In an area of science filled with complicated memorization, this professor has succeeded in keeping students coming back for more.
Dr. Akram Jaffar, a University Teaching Fellow in the Department of Medical Neuroscience, is well known by students and colleagues for raising the bar in teaching and accessibility in subjects such as anatomy and dentistry.
Dr. Jaffar’s simple explanations and entertaining videos are no accident. Having been a medical student himself, he recognizes how anatomy can be a difficult subject. He says he actively works to connect concepts for students and relate it to everyday events.
“I put myself in the boots of the student, and try to explain it to myself,” says Dr. Jaffar, one of this year’s recipients of the President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning.
I put myself in the boots of the student, and try to explain it to myself.
As he builds his course content and lectures, students are his main motivation. Instead of sticking to the same lesson plan each year, Dr. Jaffar insists student feedback is one of his most valuable tools.
“I am always learning from students,” he notes. “I use their tools in order to improve the way I develop the materials.”
From student to teacher
Dr. Jaffar has encountered a range of different teaching landscapes during his career. From being a TA at the University of Al-Nahrain in Iraq to conducting lectures at Dalhousie, he says each classroom is different, but he’s always enjoyed teaching.
“I used to explain to my peers when we were students, especially before exams,” says Dr. Jaffar.
He says his biggest inspiration comes from Dr. David Moffatt, an anatomy professor from the United Kingdom.
“The way he presented anatomy — I loved it,” he says. “It was a blackboard with chalk, [and] he used simple circle diagrams with different colors. I adopted this method and converted it to an iPad. It was a two-week period, but it affected me my whole life.”
Meeting students where they are
Dr. Jaffar’s commitment not just to learning, but to accessible learning is shown in how he provides multiple online resources, available any time of day so all can access them. He goes further by catering to individual needs to see students succeed.
Gabrielle Close, a Dalhousie student with visual impairment, speaks to how this commitment affected her while taking his first-year anatomy course.
“It was so uniquely done, he was so thoughtful, and he came up with so many solutions to the accommodation concerns,” she says.
Gabrielle, now beginning her masters, adds that his course changed her perspective and career path.
“It changed my outlook on university. When I started university, I was finding things difficult. But his course was something completely different. I dare say, it was the course that steered me towards a more health and medical related trajectory,” she notes.
Adapting for the future
Teaching techniques are always evolving, and many people in academia are rejecting new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). But Dr. Jaffar recognizes how harnessing these tools can facilitate student learning, not hinder it
“I’m a fan of AI. I support the students using AI, especially if it is an ethical use,” he notes.
His first-year anatomy class uses an online-learning platform called TopHat that has an AI feature built in for students. Dr. Jaffar says he chose it for this reason and acknowledges how important it is to continue developing new ways for students to learn as the world changes.
“If I was using the same method as the beginning of the 21st century, I would not rely on videos, [or] online resources. [You] have to develop your resources,” he says.
Dr. Jaffar recognizes how integral student input has been to his evolution as a teacher.
“I’m thankful, not only for the administration or the university, but actually really thankful to students,” says Dr. Jaffar. “If it wasn’t for feedback of students, I wouldn’t have gotten this [award].”