Congratulations to the team from Peter B. Gustavson School of Business for their collaborative project, the Northwest Aboriginal Canadian Entrepeneurs.

The team members are Dr. Saul Klein, Dr. Brent Mainprize, Ms. Charmaine Stack, Ms. Nicole Wallace, Ms. Helena Zhang, Ms. Ruth Young, Prof. Mark Bridge, Dr. Graham Brown, Dr. Mark Colgate, Dr. Vivien Corwin, Prof. Chris Graham, Prof. Mia Maki, Mr. Greg Martin, Ms. Francesca de Bastiani, Mr. Dave McKeever, Mr. Dan Nesbitt, Prof. Heather Ranson, Dr. Brock Smith, Mr. Cory Stephens, Ms. Jacquie Ridley Mr. Calvin Albright, Mr. David Try, Ms. Denise Williams, Ms. Jordyn Hrenyk, Mr. Frank Parnell, Mr. Fraser Earl, Mr. Arthur Mercer, Mr. Todd Dunlop and Ms. Robyn Kruger.

Aarthi Ashok, Lecturer from the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Toronto – Scarborough, was selected as the recipient for the SoTL Poster Award for her poster titled “Engage me with research: Creative course and assignment design in a large Biology course”. The review committee noted “This poster explored opportunities for early year undergraduate students to experience research, and to understand the role of research in the discipline, through creative assessments and differentiated instruction. This is an exciting innovation that could be replicated in any discipline at any institution.” Congratulations Aarthi!

The award recipient was announced during the STLHE Award Ceremony at the annual STLHE conference held in Cape Breton this past June. The SoTL Poster Award is sponsored by the STLHE.

Preparing and Supporting Faculty Teaching in Active Learning Classrooms: Best Practices and Lessons Learned/ing
Sally Heath, Michael Daly & Jeanette McDonald, Wilfrid Laurier University

Trends in learning space design increasingly emphasize human-centredness, a focus on active and engaged teaching and learning, and digital technologies that enhance students’ learning (Brown & Long, 2006). Active learning classrooms (ALCs) embody each of these design trends, and are increasingly being adopted in colleges and universities across North America. ALCs typically incorporate flexible seating and tables, a portable instructional console, multiple writing surfaces, select educational technologies (e.g., table designated laptops, monitors, and projection units; wireless capabilities) and interactive software (e.g., cloud applications, interactive whiteboards). The “tacit curricula” (Monahan, 2002) of ALCs foster and support a myriad of innovative pedagogies and collaborative learning experiences across disciplines (Van Horne, Murniati, Gaffney, & Jesse, 2012).

In fall 2012, Wilfrid Laurier University opened its first ALC as part of a Faculty of Arts initiative. This initiative brought together the expertise and backing of several constituent groups to design, construct, select technology, and provide training and support for the faculty and students engaged in teaching and learning in the space. Focused on the perspective of the teaching centre’s role in this project, this poster explores the professional development and support needs of faculty teaching in ALCs (e.g., administrative, pedagogical, technological, peer-to-peer), recognizing the shared role of these functions across the institution (Johnson, 2006; Sorcinelli, Austin, Eddy, & Beach, 2006). Lessons learned and best practices are reported, highlighting the need for timely, integrated training and support that is sensitive to the varied instructional experience, overall readiness, and level of commitment and risk faculty are willing to assume when teaching in an ALC.

Amy Falk Smith (Research and Education Strategic Decision Analyst for the College of Engineering at UC Davis), Alberto Guzman- Alvarez (Statistical Analyst for the UC Davis iAMSTEM Hub) and Marco Molinaro (Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and UC Davis iAMSTEM Hub Director) were selected as the recipients of the SoTL Poster Award for their poster titled “Understanding the curve: Implications of norm-referenced grading in large introductory science courses”. Their study examined the effects of curving introductory chemistry grades at a large, four-year university using data from over 16,000 students enrolled between 2008 and 2013. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to model students’ chemistry course grades as function of individual- and class-level characteristics. Results indicate that students’ grades were associated not only with their own prior achievement, but also with the prior achievement of students in their class. Congratulations Amy, Alberto & Marco!

The award recipient was announced during the STLHE Award Ceremony at the annual STLHE conference held in Vancouver, BC this past June. The SoTL Poster Prize is sponsored by the STLHE.

Steven Gedies (Faculty, Donald J. Smith School of Building Technology) was selected as the recipient of the SoTL Poster Award for his poster titled “Empower Learners and Enhance their Communication Skills”

Phase 1 (Development) of a 2 Phase Research and Innovation project displayed the creation of five innovative teaching activities, for faculty within the construction sector to empower learners, enhance their communication skills, and help foster an effective learning environment.

The teaching activities displayed were designed to encourage active participation in speaking, listening, (Card Task, Toolbox Talk), comprehension (Instructional Video Series), and written (Weekly Lab Workbook), skills through experiential learning, reflective practice, and narrative inquiry.

It is proposed that when subject specialists “uncover” these activities, holistic student engagement will occur and real or perceived learning barriers will be minimized.

Congratulations Steven!

The award recipient was announced during the STLHE Award Ceremony at the annual STLHE conference held in London, ON this past June. The SoTL Poster Award is sponsored by the STLHE.

David Hickey (Faculty, Department of English, University of Prince Edward Island) was selected as the recipient of the SoTL Poster Award for his poster titled “Anatomy of a Soapbox Speaker”

In Gaslight Sonatas, Fannie Hurst (1918) described the soapbox as having the power to turn “the four winds of the street corner [into] the walls of a temple of wisdom” (p. 29). Hurst’s streetscapes have long since faded to memory, and yet the need for public engagement, especially in the form of face-to-face dialogue, has never been more pressing. As Andrea Weckerie (2013) accurately observed in Civility in the Digital Age, “insidious elements have . . . taken hold online—the crippling insults and mockery of people, the widespread use of snark weakly justified as innocent humour, and the destruction of . . . reputations and individuals through shockingly easy and anonymous means” (4). These circumstances prompt the search for countermeasures that foster instead respectful forms of public debate that are free of the animosity and abuse now sadly ubiquitous online. For educators at all levels, efforts to support these environments frequently involve the search for teaching tools, both new and old alike, that enable students to enter into respectful dialogue as a means of actively addressing the issues that matter to them most.

While frequently evoked in pejorative terms, the traditional soapbox nevertheless remains one such tool for transformative change. Even the smallest stage can, in fact, dramatically alter how students understand themselves and their place in the world: when paired with a persuasive speaking assignment, the soapbox becomes a site from which to articulate closely held beliefs and to develop a sense of autonomy and agency.

This poster lists the qualities nurtured in students when professors use a soapbox in the university classroom, and then offers tips to teachers who may wish to incorporate soapbox speaking into their courses.

Adam Thomas (Humber College) was selected as the recipient of the SoTL Poster Award for his poster titled “Learning Codes through Tangible Aids”.

The winners of the SoTL Poster Award for 2019  are Kelly Pilato and Dr. Madelyn Law in the Department of Health Sciences at Brock University. Their poster titled: Implementation Evaluation of a mental health policy in higher education: shared meanings of the Fall Break Policy showcased the impact of a Fall Break at Brock University and the results it had on students perceived stress.

We would also like to recognize and give an honourable mention to the poster presented by Dr. Sharonna Greenberg from McMaster University. The poster, created in collaboration with colleagues from both McMaster and York Universities, was titled Assessing our Assessments: A Test Archive and Analysis System for Large Enrollment Classes.

Congratulations to the team from Thompson Rivers University for their collaborative project entitled “Knowledge Makers”.

The team members are Elder Mike Arnouse, Elder Doreen Kenoras, Elder Estella Patrick Moller, Dr Margaret Vickers Hyslop, Paul Michel, Professor Rod McCormick, Vernie Clement, Joanne Brown, Dr Sereana Naepi, Dean Airini, Dean Chris Adam, Misty Antoine, Dr Lisa Bourque Bearskin, Sheila Blackstock, Baihua Chadwick, Associate Professor Natalie Clark, Dean Tom Dickinson, Dean Doug Ellis, Troy Fuller, Dr James Gaisford, Kathy Gaynor, Garry Gottfriedson, Dean Michael Henry, Associate Professor Shelly Johnson, June Kelly, Brian Lamb, Donald Lawrence, Crystalyn Lemieux, Roxane Letterlough, Associate Professor Courtney Mason, Tina Matthew, Dean Rick McCutcheon, Donna McGrath, Dean Brad Morse, Dean Donna Murnahagn, Dr Mahtab Nazemi, Associate Vice-President Don Poirier, Dean Baldev Pooni, Karie Russell, Dr Darlene Sanderson, Dr Sandra Vermuellen, and Professor Emeritus Patrick Walton.

Knowledge Makers is a collaborative teaching initiative where Indigenous students learn how to research, and how to publish research, as Indigenous researchers. Based at Thompson Rivers University, the program brings together up to 15 Indigenous undergraduate students each year from across the university to learn how to ‘make knowledge’ through a multi-modal approach. Since 2015 close to 40 university leaders, Elders, faculty, staff, and community members have contributed to this non-credit, four-month annual program. Collaborative teaching in Knowledge Makers is a process of working together to achieve a common goal: strong, focused, confident published Indigenous researchers. Features of the collaboration between team members include: Elder-led learning, an online learning platform (Knowledge Makers e-portfolio), research methods and methodologies workshop, mentoring by experienced Indigenous researchers, project-based learning resulting in the publication of reviewed journal articles, one on one supervision, and Indigenous learning and teaching approaches.