Scholarship of Teaching and Lear

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Current Projects

1. Illustrated learning journals and student achievement (in collaboration with Ila Crawford, Visual and Performing Arts, TRU) 2008-2010, currently in press with Journal of College Science Teaching

Learning journals have been extensively used as a means of increasing student metacognition, yet most learning journal assignments have been exclusively writing assignments. The overall objective of this project is is to evaluate the impact of an illustrated learning journal assignment, and specifically, the influence of drawing on student engagement and achievement within botany laboratories. In this project, students are introduced to the learning journal assignment, the role of visual representation in solving scientific problems, and provided with a drawing tutorial. We will be evaluating student achievement and engagement through both content analysis of learning journals as well as through student achievement measured through quizzes/exams in the course.

2. The curriculum of place (in collaboration with Dr. Tina Block (Philosophy, History, and Politics), Ila Crawford (Visual and Performing Arts), Dr. Kim Naqvi (Geography), Ginny Ratsoy, (English and Modern Languages), Elizabeth Templeman (ESL and Coordinator, Supplemental Learning), and Dr. Tom Waldichuk (Geography).

This committee is investigating how place matters to our teaching. Many have argued that place is of increasing importance for academic institutions and their surrounding communties, especially in light of cultural and economic globalization. A curriculum of place both identifies the unique qualities of local phenomena and local knowledge and to meet the academic and social needs of an increasingly international body. Place-based education is gaining recognition as an engaging and attractive approach which increases student achievement and student retention in primary and secondary schools, yet little attention has been develoted to place-based education in post-secondary institutions in Canada. The goals of this goal are multi-faceted: we are currently for developing an interdisciplinary course for TRU students on the importance of place, as well as preparing a full-day workshop for educational developers at the Educational Developers Caucus, the winter meeting of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (Feb 18-20, 2010) in Kamloops, BC.

Publications:

Making Connections: teaching through the experience of place. Pamphlet produced for participants of workshop, TRU, Kamloops, BC. pdf available Please note the pdf is formatted as a pamphlet. It should be printed off two sided, the pages assembled, and then folded in half to create a pamphlet.