Scholarly Outputs

The ISoTL team highlights faculty and staff’s commitment to engaging in evidence-based practices, evaluation, and knowledge-sharing. The following list includes a diverse selection of publications from SoTL practitioners at UBC.

We invite you to share your SoTL contributions with us via the Submission Form.

Author(s)TitleVenueYearFaculty & Department
Malhotra, Nisha Experimenting with Facebook in the College Classroom [...]
In a fourth year undergraduate research methods class 99% of the students were Facebook users, routinely checking for updates, 10 to 20 times a day. Thus, a facebook page seemed like a natural addition to this seminar course, which requires the budding researchers to discuss and review literature, data, and regression analysis. A Facebook group resembles an online café with walls to the rest of the online community, allowing students to (a) chat in real-time, (b) discuss in virtual-time, and (c) share materials through straightforward file upload. Facebook groups can be open (public), closed (require administrator approval for joining and only members can read the posts), or secret (only members can see the group, who’s in it, and what what’s being posted). As for the benefits of a Facebook group, not only did I see better online interactions and face-to-face discussions, but also an easy way to receive continuous feedback from the students.
Faculty Focus (Blog post)2013School of Economics
Stang, Jared B.; Roll, IdoInteractions between teaching assistants and students boost engagement in physics labs. [...]
Through in-class observations of teaching assistants (TAs) and students in the lab sections of a large introductory physics course, we study which TA behaviors can be used to predict student engagement and, in turn, how this engagement relates to learning. We find that the frequency of TA–student interactions, especially those initiated by the TAs, is a positive and significant predictor of student engagement. Interestingly, the length of interactions is not significantly correlated with student engagement. In addition, we find that student engagement was a better predictor of post-test performance than pre-test scores. These results shed light on the manner in which students learn how to conduct inquiry and suggest that, by proactively engaging students, TAs may have a positive effect on student engagement, and therefore learning, in the lab.
Physics Review Special Topics Physics Education Research2014Science | Physics & Astronomy
Holmes, Natasha; Wieman, Carl E.; Bonn, Douglas D. Teaching critical thinking [...]
Understanding and thinking critically about scientific evidence is a crucial skill in the modern world. We present a simple learning framework that employs cycles of decisions about making and acting on quantitative comparisons between datasets or data and models. his structure led to significant and sustained improvement in students’ critical thinking behaviors, compared with a control group, with effects far beyond that of statistical significance.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences2015Science | Physics & Astronomy
Soon, ZA, Betsill, N, McKeown, SLights! Camera! Action! Gauging Student Reaction to Hands-on-Histology Activities & Projection SystemHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society Annual Conference2015Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Khakh, B, Ho, M, McKeowen, SInvolve Me and I Learn! Gauging Student Reactions to Hand-held Electronic Device Use Inside and Outside of Class, Compared to Paper Activities, and Group TutorialsHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society2016Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Robles, M, McKeowen, SPathophysiology Models: I’ll Never Forget the First Time I Saw You!Human Anatomy and Physiology Society2016Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Carlson, K, Neo, NNLearning muscles in first year: An assessment of active, experiential and passive learning activitiesHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society Educator2016Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Addison, Christopher; Charbonneau, James; Dubois, PatrickA Novel Card Sort Activity to Measure Interdisciplinary Thinking [...]
There is a distinct lack of research in areas of interdisciplinary learning, making the evaluation of interdisciplinary learning difficult. Card sorting has previously been used to distinguish expert and novice thinking in physics, biology and chemistry. We have extended this work to develop a novel card sorting tool that measures interdisciplinary thinking based on the manner in which problem cards are sorted. Our card sorting tool has now been offered to students (n > 500) in a general first-year science experience and in our interdisciplinary program. Based on the results, participating in an interdisciplinary science program showed a statistically significant greater ability to identify the underlying interdisciplinary linkages between these problems, suggesting enhanced interdisciplinary cognition relative to those in a general first-year science.
ISSOTL2017Science | Chemistry
Potter, Tiffany; Englund, Letitia; Charbonneau, James; MacLean, Mark T.; Newell, Jonathan; Roll, Ido ComPAIR: A New Online Tool Using Adaptive Comparative Judgement to Support Learning with Peer Feedback [...]
Peer feedback is a useful strategy in teaching and learning, but its effectiveness particularly in introductory courses can be limited by the relative newness of students to both the body of knowledge upon which they are being asked to provide feedback and the skill set involved in providing good feedback. Students perceived this novel comparative approach increased their facility with course content, their ability assess their own work, and their capacity to provide feedback on the work of others in a collaborative learning environment.
Teaching & Learning Inquiry2017Arts | English Language & Literatures
Soon, ZA, Willis-Stewart, S, Hsieh, S, Robles, M, Redpath, M, Kaczmarek, J, Hurren, HIdeas for Movement in the Classroom [...]
Large scale lecture halls are designed for sitting and not moving around too much. However, sedentary behaviour may not encourage as much student engagement, or the student health that we would aim for. This Pecha Kucha will illustrates several examples of hands-on learning and movement activities that may be used by many disciplines in large lecture halls. Of course, these activities can be scaled down for smaller settings. In addition, student and faculty reflections on these educational activities as well as any perceived educational and health benefits will be shared.
STLHE Annual Conference2017Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Vedan, AAboriginal Voices in Higher Education [...]
Creating an environment of student success for all students is likely at the top of every educator’s list of priorities. In BC, curricula changes have recently occurred in the K-12 system in order to incorporate Aboriginal content into courses and help ensure that Aboriginal perspectives are included “in the learning journey” of all students (B.C. Ministry of Education, 2015). This presentation reflects on current efforts made to support Aboriginal university students, as well as steps being made to indigenize teaching at a university level. Aboriginal students and support workers will share their experiences as well as make suggestions for the future.
STLHE Annual Conference2017Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZALecture Capture Technology - A Helpful Resource for Students?Human Anatomy and Physiology Society2017Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Robles, M, McKeown, S, and Hurren, HIntroducing pathophysiology models into a large lecture hall: Investigation of the effectiveness of guided inquiries involving movement outside the classroom and independent learning.Human Anatomy and Physiology Society Educator2017Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Addison, Chris; Moosvi, Firas; Roberson, Nathan; Charbonneau, James.InlerLASConference at the Interface of Discipline-Based Education Research in STEM and Psychological Sciences; St. Louis, USA2018Science | Chemistry
Briseño-Garzón, Adriana; Han, Andrea; Birol, Gulnur Researching Institutional Change: A Longitudinal Study on Faculty Teaching PracticesInternational Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Annual Conference; Bergen, Norway,2018VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Carey, K., Grain, Kari; Dubois, Patrick; Roberson, Nathan; Moosvi, Firas; Moghtader, Bruce; Semenec, Paulina; Varao-Sousa, Trish; Ho, Simon; Nguyen Kn, Trihn; Roll, Ido; Briseño-Garzón, AdrianaGraduate Students as SoTL Specialists: Facilitating Faculty-Student Collaborations in a Large University. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Annual Conference; Bergen, Norway2018VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Crowley, Chris; Chen, Hailan; Cervera, M. GA team-based collaboration used for the development of transnational online distance education courses.International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education2018VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Krzic, Maja; Yates, Thomas T.; Basiliko, Nathan; Pare, Maxime C.; Diochon, Amanda; Swallowf, Mathew Introductory soil courses: a frontier of soil science education in Canada [...]
As the focus of soil science education in Canada and elsewhere has shifted towards non-soil science majors, it is important to understand if and how this has affected the scope of introductory soil science courses. The objectives of this study were to inventory Canadian post-secondary units that offer introductory soil science courses and to document attributes of instructors, students, and teaching approaches in these courses. We surveyed 58% of the instructors of introductory soil science courses across Canada. Several follow-up studies are needed to evaluate teaching methods used in the upper level soil science courses, student’s perceptions of teaching in soil science, and instructors’ knowledge of resources available for online and/or blended learning.
Canadian Journal of Soil Science2018Forestry; Land & Food Systems | Forest & Conservation Sciences; Applied Biology
Smith, K., Li, D., Birol, G., Welsh, A., Hambler, P., & Jung, D.Piloting an academic scholars program to foster student engagement and sense of belonging in a first year science courseInternational Conference on Educational Sciences, Antalya, Turkey.2018Science | Microbiology & Immunology
Webb, Andrea; Welsh, Ashley"This might be uncomfortable": Learning to support SoTL scholarsInternational Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Annual Conference; Bergen, Norway2018Education | Curriculum & Pedagogy
Lightfoot, J., Riccardi, D., Lam, M., Lyon, K., Roberson, N. Exploring Linguistic Complexity in Multiple Choice Questions: Evening the Playing Field for EAL Students. American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Annual Conference; Chicago, USA2018Vantage College | AEP
Clarkston, B.E. and Jennings, L. Using Herbarium Specimen, Including Macroalgae, to Enhance Learning Experiences for First-Year Biology StudentsPhycological Society of America meeting.2018Science | Botany
Clarkston, B.E. and Jennings, L. Partnering with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum to enhance learning experiences for first-year students in the University of British Columbia’s Biology Program. Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference2018Science | Botany
D'Onofrio, Christine; Semenec, Paulina Students as Emerging Artists in Society [...]
How do students who have participated in a community partnership with professionals in the creative arts sector and art institutions articulate their role as emerging artists in society? In this paper we are interested in exploring how students etch out a space for their own practice within an existing art community, and some of the challenges in doing so. Drawing on interview data as well as student creative work and reflections from two university level visual arts courses in which students participated in arts-based community partnerships, we highlight students’ negotiations with becoming artists in society as a messy and complex process. In particular, we explore how notions of uncertainty and unknowing (Atkinson, 2013) are integral to the configuration of the artist. Finally, we explore the potentials of experiential learning and its academic contextualization in the classroom and how it informs students’ thinking in the visual arts and their future role as professional artists.
Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society2018Arts | Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory
Soon, ZAMove More! Sit Less! Action Ideas for a Large ClassroomHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society2018Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Codd, MEffective Transfer of Knowledge and Skills for Research to Health Sciences StudentsUniversitas 21 Health Sciences Group Annual Conference2018Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Hurren, HLecture Capture Technology (LCT); Following some rules and breaking others. The advantages, perks and pitfalls of LCT implementation in large anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology classroomsHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society Educator2018Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Addison, Chris; Charbonneau, James; Bett, Nolan; Chen, Deborah; Moghtader, Bruce; Roberson, NathanUsing self-reflection activities to aid students' progress through university learningWestern Conference on Science Education2019Science | Chemistry
Banack, HartleyAn Analysis of Curriculum and Pedagogy Through a Consideration of Outdoor Learning Perceptions and Practices in UBC Education Courses – Initial Patterns [...]
This presentation shares initial findings from a research project exploring teacher education perceptions of outdoor learning and times spent outdoors through a required methodology course and a long practicum experience. This project takes a critical inquiry/ social justice stance around the marginalization of outdoors, requesting legitimatacy and necessity by highlight the benefits of time spent outdoors and outdoor learning around 1) health/wellbeing, 2) more-than-human wellbeing, and 3) experiential learning that profoundly sticks. Ultimately, it aims to change and inform educational praxis to both emphasize and include more time spent outdoors and outdoor learning. Moreover, the project invites educators to consider more profoundly their decisions around "where" learning experiences occur.
Physical and Health Education National Conference; Montreal, QC2019Education | Curriculum & Pedagogy
Bartolic, SilviaQuantitative Arts: Improving Student Attitudes Towards Quantitative Research Methods [...]
Many students in the Faculty of Arts in departments often fear quantitative methods and try to avoid courses that require any level of math. Students also report that methods courses are boring, leading to poor attendance and low achievement (Onwuegbuzie, 2010). We believe hands on time with data and data analysis software through labs and individual research projects will increase student learning (Wei, 2005). Further, a fundamental notion of inquiry guided learning in Sociology suggests that students should think and act like Sociologists (Atkinson & Hunt, 2008). This presentation tests in practice the idea that experiential learning and practice increase learning (Tishkovskaya & Lancaster, 2012). We believe this approach will engage students in learning quantitative techniques and will alleviate their fears in these courses.
Lily Conference - Anaheim: Teaching for Active and Engaged Learning; Anaheim, CA2019Arts | Sociology
Briseño-Garzón, Adriana; Han, Andrea; Birol, GulnurLongitudinal Changes in Teaching Practices and Perceptions of Educational Leadership Stream Faculty at a Large Canadian Research-Intensive Institution.Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education Conference2019VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Charbonneau, James; Addison, Christopher; Roberson, Nathan; Dubois, Patrick; Moosvi, FirasMeasuring interdisciplinary thinking in first year science students [...]
One of the key goals of any interdisciplinary program is to break down the siloed thinking that confines ideas to specific disciplines. While there is increasing interest in interdisciplinary science programs, there is a lack of documented research in interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Preliminary data from a large-scale evaluation of interdisciplinary thinking using two instruments, an attitude survey (N = 1600) and a card sort (N = 150) in the three options for first-year science at UBC: Choose Your Timetable, Coordinated Science, and Science One. We will introduce a theoretical framework for evaluating interdisciplinarity, then show how attitudes towards interdisciplinarity and how the way students categorize textbook questions from disciplines change (or don't) after one year of instruction.
Western Conference on Science Education2019Science | Physics & Astronomy
Chowrira, Sunita. G.; Smith, Karen M; Dubois, Patrick J.; Roll, IdoDIY productive failure: boosting performance in a large undergraduate biology course [...]
Students in first-year university courses often focus on mimicking application of taught procedures and fail to gain adequate conceptual understanding. One potential approach to support meaningful learning is Productive Failure (PF). In PF, the conventional instruction process is reversed so that learners attempt to solve challenging problems ahead of receiving explicit instruction. While students often fail to produce satisfactory solutions (hence “Failure”), these attempts help learners encode key features and learn better from subsequent instruction (hence “Productive”). Effectiveness of PF was shown mainly in the context of statistical and intuitive concepts, and lessons that are designed and taught by learning scientists. We describe a quasi-experiment that evaluates the impact of PF in a large-enrollment introductory university-level biology course...
npj Science of Learning2019Science | Botany
James, SuzannePlagiarism Revisited: A Culture- and Genre-Sensitive Approach to Academic “Dishonesty” [...]
For instructors in North American universities and colleges, dealing with plagiarism has become frustratingly common. Value-laden terms such as “integrity,” “honesty,” “theft” and “respect” frequently appear in institutional statements and policies. Yet many of us have encountered students who seem “honestly” confused by our expectations and assumptions about plagiarism. Approaching plagiarism from a cultural perspective is one means of avoiding appeals to a supposedly shared moral code of academic integrity. A more nuanced and sensitive approach to plagiarism involves deconstructing our assumptions about the practice and finding less moralistic ways to familiarize our students with western expectations of academic accountability, with notions of originality, and with claims about what constitutes common knowledge.
College English Association Conference: Vision/Revision; New Orleans, LA2019Arts | English Language & Literatures
Jarus, TalAgainst the odds: Experiences of Canadian Medical Learners with Disabilities [...]
Medical learners have unique accommodations needs given their diverse and ever-changing learning environments, direct contact with patient-care, and systemic stigma. Policy analysis showed great variance in the policies available for medical learners across the country. Only 5 out of the 14 programs have formal disability offices within the medical school, while others have more ad-hoc approaches. Data from the interviews corroborated this gap in services. Participants identified barriers related to 1) bureaucracy, 2) navigating the system, 3) power dynamics, and 4) perceptions of disability in medicine. The main recommendations are to 1) change attitudes and focused engagement and recruitment of students with disabilities, 2) streamline the delivery of services, and 3) develop capacity among educators and administrators.
Canadian Conference on Medical Education; Niagara Falls, ON2019Medicine | Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy
Kazama, Misuzu; Kim, Bosung; Moghtader, BruceIntegrating peer feedback to support foreign language learners’ oral proficiency [...]
In 2016 and 2017 Winter term II, we integrated peer feedback into a job interview assignment in a second-year Beginning Japanese course. Students posted their job interview practice video onto the Collaborative Learning Annotation System (CLAS), and provided feedback onto the timeline of a video of their peers using the annotation feature in CLAS. The preliminary data analysis support that students can benefit from formative peer feedback on oral proficiency. Our presentation will focus on various strategies used to prepare foreign language contexts (L2) students for the peer feedback activity, the technology used for the implementation, and student perception towards the use of peer feedback on the preparation of a speaking test.
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education; Vancouver, BC2019Arts | Asian Studies
Klegeris, Andis; Dubois, Patrick J.; Code, Warren J.; Bradshaw, Heather D.Non-linear improvement in generic problem-solving skills of university students: a longitudinal study [...]
Problem solving has been characterized as one of the “employability skills” due to the high demand for such abilities in a modern workplace. Most universities do not monitor progress of the generic problem-solving skills (PSS) of their students due to a lack of available assessment tools. We used previously reported 15-minute tests to measure the generic PSS of students over the first three years of university. We observed a non-linear increase in PSS test scores with a significant growth during the first three months of Year 1, a similar increase over the next 21 months, then no change during the first three months of Year 3. Moreover, the plateau we observe in the third year indicates that proactive steps by universities and individual instructors are required to advance this important skill set in upper-year students.
Higher Education Research & Development2019Science | Biology
Krbavac, Marie; Rosado, Josefina; Kim, BosungCreating Impactful Online Learning Environments: Incorporating UDL, Accessibility and Wellbeing Principles into Your Online Courses and MaterialsCanadian Society for the Study of Higher Education2019VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Krzic, MajaAugmented Reality Brings the Role of Topography in Soil Formation to Life [...]
In most post-secondary introductory soil science courses, students learn about the broadest soil classification categories (or soil orders). Since topics of soil formation and classification are of direct importance for land use and management, it is essential that our future land managers have a solid understanding of soil formation factors. To enhance students’ learning on this important topic in the introductory soil science course at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada we are developing the Soil TopARgraphy app. With AR, different soil orders are shown within one real-life terrain across different parts of topography. The objective of this project is to develop a phone app to allow students to learn about the effects of topography on formation of different soil types through an immersive and visual AR terrain.
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education; Vancouver BC2019Forestry; Land & Food Systems | Forest & Conservation Sciences; Applied Biology
Lavalle, SuziePedagogy and evaluation of experiential learning [...]
Experiential learning in ecology is a cornerstone for building competencies and skills, but requires special consideration by instructors. In this workshop we will discuss and design learning objectives and evaluation techniques across the spectrum of experiential learning in the natural sciences. Through a series of examples and audience participation, examine best practices for experiential learning in a variety of contexts. Participants should be prepared to discuss their experiences and questions with others.
Ecological Society of America Annual General Meeting; Louisville, KY2019Forestry } Forest & Conversation Sciences
McPhee, SiobhánCritical Geographies of Education: Why bother with Educational Technologies? [...]
The growing deployment of emerging educational technologies among higher education institutions, and within geography departments, raises many questions. When used in teaching and learning, digital technologies are a powerful pedagogical framing for engaging students in place, across near and distant spaces, and through time - key concepts in geographical education. Teachers, students, technology and the learning environment are in effect supporting pillars and players to facilitate active learning, which will enable and empower the learner. When attempting to incorporate educational technologies into the geography classroom the use needs to be more directed, working towards a particular pedagogical goal as technology for the sake of technology may act as a confounding agent towards student learning.
Annual American Geographers Conference; Washington, DC2019Arts | Geography
Riccard, Daniel; Lightfoot, Jennifer; Lam, Mark; Lyon, Katherine; Roberson, Nathan; & Lolliot, Simon Investigating the effects of reducing linguistic complexity on EAL student comprehension in first-year undergraduate assessments [...]
Academic writing across disciplines is often linguistically complex, characterized by abstract ideas densely packed into nominal groups (Biber & Gray, 2010; Halliday & Martin, 1993; McCabe & Gallagher, 2008), along with infrequent lexis and content requiring specific cultural knowledge. This linguistic complexity presents a significant comprehension challenge, contributing to an increase in the performance gap between English as an additional language (EAL) students and their non-EAL peers (Abedi & Gándara, 2006). This study presents the outcome of a collaborative project between Psychology, Sociology, and EAP instructors teaching within a pathway program at a Canadian university combining first-year university courses with language-linked EAP courses. One key outcome of this collaboration has been greater awareness of the comprehension challenges that assessments pose for students, particularly in the case of multiple choice question (MCQ) exams. To investigate the effects of linguistic complexity, the research team analyzed whether unpacking MCQs by reducing the linguistic complexity in test questions improves comprehension for EAL students. Our findings indicate that EAL students are more likely to score higher on unpacked assessment questions, highlighting the importance of reducing the complexity of language in assessments to provide linguistic space for novice students to demonstrate their knowledge of disciplinary content
Journal of English for Academic Purposes 2019Arts | Vantage
Roberts, Rose; Mooney, Julie; Otero, Liz; Lew, JaneyIndigenization and Internationalization in Higher Education in Canada: Synergies, Distinctions, and Local Institutional Contexts [...]
Indigenization and internationalization initiatives at Canadian postsecondary institutions occur in parallel and may sometimes be complementary. At the University of Saskatchewan and UBC, these educational and organizational projects share some common ground, while maintaining unique and important distinctions. Moreover, as educational and organization developers, our experience with them is that they are expressed, operationalized, and practiced in regionally and locally specific ways that are determined by institutional and Indigenous community-based factors.
Learning at Intercultural Intersections Conference; Kamloops, BC2019Indigenous Engagement and Education (USask) & Indigenous Initiatives (UBC)
Roll, Ido; O’Brien, HeatherThe many flavours of productive engagementLearning Analytics Summer Institute, Vancouver, BC.2019VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Sens, Allen; Yedlin, Matthew; Myers, JasonReflections from the “Flipped” Frontline: Enhancing Student Learning in an Interdisciplinary Course on Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control [...]
Our paper contributes to the growing literature on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom as a means of enhancing the student learning experience and achieving course learning outcomes, with a special emphasis on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom in an interdisciplinary course setting. Our paper describes how our course employs a fully flipped pedagogy, with learning materials based online and class time devoted to learning activities conducted in permanent student groups. To assess the student experience in the course, we conducted surveys of the students enrolled in our course and examined course analytics and metrics. Our experience suggests the flipped model is largely successful in enhancing the student experience in an interdisciplinary course setting.
CPSA Annual Conference2019Arts | Political Science
Stewart, JaclynValidity and Reliability of a Concept Test to Measure Students’ Abilities to Qualitatively Rank Acid and Base Strength [...]
Many organic chemistry learners have difficulty ranking the relative strengths of acids and bases using conceptual understanding. Identifying misconceptions during learning can help educators improve curriculum and instruction, and help students guide their studying. Previous studies have recognized several mental models, or problem-solving approaches, that contribute to acid-base misconceptions; however, these models are insufficient at pinpointing the specific sources of knowledge gaps underlying the students’ mistakes. To this end, we developed a 15-item, multi-tiered and adaptive multiple-choice concept test using misconceptions we identified with think-aloud protocols. The test identifies how students compare pairs of acids and drills down to uncover their specific ways of thinking about core concepts.
ACS National Meeting & Exposition; Orlando, FL2019Science | Chemistry
Tembrevilla, Gerald; Milner-Bolotin, Maria Engaging physics teacher-candidates in the production of science demonstration videos [...]
This paper describes how future physics teachers' involvement in annual Family Math and Science Day—a public outreach event at the University of British Columbia, Canada—has a potential to transform them as physics demonstration experts and amateur video producers. These science demonstration videos serve as teaching and learning resources not only for their own coursework, practicum, and post-graduation, but also as a useful resource for their peers and other educators. The production of demonstration videos was framed around studies that support physics and general science teacher-candidates' engagement in hands-on science, science communication, and deliberate use of technology to promote active learning.
Physics Education2019VP Academic | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Verwoord, RoselynnWhat does it mean to teach? An arts-based exploration with pre-service teachers [...]
Please see full abstract on page 474.
Context/Relationship to Literature:
Teacher education is a “significant site of adult learning” (Butterwick, 2014). Teacher education can be a place where neo-liberal ideas about learning and how to be in the world are perpetuated. Alternatively, it can also be a place where an existential view of learning is explored – a view that embraces possibility and has the potential to facilitate children to ‘come into the world.’
My research explores pre-service teachers’ beliefs about what it means to teach and draws on Hannah Arendt’s concept of natality, which can be defined as “the capacity for new beginnings” (Bernauer, 1987, p. viii) and the ‘coming of children’ which is connected to birth (beginning)...
Canadian Association for Study of Adult Education Conference2019Education | Educational Studies
Vigna, JohnToward a Digital Pedagogy in the Creative Writing Workshop [...]
Digitizing the creative writing classroom offers an untapped pedagogical opportunity to help writers at all levels flourish. What if we blended them both into one course? I’ll discuss the highs and lows of redesigning a bricks and mortar class to a blended workshop format. We’ll consider how to integrate the best in creative writing pedagogy and innovative learning technology for interactive blended learning. And how we can help students cultivate foundational tools in craft, technique, and critical analysis while challenging them toward deeper understanding and more thoughtful application of the concepts learned through more face-to-face engagement in person.
European Association of Creative Writing Programmes; Barcelona, Spain2019Arts | Creative Writing
Webb, Andrea S; Welsh, Ashley JPhenomenology as a methodology for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research [...]
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a rich forum where scholars from different fields and philosophical orientations find space to share their research on teaching and learning in higher education. Within this paper, we will share our individual and collective experiences of why we perceive phenomenology as a methodology well-suited for a broad range of SoTL purposes. Phenomenology is a research approach that focuses on describing the common meaning of the lived experience of several individuals about a particular phenomenon. We will discuss how phenomenology informed our own SoTL research projects, exploring the experiences of faculty and undergraduates in higher education. We will highlight the challenges and affordances that emerged from our use of this methodology. Phenomenology has motivated us to tell our stories...
Teaching & Learning Inquiry 2019Education | Curriculum & Pedagogy
Zeng, Michelle, Shrestha, Anil; Chen, Hailan; Wang, Guangyu; Crowley, ChrisForestry education in action: Team-based approach delivering collaborative learning for large online repurposed OER courses [...]
Global challenges such as climate change, forest degradation and illegal logging are having a major environmental, economic, and social impact around the world. Global access to relevant open education resources is extremely important to address these challenges and improve sustainable forest management practices. Under this context, since 2014 the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Forestry has led a multinational, multi-university collaborative forestry online program to develop a series of self-directed online courses in sustainable forest management (SFM) for global learners as open educational resources (OER). As the only SFM online program of its kind, it provides world-class forestry education resources created and supported by leading professors and experts from internationally recognized universities...
World Conference on Online Learning2019Forestry | Executive Office of the Asia Pacific Forestry Education Coordination Mechanism
Walker, Kristen, A.Reducing Classroom Anxiety Through a Student-Generated Model of Participation. [...]
University courses designed to contain in-class discussion often involve measurements of participation; however, issues arise in how to objectively and effectively assess participation. Lack of transparency and clarity on participation criteria and marking can cause student anxiety. This project aims to assess the impact of a student-created participation model in reducing anxiety related to participation. Workshops were conducted with 4th-year undergraduate students at a Canadian research-intensive university. A participation model was constructed and subsequently implemented in upper-level undergraduate courses that emphasize discussion. Results from in-class surveys demonstrated a significant decrease in student anxiety related to participation after model implementation.
International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference 2019Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Malhotra, Nisha Implementing Active Learning and Student-Centered Pedagogy in Large Classes [...]
Active learning places the student at the center of a lecture’s objective and its outcome. Students in these lectures are not only engaged in learning but are also involved in cognitive processes such as comprehension and evaluation. These processes then translate into (a) improved and deeper learning, (b) better grades, and (c) lower failure rates. Given this growing evidence, it would be beneficial to incorporate these active learning strategies into the classroom. There are wide-ranging theories of active and deep learning, and just as many applications of this kind of learning. Reducing the vast number of theories down to adaptable elements requires answers to questions such as: How much class time should be devoted to active learning and participation? Should this be at the expense of course content? One strategy would be to use a blended learning approach: modifying the course structure, introducing online videos for review, and changing how the content was delivered in class. The article summarizes the approach, its application in a large classroom, and students' experience and feedback.
Faculty Focus (Blog post)2019School of Economics
Soon, ZAIt’s a Small World After All – A&P Pen Pals in the LabHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society2019Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Kanji, Zul; Lin, Diana; Karan, Jelena Assessing Dental Hygiene Students’ Readiness for Interprofessional Learning and Collaborative Practice. [...]
Purpose: The need for Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been well documented and communicated by many prominent governmental bodies and health organizations. However, more longitudinal outcomes research is needed to demonstrate the impact of IPE on students’ attitudes and behaviours. This study assessed dental hygiene students’ readiness for IPE and collaborative practice at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Methods: A modified Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) survey was conducted on 23 (96% response rate) second-year dental hygiene students prior to commencing the university’s newly integrated 4-week IPE curriculum and immediately following its completion approximately 1 month later. A focus group comprising five students then explored learning experiences and impact on attitudes about collaborative practice in greater depth. Curriculum content included professionalism, ethical practice, Indigenous cultural safety, and resiliency. Results: Attitudinal shifts were observed in three of the RIPLS measures suggesting that students found greater clarity regarding their professional roles and became more receptive to learning clinical problem-solving skills with other disciplines. No statistically significant differences surfaced between the pre-attitudinal and post-attitudinal RIPLS measures. The focus group revealed three prominent themes: greater role clarification, recognition of similarities in knowledge and practice with other professions, and cultivation of professional identity, collegiality, and respect. Conclusion: Students found greater clarity about professional roles and developed an enhanced appreciation for working with other health professions after completing the university’s month-long integrated IPE curriculum.
American Dental Education Association Annual Session & Exhibition 2020Faculty of Dentistry
D'Onofrio, Christine Students as Emerging Artists in Society [...]
This session experiential learning pedagogies in the visual art classroom; how it informs students’ thinking, attitudes and values in their future role as professional artists. How do students who have participated in a community partnership with professionals in the creative arts sector and institutions articulate their role as emerging artists in society? Drawing on student creative work and reflections as well as interview data from two years of upper-level visual arts courses, students respond to their experience in arts-based community partnerships. The outcome is a rich portrait of students’ negotiations with becoming artists in society as a messy and complex process. In particular, I explore how uncertainty and unknowing are integral to the configuration of the artist, and activate life-long critical thinking skills. At the end of this session, participants will be able to: - Connect fundamentals of artists’ practice-based research methods with experiential learning outcomes, and make meaning of experience through the transfer of intuition to intellect - Identify and pursue valuable reflective strategies for students to activate engaged learning partnerships into critical and transformative learning experiences - Be more comfortable in the pedagogy of unknown; both as a teacher who cannot fully anticipate outcomes of engaged learning experiences, and for students for whom values, purpose and negotiations as professional meaning-makers is constantly evolving
Lilly Conference - Austin2020Arts | Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory
Pearson, MarionHumanizing Patient Case Scenarios Using the Humanities [...]
In this presentation, we describe the design, implementation and evaluation of a health humanities initiative aimed at enhancing students’ ability to provide patient-centred care. Project: To deepen students' understanding of patients' illness experience, humanities elements were embedded in case scenarios deployed in PY1 skills labs. Original paintings were added to a lower back pain case scenario and an autobiographical essay was added to a glaucoma case scenario, with associated questions incorporated into facilitators' guides for the case discussions. Most students felt these embellishments were valuable, contributing to their understanding of the patients’ concerns and their ability to empathize. A few students had strong negative reactions, finding the embellishments unengaging, artificial, and/or a poor alternative to interacting with actual patients. Students marginally preferred the essay to the paintings, and suggested other media, including poetry, music and video for future cases. Pharmacist facilitators indicated that students were reasonably engaged in discussions of the embellishments and that session flow was unaffected. Presentation Goals: 1) to share health humanities resources and approaches to incorporating humanities elements into patient case scenarios 2) to describe benefits and challenges of integrating humanities into a pharmacy curriculum 3) to demonstrate a scholarly approach to an educational innovation Relevance to pharmacy education: Hippocrates said “It's more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.” However, patient case scenarios used in clinical learning activities typically focus on biomedical details and do not provide a holistic picture of the individual. Further, didactic curricula provide little contact with actual patients and students rarely have personal experience of the conditions and therapies they are learning about. Nevertheless, students are expected to demonstrate empathy and to provide pharmaceutical care responsive to patients' individual needs. Integration of the humanities into the pharmacy curriculum is a potential strategy to bridge these gaps. Summary: To enhance students' appreciation of patients as unique individuals with differing illness experiences, artistic and literary works were incorporated into case scenarios. Student and instructor reactions to these novel elements will be presented, along with future plans for health humanities in the pharmacy curriculum.
Canadian Pharmacy Education and Research Conference2020Pharmaceutical Sciences
Hingston, PatriciaFood Science Curriculum Renewal: Scaffolding Student Learning and Enhancing Industry Preparedness [...]
The food sector is a dynamic environment that is currently driven by changing consumer product preferences, an emphasis on sustainability, and the development of new technologies. Correspondingly, one of the largest challenges facing undergraduate Food Science programs is keeping course content and instructional methods current amidst this rapidly evolving industry. To maximize the relevancy of the University of British Columbia's Undergraduate Food Science program, a curriculum renewal project was undertaken. Specifically, the project aimed to identify key learning experiences for graduates, align the program's content with industry needs, and check for content overlaps, gaps and progression throughout the program. Methods Customized surveys were developed for and distributed to Food Science faculty, senior students, alumni, and industry members. Respondents' feedback was coded and analyzed using NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Program-level coverage, proficiency, and assessment of IFT Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) were evaluated using curriculum maps built from course syllabi, lecture materials, and instructors' self-reports. Results Co-op placements and hands-on experience solving real industry problems were the two most frequent key learning experiences recommended by survey respondents. The importance of industry exposure, career option awareness, and laboratory experience with an emphasis on product development were other recurrent themes. Industry experts felt food science graduates would benefit from a stronger background in project management, food market analysis, changing governing agency guidelines, and professional skills. While the importance of specific IFT ELOs will vary across sectors, industry members rated food safety, critical thinking, teamwork, and integrity as most important. Curriculum map analysis revealed strengths in our program's coverage of IFT ELOs both for taught and assessed content, and in progression of ELO depth of proficiency throughout the program. The map also allowed us to identify where alignment between course learning objectives, instructional methods and assessment techniques can be improved. The results from this study can assist other programs to understand current industry needs, emphasize content of most importance to industry, initiate collaboration on cross-institutional courses, and inform their own curriculum renewal plans.
Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting2020LFS | Food, Nutrition and Health
Huh, Woonghee TimExploring the Value of Student Work in Co-Creation in Teaching and Learning[...]
We consider a utility-based customer choice model where the customer may purchase multiple products and even possibly multiple units of each product. We study the firm's optimal pricing problem, and present an algorithm to find the optimal prices.
2020 Production and Operations Management (POMS) Annual Conference2020Sauder School of Business
Huh, Woonghee TimA Three-Party Case Study: Exploring the Value of Student Work in Co-Creation in Teaching and Learning[...]
In the context of a large first-year business course, we explore the value of student contributors, the former students from this course, working with faculty to improve the learning experience of the students who are enrolled in the course. By studying the roles, impacts, benefits, and challenges of the student contributors’ involvement in creating videos and practice problems (supplemental resources) intended to augment the teaching process of the faculty and learning process of the student learners, we contribute to the understanding of this three-party experience. Our case study includes qualitative data from interviews and open-ended survey questions, as well as quantitative data from survey questions and resource-engagement analytics. We find that, as student contributors can provide unique perspectives, greater inclusivity, and diverse approaches to teaching, there are benefits to the instructors, the student contributors, and the student learners in this three-party arrangement.
Production and Operations Management (POM) Society Annual Conference 20202020Sauder School of Business
Clarkston, BridgetteIs it feasible to allow hundreds of inexperienced undergraduate students to contribute to curation projects at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, with benefits to everyone involved? [...]
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum (BBM) is home to the University of British Columbia's biological collections, including the largest collection of vascular plants in Canada (~225,000 specimens) and one of the world's largest collections of Pacific Northwest seaweeds (~90,000 specimens). These collections include substantial representation of Salish Sea watershed plant species and Salish Sea seaweed species and are a wealth of potential for teaching and research projects. Yet, most UBC Biology Program courses do not use the Museum as a teaching resource or use only the public displays. This project focuses on first-year and second-year students and seeks to integrate research collections into large-enrollment courses in order to introduce students to coastal British Columbia biodiversity while also contributing to museum inventory and digital transcription projects. The questions discussed here are: 1) how are first-year students' knowledge, interests and perceptions of biological diversity impacted by interacting with research collections? and 2) how much of an impact, and of what quality, can student participation have for BBM initiatives? For the first question, student responses to written questions in two courses were collected via a survey given prior to and after students completed a 2-hour activity using BBM specimens. Preliminary results suggest that students benefited from interacting with authentic research collections of local species. For the second question, the number of specimens recorded or digitally-transcribed by students was recorded. These data will be discussed along with recommendations for how to incorporate student participation into biodiversity projects while maintaining high-quality data collection.
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference2020Science | Botany
Ives, JossExploratory Factor Analysis of a survey on group-exam experiences [...]
We report on an exploratory study in which we investigate the factor structure of an in-development survey on student experiences during group exams and subsequently examine how these factors can be modelled using performance and self-reported performance measures, while focusing on the role of group familiarity because it is a measure we felt we could bolster through future intervention. We ran an Exploratory Factor Analysis on a suite of survey items that sought to investigate aspects of their group-exam experience, such as participation equity, the prevalence of productive group-work behaviours, and their personal experiences within the group. After stepwise item removal took us from an item pool of twenty-one down to fourteen, our Exploratory Factor Analysis saw a four-factor structure emerge as the preferred option, consistent with the dominant areas of focus of our underlying survey design. The four factors that emerged---presence of under-contributors, presence of dominators, productive group-work behaviours and personal experience---and the items that were removed as part of the factor analysis process indicate directions for future item development. These results suggest that our survey could be sensitive to the impact of interventions designed to improve overall student experience in group exams by targeting improvements in sense of academic familiarity with their groupmates, participation equity or productive group-work behaviours.
American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting and Physics Education Research Conference2020Science | Physics and Astronomy
Valley, WillTowards an equity competency model for sustainable food systems education programs [...]
Addressing social inequities has been recognized as foundational to transforming food systems. Activists and scholars have critiqued food movements as lacking an orientation towards addressing issues of social justice. To address issues of inequity, sustainable food systems education (SFSE) programs will have to increase students’ equity-related capabilities. Our first objective in this paper is to determine the extent to which SFSE programs in the USA and Canada address equity. We identified 108 programs and reviewed their public facing documents for an explicit focus on equity. We found that roughly 80% of universities with SFSE programs do not provide evidence that they explicitly include equity in their curricula. Our second objective is to propose an equity competency model based on literature from multiple fields and perspectives. This entails dimensions related to knowledge of self; knowledge of others and one’s interactions with them; knowledge of systems of oppression and inequities; and the drive to embrace and create strategies and tactics for dismantling racism and other forms of inequity. Integrating our equity competency model into SFSE curricula can support the development of future professionals capable of dismantling inequity in the food system. We understand that to integrate an equity competency in our curricula will require commitment to build will and skill not only of our students, but our faculty, and entire university communities.
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 2020LFS | Applied Biology
Oliver, DavidDevelopment of a peer-reviewed open-access undergraduate research journal [...]
Dissemination of results is a fundamental aspect of the scientific process and requires an avenue for publication that is specifically designed to suit the nature of the research being communicated. Undergraduate research journals provide a unique forum for students to report scientific findings and ideas while learning about the complete scientific process. We have developed a peer-reviewed, open-access, international undergraduate research journal that is linked to a course-based undergraduate research experience. We reflect on lessons learned and recommend effective approaches for the implementation and operation of a successful undergraduate research journal.
Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education2020Science | Microbiology and Immuniology
Cho, Sunah; Werker, Gregory R.; Liu, Arkie Yaxi; Moghtader, Bruce ; Huh, Woonghee Tim A Three-Party Case Study: Exploring the Value of Student Work in Co-Creation in Teaching and Learning [...]
In the context of a large first-year business course, we explore the value of student contributors, the former students from this course, working with faculty to improve the learning experience of the students enrolled in the course. By describing our study of the roles, impacts, benefits, and challenges of the student contributors’ involvement in creating supplemental resources, such as videos and practice problems, intended to augment the teaching process of the faculty and the learning process of the student learners, we contribute to the understanding of this three-party experience. Our study included interviews, survey questions, and resource-engagement analytics. We found that because student contributors can provide unique perspectives, greater inclusivity, and diverse approaches to teaching, there are benefits to the instructors, the student contributors, and the student learners.
Teaching and Learning Inquiry2020Sauder School of Business
McPhee, Siobhán & Lyon, Katherine (Supported by Briseno-Garzon, Adriana and Varao-Sousa, TrishTransitioning to remote teaching and impact to student wellbeing [...]
Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. https://doi. org/10.13140/RG, 2(28175.20641)2020Faculty of Arts
Allison, Kelly; Nightbird, MariePeer Feedback for Meaningful Student Learning of Communication Skills on Online Teaching Mount Royal Teaching and Learning Conference: Teaching in Practice Based Professions2021School of Social Work
Huh, Woongee TimExploring the Value of Student Work in Co-Creation in Teaching and Learning [...]
In the context of a large first-year business course, we explore the value of student contributors, the former students from this course, working with faculty to improve the learning experience of the students who are enrolled in the course. By studying the roles, impacts, benefits, and challenges of the student contributors' involvement in creating videos and practice problems (supplemental resources) intended to augment the teaching process of the faculty and learning process of the student learners, we contribute to the understanding of this three-party experience. Our case study includes qualitative data from interviews and open-ended survey questions, as well as quantitative data from survey questions and resource-engagement analytics. We find that, as student contributors can provide unique perspectives, greater inclusivity, and diverse approaches to teaching, there are benefits to the instructors, the student contributors, and the student learners in this three-party arrangement.
Production and Operations Management Society POMS 31st Online Conference2021Sauder School of Business
Robinson, OralFacilitating Peer Learning & Mentorship through Liberating Structures [...]
Students-led learning involving peer tutoring, collaborative projects, cooperative learning and peer assessment is an important way of fostering mentorship within the classroom (Topping, 2005). The benefits of these pedagogical strategies include enhanced leadership skills, sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience between the participants and improved academic performance (Boud, 2001). However, large class sizes, short teaching times and inflexible lecture spaces constrain our abilities to engage in effective peer learning during teaching sessions. Liberating Structures is a recent innovation that promises to mitigate these challenges by offering a collection of strategies to structure interaction, liberate course content, foster creativity, spark individual brilliance and tap into collective wisdom (Lipmanowicz & McCandless, 2014). The key advantage of Liberating Structures is that it requires that all participants engage in the creation of solutions, which promotes inclusive academic communities. The proposed workshop provides hands-on experience using liberating structure activities with suggestions on how they can promote in-class collaboration, mentorship and full engagement of students. Workshop participants will practice the activities, participate in peer learning and peer mentorship in this lively, interactive session. The presentation will also draw on data from a survey of students in a large upper-level Sociology course at University of British Columbia where students were instructed using liberating structures. The benefits identified by students include that it promoted deep and reflective learning, agency in the learning process and friendships beyond the classroom.
Taylor Institute 2021 Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching2021Arts | Sociology
Graves, JonathanCourse-Based Versus Field Undergraduate Research Experiences [...]
This paper compares undergraduate course-based research experiences to field-based research experiences to understand the relationship between these different forms of experiential learning. I study undergraduate research experiences across an economics department at a large Canadian research university. Statistical analysis indicates there are not large differences between field- and course-based experiences. The main differences favour course-based instruction, with course-based experiences associated with more independent thinking and relevant task engagement. Overall, I conclude curriculum designers should focus attention on proper course-based curriculum design rather than simply trying to adapt “research-like” experiences into the classroom.
Teaching & Learning Inquiry2021School of Economics
Banack, H. & Tembrevilla, G.Time Spent Outdoors: Pre-service teachers’ perceptions and practices of outdoor learning.2021 Canadian Society for the Study of Education (Virtual) Conference2021Education | Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Banack, H. & Tembrevilla, G.A case study of pre-service teachers’ perceptions and practices of outdoor learning.2021 Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (Virtual) Conference2021Education | Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Banack, H. & Tembrevilla, G.“Not elsewhere specified”: A case study of pre-service teachers’ perceptions and practices of outdoor learning. 021 National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual International (Virtual) Conference2021Education | Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Centre for Teaching, Learning and TechnologyEvaluation Report: Hybrid Teaching Pilot Grants2021
Soon, ZALessons Learned Online: Rolling with it for Next Year - Rethink, Reuse, Repurpose, RejuvenateHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society2021Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZACasing Out Student Learning and Buy-in: Case Studies – Let’s Get Visual and Interactive!Human Anatomy and Physiology Society2021Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Yamanaka, JAging Awareness Escape RoomHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society2021Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Soon, ZA, Lauridsen, MThe Benefits of Multimodal Interactive Case StudiesHuman Anatomy and Physiology Society Educator2021Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Malhotra, Nisha Asynchronous Video: A Powerful Way to Teach, Present, and Communicate with Students [...]
The article, framed as an analytical study of YouTube viewership data and student responses, delves into the efficacy of asynchronous video in online education. It emphasizes the multifaceted advantages of utilizing asynchronous video content for teaching purposes. By allowing students to access pre-recorded materials at their own pace, the method enhances flexibility and accessibility while catering to diverse learning styles. The author underscores the versatility of asynchronous videos for lectures, presentations, and student communication in online education. The analysis highlights key benefits, including increased adaptability and addressing varied learning preferences. Additionally, the article offers practical insights into creating compelling asynchronous video content. Clear communication, well-organized presentations, and incorporation of interactive elements are highlighted as crucial factors in maintaining student engagement. Notably, based on an analytical study of YouTube viewership data, the article positions asynchronous video as a powerful tool in online education. This perspective underscores the empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of asynchronous video in promoting robust teaching practices and facilitating student success in virtual learning environments.
Faculty Focus (ONLINE COURSE DELIVERY AND INSTRUCTION) 2021School of Economics
Yoshimizu, AyakaDecolonizing A Classroom with International Students from AsiaAsia-Pacific Association for International Education Annual Conference & Exhibition2022Arts | Department of Asian Studies
Tate, BronwenThe Sentence as Itself: Vivifying Grammar in Writing ClassroomsAssociation of Writers and Writing Programs Conference 2022Arts | Creative Writing
Tang, AlexA Novel Instructional Media for Accessible Teaching and Education (ANIMATE)2022 Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) Canadian Pharmacy Education and Research Conference (CPERC) 2022Pharmaceutical Sciences | Office of Experiential Education
Lai, TristanUtilizing Near-Peer Teaching in a Pharmacy Community Service Learning Course2022 Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) Canadian Pharmacy Education and Research Conference (CPERC) 2022Pharmaceutical Sciences | Office of Experiential Education
Jarus, TalCircles of Learning: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Health Professional Education Programs (HPEPs)Canadian Conference on Medical Education (CCME)2022Medicine | OSOT
Canuto, LuisaCollaborative Online International Projects to Develop Intercultural CompetencyAmerican Association for Teachers of Italian2022Arts | French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
Canuto, LuisaIntegrating intercultural perspective into all levels of language courses (in Covid times and beyond)Canadian Association of Italian Studies2022Arts | French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
Ahmed, SubornaSurvey data analysis of engagement and self-efficacy in a concurrent hybrid modality49th Annual Meeting of the Statistical Society of Canada2022Forestry | Forest Resources Management Department
Lyon, K., Holroyd, H., Malette, N., Greer, K., & Bartolic, S.K. Owning the conversation: Mentor and mentee perceptions of student-led peer mentoring [...]
Most peer-mentoring research examines structured programs with faculty or staff facilitation, overlooking programs that are student-initiated and student-led. We present data from focus groups with participants of a student-led peer-mentoring program at a large North American University. This case study addresses two research questions: 1) how do peer mentors and mentees perceive the student-led nature of the program? and 2) what institutional assistance do participants expect for their program? Findings demonstrate the value students place in the program being student-led and why it is important for this type of programming to be decoupled from institutional interests. We also outline three ways in which institutional support that does not infringe upon student-led directives can be provided.
Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning 2022Arts | Sociology
Lyon, K., Roberson, N., Lam, M., Riccardi, D., Lightfoot, J., Lolliot, S. A Sociological Lens on Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Writing Inclusive Multiple-Choice Assessments [...]
Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in large introductory courses. Recent research focuses on MCQ reliability and validity and overlooks questions of accessibility. Yet, access to the norms of academic discourse embedded in MCQs differs between groups of first-year students. We theorize these norms as part of the institutionalized cultural symbols that reproduce social and cultural exclusion for linguistically diverse students. A sociological focus on linguistic diversity is necessary as the percentage of students who use English as an additional language (EAL), rather than English as a native language (ENL), has grown. Drawing on sociology as pedagogy, we problematize MCQs as a medium shaping linguistically diverse students’ ability to demonstrate disciplinary knowledge. Our multimethod research uses two-stage randomized exams and focus groups with EAL and ENL students to assess the effects of a modification in instructors’ MCQ writing practices in sociology and psychology courses. Findings show that students are more likely to answer a modified MCQ correctly, with greater improvement for EAL students.
Teaching Sociology2022Arts | Sociology
Tembrevilla, G., Nesbit, S., Ellis, N., & Ostafichuk, P. Developing transdisciplinarity in first‐year engineering. [...]
For engineers who aim to address sustainability challenges, participating in transdisciplinary teams is key. Yet developing transdisciplinary knowledge, including systems thinking, metacognition, and empathic thinking, is not well supported in traditional engineering programs. The extent to which selected learning activities in the introduction to engineering courses support student development of systems thinking, metacognition, and empathic thinking is investigated.
Journal of Engineering Education2022Applied Science | Civil Engineering
Soon, ZAThe Benefits of Student-centric Multimodal Interactive Case StudiesInternational Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning2022Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Biology
Sun, Evelyn Development of a data science CURE in microbiology using publicly available microbiome datasets[...]
Scientific and technological advances within the life sciences have enabled the generation of very large datasets that must be processed, stored and managed computationally. Researchers increasingly require data science skills to work with these datasets at scale in order to convert information into actionable insights and undergraduate educators have started to adapt pedagogies to fulfill this need. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a leading model for providing large numbers of students with authentic research experiences. Originally designed around wet-lab research experiences in life science, CURE models have proliferated and diversified globally to accommodate a broad range of academic disciplines. Within microbiology, diversity metrics derived from microbiome sequence information have become standard data products in research. In some cases, researchers have deposited data in publicly accessible repositories, providing opportunities for reproducibility and comparative analysis. In 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant shift to remote learning, the University of British Columbia set out to develop an online data science CURE in microbiology. A team of faculty with collective domain expertise in microbiome research and CUREs developed and implemented a data science CURE in which teams of students learn to work with large publicly available datasets, develop and execute a novel scientific research project, and disseminate their findings in the online Undergraduate Journal of Experimental Microbiology and Immunology. Analysis of the resulting student-authored research articles, including comments from peer reviews conducted by subject matter experts, demonstrate high levels of learning effectiveness. Here, we describe core insights from course development and implementation based on a reverse course design model. Our approach to course design may be applicable to the development of other data science CUREs.
Frontiers in Microbiology2022Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Stewart, JaclynCreating equitable and inclusive first-year biology, chemistry, and physics courses[...]
The success of active-learning pedagogies relies on effective communication and an inclusive classroom climate. Research shows that how active learning is conducted (e.g., characteristics of learning activities, social dynamics of small group work) influences students' learning and engagement, and can differentially affect students in systemically excluded groups[1]. Our institution has built a culture of active learning over the past 15 years[2] and has a current focus on inclusive excellence[3]. Our project aims to enhance inclusion and learning across first-year biology, chemistry, and physics courses at a large, research-intensive post-secondary institution in Canada. We are using a critical mix-methods approach to investigate students' experiences and to identify existing inequalities. We are using questionnaires, interviews, concept inventories, and course assessments to explore students' sense of belonging, self-efficacy, perceptions of classroom climate, and perceptions of learning activities. Identifying potential causes of inequities in our cultural and instructional context suggests inclusive teaching practices that may address structural barriers to student learning and their desire to persist in science fields. In this presentation, we will share what we have learned about investigating equity, including how we dealt with the challenge of non-existent institutional demographic data. Attendees of this presentation will be invited to reflect on and discuss models of equity and to consider which models of equity are most appropriate for their teaching and scholarly work[4,5]. Together we will consider how our cultural contexts influence what equity means in our teaching and learning contexts and use this to push forward SoTL intending to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.
International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference 20222023Science, Chemistry
Robinson, OralReconceptualizing Open Pedagogy in the Post-Pandemic Classroom to Meet Transformative Goals[...]
The post-pandemic higher education environment has transformed in ways that make learning easier and more convenient. For example, online and asynchronous practices are increasingly being normalized, making learning more accessible and engaging. However, these practices increase workload of both students and educators, require learning and adopting to new technologies. At the same time, the implications for engaging in certain pedagogies such as advocacy and activism might be more challenging. In particular, instructors committed to decolonizing, social justice and transformative work must be intentional about how to continue to meet these objectives in these newer settings. In this presentation, we discuss reconceptualize the practice of open pedagogy and position it as a practice that can be employed in course designs and lesson plan to meet these objectives. While contested, open pedagogy is primarily seen as a framework for producing free educational resources, and is based on principles of such as reuse, retain, redistribute, revise and remix. However, we seek to broaden this definition to elucidate how it can become a standard classroom practice. In so doing, we reconceptualize open pedagogy as a framework for redesigning courses and lesson plans to foster: (a) connections in the classroom rather than isolation; (b) creative expression rather than limited or narrowly defined tasks, readings and assignments; (c) the use of a wider spectrum of (formal and informal) resources and ways of knowings; (d) students as sources of knowledge and decentering the 'teacher'; and (e) the development of strategies to tackle social injustice. We supplement this theorizing with survey results from three Sociology courses at a higher education institution (n=510) to elucidate the advantages of these strategies. Hence, we recommend the expansion of the definition of open pedagogy to account for accessible practices for instructors and students to engage in transformative work.
XX International Sociology Association World Congress of Sociology2023Faculty of Arts, Department of Sociology
Bagherzadeh Hosseini, Seyyed AlirezaProgram-Level Assessment[...]
Background MIT published a report on the global state of the art in engineering education (March 2018) and noted 'measuring the actual learning' as the next big frontier of the field. Students come to class with an existing level of knowledge about the subject matter, therefore measuring the 'delta' in students' knowledge would be a more accurate representation of the effectiveness of the course, teacher and/or program. Exams and in particular finals do not measure the 'delta', and the accuracy of these tests in reflecting actual students learning is a controversial topic. They might be a reasonable measures of immediate knowledge uptake, but they do not provide insights about deep learning and long-term knowledge retention. Purpose In order to measure students actual learning and retention of knowledge, a new holistic assessment is developed, herein referred to as yearly assessment (YA). The objective is to measure the 'delta' in students learning after they go through one year of instruction in our undergraduate program. Approach In this paper, we present the results for the year two of our curriculum, i.e. Y2-YA. The assessment was administered through our learning management system; canvas, once at the beginning of the school year (the pre-test; September 2021) and once more after the same cohort of students returned a year later to start the third-year of their undergraduate degree (the post-test; September 2022). The assessment is in the form of a series of conceptual multiple-choice questions (CMCQs) targeting the key concepts of each core course. These CMCQs underwent a few rounds of revisions and were vetted by each course instructor before the implementation in September 2021. For the Y2-YA, roughly 175 questions were developed and 50 questions were randomly selected from this bank of CMCQs for each student. Students were given 2 minutes per question and were advised that this assessment does not impact their academic record and they don't need to study for it. Outcomes The results of the pre-test provide insight into the prior knowledge and academic level of each cohort and can be used to semi-quantitatively compare different cohorts of students. Furthermore, calculating the cohort-average normalized gain, G=(post-pre)/(100-pre), for each course and its key concepts provide an objective measure for the effectiveness of the course and valuable feedback for the instructor. This figure can also provide additional evidence for the first graduate attribute of the CEAB, i.e. engineering knowledge-base. Individual report can also be prepared for each student, providing feedback on their performance against their cohort. Conclusions The yearly assessment has been used to objectively measure students learning and retention of knowledge as they go through one year of instruction in our program. The cohort-average normalized gain was 20%, a figure that shows there is lots of room for improvement. Analysis of the results also showed no statistically significant difference between the performance of male and female students. Additionally, these assessments serve as a tool for evaluating the impact of curriculum changes on students learning and will be incorporated into a new evaluation system to support the continuous improvement process.
Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA) Conference (CEEA 2023)2023Faculty of Applied Science, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Harris, SaraChoice-based Personalization in MOOCs: Impact on Activity and Perceived Value[...]
Personalization in education describes instruction that is tailored to learners' interests, attributes, or background and can be applied in various ways, one of which is through choice. In choice-based personalization, learners choose topics or resources that fit them the most. Personalization may be especially important (and under-used) with diverse learners, such as in a MOOC context. We report the impact of choice-based personalization on activity level, learning gains, and satisfaction in a Climate Science MOOC. The MOOC's learning assignments had learners choose resources on climate related issues in either their geographic locale (Personalized group) or in given regions (Generic group). 219 learners completed at least one of the two assignments. Over the entire course, personalization increased learners' activity (number of course events), self-reported understanding of local issues, and self-reported likelihood to change climate-related habits. We found no differences on assignment completion rate, assignment length, and self-reported time-on-task. These results show that benefits of personalization extend beyond the original task and affect learners' overall experience. We discuss design and implications of choice-based personalization, as well as opportunities for choice-based personalization at scale.
International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education2023Faculty of Science. Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Rieger, GeorgRequiring mobile devices in the classroom: the use of web-based polling does not lead to increased levels of distraction[...]
We conducted an observational exploratory study of distraction by digital devices in multiple different sections across three large undergraduate physics courses. We collected data from two different settings based on the type of devices used for classroom polling: lecture sections that required mobile devices for polling and those that used standalone clickers. Our analysis shows no difference in the average distraction level between the two settings. However, we did observe an overall lower level of distraction during active learning modes, as compared to passive learning modes. Based on there being no observable difference in distraction levels in the mobile polling and standalone clicker classrooms, we recommend that instructors should choose the polling technology that best suits their needs without worrying about the impact on student distraction. The observed difference in distraction between the active and passive learning modes is consistent with previous results from the literature, which reinforces support for the use of active learning modes as much as possible.
Journal of STEM Education Research2023Science/Physics &Astronomy
Kim, WonThinking and writing like a scientist: Affirmation of student identities through functional approaches to academic literacies for emergent multilinguals[...]
Scholars argue that cultivating the habits of scholarly minds is important for students in higher education and particularly for international students who tend to arrive in classrooms with low affirmed identities with low self-esteem (Kimberley & Thursby, 2020) often seen as marginalized and deficient from deficit model perspectives (Gallagher et al., 2020). In achieving such an educational goal , it is fundamental to recognize the Pedagogical impact of creating linguistically-responsive instructional spaces engaging students with identity-affirming interactions positioning students as emergent disciplinary-literate multilinguals (Arey, 2011; Lucas et al., 2008) using language as a functional social semiotic system appropriated as meaning-making resources(Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004). Nonetheless, there seems a dearth of empirically-grounded evidence capturing the voices of students as to whether and how linguistically-responsive functional approaches to academic literacies may actually contribute to students' identities as emergent legitimate participants in consuming, constructing, and representing disciplinary knowledge. The present classroom-based study aims to explore whether and how identities of international students in a first year content-and-language-integrated program in science in a Canadian university might be nurtured as competent and confident writers in an academic literacy course guided by genre-based approaches and systemic functional linguistics (SFL). This research study is conceived of as a qualitative inquiry involving data generated from interviews with focal students across threeclasses, their written works and journals, and classroom interaction. Informed by the empirically-grounded insights drawing on SFL (Liardet, 2015) and discourse analytic perspectives (Talmy, 2011; Wortham & Reyes, 2015), this paper discusses how SFL-informed pedagogy may foster identities of students as empowered apprentice scholars/writers who can appropriately engage with disciplinary practices.
Japanese Association for College English Teaching (JACET) 2023UBC Vantage College
Lyon, Katherine Linguistic Diversity and Inclusive Multiple Choice Assessment: Implications for Teaching First Year Sociology Courses[...]
Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in large, introductory sociology courses. Recent research focuses on MCQ reliability and validity and overlooks questions of accessibility. Yet, access to the norms of academic discourse embedded in MCQs differs between groups of first year students. We theorize these norms as part of the institutionalized cultural symbols that reproduce social and cultural exclusion for linguistically diverse students. A sociological focus on linguistic diversity is necessary as the percentage of students in Canada who use English as an additional language (EAL) rather than English as a native language (ENL), has grown. Drawing on sociology as pedagogy, we problematize MCQs as a medium shaping linguistically diverse students' ability to demonstrate disciplinary knowledge. Our multimethod research uses two stage randomized exams and focus groups with EAL and ENL students to assess the effects of a modification in instructors' MCQ writing practices in sociology and psychology courses. Findings show that students are more likely to answer a modified MCQ correctly, with greater improvement for EAL students.
XX ISA World Congress of Sociology (Sociological Teaching section session)2023Arts, Sociology
Hui, Bowen1. An Open CS1 Learning Platform to Promote and Incentivize Deliberate Practice; 2. JUnit++: Simplifying Unit Testing for Autograding in an Open Learning Platform; 3. Using Open Technology to Bring Computational Thinking Activities to the Outdoors;[...]
1. Students often find CS1 to be difficult and the workload too demanding. Those who are struggling may lose marks on assessments due to knowledge gaps, slips, or simply a lack of time. Meanwhile, others students demand more practice questions to better prepare for upcoming exams. To mitigate these differences, we developed an open learning platform that combines ideas from mastery learning, concept mapping, and gamification. The main feature of this work is an open question bank with over 1,500 multiple-choice questions, Parsons problems, and programming exercises for CS1. Using our platform, students can earn tokens by solving questions in multiple ways, including free-form practice, setting personal goals, and completing challenges individually or in teams. Our platform also has a leaderboard to promote engagement and personal analytics to foster self- regulated learning and deliberate practice. Initial feedback from over 500 students has been encouraging. Ultimately, we hope that our system can accommodate different student preferences in how they want to learn and practice programming. 2. Many educational resources are available that teach children computational thinking and visual programming. As part of this initiative, we develop computational puzzles from well-known computational thinking activities. Inspired by the idea of geocaching, we made our puzzles accessible and fun for the whole family by embedding them into a scavenger hunt. We describe our approach that frames computational puzzles as an outdoor family activity. Our project was launched in 2021 and has received informal positive feedback. 3. Repeated practice is essential for student success in CS1 but very few open question banks are available to support student learning. Furthermore, these question banks should ideally include multiple types of questions to assess students' conceptual knowledge and programming ability. While unit testing can be used to autograde written programming questions, most frameworks pose problems for writing unit tests for large question banks. In this work, we propose JUnit++ which is an extension to the JUnit 5 test framework designed specifically for testing incomplete and incorrect student submissions in CS1 classes. JUnit++ simplifies the test writing process by eliminating repetitive code and letting test writers focus on the logical correctness and structure of the solution. Although everything our extension does can be achieved by using only the base JUnit framework, we have found that using the extension speeds up the efficiency of the test development process and makes it easier to review and maintain tests.
The 23rd IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT) 2023Faculty of Science: Department of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics
Katie Lee BuntingTherapeutic use of self as relational pedagogy: Student and educator perspectives [...]
There is growing research espousing the value of centring relationality in higher education teaching and learning (Anderson et al., 2020). Therapeutic use of self (TUS) is an occupational therapy practice skill that centres the client-occupational therapist relationship (Polatajko et al., 2015). With TUS, an occupational therapist authentically uses their self to support the client to bring their whole self into the therapeutic process. TUS challenges traditional power dynamics and co-creates supportive therapeutic alliances to improve client outcomes. A mainstay of occupational therapy practice, TUS holds promise as an effective pedagogical tool to promote educator and student wellbeing and enhance student learning. This paper presentation will share findings of a SoTL project that explored the experience of TUS as a pedagogical tool in higher education from student and educator perspectives. Data were gathered using collaborative autoethnography, with the study's researchers as participants (four entry-level occupational therapy master's students and two occupational therapy educators from two large Canadian universities). Five free-flowing discussions iteratively explored the relationship between participant stories and personal, educational, and societal contexts. Reflective memos and reflexive thematic analysis were used to analyse discussion transcripts. The analysis generated four themes: (1) education as transaction, (2) power-over and power-within higher education, (3) experiencing TUS, and (4) relationship as resistance. With an emphasis on authenticity, power equity, critical reflexivity, and mutual empathy, TUS is a nuanced skill that holds promise as a transformative teaching tool. In line with relational cultural theory and critical pedagogy, TUS has potential to enhance deep learning, disrupt the status quo that upholds power inequities in higher education, and foster student-educator wellbeing and success. Through guided discussion and engagement with online collaborative tools, we will invite participants to critically reflect on the potential of TUS to be used as a pedagogical tool within their own disciplines.
International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning2023Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Hingston, PatriciaEnhancing Student Learning and Engagement in a Large Enrolment Food Microbiology Course[...]
Introduction: The Food Microbiology course at the University of British Columbia was recently redesigned to accommodate an increase in enrolment from 50 to 200 students. Previously a problem-based learning style course where students worked in groups to solve weekly case studies, the course was redesigned to be taught in a large lecture hall, while still providing a high degree of in-class active learning opportunities and peer-to-peer interaction. Methods: Course lectures were designed using the BOPPPS lesson planning model that includes pre and post assessments of student knowledge of each course topic and active learning opportunities throughout. The polling software iClicker was used to anonymously collect student responses to questions posed in class and in-class participation accounted for 10% of student final grades. In lieu of a midterm, four, 15-question online quizzes were administered, each allowing three attempts consisting of different questions. Other course assessments included three contextual-learning based discussion posts where students applied course concepts to their everyday lives, three industry-related case-study assignments, and a final exam. The effectiveness of these learning activities were assessed using multiple choice questions with a 5-point Likert scale (strongly agreed – strongly disagreed) that students answered anonymously using iClicker in class. Results: A total of 163 students (82%) completed the course assessment questions. Students reported that they both enjoyed the use of iclicker questions in class (95%) and found that the questions helped them better understand the class material (97%). Similarly, students felt (98%) that the quizzes helped them better understand class concepts and successfully complete course assignments. Lastly, 80% of students agreed that the contextual-learning based discussion posts helped them better understand how food microbiology applies to their everyday lives. Significance: At the end of the term, 85% of students reported that the course changed their lives. Together with the positive impacts observed for the use of iclicker questions in class, multiple attempt quizzes, and contextual learning-based discussion posts, highlight the effectiveness of the course redesign and mode of delivery. Similar learning activities and course design could be applied to other large enrolment food science courses to increase student engagement and learning.
IFT FIRST (Institute of Food Technologists Annual Scientific Meeting and Expo)2023Faculty of Land and Food Systems/ Food, Nutrition, and Health Program
Macfadyen, LeahProposed Metrics for Summarizing Student Evaluation of Teaching Data from Balanced Likert Scale Surveys[...]
Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) gather crucial feedback on student experiences of teaching and learning and have been used for decades to evaluate the quality of teaching and student experience of instruction. In this paper we make the case for an important improvement to analysis of SET data that can further refine its interpretation. An extensive literature explores the reliability and consistency of SETs, and factors hypothesized to affect student evaluation of instructors. Much less attention has been given to the statistics used by institutions of higher education to summarize and report SET data – historically, arithmetic means and standard deviations computed from Likert scale scores. Here, we argue that a combination of two different statistics – interpolated median (IM) and percent favourable (PF) rating – together with a measure of dispersion suitable for ordinal data, offer a fairer and more meaningful set of metrics for summarizing and interrogating SET data collected using balanced Likert scale surveys. To illustrate the power of these proposed metrics we present an analysis of SET data from two academic years at a major Canadian university, and we also highlight an interesting and previously unreported relationship that we identified between the interpolated median and percent favourable rating.
Cogent Education 2023Education, Language & Literacy Education
Steinwand, BlaireCREATE'ing improvements in first-year students' science efficacy via an online introductory course experience[...]
With a primary objective to engage students in the process of science online, we transformed a long-standing laboratory course for first-year science students into a more accessible, immersive experience of current biological research using a narrow and focused set of primary literature and the CREATE pedagogy. The efficacy of the CREATE approach has been demonstrated in a diversity of higher education settings and courses. It is, however, not yet known if CREATE can be successfully implemented online with a large, diverse team of faculty untrained in the CREATE pedagogy. Here, we present the transformation of a large-enrollment, multi-section, multi-instructor course for first-year students in which instructors follow different biological research questions but work together to reach shared goals and outcomes. We assessed students’: (1) science self-efficacy and (2) epistemological beliefs about science throughout an academic year of instruction fully administered online as a result of ongoing threats posed by COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate that novice CREATE instructors with varying levels of teaching experience and ranks can achieve comparable outcomes and improvements in students’ science efficacy in the virtual classroom as a teaching team. This study extends the use of the CREATE pedagogy to large, team-taught, multi-section courses and shows its utility in the online teaching and learning environment.
Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 2023Science, Zoology
Verrett, JonathanThe transition between engineering education and practice: Insights from a sabbatical working in engineering industry[...]
Engineering academic curriculum tends to focus heavily on technical competency rather than organizational and social skills [1]. There is a disconnect between this and engineering practice which is noted to be far more heterogeneous [2]. This is not a new problem, there have been well-documented concerns at least as far back as 1949 about engineering training not having enough of a focus on skills in social and organizational processes for engineers to be effective [3]. Students develop organizational and social skills through a variety of activities which may be curricular or co/extra-curricular. One such method of organizational and social skill development is through co-op work placements. This work will present an analysis of data from co-op students and employers from the Chemical and Chemical & Biological Engineering programs at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver Campus. These data are regularly collected by the co-op office following student placements. The author will also present their insights having spent 9-months working with a systems engineering team at Ballard Power Systems. The broader context of ongoing initiatives around building organizational and social skills in Chemical and Chemical & Biological Engineering students at UBC will also be presented.
Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering 2023 Conference 2023Faculty of Applied Science, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Malhotra, Nisha Bridging the Gap: Overcoming Barriers in Higher Ed for Students with Disabilities including Neurodivergent Learners [...]
We are responsible for creating courses and learning spaces that embrace the rich diversity of our students. “A disability may be the result of combinations of impairments and environmental barriers, such as attitudinal barriers, inaccessible information, an inaccessible built environment or other barriers that affect people’s full participation in society[i].” The suggestions presented here serve as a starting point, aiming to foster an environment where every student feels seen, valued, and supported. As we design our courses, it is crucial to recognize and cater to the unique needs of individuals with disabilities, ensuring that our educational environment promotes their learning, nurtures their creativity, and facilitates their personal growth.
Faculty Focus (EQUALITY, INCLUSION, AND DIVERSITY) 2023School of Economics
Rawn, Catherine How can a Longstanding Norm-Referenced Grading Policy Impact Teaching and Learning? Leveraging Qualitative Research for Culture Change in a Quantitative Department [...]
Grading student work is required at most universities. Literature has promoted criterion-referenced approaches for decades. Yet norm-referenced grading approaches persist in some departmental microcultures experiencing pressures of large, under-resourced, multi-section courses, and concerns about grade inflation. Efforts promoting equity, inclusion, and Indigeneity create an imperative to question norm-referenced approaches, even under these pressures. How do members of a large quantitative psychology department perceive a longstanding norm-referenced grading policy, and its impact on teaching and learning? This poster offers three ways to engage: SoTL, Educational Leadership, or professional growth. Column 1 summarizes a mixed-methods study to answer the question above. Qualitative interview data, analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, highlighted positive and negative experiences of faculty, graduate Teaching Assistants, and undergraduates in relation to this policy, offering a clear a mandate for reform. Column 2 outlines ongoing departmental change. Column 3 highlights professional development experienced by the lead author, including epistemological growth.
Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Conference 2024Arts, Psychology
d'Entremont, AgnesInstructor perceptions and reported practices around informal peer collaboration on homework among engineering students [...]
Minimal work has been done examining out-of-classroom collaboration to complete individual homework in engineering. However, such informal peer collaboration (IPC) is common, and some evidence links low IPC with poorer learning outcomes. We explored beliefs, perceptions and actions toward IPC among engineering science instructors. Data from semi-structured interviews was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Instructors identified positive and negative outcomes of IPC. They believed that students used IPC for a range of needs. Most instructors only defined academic misconduct in syllabi, despite using implicit strategies to promote/inhibit IPC. Specific IPC policies were rarely connected to instructors’ understanding of student motivations. Instructors view IPC as unavoidable and recognize that IPC may meet student needs while increasing or bypassing learning. Despite using IPC as students and observing students now, instructors showed limited understanding of who participates. IPC may be an opportunity to increase learning among students; further research is warranted.
European Journal of Engineering Education2024APSC, Mechanical Engineering

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