Teaching and Learning News

Kathryn Ricketts is an educational consultant within the Teaching and Learning Centre. She employed an unusual approach in developing the final plenary session at the Symposium on Teaching and Learning in mid-May. Here’s her description of how it worked:

Mobile Dialogues served as our final plenary session for the 2012 Symposium on Teaching and Learning: Leading Change @ SFU. This facilitated dialogue was a dynamic and responsive forum that generated summaries, reflections, and further inquiries from faculty, instructors, and staff who attended the symposium. The symposium participants were encouraged to post topics for discussion throughout the two days at various designated spots or through our hashtag #mobiled in case they were inspired to tweet us a topic. They were asked to post their sparkling curiosities, burning questions, and bristling agitations around teaching and learning.

These topics were then allocated to tables and times for vibrant, fast-firing exchanges. Participants were invited to change tables and topics at punctuated time periods allowing for a range of discussions according to interest and passion, or to become butterflies moving freely from topic to topic. Among the topics from this session were

• University as a safe place to fail, recover, and grow
• Are first-year students capable of deep learning approaches?
• Electronic devices in the classroom (for research, for notes, for distraction, for cheating)
• Experimentation in relation to responsibility, growth, possibility, fear, excitement, risk, opportunity
• Student self-assessment: Can we trust them? How can we best assess engagement and self-learning?
• How do we encourage and cultivate mutual responsibility for learning between the student and the instructor?

Salient points were transferred to brilliant yellow paper tablecloths (see the photo above) with the help of scented felt pens in the form of key words, descriptors, storyboards and mad doodles. The session ended with a “tour of the tablecloths” whereby participants could enjoy the imagistic and poetic summaries of the various discussions. This session was facilitated with light humour and a stopwatch by Kathryn Ricketts, who believes in creating playful states of immediacy to trigger imaginative and courageous conversations.

View the PowerPoint slides of the session on the TLC website to see how the event was structured.

Concepts, a newsletter launched on May 1 by the Beedie School of Business, shines a spotlight on noteworthy teachers and teaching activities within the Faculty. The first issue introduces the publication like this:

Teaching is a concept, a process and a goal. Our dedicated teachers and educators in the Beedie School of Business promote and encourage active learning. They bring new knowledge into the classroom, based on research and experience, which enriches students’ learning environment. Innovations in course design and delivery allow our teachers to support active and participatory learning at all levels. This newsletter highlights the accomplishments of our Faculty [and] promotes news, events and workshops to learn more about teaching and learning.

The newsletter was developed by Gloria Simpson, secretary to Beedie’s Tenure and Promotion Committee and to the Dean’s Office. It is produced in a PDF format and is distributed to business faculty members by email. The first issue includes a story on a prestigious teaching award received by Carolyn Egri, a professor of management and organization studies at Beedie; as well as a description of Designing SFU Mobile, a multi-disciplinary course that is being developed by Jan Kietzmann (assistant professor, Beedie), Ted Kirkpatrick (Applied Science), John Bowes (FCAT), and Rob Cameron (Applied Science) with the help of a $10,000 SFU Larger Teaching and Learning Development Grant.

Want to see more? Check out the full issue here.

Rick Iverson, a professor of human resource management at SFU’s Beedie School of Business, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last Thursday.

Iverson joined SFU’s Faculty of Business Administration in 2001 from the University of Melbourne. He became a highly respected scholar, teacher, and colleague who will be remembered for his sensible advice and counsel, his brilliant Australian sense of humour, and an unmatched enthusiasm for his work.

Iverson produced a notable body of human resources research. He was also recognized as an exceptional teacher, receiving the Faculty of Business Administration’s TD Canada Trust Distinguished Teaching Award in 2004 and again in 2011, and the SFU Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2008.

Iverson is survived by his daughter and by his partner Shelly. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 12, at 10:30 a.m. at SFU Burnaby’s West Mall Complex, 3rd floor Atrium. Everyone is invited to this celebration of his life.

This is a condensed post. Read the full story on the Beedie School of Business News blog.

Gordon Myers will begin his term as associate vice-president, academic, in September.

Jon Driver, vice-president, academic, announced the appointment of a new associate vice-president, academic, today (March 23). Here is the text of his message:

I am very pleased to announce that the Board of Governors has
approved the appointment of Dr. Gordon Myers as associate
vice-president, academic (AVPA), for a five-year term commencing
September 1, 2012. Chair or associate chair of the Department of
Economics for more than half of his 12 years at SFU, and currently
serving on both Senate and the Board of Governors, Gordon Myers
brings to the complex AVPA portfolio an excellent administrative
background and a self-professed passion for the role of universities
in society.

Gordon Myers joined the Department of Economics at SFU in 1999. He received his BA from Queen’s University and his MA and PhD from McMaster University (1990). Before joining SFU, he was an assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario and an associate professor at the University of Waterloo. He has been an academic visitor at the University of Essex (England) and the University of Bonn (Germany).

Jon Driver, VP, academic (centre), took advantage of the Teaching and Learning Social to exchange ideas with SFU community members who share his interest in enhancing the student experience.

Some 110 instructors, administrators, and staff members preregistered for the reception, which was organized by the Teaching and Learning Centre and featured food, speeches, and lots of time for conversation at themed tables (for example, English as an additional language (EAL) and Experiential learning). Each table was equipped with a flip chart to capture the most exciting ideas to emerge from the lively discussions.

Participants were welcomed by TLC director Stephanie Chu, who spoke of her desire to use the event to recognize and strengthen SFU’s teaching and learning community.

President Andrew Petter also addressed the attendees, speaking of the complementary roles of teaching and research and underlining the importance of providing both graduate and undergraduate students with relevant and innovative learning opportunities, including experiential learning activities and the chance to participate in meaningful research.

He was followed by Jon Driver, vice-president, academic, who highlighted the teaching and learning emphasis in the 2010–2013 Academic Plan and surveyed eight current and upcoming initiatives:

• Accreditation process and learning outcomes initiative
• Teaching and Course Evaluation Project
• WebCT Replacement Project
• English as an Additional Language Initiative
• Experiential Education Project
• Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue program
• Classroom upgrades and virtual campus pilot projects
• Teaching and Learning Centre programs

Driver made a number of thought-provoking points: for example, he suggested that the growing percentage of EAL students at SFU should be seen as a strength and an opportunity within a multicultural and globalized world. He also noted the broad involvement of the university community in teaching and learning initiatives, pointing out that his own office often played a supporting role in projects spearheaded by other SFU groups or individuals. See the PowerPoint version of his presentation here.

David Newman (left) and Roman Onufrijchuk encourage their students to try new approaches in their presentations.

Newman typically divides his tutorial students into groups of three. The groups take turns making presentations based on research questions provided by Onufrijchuk. The same questions form the basis of the course mid-term, creating an incentive for students to attend tutorials and prepare thorough responses. But Newman also informs his students that creativity will be an important element in their assessment, and many have responded with unique and memorable presentations. Some groups have employed skits complete with costumes. Other presentations have involved charades, games, and interview formats. One group created a video complete with hand-drawn illustrations to present the evolution of the earth in eight minutes.

Lindsay Pasichnyk, who took the course last fall, says that although presenting wasn’t new for her, the emphasis on creativity was.

“David really encouraged us to try new things,” she says. “Being marked on our creativity kept our minds engaged instead of falling into a routine of doing the same thing that we did last week just to get it over with.”

She feels that the emphasis enhanced her learning experience: “Because we had the opportunity to try out different presentation styles that may seem too risky to try in other classes, I gained a better understanding of how I present best and what works or doesn’t work when teaching or presenting in front of others.”

She also thinks the approach improved her knowledge retention: “If I think back, I could list things off the top of my head that I learned from that course. I certainly can’t do that for other courses.”

Caitlin Hill, a fellow student, agrees: “If groups present [content] in a unique way, then you are more likely to remember what they said or what the point was.”

Roman Onufrijchuk likes Newman’s approach because of its connection to the course content: “It’s taking the discipline seriously – not just learning about communications, but applying it.” Onufrijchuk also likes the opportunity it gives him to assign material that can’t be covered in lectures because of time constraints for discussion in a peer-learning environment.

Of course the TA still has an important role to play. Newman notes that he corrects and supplements the presentation content where necessary to ensure that students receive all essential information. However, he is pleased with the engagement they have shown and the learning that has resulted.

“Tutorials have become fun events that students look forward to,” he says.

Newman welcomes inquiries and conversations about his experience. He can be reached at dbnewman@sfu.ca.

Jon Driver, SFU’s Vice-President, Academic, and Provost, released an announcement today (November 18) to indicate that the Teaching and Learning Centre will have a more direct connection to his office from now on:

“I am announcing that the Teaching and Learning Centre will report directly to the Associate Vice-President, Academic, effective immediately. This is a reversal of a decision that was made some time ago, to move the TLC to the Lifelong Learning portfolio. During the search process for the Director of the TLC, people from across the University expressed their concerns about the need for the Centre to remain closely connected to the office of the Vice-President, Academic, particularly in view of the emphasis on teaching and learning in the current Academic Plan. In addition, I have recently commissioned an external review of the organization of my portfolio, and this change was recommended. I have discussed this decision with Dr. Helen Wussow, Dean of Lifelong Learning, and we are both committed to continued development of close relationships across all units that support teaching and learning at the University.”

John Maxwell is an Assistant Professor in the Publishing Program at SFU Vancouver. On October 13 he delivered a presentation on “Using wikis to nurture a community of inquiry” as part of the Teaching and Learning Centre’s Learning Technology Series. In it he explained how the simplicity and flexibility of wikis, with their read/write/link functionality, led him to adopt that platform to handle some – and eventually most – elements of the Master of Publishing program and seminar, beginning in 2005.

Originally he used a wiki to store simple documents and enable discussion. Then it became a space for posting course outlines, syllabi, student papers, and more. Functions such as peer review, which allowed students to comment on working drafts of fellow students’ papers, were added later.

“It wasn’t any grand plan,” he says of the wiki’s development, but rather a case of “[letting] user behaviour define how it works and looks.”

Maxwell’s experience is especially relevant at a time when SFU is seeking a replacement for WebCT, the university’s institutional learning management system. See the full 40-minute webcast below.

Teresa Jenkins, an Associate in the Faculty of Education, suggests some basic tips for successfully engaging with students in the classroom:

• When gaining students’ attention after small group discussion, remember to use wait time effectively. Say something like, “Can we regroup for a moment, please.” or ” Can I have your attention here, please.” Then wait until all groups have stopped talking and are focused on you.  This respects their need to finish up briefly, and allows all students to hear what it is you have to say without missing any of it.  This wait time can feel uncomfortable at first but becomes easier with practice.
• When introducing a new concept or procedure to students use the instructional sequence “I do,” “we do”, “you do”, and include as many examples as appropriate.  First, I do: Model the process for the students as you think out loud so they can hear your thoughts and decisions as you go along.  Second, we do:  Do an example as a group, asking for student input, and student thinking.  Finally, you do: Assign independent practice or move from practicing in small groups or pairs to working independently.

Could you incorporate these suggestions into your own practice?

Let us know in the comments…

KC Bell, Jon Driver and Glynn Nicholls

Jon Driver wants to make one thing crystal clear about SFU’s bid to receive institutional accreditation from the US-based Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities:

“There’s a common misconception that working with an accreditation commission in the United States is going to impose American requirements on this university—and that’s not the case,” says SFU’s V-P, Academic, who is sponsoring the initiative.

“The assessment process is designed to see, firstly, how well we are meeting the university’s own established mission and goals.

“And secondly, it’s designed to ensure that we have processes in place to meet a range of standards that are widely accepted as appropriate to universities. “This, for example, would include a governance system in which there is appropriate participation by different groups on campus.  It would include academic freedom. It would include the assessment of teaching activity, and so on.

“We’re going to be measuring ourselves against a set of best practices as part of a process for evaluating the overall quality of the university. But we decide on the core purposes and goals of our university, and we will use the accreditation process to see how well we are performing.” (more…)