SoTL Grant Recipients
Winter 2024
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grants
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Studying Learning and Belonging in the Microbial Observatory Science Outreach Module (MOSOM) Program
| Recipients | Dr. Joseph Bielawski |
|---|---|
| Abstract | The preservation of Earth鈥檚 biodiversity will be impossible without (i) understanding the microbial processes essential to every ecosystem and (ii) training the next generation of biodiversity scientists. The Microbial Observatory Science Outreach Module (MOSOM) program will meet this challenge through inclusive and collaborative exploration of the microbial world. Individual MOSOMs comprise an educational platform that will situate experiential learning activities and inquiry-based workshops within the active practice of impactful biodiversity science by 国民彩票 scientists. MOSOMs will be the foundation of a rich learning environment that will allow both citizens and 国民彩票 undergraduate students to work collaboratively with our scientists to co-produce new knowledge on microbial biodiversity. A centerpiece of the approach is the creation of science educational content by, with and for youth from underrepresented communities. MOSOMs will bring an innovative teachers-as-learners model to 国民彩票鈥檚 undergraduate education program. CTL funding is essential to the assessment and improvement of MOSOMs. |
Winter 2023
Exploring effective teaching methodologies that prepare medical students when faced with concerns of health inequities
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2803.00 |
| Abstract | Structural and cultural changes within Canadian Faculties of Medicine and their medical programs are needed. Unfortunately, curriculum diversification is a challenging process due to competing priorities and the complexity of a medical curriculum. In 2020, 国民彩票 embarked on a Curriculum Refresh, whereby faculty and staff members focused their efforts on modifying the undergraduate medical program to address inadequately discussed health concerns of the community, including addictions medicine, competency-based learning, generalism, health systems, planetary health, priority communities, and public health. In this semi-structured qualitative study, we hope to better understand if the current Curriculum Refresh at 国民彩票 has fostered a thorough understanding of health and sociopolitical inequities that exist in institutional and community settings that provide medical education and care. We aim to uncover student perspectives on whether the new curriculum has provided medical students with the knowledge and skills needed to address systemic issues through a lens that considers and integrates the social determinants of health in medical education and healthcare. |
Fall 2022
Co-Creation for Meaningful Assessment of 2SLGBTQ+ Health
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-Applicant |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2958.30 |
| Abstract | Addressing the healthcare of sexually and gender diverse individuals (2SLGBTQ+) within health professional training programs is becoming a major priority. Despite known examples of implementation of curricular content, there is little to no information available on how to appropriately and safely assess programming that relates to the influence of systemic oppression on 2SLGBTQ+ health. This proposal outlines the first iteration of a design-based research project that will use co-creation between academics, community members, and students to design assessment tools and generate design principles that will contribute to educational theory. A mixed methods approach with engagement from 2SLGBTQ+ community members and pharmacy students will provide the data for this project. Results are expected to be transferable across healthcare professional training programs and impactful outside of the local context. |
Evaluating Internships to Support Student Learning and Wellbeing
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2973.32 |
| Abstract | Experiential and active learning are important parts of post-secondary learning environments. Internships are a common form of experiential learning, associated with many benefits for student learning outcomes and professional development. Internships are not without challenges, however, and the literature identifies factors important to their success. The purpose of this program evaluation SOTL project is to explore student perceptions of learning experiences with internships in health promotion and recreation, to contextualize those perceptions with stakeholder perspectives and an environmental scan, and to make recommendations for program refinements accordingly. This participatory project will include an environmental scan of relevant programs, a survey of past, present, and future internship students and qualitative interviews and focus groups with students andstakeholders. We anticipate findings will tell us more about student experiences in this internship context and help make recommendations for the associated programs. |
Assessing Student Experiences of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) at the College of Sustainability, 国民彩票
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2958.30 |
| Abstract | Most post-secondary institutions in Canada have or are in the process of developing advisory groups focused on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) (Universities Canada, 2019). However, a lack of EDIA data on students remains a challenge cited by senior EDIA leads throughout Canada, which can impact recruiting and retaining diverse students as well as integrating EDIA considerations in teaching and learning (Universities Canada, 2019). Despite the strides made by EDIA advisory groups and the integration of EDIA into program and course-level learning outcomes, faculty and student experiences do not always align with desired outcomes, as there can be gaps between the intended curriculum, the taught curriculum, and the learned curriculum. As such, this SoTL project explores student experiences of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) at the College of Sustainability, 国民彩票, including what EDIA means for them as students and how the College is performing against these student-defined standards. It also seeks students鈥� feedback on the specific teaching and learning activities and practices that (1) best support and (2) actively detract from EDIA within our courses and our undergraduate learning environment. Results from this study will contribute towards continuing EDIA efforts with respect to the College of Sustainability鈥檚 governance, practices, and processes. |
Does Bridging Analogies on Recursion Facilitate Students鈥� Learning With Visualizations?
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants Stephanie Bernier, Educational Developer, Faculty of Computer Science |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2948.00 |
| Abstract | The goal of this project is design and evaluate the effectiveness of multimedia in facilitating students鈥� shifts to more sophisticated mental models of recursion. Research shows that novice programmers hold alternate conceptions or misconceptions about methods that call themselves from within their own code. Drawing on this literature and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, the proposed instructional design consists of bridging analogies interleaved with visualizations in the form of animation combined with narration. Students enrolled in CSCI 1105 Introduction to Computer Programming will learn with the material while performing code tracing and writing tasks to measure learning processes and outcomes and ascertain the effects of bridging analogies. We predict that intuitive examples support students in assimilating and reinstating knowledge of recursion semantics while performing programming tasks. The project will serve as example to instructors on how to apply Mayer鈥檚 principles for multimedia learning design to create instructional materials. |
Conceptual Transfer for Students Learning New Programming Languages
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants Stephanie Bernier, Educational Developer, Faculty of Computer Science |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2948.00 |
| Abstract | Students can learn a new programming language more deeply from memory diagrams that illustrate how the state of data changes during the execution of a program than from examples of code alone. How does memory diagrams support students to transfer their understanding of conceptual and semantic knowledge as they learn new languages? The aim of this project is to design novel representations of semantics specific to the transition from Python to Java that facilitate meaningful learning. We distinguish bridging and contrasting memory diagrams. A bridging memory diagram makes explicit the same semantics between two programming languages despite the different syntax. A contrasting memory diagram depicts the similarities in syntax between languages and compares the different semantics. We predict that students will make fewer errors on code reading tasks while learning from memory diagrams that promote conceptual transfer. |
Process evaluation of the implementation of an inaugural Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in a Collaborative Healthcare Setting focusing on student integration into hospital inpatient clinical pharmacy services
Recipients |
Project Lead College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2974.12 |
| Abstract | The College of Pharmacy is in the process of implementing the entry level Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. In their final year, students undertake a 12-week Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in a Collaborative Healthcare Setting (CHC). The inaugural rotation will be offered in rotation blocks between May 2023-April 2024. As part of rotation activities, integration of pharmacy students into clinical pharmacy services as 鈥榗are extenders鈥� will be a focus. This project aims to evaluate the CHC APPE rotation to gain insight on how the rotation is implemented in different hospital settings, understand student contribution, and identify facilitators and barriers to student integration. Data for the process evaluation will be collected by record of site activities, course evaluations, and site/preceptor/student interviews. As contextual differences between practice sites can impact fidelity of an education program, process evaluation can help inform adaptations to ensure program effectiveness that will impact future pharmacy students. |
Fall 2021
Fall 2021
Lending libraries as tools for peer and experiential learning: A case study of 国民彩票鈥檚 鈥楻ecreation Library
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2,997.60 |
| Abstract | The aim of this SoTL grant is to support research and evaluation of the Recreation Library. The Recreation Library is a collection of supplies, equipment, and written and electronic resources, that is available for use by students and student clubs within the School of Health and Human Performance (funded by a CLT Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant). The Recreation Library offers opportunities for experiential learning, particularly related to supporting peers in accessing the library, contributing to the creation and maintenance of library items, and using items to enhance course-based and extracurricular learning. Evaluation will be carried out via online survey, and by collecting data related to frequency and purpose of use. Beyond evaluation, focus groups with Recreation Library volunteers and participatory evaluation activities with Recreation Library users will constitute a case study exploring the role of this lending library in facilitating experiential and peer-assisted learning. |
The Evolution of Teaching Effectiveness: A bibliometric perspective
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-Applicant |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2,976.91 |
| Abstract | United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all" (Goal 4 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs, n.d.). There exists an overwhelming abundance of research on teaching effectiveness. Educators need a way to rigorously navigate through the available literature to ensure quality education. We will use bibliometric methods to perform a large-scale empirical analysis of global teaching effectiveness scholarship, its structure, and its evolution over the last four decades, and provide a detailed overview of teaching effectiveness research during that time. The resulting map of teaching effectiveness literature will assist in identifying potential gaps in the literature and possible interdisciplinary bridges to be built or strengthened. Finally, this comprehensive multidisciplinary overview of teaching effectiveness literature may encourage scholars, educators, and administrators to step out of their disciplinary silos and embrace a more holistic view of teaching effectiveness. |
Summer 2021
Towards inclusivity in health education: a blueprint for inclusion of diversity markers within clinical case-based learning material
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2,933.00 |
| Abstract | There are urgent calls and emerging strategic priorities for incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion within health professional training programs. Systemic racism and discrimination against underrepresented populations must be dismantled by reviewing all aspects of program design, including student learning material. Preliminary evidence from 国民彩票 shows that diversity markers are rarely incorporated into case-based learning materials for pharmacy students and yet when present, may be contributing to reinforcement of negative stereotypes or cultural biases towards minority populations (Indigenous persons, racial minorities, sexually and/or gender diverse individuals, or persons with disabilities). The goal of this project, through community engagement, is to produce a research-informed blueprint for introducing diversity markers within learning materials using an integrated and scaffolded approach across the PharmD program. The blueprint will aim to guide when, where, and how diversity should be incorporated, in order to ensure representation occurs accurately and free from cultural biases and stereotypes. |
Virtually Simulated Patients in Education: Using Virtual Reality in OSCE for Teaching and Learning
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-applicants |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2,989.00 |
| Abstract | Continuous development of technology and educational methods are key factors to improve the clinical skills taught to students in the healthcare settings especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of performance-based assessments such as OSCEs, has the critical role in preparing healthbased learners including occupational therapy students. Despite the benefits of using OSCEs, its implementation highly depends on the availability of resources, as its costs is high. With the technological advancement, using 鈥渧irtually simulated patients鈥� in a form of virtual-reality can help overcome challenging related to resources and provide sustainable teaching and learning environments. Thus, this project aims to collect stakeholders鈥� ideas on the application of virtually simulated patients in teaching and evaluation. We will interview at least 15-18 stakeholders including students, instructors, and regulatory bodies. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. This project can enhance instructors鈥� knowledge about potential use of technologies in simulation to facilitate students learning. |
Culturally Responsive Teaching鈥揻aculty members鈥� critical reflections on CRT practices
| Recipients | Project Lead Co-investigators |
|---|---|
| Amount | $2,969.00 |
| Abstract | The objective of this project is to engage all Faculty of Management (FoM) faculty members to learn about and understand their culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices, by employing a structured, weekly approach to critically reflect upon their CRT pedagogies during one semester of teaching. The framework used to guide this research is drawn from the eight competencies for culturally responsible teaching (Mu帽iz, 2020). We believe faculty, reflecting weekly, using structured, critical reflective questions regarding CRT competencies may, 1) increase their knowledge regarding CRT practices, 2) change some of the ways they interact and teach students in ways that are CRT aware, 3) disseminate their knowledge to students in their classrooms and other faculty and staff, and 4) develop their capacity in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. To our knowledge, this is the first CRT study aimed to engage an entire faculty in a structured, critical reflection of their CRT practices. |
Winter 2021
Use of Written Reflections to Understand the Evolution of Pharmacy Student Professional Identity Formation
Project Lead:
- Natalie Kennie-Kaulbach, College of Pharmacy
Co-Applicants:
- Harriet Davies, BSc(Pharm), CDE, M.Ed., Coordinator of Clinical Education
Anne Marie Whelan, BSc(Pharm), PharmD, FCSHP, Professor & Associate Director of Program Evaluation
Heidi Framp, BSc(Pharm), MSc, University Teaching Fellow, Associate Director, Education
Sheri Price, PhD, Associate Professor
Amount: $2,173.25
Abstract:
Professional identity formation (PIF) is a process internalizing a profession鈥檚 core values and beliefs such that one will 鈥渢hink, feel and act鈥� like a member of a community. In pharmacy practice and education, the development of a strong unified professional identity is needed to support practice transformation. Currently, the process of PIF in pharmacy students is poorly understood. The College of Pharmacy has recently undergone curricular change and there is a need to invest in generating evidence to inform curricular changes relate to PIF in students. Evidence shows that experiential education and reflection play a key role in PIF. This project aims to use written reflections to understand the evolution of PIF in pharmacy students during their first experiential education rotation in community pharmacy.
Investigating the Efficacy of Discussion Boards in Student Engagement in Large Online Gateway Chemistry Classes
Project Lead:
- Dr. Jennifer L. MacDonald, Senior Instructor and First-Year Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Co-Applicants:
- Dr. Angela Crane, Instructor and First-Year Chemistry Lecture Coordinator, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
- Robert Foisy, Undergraduate Microbiology and Immunology Student and First-Year Chemistry Senior Teaching Assistant, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science
- Nicholas Roberts, Undergraduate Chemistry Student and First-Year Chemistry Senior Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Amount: $2,578.42
Abstract:
First-Year Chemistry is the largest gateway course in at 国民彩票 (~1000-1300 students). Due to the rapid transition to online learning in Winter 2020, the First Year Team began to deliver tutorial support via Discussion Boards. While there are many examples in the recent literature about the usage of discussion boards for online course engagement in chemistry classes (both before/during the COVID-19 pandemic), these studies report on the usage of discussion boards which are used as part of the class assessment scheme, are often seeded with question prompts, and students are required to post and/or respond to posts as part of their course engagement credit.
This study aims to analyze the efficacy of discussion board usage in large gateway chemistry classes for tutorial support and engagement when discussion board usage is optional, has a loose structure, and is supported by a teaching team
Challenging Conversations and Scenarios Lab
Project Lead:
- Dr. Caitlin McArthur, Assistant Professor, School of Physiotherapy
Co-applicants:
- Kate Grosweiner, Instructor, School of Physiotherapy
- Dr. Marie Earl, Assistant Professor, School of Physiotherapy
Amount: $1,199.92
Abstract:
Health care professionals often encounter challenging conversations and scenarios in clinical practice involving legal, ethical, and safety concerns. While students may understand the theory of how to respond, they may lack the comfort or confidence for managing these challenging scenarios in the moment, particularly at entry to practice. Simulation based learning has been shown to improve students鈥� motivation for learning about engaging in challenging conversations. However, this work has mainly focused on medical and nursing training and has not examined the effect of simulation-based learning on students鈥� comfort and confidence in engaging in challenging conversations. We will examine the effect of simulation-based learning in a Challenging Conversations and Scenarios Lab in the final course of the MSc in Physiotherapy program at 国民彩票. Data will be collected through three online student surveys and a student response paper.
Assessing and Building ESS Students鈥� Conflict Communication Competency within the College of Sustainability
Project Lead:
- Laurel Schut, College of Sustainability
Amount: $1,573.39
Abstract:
Arriving at decisions can be easy when we are communicating with people with similar values, interests, and needs 鈥� but conflict can arise when we find ourselves in conversations with individuals who do not see the situation as we do. Working towards sustainability goals requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders, disciplines, and fields, which inevitably leads to situations in which disagreement is present. As such, skilled communication around conflict management is a particularly imperative skillset in the context of sustainability. This SoTL project explores the comfort levels and capacities of sustainability students with respect to engaging with conflict communication in sustainability-related contexts, both before and after participating in an Introductory Conflict Management for Sustainability course. It also seeks students鈥� feedback on the specific teaching and learning activities that best support the development of these skills. Results from this study will contribute towards course-level, program-level, and certificate-level development at the College of Sustainability.
Embedding self-regulated learning experiences in blended first-year physiology courses: a quest to increase the use of active studying strategies and improve academic success
Project Lead:
- Dr. Marie-Soleil Beaudoin, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine
Amount: $2,159.85
Abstract:
Covid-19 forced most Canadian undergraduate students to engage in online learning, in environments that offer increased flexibility, autonomy, and choices to learners. Self-regulated learning (SRL) 鈥� a process whereby learners set goals for their learning and then monitor and regulate their behaviors to achieve these objectives (Zimmerman, 2000) 鈥� has been positively associated with academic performance (Broadbent, 2017; Cho & Shen, 2013). However, most entry-level undergraduate students fail to adopt appropriate SRL behaviours (Bjork et al, 2013; Dunlosky et al, 2013; McCabe, 2011). This negatively impacts their academic satisfaction, motivation, and performance. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine whether integrating SRL-focused learning activities within first-year blended physiology courses promotes SRL skills, enhances the use of active learning strategies, and improves academic success. It is hypothesized that participation into SRL-focused tasks will encourage the adoption of active studying strategies, improve the accuracy of students鈥� self-assessments, and enhance academic performance.
Are short lectures better? An investigation of the impact of short design for asynchronous lectures
Project Lead:
- Dr. Colin Conrad, School of Information Management (primary appointment) Department of Psychology and Neuroscience (cross appointment)
Amount: $2,989.88
Abstract:
It is commonly believed that it is a best practice to design asynchronous courses to be delivered in short segments so that they can better attract user attention. However, it is unclear whether this best practice is warranted because it is difficult to measure attentional variances during pre-recorded lecture use without disrupting a users鈥� experience. In this study we will explore the impact of asynchronous lecture design by investigating differences in electroencephalography (EEG) signals generated during different asynchronous lecture formats. 50 students will be recruited from the Faculty of Management or Faculty of Science to watch an asynchronous lecture while wearing EEG and will answer questions about mind wandering and complete a pre/post quiz on the content. Brain patterns, questionnaire responses and quiz results will be compared to determine whether lecture design impacted participant mind wandering. This study will provide empirical evidence for asynchronous lecture design best practices.
Providing Metacognitive Scaffolding for Interpreting Problem Prompts in Computing Education: The Faded Worked Example Effect
Project Lead:
- Eric Poitras, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Computer Science
Co-Applicants:
- Angela Siegel, Senior Instructor and BACS Program Director, Faculty of Computer Science
- Alexander Brodsky, University Teaching Fellow, Faculty of Computer Science
- Stephanie Bernier, Educational Developer, Faculty of Computer Science
Amount: $1,841.73
Abstract:
Students in large-scale introductory programming courses acquire knowledge by studying worked examples and solving practice problems with the benefit of feedback. Solving a programming problem requires a valid understanding of the task but students who misinterpret the problem prompt are most likely to fail in their efforts towards a solution. Previous research in the context of automated assessment systems has addressed this issue by asking students to solve a test case immediately after reading the problem prompt and before writing code. However, students may still fail to build a comprehensive mental model or revise misconceptions by simply re-reading the prompt. This exploratory design-based study examines the effects of faded worked examples for the design of solutions to address misconceptions using worksheets in OneNote Class Notebooks. The findings will inform the design of a content library and analytics dashboards to support instructors to address deficient or erroneous understandings.
2019
Participatory university curriculum development for land-based education on Indigenous perspectives on resources and the environment, School for Resource and Environmental Studies/College of Sustainability
Melanie Zurba
Amount: $2,985
The utility of a psychiatry faculty-resident clinical skills co-tutoring model for enhancing resident teaching skills
Cheryl Murphy
Amount: $2776
2018
Privacy Concerns and Privacy Seeking in Online Courses
| Recipients | Keith Lawson |
|---|---|
| Amount | $1788.00 |
| Students are taught to protect their privacy online; however, online courses assume students will give up privacy and allow fellow students and instructors to scrutinize and evaluate activities and collaborative processes. Students may be willing to give up some privacy when they can see a benefit, but at the same time, they may be fearful of the judgment of peers or instructors and worried about potential violations of personal limits. These concerns could lead them to seek other ways of communicating or it could lead them to avoid online courses altogether. This study seeks to understand what concerns students in online courses have about personal privacy, and to discover what strategies students have to establish and protect their personal privacy.This study will be useful to those seeking to create online courses where students feel their privacy is respected and where they are comfortable participating. | |
A Formalized Framework for Mentorship of Teaching Assistants
| Recipients | Lara Gibson and Mindy McCarville |
|---|---|
| Amount | $1,092.00 |
| Teaching Assistants (TAs)in three undergraduate Biology classes will be invited to participate in a formalized mentoring program. The mentoring program will 1) helpTAs to focus on specific skills they wish to develop through their employment, 2) allow the TAs to practice these skills in a teaching setting, and 3) give opportunity for the mentor to provide feedback on these skills in a formalized way. TAs that choose to participate in the mentorship program will be asked to complete two measures of teaching effectiveness at the | |