Studio Courses in Teaching and Learning

This course is open to Dalhousie faculty only

Course Description

Peer instruction is a powerful, evidence-based instructional strategy that provides opportunities for students to engage and interact during synchronous online and in-person classes. In a typical episode of peer instruction,

1. the instructor poses a conceptually-challenging question
2. each student thinks about the question submit their answer using a physical or virtual “clicker”
3. students discuss the question and their answers in small groups
4. students may vote a second time, depending on the nature of the question
5. the instructor leads a class-wide discussion where students share their thinking
6. the instructor models expert-like thinking and confirms why the right answers are right and the wrong answers are wrong

What to Expect

In this series of six, 90-minute, online sessions, we’ll explore the element of peer instruction and you’ll have opportunities to discuss (and experience) it. Before each session, you can expect 30-60 minutes of reading, writing, and responding as you integrate the elements of peer instruction into the context of your course. By the end of this course, you should be able to

• distinguish between the transmission, constructivist, and social constructivist models of learning and identify which are better supported by peer instruction
• create conceptually challenging “clicker” questions that spark discussion
• build time into your lesson for peer instruction by adopting a flipped learning model for the class
• facilitate an inclusive “choreography” in online synchronous and in-person classes so every student is able to engage in peer instruction
• draft a slide deck for one topic or lesson that includes episodes of peer instruction
• revise your course syllabus and grading scheme to integrate peer instruction
• select a student response system compatible with your learning technologies agility to poll students, gather and analyze their responses, and record their participation

Schedule

We’ll be running the 90-minute sessions twice each week: Tuesdays at 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Atlantic and Wednesdays at 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Atlantic. Participants can attend the session that best fits their schedule.

• Session 1: October 20 and 21
• Session 2: October 27 and 28
• Session 3: November 3 and 4
• (skip a week for Fall Study Week, November 9 – 13)
• Session 4: November 17 and 18
• Session 5: November 24 and 25
• Session 6: December 1 and 2

Enrolment

To participate in the course, please complete this registration and pre-course survey. There is an enrollment cap of 24 participants, with priority to those enrolled in the Faculty Certificate Program. Those not enrolled in the program may still register and will be notified on a first-come-first-served basis if a seat becomes available.

Assessment

As part of the Faculty Certificate in Teaching and Learning program, your work will be assessed and at the end of the course, you will receive a pass/fail grade. During the course, your worked will be assessed using a “mastery grading” scheme where you receive

• S – successful: Great work!
• G – growing: Your work shows growth towards success, however it’s incomplete. You can revise and resubmit if you want.
• N – not yet: No response or your work is not yet assessable. You should seriously consider revising and resubmitting.

Contact

If you have questions about the course, please contact the instructor:

Peter Newbury, PhD
Educational Developer, CLT | Faculty of Engineering
Email: peter.newbury@dal.ca
Twitter: @polarisdotca

Course Description

We have a commitment as faculty to provide students with learning opportunities that are inclusive, safe, and innovative. As part of this commitment, online courses need to be accessible—both in terms of their design, as well as in pedagogical strategies employed by the instructor. This means, as examples, supplying content accessible with assistive technologies such as screen readers or choosing video media with captions. It also includes writing learning outcomes that are flexible and achievable for all learners. Further, we can provide multiple ways for learners to express what they have learned. 

In this course, you will begin exploring accessibility in its various forms, relevant campus policies and legislation around accessibility, how-tos in creating accessible content, the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), components of student accessibility plans, commonly used assistive technologies, (dis)ability etiquette, and the characteristics and nature of specific reasons (including disabilities) students may require accommodations. 

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this studio course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the characteristics and nature of specific categories of (dis)ability, including any related etiquette (e.g., language, confidentiality, behaviour, etc.) 
• Create accessible course materials (webpages, PDFs, videos, images, etc.)
• Implement the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into their course design
• Read, interpret, and implement a student’s accessibility plan as provided by the Student Accessibility Centre
• Assess their online or blended course for its overall accessibility
• Evaluate, use, and recommend a range of assistive technologies (specifically those made available to students through the Student Accessibility Centre)

Schedule

This course is held 100% online and is accessible through Brightspace. The course occurs asynchronously, although there are opportunities to meet synchronously online or in person throughout the term.

Modules start on the following Mondays and run for 2-3 weeks each:

• January 20
• February 3
• February 24
• March 9
• March 23

Enrolment

There is an enrollment cap of 15 participants, with priority to those enrolled in the Faculty Certificate Program.  Those not enrolled in the program may still register and will be notified on a first-come-first-served basis if a seat becomes available.

Contact

Les T. Johnson, PhD | Educational Developer (eLearning)
Pronouns: he/him/his
Centre for Learning and Teaching
DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY
(902) 494-6828
lestjohnson@dal.ca

Anne Marie Ryan, University Teaching Fellow

Details: Online offering
Dates: June 15-July 3, 2020

Synchronous meetings tentatively: June 15, 18, 22, 25, and 29 (1 hour: suggested 9:30-10:30, or as works for the group – contact Anne Marie Ryan if this time is a problem (amryan@dal.ca))

Course Description: June 15- July 3 2020

This course is offered as a mix of synchronous and asynchronous online learning. Participants must have access to a computer and be able to actively participate in a minimum of 4 of the 5 synchronous sessions of approximately 1 hour. Participants can expect to spend 3-4 hours a week in addition, and then complete a project of relevance to their own context.

Much of our teaching traditionally focusses on content, the knowledge and skills we deem important within our discipline. This content is embedded in a context that we often leave untapped, so the richness of our disciplines can fail to be meaningfully exposed. What is this context beyond the content? In terms of our teaching, this might include such aspects as the relevance of the discipline to society, globally and locally, and the impact of society on our discipline; helping students unpack their own learning so they learn more deeply (metacognition); exploring the issues that have ethical implications and helping them develop decision-making tools; information literacy in all its guises; and what are often referred to as the “4Cs” of 21^st Century learning, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration. While we may be engaging students in many of these perspectives, we can also fail to be explicit around this broader context of our disciplines, so students fail to make the connections or see the relevance.

Integrating active learning where reasonable throughout these online sessions, this studio course explores a number of these and other aspects of context beyond content, and how, through being more deliberate in our teaching, we can enrich the learning opportunities for our students without compromising the content. Participants can expect to have some reading to do before and between sessions, contribute to the online discussion board and group interaction, and to complete a project in which they integrate the ideas from the course into a framework for one of their own courses.

Facilitator: Dr. Anne Marie Ryan, University Teaching Fellow

Date/Time 

Tuesday   August 6 and 13, 9 am – 12 pm
Thursday August 8 and 15, 9 am – 11 am

Location

Wallace McCain Learning Commons, Room 271
Studley Campus only (not available for remote locations)

Course Description

Much of our teaching traditionally focusses on content, the knowledge and skills we deem important within our discipline. This content is embedded in a context that we often leave untapped, so the richness of our disciplines can fail to be meaningfully exposed. What is this context beyond the content? In terms of our teaching, this might include such aspects as the relevance of the discipline to society, globally and locally, and the impact of society on our discipline; helping students unpack their own learning so they learn more deeply (metacognition); exploring the issues that have ethical implications and helping them develop decision-making tools; information literacy in all its guises; and what are often referred to as the “4Cs” of 21^stCentury learning, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration. While we may be engaging students in many of these perspectives, we can also fail to be explicit around this broader context of our disciplines, so students fail to make the connections or see the relevance. 

Using active learning throughout the sessions, this studio course explores a number of these and other aspects of context beyond content, and how, through being more deliberate in our teaching, we can enrich the learning opportunities for our students without compromising the content. Participants can expect to do some reading before and between sessions and to complete a project, in which they integrate the ideas from the course into a framework for one of their own courses.

If you have questions about the course, please contact the instructor, Anne.Marie.Ryan@Dal.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This studio course is designed to introduce faculty members and instructors to the field of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).  In this course, we will reflect on the value of SOTL and explore researching teaching and learning across the disciplines through a facilitated research development process to design a SoTL research project. Drawing from our own disciplinary backgrounds, and often working collaboratively, we will define a research question and place that question in the context of the relevant literatures, determine appropriate research methodologies, and explore the ethical implications of your research design.  Throughout the course, we will draw on some foundational writings in the field of SoTL, and engage in practical exercises that will result in a SoTL project that can be undertaken upon completion of the course.

Course Details: Wednesdays from 11am to 1pm
February 6, 13, 27, and March 5, 2019: inclusive 
Killam Library, room B-400. 

Participants will attend all four sessions and should plan time between sessions for working on projects.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Embracing student-centred pedagogy, as well as engaging in critical self-reflection, studio course participants will examine ways in which their classes may inadvertently create barriers for marginalized students. We will uncover, consider, and apply inclusive approaches and practices that will help mitigate these barriers and support all students’ learning. The four-week course culminates in a final project.  Participants should complete the course with practical skills and knowledge that can be immediately applied in their next classes and courses. Topics include: barriers to student learning and an introduction to inclusive teaching; practical and applied strategies including active and group learning; inclusive teaching online; and inclusive assessment.

Course Details: Tuesdays, 9-11 AM on February 5, 12, 26, and March 5, 2019: inclusive
Participants will attend all four sessions.

Participants will attend all four sessions and should plan time between sessions for working on projects.

Facilitator: Chad O'Brien, B.A., B.Sc., B.Ed., MEd
Educational Developer

Technology impacts teaching practice, and this course will help faculty members with strategies to increase the benefits of that impact.  This studio course will begin by addressing foundational decisions regarding when to use technology in one’s teaching practice and for what reasons. 

By the end of the studio course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate any educational technology through hands-on experience;
• Apply any technology in the design of a course activity, module, or other related part of teaching practice;
• Explain choice of educational technology based on considerations of purpose of activity, learning outcomes, and learner characteristics in selection process;
• Identify the rationale and benefits attributed to integrating technology with learning activities;
• Identify challenges and risks associated with implementing technologies in learning activities.

Participants will choose a project that applies to their practice.  The idea is to appropriately select a technology that will benefit an element of one’s practice.  Participants will submit their rationale for the project in an online repository and then present the results of their work.  There will be options to present either face to face in the last week, or to submit a video presentation via Brightspace for review.  This will be a blended delivery (at least 3 classes are face-to-face/video-conference). The course will take 4 weeks to complete. 

The capacity of this studio course will be 16 participants.  Participants are expected to bring a browser enabled device.  Those participating in the Faculty Certificate Program will be expected to attend all sessions and complete all mandatory online activities.  All weeks will have online components. Participants may spend more time beyond what is in the expected time column depending on their project topic and digital competency. 

If you have questions about the course, please contact the instructor, Chad O'Brien.  

Tel: (902) 494-6792
Email: chad.obrien@dal.ca

We are often asked to engage in both scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching, but can forget to acknowledge that while closely related, their intentions and outcomes are different. Scholarly teaching involves the use of evidence-based practices in our teaching, which includes actively reading and critically reflecting on new pedagogical approaches to understand how, why, and when our students are learning. While intertwined with scholarly teaching, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) involves a systematic approach into studying student learning, through asking questions, gathering evidence, and applying frameworks of inquiry.

Many of us move between scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching, but without reflecting on how both overlap, compliment, and are a part of a larger practice of our teaching development. This studio course will explore both concepts and focus on how you can be both a scholarly teacher and produce scholarship about your teaching at the same time.

Please note: This is a face-to-face course on the Halifax campus only.

Course Times
10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Thursdays, B400 of the Killam

• Class 1: Oct 24, 2019
• Class 2: Oct 31, 2019
• Class 3: Nov 7, 2019
• Class 4: Nov 14, 2019 (Not mandatory, work time and opportunity for feedback)
• Class 5: Nov 21, 2019
• Class 6: Nov 28, 2019

Learning outcomes

• Engage in collaborative conversations with colleagues across disciplines to explore foundational principles of scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
• Identify and explore an area of curiosity related to student learning, through critically reflecting on your teaching practice.  
• Develop a research question grounded in the principles of good SoTL practice and supported by appropriate literature on teaching and learning.
• Provide peer feedback and support to enhance the scholarly practices of others in the studio course.

Facilitator

Jill Marie McSweeney-Flaherty, PhD
Educational Developer (Graduate Students)
Tel: (902) 494-4300 | Email: jill.mcsweeney@dal.ca

This course has a max capacity of 18 students.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: “Diversity and inclusivity” has become a commonly used phrase, but how deeply do we understand these words?  In this course, through active, peer, and reflective learning activities, we will awaken our own interpretations of “diversity” and “inclusivity” and begin to apply our understandings to our life and work at Dal. Setting goals and keeping an “inclusivity journal” are significant course components. This course is an excellent pre-cursor to a second studio course being offered in another term, wherein we will dig deeply into applying inclusivity to our teaching practices.

Course Details: The course will take place on five consecutive Wednesdays (September 19, 26, October 3, 10, and 17) from 1:00-3:00pm in the Killam Library, room B-400. 

Click Here to Register

Studio Course Description:
In this studio course you will have time to rethink the use of research papers for university students (especially first-year or inexperienced students). The course includes four class sessions in which we will discuss student preparedness for writing, learning outcomes, activities that sequence learning, appropriate feedback, and rubrics for papers. The course will culminate in the presentation of research a paper assignment project for one of your classes. The intent is to develop a deeper understanding of and new approaches to research paper assignments.

Technology impacts teaching practice and this course will help faculty with strategies to increase the benefits of that impact.  This studio course will begin by addressing foundational decisions regarding when to use technology and for what reasons in one’s teaching practice. 

By the end of the studio course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate any educational technology through hands-on experience;
• Apply any technology in the design of a course activity, module, or other related part of teaching practice;
• Explain choice of educational technology based on considerations of purpose of activity, learning outcomes, and learner characteristics in selection process;
• Identify the rationale and benefits attributed to integrating technology with learning activities;
• Identify challenges and risks associated with implementing technologies in learning activities.

Participants will choose a project that applies to their practice.  The idea is to appropriately select a technology that will benefit an element of one’s practice.  Participants will submit their rationale for the project in an online repository and then present the results of their work to the other course attendees during the last session.  This will be a blended delivery and take approximately 6 weeks to complete.  Participants are welcome to attend from all campus locations remotely. 

Faculty who are not a part of the certificate program at this time are welcome to attend any of the sessions in any way they see beneficial.  Only faculty who need this course to count towards their certificate are required to complete all elements outlined in the schedule.

The capacity of this studio course will be 20 participants.  Participants are expected to bring a browser enabled device.  Those participating in the faculty certificate program will be expected to attend all sessions and complete all mandatory online activates.  All weeks will have online components.  Participants may spend more time beyond what is in the expected time column depending on their project topic and digital competency.  Week 6 will only occur if registration is higher than 10, otherwise everyone is expected to present on April 16.  Here is a summary of the course calendar:

Facilitator

Chad O'Brien, MEd
Instructional Designer
Tel: (902) 494-6792
Email: chad.obrien@dal.ca

In this studio course, we explore a number of key questions in science teaching and learning through the lens of visual representations (such as graphs, maps, symbols, diagrams, and photographs) used in science.

Studio Course Brochure

The sessions will run on June 8, 11, 12, 13, and 14 from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, in the Academic Resource Centre, Wallace McCain Learning Commons.

The Studio Course is project based. Completing the project will require certificate participants to submit two pieces of writing:

1. A course module or detailed lesson plan incorporating the use of visual representations particular to that scientific discipline, designed through consideration of some of the key questions and issues discussed in the course.
2. A reflection that comments on the participant’s thinking about science teaching in general and key questions/issues arising in the course, in particular how the module or lesson plan is designed to improve students’ learning and understanding of the course material, and how the module or lesson plan will fit into the course as a whole.

• Attendance at the first four days of the course is required, and the final day will be project working time and an opportunity for questions and further discussion.
• Those participating for credit towards the Faculty Certificate Program are expected to attend all sessions and complete all Studio Course activities.

Learning Outcomes… Successful Studio Course participants will:

• Start asking questions about the nature of science and what it means to be a chemist, biologist, earth scientist, etc., in the 21^st century
• Investigate the use of visuals as a means to think about, do, and communicate science
• Identify and describe key principles of learning and development and their implications for teaching and learning in the university sciences
• Examine such considerations as uncertainty and randomness, scale and patterns, rates of change and quantitative reasoning, bias and multiple perspectives, etc., and explore how we might address these to support students’ scientific understanding
• Evaluate possibilities for teaching problem-solving, as well as critical and creative thinking to enhance students’ learning in the sciences

 For more information on this Studio Course, please contact the instructors:

Anne Marie Ryan, PhD
Department of Earth Sciences
University Teaching Fellow
(902) 494-3184
amryan@dal.ca

Gillian Gass, PhD
Department of Biology
Senior Instructor
(902) 494-8445
gillian.gass@dal.ca

In this studio course, we explore a number of key questions in science teaching and learning through the lens of visual representations (such as graphs, maps, symbols, diagrams, and photographs) used in science. 

Studio Course Brochure
 

This Studio Course will take place on the Truro campus and will run on June 29 and July 6, from 10:30 – 3:30, in Haley 254, on the Agricultural Campus.

The course is open to Dalhousie faculty members including part-time academics. Post-doctoral fellows or staff members who teach may also attend.

The Studio Course is project based. Completing the project will require certificate participants to submit two pieces of writing:

1. A course module or detailed lesson plan incorporating the use of visual representations particular to that scientific discipline, designed through consideration of some of the key questions and issues discussed in the course.
2. A reflection that comments on the participant’s thinking about science teaching in general and key questions/issues arising in the course, in particular how the module or lesson plan is designed to improve students’ learning and understanding of the course material, and how the module or lesson plan will fit into the course as a whole.

• Attendance both days of the course is required, and the second day will be project working time and an opportunity for questions and further discussion.
• Those participating for credit towards the Faculty Certificate Program are expected to attend all sessions and complete all Studio Course activities.

Learning Outcomes… Successful Studio Course participants will:

• Start asking questions about the nature of science and what it means to be a chemist, biologist, earth scientist, etc., in the 21^st century
• Investigate the use of visuals as a means to think about, do, and communicate science
• Identify and describe key principles of learning and development and their implications for teaching and learning in the university sciences
• Examine such considerations as uncertainty and randomness, scale and patterns, rates of change and quantitative reasoning, bias and multiple perspectives, etc., and explore how we might address these to support students’ scientific understanding
• Evaluate possibilities for teaching problem-solving, as well as critical and creative thinking to enhance students’ learning in the sciences

For more information on this Studio Course, please contact the instructors:

This short course is designed to introduce faculty members to the field of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).  In this course, our aim is to explore researching teaching and learning across the disciplines through a facilitated research development process to design a SoTL research project – from defining a research question and placing that question in the context of the relevant literatures, to determining appropriate research methodologies and exploring the ethical implications of your research design.  Throughout the course, you will be introduced to some foundational writings in the field of SoTL, while engaging in practical exercises that will result in a SoTL project that can be undertaken upon completion of the course.

We will meet on Fridays from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, in the Killam Library, Room B400, on the following dates:

• October 6 
• October 20
• November 3
• November 17
  

Facilitator

Brad Wuetherick
Executive Director
Centre for Learning and Teaching
Tel: 902-494-6646
Email: Brad.Wuetherick@dal.ca