Teaching and Learning at Queen’s A publication of the Centre for Teaching and Learning
In this Issue From the Director ................................ 1 Teaching Quality Town -Hall Forum ................................ 2 Why didn’t you tell us? ................................ 3 Introducing Tom Russell, 2007 Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning ................................ 5 The Student Experience: The Learning Experience Unplugged ................................ 6 Ron Easteal, Recipient of the 2007 Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award ................................ 8 2007 Teaching Awards Reception ................................ 9 Update on the CTL Needs Assessment ...............................10 2008 Teaching Enhancement Grants ...............................11 Resource Corner ...............................12 Upcoming Conferences .............................. 12
Winter/Spring 2008
From the Director
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am delighted to share with you the second issue of “Teaching and Learning at Queen’s”, the annual newsletter of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) that provides an opportunity for the entire Queen’s community to engage in public discussions about teaching and learning. In this issue, we recognize the 2007 Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning, Dr Tom Russell from the Faculty of Education, and the 2007 recipient of the Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award, Dr Ron Easteal from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. Both of these outstanding teachers have devoted their separate academic careers to enhancing student learning, and the recognition and distinction given them through their respective awards are very well deserved. In his article - “Why didn’t you tell us?” - Dr Russell shares a few critical turning points in his 30-year journey and development as a learning-centred teacher. Each year, all recipients of teaching awards at Queen’s are honoured at a reception hosted by the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Dr Karen Hitchcock. This event is an opportunity for the senior administration at Queen’s to express publicly their appreciation of those faculty and teaching assistants who strive, through their outstanding and often innovative teaching, to ensure that their students receive the very best learning experience. At the CTL, we enjoy organizing this event on behalf of the senior administration and we are pleased to provide in this issue a brief description of the 2007 reception. Also in this issue, we hear two different student voices on issues relevant to the quality of their education. The first is from the current Academic Affairs Commissioner of the Alma Mater Society (AMS), Alexi White, who describes the Town-Hall meeting on teaching quality organized by the AMS and members of its Academic Caucus who represent the student societies in each faculty. We commend these students for engaging the university community in discussions about the quality of teaching which is so critical to their educational experience. The CTL was happy to be involved in these discussions and we look forward to participating in similar events that focus on other important teaching and learning issues. The second student voice is that of long-standing CTL staff member, Sandra Murray, who has returned to the classroom as a mature student. Sandra reflects on the challenges of learning in the current technologically-dense environment where the voices of students and teachers alike can potentially be silenced by inappropriate or untimely use of various multimedia devices. It is interesting that Sandra has experienced first hand
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continued from page 1 the impact of active learning pedagogical approaches that the CTL has often encouraged, based on the research evidence of their effectiveness. This issue also presents an update on the needs assessment that the CTL is undertaking this year. I take this opportunity to thank the members of the steering committee who have provided valuable input into the design and content of this assessment (see box at right). I also thank those administrators, faculty and teaching assistants who have participated in the process as respondents to interviews, focus groups and online surveys. I want to assure you that your contributions are vital to our work and will influence the programs and educational development priorities we plan to meet the needs you have identified during this process. Finally, I am pleased to introduce the newest members of the CTL team. Catherine Gurnsey, who came to us from the Faculty of Health Sciences, brings a wealth of experience to her role as the Administrative Secretary, while Jennie Hill, who is new to the Queen’s community, joins us as the secretary/receptionist. I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to two of our Educational Development Faculty Associates, Doug Babington
and Maggie Berg, for sharing editorial responsibilities for this issue of our newsletter and to Pat Carson, a research assistant who is helping us with the needs assessment. As usual, we welcome your feedback. Happy reading!
, Needs Assessment Steering Committee: Matthew Ascah, Student Affairs and Centre for Teaching and Learning Pat Carson, Centre for Teaaching and Learning Ron Easteal, Anatomy and Cell Biology Sue Fostaty-Young, Centre for Teaching and Learning Brian Frank, Electrical and Computer Engineering Jovan Groen, Society of Graduate and Professional Students Jim Lesslie, Information Technology Services Suzanne Maranda,Health Sciences Library Joy Mighty, Centre for Teaching and Learning Jean Stairs, Theological College Jenn Stephenson, Drama Alexi White, Alma Mater Society Susan Wilcox, Centre for Teaching and Learning
Joy Mighty is Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and is cross-appointed as Professor to the School of Business.
Teaching Quality Town-Hall Forum
Alexi White, Academic Affairs Commissioner, Alma Mater Society
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n a stormy Tuesday evening in January, a small group of students, professors, staff, and administrators, braved the cold to attend a Town-Hall on the topic of teaching quality at Queen’s. Numbering about forty, they came to share their opinions with guest panelists Vice-Principal Patrick Deane and Centre for Teaching and Learning Director Joy Mighty. The meeting, held in Dunning Auditorium, was hosted by the Alma Mater Society and all of its member faculty societies and was conceived of in the hope that it would broaden the discussion of teaching quality and make it accessible to all members of the Queen’s community. Both of the panellists mentioned Page 2
their pleasure at the high-quality of the questions that were asked and Vice-Principal Deane expressed an interest in participating in more of these discussions in the future. Although the group was small, there was no shortage of questions. Vice-Principal Deane and Dr. Mighty were asked to comment on a variety of topics such as student-faculty ratios, training and professional development initiatives for professors and teaching assistants, the quality of interaction between students and instructors, the balance between teaching and research, and the impact of graduate expansion on the Queen’s undergraduate education. On the topic of mandatory instructor training, the panellists expressed their concern with the notion of
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continued from page 2 forcing an instructor to participate in teaching workshops. Vice-Principal Deane pointed out that one cannot be forced to learn against , one’s will. We must change We must change the culture of teaching the culture of teaching at at Queen’s so that a Queen’s so that a greater greater number of number of instructors instructors genuinely genuinely want to enhance want to enhance their their teaching. Dr. Mighty teaching. agreed, stating that she has seen progress on this issue in recent years, but that more must be done. Vice-Principal Deane, when asked about the impact of expanding graduate programs, emphasized the need to maintain a strong balance between undergraduate and graduate education. He said the province’s move to increase graduate enrolment is not well conceived and that
majority of funding is tied to research and that there is almost no money available for instructors who wish to invest in their teaching. One student pressed the panellists on issues of diversity in Queen’s academics. Equity in the hiring of instructors was discussed, as well as the perceived euro-centric nature of the Queen’s curriculum. Dr. Mighty discussed the need for students to connect to the material they are learning as well as to their instructor. When asked how the university was ensuring instructors are proficient in English, she suggested that many complaints of this nature are driven by intolerance toward people who simply speak differently. Students need to understand that everyone has an accent and that part of a university education is learning to adapt to the world around you. The meeting lasted longer than its hour and a half time slot but all those who attended were able to ask their questions. Vice-Principal Deane thanked everyone for attending and thanked the Alma Mater Society for organizing the event. If you are interested in participating in future discussions on teaching quality at Queen’s, Vice-Principal Deane is considering hosting a number of similar events in the near future so keep your eyes open.
Why Didn’t You Tell Us?! Tom Russell, Faculty of Education
Left: Alexi White, Academic Affairs Commissioner, Alma Mater Society, listening to Drs. Deane and Mighty respond to students’ questions. he believes one of the biggest challenges facing Queen’s is to prevent the erosion of our undergraduate programs. When questioned about the balance between teaching and research here at Queen’s, Vice-Principal Deane insisted that progress has been made in assuring that teaching is given due consideration in all tenure and promotion decisions. The reality, however, is that worldclass academics are known for their research and not for their teaching skills. Dr. Mighty pointed out that the vast
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hirty years ago, I joined the Faculty of Education with an atypical background of having worked three years with experienced teachers in Ottawa schools. In the last of those three years, I participated in a project that taught all the teachers in one high-school history department to record and analyze their own teaching. They reached two broad conclusions that probably apply to all teachers when their teaching is made so transparent: (1) “We had no idea we talked so much,” and (2) “We had no idea it would be so difficult to change how much we talk in class.” Taking their conclusions to heart meant that I had to try to reduce the amount of time I spent talking Page 3
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continued from page 3 in my own classes—which were intended to help people become teachers themselves. Like many new teachers, knowing what I did not want to do was little help in deciding what I did want to do. After all, all my own teachers had been just like those history teachers. I persevered, and by my second year at Queen’s, I had developed a mid-course evaluation, done at the halfway point in my full-year course. I asked for anonymous responses under the headings of Strengths, Weaknesses, and Suggestions, and then summarized the responses and used the summary to provoke questions about ways I was conducting classes. A student named Linda raised her hand and asked, with a tone of frustration, “Why didn’t you tell us you weren’t going to tell us?” She readily assumed that if I had told them I was trying to talk less than most teachers typically do, all would have been well. While I can no longer recall my response, I will never forget Linda’s question. It captured perfectly the challenge that I faced, and it remains to this day the most memorable incident of my career in the classroom. A few years later, a graduate student helped me formulate the next stage in my struggle, which involved reducing the amount of structure I provided—so that students could generate some of the structure for their own learning. What we came to refer to as Russell’s Rule of Structure stated that “if no one is complaining about lack of structure, then I am providing too much.” That captures one of , ...puzzles and surprises teaching’s many eternal in students’ responses dilemmas, whereby it is can become critical so easy for teachers to turning points for reprovide, unintentionally, thinking my teaching much more structure than strategies. students actually require. The price paid is that some students lose all sense of participation in and responsibility for their learning. Sabbatical leaves in the USA, the UK, and Australia eventually moved me along, as did developments here at Queen’s. As guest speaker for one of the early Cross-Faculty Teaching Forum events in the late 1980s, Donald Schön showed me how puzzles and Page 4
surprises in students’ responses can become critical turning points for re-thinking my teaching strategies. A group of Australian teacher educators, who supported high school teachers in drawing students into the learning process, gave me exciting new teaching procedures to attempt. When a radical change to our B.Ed. program structure provided students with months of teaching experience prior to most of their education classes, I had one of my best years ever, and my students nominated me for a , Golden Apple Award. I was told later that the A member of the group observer was baffled reviewing nominations that everyone wanted arrived to observe to be in class when the my class, only to find professor was absent. students waiting for the door to be unlocked (I happened to be away at a conference). I was told later that the observer was baffled that everyone wanted to be in class when the professor was absent. I ended up receiving that Golden Apple. It has been an exciting and rewarding 30year journey, puzzling my way forward despite more than a few retreats, always inspired by that very early question, “Why didn’t you tell us you weren’t going to tell us?”
, Tom Russell is Professor in the Faculty of Education and the 2007 Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning.
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Introducing Tom Russell, 2007 Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning
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f you could identify one academic asset you could foster in our students, what would it be?
Dr Tom Russell, incumbent of the 2007 Chair for Teaching and Learning at Queen’s University for a three year term, would like to see our students develop into self-directed learners who will bring critical judgement to bear on knowledge claims. His research, conducted under the aegis of this three year appointment, is focussed on finding ways to teach
, Tom Russell, 2007 Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning at Fall Convocation.
us - the teachers - the best strategies to support this development in students. The Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning was established by the Queen’s University Senate in 2004. It recognizes teachers who have a record as excellent teachers and as scholars of teaching and learning, who have demonstrated educational leadership at Queen’s and elsewhere, and who have a program of activities that allow them to make their expertise widely available to the university community. One chair is selected annually. The Chairs receive a 3-year appointment and $20,000 annual discretionary funds to be spent in support of their programs. They work collaboratively with the Centre for Teaching and Learning to develop their research projects, and during their term also give a Public Lecture.
In the course of aiming for admission to universities, when high grades can influence academic futures, high-school students may learn to employ thinking habits counterproductive to development as critical self-directed learners. They are often rewarded for learning to ‘grub for grades’ rather than for using their learning opportunities as a springboard to explore the depth and breadth of possibilities inherent in the scholarly approach to intellectual questions. Dr Russell believes that the ability to listen to students is key to the improvement of teaching and learning. Critical information, not only in the content of their questions, but in understanding the thought processes behind student questioning and response can guide and inform the teacher’s practice, if we know how to listen and decode – and adjust our teaching as we go. With a central teaching philosophy developed through a rich array of teaching and learning experiences of his own, ranging from NGO work in Africa even before he began his academic career, through to current involvement in a spectrum of national and internationally recognised research and academic activity, Dr Russell has encapsulated his beliefs about teaching into three main propositions, which are: i) how we teach is the message, ii) telling is not teaching, listening Is our job merely to act is not learning, as conduits for a body and finally, iii) of information ... or is experience precedes it to help our students understanding, hence acquire the intellectual “explore first; explain tools to think deeply later”. and question the very Dr Russell assumptions that inform wants to change and support their the culture of judgements? pedagogy. Instead of unquestioning acceptance of the way things have ‘always’ been done, he wants us to question our assumptions about teaching and learning. Page 5
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continued from page 5 Ultimately this boils down to the philosophical difference between “What?” and “So what?” Is our job merely to act as conduits for a body of information, leaving the actual process of theoretical work and scholarship out of the classroom, or is it to help our students acquire the intellectual tools to think deeply and question the very assumptions that inform and support their judgements? The work Dr Russell looks to achieve over the term of this appointment includes projects to: (1) help first-year students judge the quality of their learning as they adjust to the university context, (2) facilitate communication among those
whose courses are offered as large lectures, and (3) create scholarly communities focused on linking specific teaching practices with evidence of productive learning. Dr Russell has been described as an inspirational individual with a contagious passion for education, noted for challenging us to think about our own ‘default teaching style’ and for reinventing himself as a teacher with the ongoing feedback he receives from his own students - a teacher who walks his talk. At the Centre for Teaching and Learning, we are delighted to have Dr. Russell collaborating with us in his role as the 2007 Queen’s University Chair in Teaching and Learning.
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The Student Perspective The Learning Experience: Unplugged
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mproper use of laptops in the classroom is a hot issue on university campuses. While technology has certainly provided us with helpful tools to aid the learning process, it can also be a hindrance when improperly used by either the instructor or student. The Centre for Teaching and Learning has heard from many frustrated lecturers about students playing videos and games, surfing the web, or messaging other students instead of participating in the class. It is a difficult problem, but not just for professors. It is a problem for students as well. I recently returned as a part-time student at Queen’s, and I have noticed that the classroom has changed significantly over the years. Besides the fact that I am old enough to be the mother of most students in my classes, I find that many come to class
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“plugged in” with laptops, cell phones, IPods, and—most likely—other gadgets of which I’m not even aware. Since laptops can be great note-taking tools, I have learned to ignore the chorus of keyboard-tapping around me. After all, laptops have become commonplace well beyond the classroom: at staff meetings, there is usually someone busily typing up notes. But when I see two students in class looking at a single monitor while gigglinginand mproper use of laptops thechatting aboutclassroom something,isitaishot notissue only distracting but on university also disrespectful to the other studentshas as well campuses. While technology as the instructor. In many of the large classes I have attended, a cell phone rings at some point during the lecture. In one of my tutorials, a
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continued from page 6 student sitting two rows behind me was wearing a toque over his head which would have masked the earphones he was wearing underneath, had the volume on his IPod not been turned up so loud. I even found my own Palm Pilot alarm going off in class—and stopping the instructor dead in his tracks. He didn’t say a word, but I was horrified and sorry that I’d disrupted his train of thought. I’ve never brought it with me again. If even I am contributing to the problem, it is clear that technology is here and it is here to stay. But I do think that there are simple things that can be done to significantly minimize the misuse of at least some of the technology. At the beginning of some classes, I’ve heard instructors ask students to turn off their cell phones. Although it reminds me of being in a movie theatre, this can be very effective. But I have particularly noticed students closing their laptops and becoming more attentive when instructors organize small group discussion, or split the class up for a debate. Not only do such activities draw students into the topic at hand, but they are also great learning tools. I have learned so much from the other students in my classes, and they have learned from me too. We all bring unique perspectives because of our backgrounds, beliefs, and even our ages. One of my personal favorite learning activities involved several student volunteers coming up to the front of the class and—with the professor’s instructions—demonstrating how a flying buttress supports church walls that have large stained glass windows. The exercise only took a few minutes, but it got some of us up and moving, and all of us engaged. In all my years, I will never forget the significance of a flying buttress. After sitting in classes all day (or in
my case a combination of classes, workshops and meetings), a learning activity is a great way to engage students. Regardless of how the classroom has changed, I have had extremely positive learning experiences and have enjoyed the different teaching styles that my professors and TAs have brought to the classroom. The various learning activities have provided me with the opportunity to explore topics and ideas with others in my class, thereby engaging all of us in the subject, as well as with each other. To experience such engagement, however, we must “unplug” and become active participants in our own learning.
, Sandra Murray is a first-year part-time student and Program Coordinator, Centre for Teaching and Learning
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f you would like to find ways to reduce distractions in your class by minimizing the misuse of technology without having to ban laptops from the classroom, call the Centre for Teaching and Learning at x36428 to make an appointment with one of our Educational Developers.
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Ron Easteal, Anatomy and Cell Biology
Recipient of the 2007 Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award
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r Ron Easteal is credited by his students and peers with breathing new life into a subject too long considered dry as dust. Through his demonstrated excellence in the classroom, innovations in materials he has developed and the use of technologies, as well as his personal qualities, he embodies the characteristics celebrated by the Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award. This award is a peer nominated distinction, which recognises a teaching approach, program or development work designed to increase the effectiveness of learning. To be considered, the nominee’s corpus of work must show evidence of improvement in student learning and/or a demonstrated impact on the quality of the student learning experience, especially through the promotion of active learning. In addition, there should be evidence of teaching scholarship, not in a narrow sense but demonstrating how the work is informed by the work of others and contributes to the work of others at and beyond Queen’s. It must have the potential for impact on student learning beyond the particular instructional situation, so that application of the approach might apply to a range of contexts. In addition to excellence in instruction, the nominee typically makes contributions in leadership, innovation, collaboration, and/or the ability to link teaching with research.
Ron Easteal, 2007 recipient of the Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award at Fall Convocation. Page 8
No stranger to performance arts beyond the lecture hall, Dr Easteal is also a local thespian who notes that he draws upon his experience as an actor to keep his students engaged; however his aim in this regard extends far beyond the classroom and lab. His classes demonstrate how Anatomy is more than the study of how all the pieces connect, and is just one part - albeit an important one - of a larger vision, wherein knowledge of underlying structures underpins extrapolations for sound decisions about medical or biomechanical problems. By relating parts to whole, extending the particulars of structure to the larger picture, Dr Easteal keeps his students engaged with the subject. Similarly, the processes by which he teaches are designed to lead students beyond a body of knowledge to the acquisition of learning skills for life. Dr Easteal is known and admired for going the extra mile to provide resources that significantly enhance the learning environment of his classes. His students recognise and appreciate his unique qualities, as evidenced by their letters, his campus reputation, USAT results, and even ratings on ratemyprofessors.com. Colleagues note that his class structures and supporting resources are innovative and significantly enhance the student learning experience. Dr Easteal is highly regarded for his original approaches to teaching and learning through: the development of interactive class notes; thinking outside the box with regard to labs; the use of technology to improve student access to specimens and lab materials; and designing a graduate program stream dedicated to the development of anatomy professionals. Above all, his students appreciate his fairness and the creation of an even playing field for all. They comment on his willingness to make accommodations for all students, including those with disabilities, and to incorporate student feedback as he tinkers with his own teaching methods. We are pleased to recognise Dr Easteal as the 2007 recipient of The Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award, for his caring attitude toward students’ learning experiences, his innovative methods and his demonstrated commitment to improving teaching and learning at Queen’s University.
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2007 Teaching Awards Reception
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he Elspeth Baugh Fireside Room was filled with talented teachers on the afternoon of November 12, 2007 for the Teaching Awards Reception hosted by Principal Hitchcock.
in Teaching and Learning. Professor Russell asked individuals to respond to three engaging prompts. Here are the questions and a sample of the responses we received: Describe one strategy you use in the first meeting of a course that contributes to your successful teaching.
Bob Montgomerie, winner of the Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision chats with Brenda Brouwer, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. After welcoming colleagues from all schools and faculties at Queen’s, Director Joy Mighty and VicePrincipal Patrick Deane honoured faculty members and teaching assistants who had won teaching awards in the 2006-2007 academic year. Among the winners of University-Wide Awards were professors from a broad range of academic disciplines: Patrick Oosthuizen (Mechanical Engineering), Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching; Ron Easteal (Anatomy and Cell Biology), Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award; Olga Malyshko (Music), Frank Knox Award; Dina Georgis (Women’s Studies), Frank Knox Award; Robert Montgomerie (Biology), Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision; Karen Dubinsky (History) Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision. Such diversity among recipients enhanced an interactive exercise in Teaching Reflections that was led by Tom Russell, the 2007 Queen’s University Chair
• Enthusiasm! If you are passionate about what you are teaching and do your best to provide an exciting environment, you cannot fail! • Make sure that they know that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of commitment. Also, learn their names. • Describe what my goals are and how I plan to achieve them. Student feedback is requested and acknowledged. • Relate course material to real-world applications. • Active engagement from the beginning. What do they know? What have they experienced that is related to this course? Describe one strategy you use to build relationships with your students. • Be friendly and enthusiastic about the entire learning process. • I do an “Oprah style” walk around the room and talk with the students as they’re solving problems. • Encourage feedback and interaction. Ask them about classes, goals, dreams, etc. It shows you care about them enough as a person that they will begin to care about learning. • Learning students’ names. • I hold large tutorials prior to major exams or midterms. This illustrates that I care about them and show them that I am happy to help. I also maintain an open-door policy to back up this concept. Page 9
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continued from page 9 Describe a personal concern about the overall quality of student learning at Queen’s.
beneficiaries are, of course, the students of Queen’s University, whose education is enriched by such dedicated and outstanding teachers.
• Too much emphasis on the bottom line: Marks! • The fact that large classes can have an impersonal nature. • Overly large class sizes force me to give assignments and tests that are quick to mark, where I’d rather have time to give meaningful feedback to meaningful assignments. • Budget going down. • Cheating is too common. • Space for teaching is problematic and not conducive to learning; students feel devalued. The Teaching Awards Reception thus became not only an occasion for celebrating excellence but also a forum for collaborating with colleagues. The ultimate
Each award winner received a specially crafted pewter pin as we honored them for their deep commitment to enhancing the quality of teaching and Learning at Queen’s.
Doug Babington is Director of the Writing Centre and Educational Development Faculty Associate, Partnership for Teaching and Learning Support
Update on the CTL Needs Assessment
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ast fall, in an effort to determine the educational development priorities of all who teach at Queen’s University, the CTL embarked on a comprehensive needs assessment. We sought the input of a diverse group of stakeholders representing students, faculty, administrators, and the partnership for teaching and learning support (IT Services, CTL and the Library). They constituted a Steering Committee that advised us on various aspects of the needs assessment. After obtaining approval from the General Research Ethics Board, we collected data from several sources. We identified relevant teaching and learning issues in existing documents including exit polls and online reports of Internal Academic Reviews. We also conducted online surveys of faculty and graduate teaching assistants, and we are currently conducting interviews and focus groups with administrators. This broad-based participation will assist us in planning programs and services to meet the teaching development needs of the Page 10
entire Queen’s community. The following paragraphs present a synopsis of some preliminary results from the faculty survey. Three hundred and sixteen (316) individuals completed the survey, a response rate of approximately 25%. New and mid career faculty each represented nearly 40% of all respondents, and senior faculty the remaining 20%. In general, a majority of respondents (64%) reported being satisfied with their ability to help the average student in their classes to learn, and 37% were dissatisfied with the physical environment in which they teach. A majority of respondents chose “informal conversations about teaching with colleagues” as their preferred approach to professional/educational development at their current career stage, with new faculty in particular (70%) indicating this as an important means of developing their teaching. Midcareer faculty (62%) and senior faculty (44%) also
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continued from page 10 favoured this approach. All groups ranked “short, just in time seminars on specific aspects of teaching” as the second preferred approach to professional educational development. The least preferred approaches were “certificate programs or credit courses on University teaching” and “professional, confidential interpretation of USAT results”. In order of preference, respondents indicated the following four activities as most relevant to their current career stage: • Developing creative and effective assignments; • Strengthening knowledge and skill in their discipline to be a better resource for students; • Promoting and supporting inquiry-based learning among undergraduate students; and • Adapting courses to meet the learning needs of a diverse student body.
One marked difference among the ranks reflected the relatively different concerns at different career stages, with new faculty, perhaps not surprisingly, identifying their most important teaching development need as “improving my ability to self-assess my teaching”, while senior faculty, as a group, chose “helping grad students become effective teachers”. The open-ended questions provided rich data on respondents’ perspectives on some of the challenges of teaching at Queen’s and their recommendations for dealing with these challenges. We will continue to analyze these responses and, in due course, disseminate a full report to all members of the Queen’s community who have been so generous in sharing their time, insightful comments and observations. Patricia Carson, Research Assistant, Centre for Teaching and Learning
2008 Teaching Enhancement Grant Recipients
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ach Fall, the Centre for Teaching and Learning invites proposals for Teaching Enhancement Grants. These grants are intended to encourage and support activities and projects designed to enhance student learning at Queen’s. Projects might include designing and redesigning courses or programs, developing innovative and effective assessment or Name Margaret Harrison Queen’s Joanna Briggs Collaboration, School of Nursing Mala Joneja, Internal Medicine Vladimir Kratky, Ophthalmology Brian Frank, Electrical and Computer Engineering Gabor Fichtinger, School of Computing Michelle Villeneuve, Rehabilitation Therapy
teaching strategies, or creating new active learning opportunities to increase student engagement in learning. We are pleased to announce the 2008 recipients of these grants (see below), and encourage you to think about submitting a proposal in response to the call in September 2008 for the 2009 Teaching Enhancement Grants.
Project Knowledge Translation Course
Grant $1,300
E-Learning Modules for Resident Physicians relating to the CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework The Efficacy of a Video-based E-teaching Tool in Medical Student Education The Assessment of Engineering Student Engagement and Development through Community Service Learning The Perk Station – Hands-on Surgery Experience for Students
$1,300
Exploiting the Potential for Complex Learning in an Adult Neurorehabilitation Course for MScOT Students
$1,300
$1,300 $1,780 $3,000
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Resource Corner Preparing A Teaching Dossier, 2007 (revised)
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Preparing a Teaching Dossier Christopher Knapper and Susan Wilcox Centre for Teaching and Learning 2007 (revised)
he teaching dossier is an increasingly popular way for faculty to document their teaching effectiveness, both for self-improvement and for tenure and promotion. This practical guide outlines the steps in preparing a dossier, explains what to include, and shows how to review and revise a draft dossier. Five authentic dossiers are included as examples, and useful appendices include a list of possible items for a dossier, instructions on developing a statement of your teaching philosophy, and guidelines for the interpretation of student evaluations of teaching. To download a copy of this publication, and to view samples of teaching dossiers, go to: http://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/publications/preparing_dossier.html
Upcoming Conferences Assessing Student Learning: Where Motivation, Learning, and Evaluation Intersect April 30 - May 1, 2008, Halifax, Nova Scotia http://learningandteaching.dal.ca/dcutl/index.html
The Teaching Professor Conference: Educate, Inspire, Engage May 16 - May 18, 2008, Kissimmee, Florida http://www.teachingprofessor.com/conference/
ICED Conference 2008: Towards a Global Scholarship of Educational Development June 12 – 15, 2008, Salt Lake City, Utah http://iced2008.org/
2008 HERDSA Conference: Engaging Communities July 1 – July 4, 2008, Rotorua, New Zealand http://conference.herdsa.org.au/2008/
Conference on College and University Teaching Sept 18 – Sept 21, 2008, Traverse City, Michigan http://facit.cmich.edu/lilly/default.shtml
ISSOTL Conference 2008: Celebrating Connections: Learning, Teaching, Scholarship Oct 16 – 19, 2008, Edmonton, Alberta http://www.indiana.edu/~issotl08/
33rd POD Conference 2008
28th Annual STLHE Conference: A World of Learning
June 18 – June 21, 2008, Windsor, Ontario http://www.uwindsor.ca/units/cfl/cflhome.nsf/main
Oct 22 – Oct 26, 2008, Reno, Nevada http://www.podnetwork.org/conferences.htm
International Conference on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Dec 3 – Dec 5, 2008, Singapore http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/tlhe/
Teaching and Learning at Queen’s is published by the: Centre for Teaching and Learning Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 Phone: 613-533-6428 Fax: 613-533-6735 Email: ctl@queensu.ca Web: www.queensu.ca/ctl/ Editor: Joy Mighty Page 12
Designer: Sandra Murray
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