Category: Student Learning
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Group Exams – A Testimonial
by Sandra Johnstone, Teaching Faculty, Faculty of Science and Technology, VIU Finally jumping on the bandwagon I’ve been intrigued by the idea of group exams for a while, but hadn’t got around to testing out the idea in any of my classes. I think that students can learn a lot through discussions with their peers,…
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Teachable Moments
By Wendy Simms, Biology Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Vancouver Island University I have a four year old son enrolled at a daycare that has a “Kinderprep” program 4 days a week. However, once the school year ends in June they take a break from Kinderprep and go back to play based activities. Last…
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Think Outside the Dodecahedron Part 1
by Anna Atkinson, Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Vancouver Island University I love the word dodecahedron, and boxes are a bit boring even when you’re thinking outside them. Besides, the term “think outside the box” suggests that to this point, only one model has been tried: the box. Teaching is about always…
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Teaching Circles: Using Skilled and Experienced Alumni
by Greg Klimes, Teaching Faculty, RMOT, Faculty of Science and Technology, Vancouver Island University One of the nicest rewards I’ve experienced here at VIU occurs each year when I invite several alumni from the RMOT program to assist in the mentoring and teaching of my current students. Here’s how it works and what it looks…
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My Life as a Rebel
By Deirdre Godwin, Program Assistant, Professional Development and Training, Faculties of Health and Human Services & Trades and Applied Technology, VIU In an earlier incarnation, or so it now seems, I was a student at an institution called Malaspina College. Many of my classes were held in decommissioned army huts, most of which on the…
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How to Turn Your iPad into a Document Camera: Teaching Chemistry in a Room not Designed for Teaching Chemistry
by Jessie Key, Teaching Faculty Member, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, VIU This semester I am teaching a fairly large section (for VIU) of 72 students in CHEM 232 (Organic Chemistry II). VIU, like many other colleges and small universities, has only a handful of lecture theatres which can actually accommodate this…
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Life Map
By Sherryl Maglione (Miss Magz), Cowichan Campus, ABE English Instructor, Vancouver Island University A meaningful way to understand one’s life and commemorate one’s progress through events and situations is to reflect on important memories, think about the people who are important to us, and gather images together that are critical to understanding our personal history.…
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Simulation Snippets Part III
By Barbara Metcalf, Teaching Faculty Member, Bachelor of Nursing Program, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, VIU For all blog posts on this topic see Simulation Snippets Part 1; Part 2; Part 4 and Part 5 This has been a red-letter week in the simulation suites. This week, I debuted the two most comprehensive simulations I have…
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Defender of academic standards or supporter of student success?
by Rob Ferguson, Teaching Faculty Member and Co-Chair, Department of Recreation and Tourism Management, Faculty of Management, VIU Being an educator within post secondary is often a position where interests and values seemingly conflict. For example early on in my teaching career I had evaluated a student’s work at below standard resulting in a fail…
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A Case for Engaged Teaching
by Marilyn Assaf, Communications Officer, University Relations, VIU My son Robert reached an important milestone last year – high school graduation. I felt a huge sense of relief watching him walk across the stage to receive his dogwood certificate. But what does it really mean? Yes, he’s completed 12 years of public education, but is…
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What Kind of “12th man” Am I?
By Sharon Kelly, Teaching Faculty Member and Degree Advisor, Faculty of Management/Educational Counsellor, Student Affairs, VIU It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and the “de boys” in the house are watching the game. The Seahawks pull ahead and the fans at the hometown stadium wildly cheer their boys on. I am not at the stadium urging them…
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My First MOOC
by Melissa Robertson, Learning Technologies Support Specialist, Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning, VIU I am in the second week of my very first MOOC, History and Future of (Mostly) Higher Education. It certainly has been a learning experience for me. I have just finished Week 1 and am near the middle of week…