Healing, centred on a patient from a First Nation community and
cultural concerns related to health care delivery. The learning objectives of the PBL
include: 1) Discussing the challenges to maintenance of health with this client and
the logistics of these challenges related to relevant ‘Determinants of Health’; 2)
Exploring available community resources to assist in achievement of the treatment
goals; 3) Determining useful communication approaches based on an
understanding of the client’s usual communication style; 4) Identifying the ‘gender,
age and race issues’ which may arise from interactions between health providers
and persons from a First Nations community, and generating approaches to address
these effectively. The third and final component of the learning intervention is to
return the first written assignment to each student, and ask them to reflect upon and
express new learning since completing the initial assignment. There is often
significant insight expressed by PT students in the third phase, and we consistently
see movement by students along a well-established construct or continuum toward
greater cultural competence (Cross et al., 1999).
During this interactive session, participants will be invited to share examples of
learning interventions to develop and promote cultural sensitivity, and will
exchange ideas on measurement of attitudes and behaviours pertaining to clinical
cultural competence.
Theme: Creative Practices: Teaching, Assessment, and Evaluation
Audience: General
Keywords: cultural competence; aboriginal; cultural proficiency; cultural safety
C9-6
Room: Arts 106
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Intuition, Creativity, and Discourse: Addressing Cultural Differences
in Knowing in Higher Education
M.J. Barrett, School of Environment and Sustainability & College of Education,
University of Saskatchewan
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
Professionals regularly encounter complex dilemmas which demand openness to
multiple perspectives, yet current educational approaches are often dominated by
particular ways of knowing and knowledge systems which provide valuable, but
incomplete perspectives. This presentation will describe experiences teaching a
new graduate level course which supports students to appreciate, understand, and
integrate multiple ways of knowing in their problem-solving processes related to
environmental concerns. This course is particularly important given: (a) the need to
approach complex decisions from a variety of perspectives and worldviews, and (b)
the “duty to consult” with Aboriginal Peoples with respect to public lands, waters,
and other resources.
Attentive to the role of discourse, together with technologies of self and power
(Foucault, 1988), students are encouraged to grapple with their own resistances to
what often appear to them as non-conventional teaching approaches, and ways of
coming to know. The presentation will identify ways in which culturally shared
narratives (discourses) can govern the way we can think (Scott, 1988), constrain our
ability to be respectful of other cultures and their knowledge systems, and
ultimately limit creativity with respect to environmental and other forms of
problem-solving. In addition to experiences teaching the course, the session will
also introduce and draw on the author’s multi-media doctoral dissertation.
In an integrated approach, the presenter will both talk about and demonstrate many
of the pedagogical approaches which support students to engage with a variety of
knowledge-making processes, including embodied and intuitive knowing. Similar
to the course, the presentation will include significant participant involvement,
intentionally drawing from both intuition and intellect. It will address a variety of
theories of knowledge to explain student (and participant) experiences, including
the role of the natural world in knowledge-making, and new research from
quantum theory.
This presentation will be of interest to participants who are looking for something
different. Intended outcomes include: (1) an understanding of the course aims,
structure, and pedagogical approaches, and (2) critical reflection on the ways in
which Western academic structures and embedded assumptions about knowledge
and knowing may make it particularly difficult to engage students from nonWestern cultures. Although the course itself is grounded in the environmental field,
the presentation will be of interest to conference participants in a wide range of
subject areas.
References: Foucault, M. (1988). Technologies of the self. In M. Luther, G. Huck &
P. Hutton (Eds.), Technologies of the self: A seminar with Michel Foucault (pp. 1649). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.
Scott, J. (1988). Deconstructing equality-versus-difference: Or, the uses of
poststructuralist theory for feminism. Feminist Studies, 14(1), 33-50.
Theme: Transformational Curricular Design
Audience: Educational Developers
Keywords: environmental education; culture; discourse; ways of knowing;
knowledge systems; innovative pedagogy
C9-7
Room: Arts 108
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Beyond the OWL: interactive online sessions with students
Anne Loxley Baker, Coordinator, TRU Writing Centre, Thompson Rivers
University; Gary Hunt, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Thompson Rivers
University
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
In recent years, innovative software has been created that extends the classroom
beyond the physical campus. This workshop will introduce an innovative practise
for Writing Centres that goes beyond the OWL (online writing lab) using Elluminate
software: the interactive online tutorial. The Writing Centre at Thompson Rivers
University (TRU) has advertised online appointments on its website since
September, 2010. Some Writing Centres conduct online sessions using tools like
Skype and GoogleDocs, but few have used Elluminate, which functions like a
virtual classroom as opposed to a simple collaborative site. Participants will
observe a demonstration and share ideas about how this technology could be used
in their Centres, Departments, and other contexts. Theme: Innovation with Technology
Audience: Writing Centre Special Interest Group; Educational Developers;
Administrators
Keywords: elluminate, writing centres, online, tutoring, teaching, learning,
distance education, student services, virtual classroom.
C9-8
Room: Arts 214
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Towards the horizon: Linking teaching and research to improve
undergraduate student learning
Marcy Slapcoff, Teaching and Learning Services, McGill University
Organizational Change Track
Abstract:
An implicit goal of higher education is to cultivate students’ ability to think and act
like professionals, scholars and citizens. How can instruction be most effectively
designed to foster these types of outcomes? At our institution’s educational
development unit, we think the answer lies, at least in part, in helping students
understand the relationship between the course content they are learning and the
processes of research and scholarship. Our Teaching-Research Nexus Project aims
to uncover ways that instructors, regardless of discipline, can communicate to
students that knowledge is dynamic and that a discipline is a way of making sense
of the world, and not just a collection of facts. We are working towards this goal by
supporting individual professors with the design of undergraduate courses and by
developing guidelines to encourage dialogue and change at the organizational
level. During this session, the multiple initiatives our unit leads to promote the links
between teaching and research to benefit student learning will be described : (a) a
faculty network whose members are developing recommendations for the
university with discipline-specific examples of how to engage students with
research in ways that leads to deeper learning; (b) a series of mini-documentaries of
professors who use a variety of experiential strategies to introduce and involve
students with research; (c) a website that profiles instructors as they share their
reflections on teaching and learning, and includes their thoughts on how to
integrate research within their undergraduate courses; (d) university-wide symposia
focused on faculty and student experiences that integrate teaching, research and
learning; and (e) a faculty steering committee who grapple with the conceptual and
practical challenges of advancing this issue on campus. Through a series of short
interactive activities and discussions, session participants will consider the
adaptability of this multi-pronged approach to their own contexts and brainstorm
further strategies to promote the integration of teaching, research and learning at all
levels of their institutions.
Learning objectives:
By attending this session, participants will:
• Become aware of one university’s use of multiple activities and resources to
promote the integration of teaching, research and learning at both the individual
and institutional levels.
• Reflect on the adaptability of this multi-pronged approach to their own contexts
while considering the factors that may facilitate or impede implementation of
certain activities.
• Brainstorm further strategies to promote the integration of teaching, research
and learning at all levels of their institutions.
Theme: Experiential Learning
Audience: General
Keywords: teaching research nexus
C9-9
Room: Arts 109
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Promoting Interprofessional Practice in a High School setting
Lee Murray, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
We have been teaching our students about the importance of interprofessional
practice and diversity in practice for many years however their actual experience is
much more limited. The College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan provides
opportunities for 4th year nursing students, during their senior practicum to be part
of an interprofessional environment at two of the local high schools. The nursing
students in a multi-disciplinary school environment provide service to adolescents
with developmental disabilities. They work with students and professionals from
clinical psychology, education, social work, and psychiatry. The primary goal is for
nursing students to learn from, with and about other professions. All nursing
students are provided with opportunities to develop their working knowledge of the
skills of other disciplines on the team. This is intended to foster strong
interprofessional collaboration skills. These include interpersonal skills such as
leadership, conflict resolution, problem-solving and decision-making skills, and an
increased knowledge of the similarities and differences among professions. Open
and equitable communication between professions, including professionals and
students, occurs. Capacity is built between and amongst each team member, and
the understanding is that while each profession is distinct, there can be skill transfer
between the members and that we can learn from each other and grow
professionally (MacDonald, Bally, Ferguson, Murray & Fowler-Kerry, 2010). Not
only does this make for respectful dialogue, but improves individual practice and
makes for efficient service delivery. Students reported that through their
interprofessional experience they learned to be more flexible, discovered how
others perceive their own profession, learned from and about other professions,
and learned about their own profession in context of the interprofessional team.
Students were encouraged to improve specific assessment and intervention skills
including effective therapeutic communication and counseling skills, assessment
and intervention, critical reflection and application of theory and research to
practice. There was also an expectation they would develop and demonstrate an
increased level of confidence and independence in each of these areas. These
important professional collaboration skills will be of benefit to the students
regardless of what area they intend to practice in the future.
The expected outcomes of this presentation are for participants to gain an
understanding of a current practice at the College of Nursing, University of
Saskatchewan, discuss the importance of interprofessional practice and share
teaching learning experiences that promote practicum experiences in an
interprofessional setting. The participants will be engaged throughout the session in
answering and discussing posed exploratory questions.
Theme: Creative Practices: Teaching, Assessment, and Evaluation
Audience: General
Keywords: interprofessional practice, diversity, student experience,
developmental disabilities
C9-10
Room: Arts 105
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Moderator experience in delivering an interprofessional online blog
Natasha Hubbard Murdoch, Nursing Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied
Science and Technology; Kathy Disiewich, Nursing Division, Saskatchewan
Institute of Applied Science and Technology; Meghan McDonald, Nursing
Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology; Cindy
Olexson, Nursing Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and
Technology; Darlene Scott, Nursing Division, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied
Science and Technology
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
Faculties that integrate interprofessional education (IPE) continue to modify
teaching strategies and delivery methods to meet the needs of professional
competencies, curriculum changes, and adult learning expectations. While
traditional interprofessional experiences are delivered in-person, often through a
problem-based learning scenario, barriers to implementing in-person IPE have
created the need for unique delivery methods. In this session, moderators of a
recent interprofessional, case-based, asynchronous, online learning project will
facilitate discussion regarding the implementation and impact of blogging at a
provincial technical college for seven moderators and 83 students. First,
moderators will share experiences regarding the ‘fit’ of the project for students,
from three professions, including technology learning needs and the context of the
courses (theory and clinical) within which this experience was placed. Student
posts were analyzed for quantity and quality in relation to expectations around
evaluation and communication. Second, moderators provide insight into their own
experiences of being involved, including project impact on faculty workload,
satisfaction, and student-instructor relationships. Third, participants in this session
are encouraged to engage in discussion with the moderators about the experience
of IPE blogging; whether technology and IPE should or can be spiraled throughout
a curriculum; workload for students and faculty, including technical support; and
whether the skills utilized are perceived as contributing to the professional future of
students and faculty alike.
Interprofessional components are instituted within curricula with intent to improve
a number of student outcomes; interprofessional communication, comfort working
within interprofessional teams, and familiarity with integrated professional practice
environments. During this online project, pre and post test surveys evaluated
correlation between intended and actual student outcomes. Also of interest were
student perceptions regarding value placed on one profession’s contributions
versus other student groups. A side benefit was the self-directed component to
blogging. The appeal of this venue to case-based learning is that each team’s level
of engagement and quality of contribution determines the direction the team takes.
Each faculty member (moderator) was set up with a group of eight students from
different disciplines. Faculty had varied experience with online moderating.
Strategies and techniques used to moderate varied between blogs. Moderator
contributions varied between type (encouragement, critical thinking questions,
challenging suggestions, invitation for further depth) and amount of interaction
(continuous, ‘hands-off,’ or during cool-down-moments when momentum was
slowing). This resulted in moderators being required to tailor this strategy to student
needs as evidenced by the student level and depth of participation/ engagement.
Following completion of the IPE blog, moderators were debriefed about: the online
experience, workload, comfort level and if they would participate again.
Integration of IPE and technology results in positive outcomes for both students and
faculty. Development of creative strategies such as blogging encourages
engagement from several disciplines and promotes sharing of different perspectives.
Participants in this session will be offered opportunity to complete these objectives:
1. Discuss expectations of students, perceived and real, regarding comfort with
technology utilization
2. Share expectations regarding current and future changes in workload for
moderators
3. Discuss the value of IPE in an undergraduate setting
Theme: Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Audience: TA Developers Special Interest Group; College Educators Special
Interest Group; Educational Developers; Administrators; General
Keywords: blog, interprofessional, moderator
C9-11
Room: Arts 217
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
Influence of first time peer review on Science academics’ teaching
practice and philosophies
Maria B. Parappilly, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders
University; Richard J. Woodman, School of Medicine, Flinders University; James
E. Harrison, School of Medicine, Flinders University
Innovative Practice Track
Abstract:
Background: Traditionally there has often been little formal attention paid to
teaching quality and effectiveness within many University disciplines, including the
sciences. Science academics often rely on their own experiences in developing
their teaching styles and philosophies without any formal appraisal or feedback.
One area within the Australian higher education system which is contributing to
the re-shaping of academic practice is the evaluation of teaching practice using
peer review (Kerri-Lee Harris, 2008). Due to its relative novelty within the sciences,
many science academics, including those with considerable teaching and/or
research experience, have had little or no exposure to peer review.
Objectives: We sought to describe the usefulness of a single first time peer review
for science academics across different career stages. We describe three
participants’ teaching philosophies before and after the peer review process, and
changes in their teaching style as a result of the peer review process. Each of the
three participants taught within different science disciplines (Physics, Biostatistics,
and Epidemiology) and their academic experience ranged across the full academic
span from Associate lecturer, through Senior lecturer, to Professor. Despite this, all
had relatively little lecturing experience for their positions, and none had
previously participated in a peer review, either as an observer or as someone being
observed.
Results: Each of the three academics stated that the single peer review process had
a relatively strong impact on their teaching practices and philosophies. Despite
their wide range in experience, prior to their review, teaching-focused approaches
were central to each of their teaching philosophies. A principal suggestion from all
reviewers to their peers was for the need to aim for greater interaction with students
with more emphasis on student-focused approaches to teaching. These suggestions
were in due course reflected with changes towards student focused knowledge
creation philosophies for each participant, following successful implementation of
strategies designed to increase student engagement and understanding.
Conclusion: This paper highlights the potential for successful academic crosscollaboration amongst different science disciplines. Additionally, since all staff
taught within the science disciplines where peer review is not yet integral to
teaching practice, this study offers evidence that neither cross-faculty peer review,
inter-departmental peer review, or peer review in the science disciplines need be a
barrier to peer review success. The study also provides evidence that even a single
peer review alone can engage teaching staff sufficiently enough to consider
changing their teaching styles and philosophies, and has potential to do so for staff
across all stages of the academic tree. Finally, all participants described satisfaction
in the peer review process enabling perceived improvements in their teaching
practice and higher “Student Evaluation of Teaching” scores.
Theme: Diversity and Inclusive Practice in Higher Education
Audience: TA Developers Special Interest Group; College Educators Special
Interest Group; Educational Developers; General
Keywords: teaching practice, philosophies, student evaluation of teaching, peer
review, feedback
C9-12
Room: Arts 212
Saturday, 8:30 - 9:20 am
The Next Big Thing In Digital Education
Jeff Snook, Executive Learning Solutions & Channel Director
McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Higher Education Division
Abstract:
McGraw-Hill Connect™ and McGraw-Hill Create™ are fully integrated into the
Blackboard Learn™ platform.
This unprecedented integration of publisher-provided content and tools into a
learning management system offers the enhanced experience of all course
resources in a single, online environment. All hosted within your institution's
Blackboard instance, student now have the means to better connect with their
coursework, instructors, and the important concepts that they will need to know for
success now and in the future.
Key Features:
• Single Sign-on: A single login and single environment provide seamless access to
all course resources - all McGraw-Hill's resources are available within the
Blackboard Learn™ platform.
• One Gradebook: Automatic grade synchronization with Blackboard gradebook.
All grades for McGraw-Hill assignments are recorded in the Blackboard gradebook
automatically.
• Rich and Deep Integration: One click access to a wealth of McGraw-Hill content
and tools - all from within Blackboard Learn™.
Want To Learn More?
Learn more about how this exciting new partnership will be simplifying your
teaching experience. Come see what we're doing for you!