Category: Pedagogy Page 1 of 5

For this second installment of our 2025 Summer Asynchronous Professional Development, we offer two activities to help you reflect on how you can navigate ethical considerations when using artificial intelligence (AI) for teaching and learning. While the tools continue to evolve, the ethical considerations associated with AI aren’t changing as quickly. Learning how your AI use – and your students’ AI use – intersects with privacy, data security, fairness, and more, increases your capacity for making responsible choices.

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Activity 1 – Approaching Generative Artificial Intelligence Ethically
by Carolyn Ives, Diane Janes, and Brett McCollum

Whether it’s discussed in class or not, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has already transformed how many students work. If we want to make sure that transformation is a positive one, we can help learners think about ethical uses of AI, considering issues such as bias, fairness, privacy, data security, transparency, accountability, and the human dimension.

The World Economic Forum presents seven guiding principles for the use of AI in educational institutions:

• Purpose: Explicitly connect the use of AI to educational goals
• Compliance: Affirm adherence to existing policies
• Knowledge: Promote AI Literacy
• Balance: Realize the benefits of AI and address the risks (and they’ve included a helpful graphic outlining both the benefits and the risks)
• Integrity: Advance academic integrity
• Agency: Maintain human decision-making
• Evaluation: Continuously assess the impact of AI. (WEF, 2024)

 

The link above expands on each of these principles, often with links to additional resources.

After reading the webpage linked above, choose one of the seven principles and journal your thoughts related to that topic. We encourage you to capture a few notes about your current understanding of the principle, your concerns connected to it, and some optimistic thoughts on how that principle can improve student learning in your classrooms. Next, add an event in your calendar for you to look back at your notes in exactly one year. In your own role as a learner, it will be interesting to see how your understanding, perceptions, or predictions change between now and next year.

If you are looking for more information on ethical engagement with Artificial Intelligence, there are several TRU resources available as well, such as TRU’s libguide titled Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Students, including sections about appropriate and inappropriate uses for AI: https://libguides.tru.ca/artificialintelligence. The AI in Education website developed by the Learning Technology & Innovation team also includes a section with a Critical AI Framework with a section about ethical considerations: https://aieducation.trubox.ca/critical-ai-framework/. This website is also being updated.

You can also check out these links on AI ethics from other institutions:

Center for Teaching Innovation. (2025). Ethical AI for teaching and learning. Cornell University. https://teaching.cornell.edu/generative-artificial-intelligence/ethical-ai-teaching-and-learning

James Madison University Libraries. (2025, May 2). Artificial intelligence (AI) in education: AI and ethics [libguide]. https://guides.lib.jmu.edu/AI-in-education/ethics

Moquin, S. (2024, November 26). Ethical considerations for AI use in education [blog post]. https://www.enrollify.org/blog/ethical-considerations-for-ai-use-in-education

 

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Activity 2 – Approaching Indigenous data sovereignty with respect when using AI
by Diane Janes and Carolyn Ives

AI use in Indigenous education and in reconciliation work for all educational experiences involves additional considerations for ethical and respectful practice. Through thoughtful design, learning activities are expected to address Indigenous data sovereignty, cultural protocols, and respectful partnerships. This includes prioritizing Indigenous-led initiatives, nurturing collaboration, and ensuring that AI development and implementation are guided by Indigenous knowledge systems and values. The links below are just a short list at the beginning of the conversations that are happening between Indigenous and allied educators on how to engage in AI; being respectful when engaged with Indigenous ways of knowing, as curriculum is designed and created using AI.

For this activity, we invite you to listen to the Radical AI Podcast interview with Jason Edward Lewis. Lewis is a Hawaiian and Samoan digital media theorist, Professor of Computation Arts at Concordia University, and University Research Chair in Computational Media and the Indigenous Future Imaginary. The podcast is longer than the material we often choose for this PD series (it’s about an hour long), but we think you will find it worth your time.

Additional resources on this topic include the following:

Bhattacharjee, R. (2024). Indigenous data stewardship stands against extractivist AI. https://www.arts.ubc.ca/news/indigenous-data-stewardship-stands-against-extractivist-ai/

Government of Canada (2025) Indigenous-Led AI: How Indigenous Knowledge Systems Could Push AI to be More Inclusive. Research stories: New frontiers in research fund. https://sshrc-crsh.canada.ca/funding-financement/nfrf-fnfr/stories-histoires/2023/inclusive_artificial_intelligence-intelligence_artificielle_inclusive-eng.aspx

Cardona-Rivera, R.E., Alladin, J.K., Litts, B.K., & Tehee, M. (2024). Indigenous Futures in Generative Artificial Intelligence: The Paradox of Participation. Chapter 14 In Teaching and generative AI by Buyserie, B. & Thurson, T.N.(Eds). https://uen.pressbooks.pub/teachingandgenerativeai/

Indigenous data sovereignty protocols, and risks of harm. (2024). Section 1C in Principles and guidelines for generative artificial intelligences (GenAI) in teaching and learning. University of British Columbia. https://it-genai-2023.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2024/08/Guidelines-GenAI_TL.pdf

Symposium: S4-194. (2024). Open Science, Indigenous Data Sovereignty and the Decolonization of Knowledge Systems. Audio from the Panel discussion. https://sciencepolicy.ca/posts/s4-192/

TheGovLab. (2021). AI Ethics Course: Indigenous Data Sovereignty by Maui Hudson. YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8qeZihLf1Q

For this first week of Summer Asynchronous Professional Development, we offer two activities to help get you started with using artificial intelligence (AI) for teaching and learning. After all, learning about the possibilities and the limitations of AI helps you respond to the changes you are likely experiencing in your classroom.

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Activity 1

by Dr. Wei Yan (CELT Coordinator)

AI has been around for a long time ever since the term “Artificial Intelligence” was coined in 1956. Generative AI came to mainstream in November 2022 when OpenAI launched ChatGPT based on GPT-3.5. It went viral almost overnight mostly due to its easy-to-use chat interface. It attracted 1 million users in just 5 days, which was the fastest adoption for any consumer software. Two and half years later, we see so many different types of Generative AI tools and their growing impact on our life and work.

Unless you are a tech nerd, you may not be familiar with how Generative AI works. Unlike traditional AI, Generative AI can generate new content, such as text, images, or music because it is powered by machine learning models, such as large language models. Generative AI is trained on massive amounts of data and learns patterns from them. During the training, the model architecture learns how to predict and refine its prediction. After the training, the model will construct new content based on the patterns and probabilities from massive data sets.

Generative AI does not understand language like us humans, but it is very good at predicting patterns. Generative AI is so good at language patterns that journal editors and manuscript reviewers only had an overall positive identification rate of 38.9% in identifying AI versus human writing (Casal & Kessler, 2023). Perhaps this is the biggest challenge we are facing in teaching and learning these days. Of course, there are larger social, legal, cultural, and environmental implications beyond our classrooms. Perhaps, more than ever, this is also a moment for us to reflect on what makes us unique as human beings.

For this activity, I would like to encourage you to take a Moodle course to fill your knowledge gaps regarding Generative AI. The GenAI Quickstart: Foundations for Faculty course was adapted from Concordia University by my colleague Jamie Drozda and the Learning Technology & Innovation team to provide you with the essential understanding to confidently navigate the GenAI landscape. This thoughtfully structured series of nine micro-modules allows you to learn at your own pace, in any sequence that suits your needs, with the flexibility to revisit content whenever you need a refresher. You can access the course using the password quickstart.

You will receive a certificate of completion once all nine modules have been completed. I have completed this course and earned my certificate, and I highly recommend it!

In addition to the above, you may also be interested in attending an upcoming workshop with Dr. Ajay Dhruv on using AI in the classroom:

Chalkboards to Chatbots: Future proofing teaching with AI.  Register here  (https://tru.libcal.com/event/3912275).

Reference:

Casal, J. E., & Kessler, M. (2023). Can linguists distinguish between ChatGPT/AI and human writing?: A study of research ethics and academic publishing. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(3), Article 100068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2023.100068

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Activity 2

by Dr. Brett McCollum (CELT Director) and Matt Norton (AVP Digital Strategies and CIO)

Copilot is a Generative AI tool that TRU has reviewed for privacy impact. So long as you are signed into your TRU account when using Copilot, your data is not being ‘scooped up’ by the AI model. This is important when we think about intellectual property and student privacy. Also, your prompts and the AI responses are private to you.

So, where do you go to use TRU’s Copilot license on your phone? The easiest option is to download the M365 Copilot app onto your phone from the Apple App Store (for iPhones) or the GooglePlay Store (for Android Phones). QR codes for these options are shown here:

M365 Copilot App
Apple App Store (iPhones)

M365 Copilot App
GooglePlay Store (Android Phones)

After you install the app on your smartphone, sign in with your TRU Microsoft account (e.g. your TRU email and password). You may be prompted to complete two-factor authentication.

Now that you’ve signed in, you can begin a conversation with the large language model (a type of AI).

Here are some suggested starting points:

• How can I discuss the topic of ethical issues of AI use in my course on (financial operations control in tourism; legal research; innovation and entrepreneurship; social work practice, etc.)?
• I want you to provide me with a redesigned process for students to write a term paper that incorporates the use of Copilot and also reduces the chance that students will circumvent the intended learning outcomes associated with the assessment. Include a summary of tasks by week, a brief description of student and faculty roles, how copilot can be used if permitted for a task.
• Please create a Sankey diagram showing interprovincial migration in Canada between 2012 and 2022. Use real data from the Stats Canada website. Provide a link to the data source that you use.

As you read over the output from Copilot, think of a follow up question to dig deeper into the topic with the tool.

Take note of what the AI does well, but also where it performs poorly. For example, in our practice, Copilot gave a good description of what the Sankey diagram should look like and it provided a link to the Stats Canada website. However, the image it generated had only labelled axes but no data!

Continue practicing with Copilot on your phone or computer. The more detailed your questions are in terms of disciplinary terminology, the better you will prompt the large language model to draw upon relevant information and potentially get high quality outputs. If you are unsure of how to do a deeper dive with your prompting, simply ask Copilot how to do that and ask for illustrative examples for your topic – use the tool to learn the tool. Remember to be logged into your TRU account so that your data privacy is maintained.

In late September 2024, we sat down together to talk about the value we see that the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) has as part of our research agendas. We broke the conversation down into several parts that we explored: the personal value, the value to our research and the value to our learners. Here is our conversation.

We began by talking about what value means to us within our academic lives and our research.

KTF: I enjoy doing research and I value the use of research in the classroom to emphasize a point; I feel most confident in expressing knowledge when I know it has been backed by research. So, for me SoTL offers me the opportunity to bring that knowledge of teaching and learning to my classroom. For example, when we form groups, what does the literature say that makes the group formation most effective? It’s a main value for me – reinforcing the knowledge of the way students learn and helping me create and enable that learning environment.

The second value for me of using SoTL is to have the opportunity in this SoTL cohort at TRU, and beyond, to have the opportunity to be with others who are learning SoTL and to learn from them and try different strategies. I can try and replicate them knowing they are grounded in research and that they work. It increases my confidence in the classroom.

DJ: I appreciate that you feel more comfortable when you have evidence-based teaching and learning practices in your classroom and you can contribute to that by being part of a SoTL community.

JH: My experiences and thinking are like Kim’s, in how she describes her teaching and research connections. I am tripartite so research is a major part of the work I do at TRU and my own research is generally motivated by my practice, my teaching practice.

Often my own research comes from problems or gaps I might see in my own teaching and from there my research arises from the teaching context. It is used to inform my teaching and to also inform my colleagues and peers through dissemination.

DJ: I appreciate how both of you have pinpointed my own interest in SoTL and my own research. My learners are from other faculty who are also my colleagues. Through my work at CELT, I work with faculty to think about new ways to teach and new strategies that support that teaching, all from the evidence (within the SoTL research) of others. I might try something that I may know instinctively might work, then I want to evidence that which I have observed seems to be working. I want SoTL and teaching and learning research to both inform my teaching and then have my teaching inform my research, which I then share with others who may learn from my work, something they can add to their classrooms.

So, what is the value of SoTL considering your research agenda?

KTF: I am in the middle of my first SoTL Resort Management research project, and I must say it does bring some level of humility and excitement. As I work through the TRU SoTL Scholars cohort with CELT, I realize that SoTL has somewhat different methodologies and guidelines than I would normally use for my usual research program. This work came from me observing that some students were struggling with a particular assignment, while in the same classroom and under the same conditions as others who seemed to ‘get it’ and I wondered why that was the case. It created the curiosity to figure out what was exactly going on and why my pedagogy seemed to work for some but not everyone. Or was it something else that was happening?

In my academic work, we’re preparing future leaders and managers, and I want them to feel confident when they are in a boardroom; that they can tackle any problem with the knowledge that they gain from their university education; I want theory and practice to meld in that boardroom, and that is my motivation.

JH: This is not my first SoTL-focused research project but this project, as I noted before, came specifically from my work with teaching academic writing to international students. My initial research started as I found the international students I was working with had lots of difficulties and challenges coming from different cultures and educational backgrounds. All of this led to my work in academic integrity and plagiarism; my current work has value for TRU as many faculty peers look for guidance on how to navigate student plagiarism and how to support learners from different cultures and educational experiences. This area has become even more important as AI (generative artificial intelligence) becomes more prevalent in our classrooms. So, it is important for me as a researcher to relate this information, strategies, and support to colleagues via my SoTL research.

DJ: Yes, it becomes critical for us to value our SoTL research as passing this knowledge and findings on to colleagues through our dissemination efforts, such as publishing articles, book chapters and conference presentations.

We have talked about the value of this SoTL work in terms of ourselves as academics and as researchers, but what about the value to our learners at TRU?

KTF: I would say that SoTL work brings an opportunity to the students to engage in deeper reflections, to help them learn in ways that work better for them which then can bring to their work or to graduate school if they choose that route.

DJ: I have found that one of the ways SoTL impacts learners is by having them engage in research that is about them and for them. I found they become interested in research by being partners in research like SoTL, which values learners as partners in the research experience.

JH: For me, I see the value of my research for learners has two aspects – one is once the teachers become more knowledgeable and better informed, they can help their own learners better and the second is to use this research via SoTL to assist in the development of more targeted learning resources.

DJ: Personally, the value of the SoTL research that is being conducted is to bring teaching and learning research into a 21st century lens; to recognize that post COVID we’re doing a lot of things that are different than what we would have done before in our practice. It’s about faculty thinking about where it is they want to be in the kinds of changes they want to make in their classrooms, and then evidencing those changes with CELT supporting them to make those shifts. Ultimately that will impact their students, just like each of your research projects will impact your learners directly. Mine will hopefully also impact learners directly in that faculty will start to think about how to change things in their classrooms and that changes the way their learners learn.

JH: Just to follow up on what you said, Diane, the value of my SoTL research for me is that it makes me a better teacher, because I’m better informed about the students’ needs, what their backgrounds are, and what their challenges are, and how to support them. By being a better teacher, I teach students better so that my students also benefit. I think that I’m a better teacher than before.

KTF: For me SoTL and being a SoTL researcher helps me be more knowledgeable about teaching and learning. And to value the folks at CELT who provide us with this expertise and who can dig into the ideas and give you recommendations on how to proceed or to rethink a problem with a different lens. That is valuable to me as well.

JH: Can I say one last thing? By presenting my SoTL research at conferences, I also benefit by listening to and hearing about what other researchers are doing or have done in their own research projects. As faculty and academics and researchers, it is important we share knowledge, information and experiences and skills. Finally, through the SoTL Cohort at TRU, the research can get better through interactions, through questions, through feedback. You know, ask me questions. So that makes me think, OK, maybe think twice or three times, right?
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Dr. Jim Hu is an Associate Professor with the Department of English Language Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Dr. Kimberly Thomas Francois is an Assistant Professor in Tourism Management in the Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism and Dr. Diane Janes is a Coordinator with the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT).

 

by Sarah Gibson, Leanne Mihalicz, Harshita Dhiman, Dr. Jess Allingham, Dr. Lindsay Blackstock, and Dr. Sharon Brewer

We are two distinct cohort research groups, honoured to be a part of the larger TRU Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholars Program Cohort, guided by TRU’s Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). Together we share our experiences navigating and collaborating as a small cohort team within the larger, pan-campus, cross-disciplinary Cohort of the SoTL Scholars program. Through the perspectives of Chemistry and Cooperative Education we map our ongoing journey, aligning it with TRU’s core values: Curiosity, Sustainability, Inclusion and Diversity, and Community Mindedness.¹ This intentional approach is suggested by Schroeder² to emphasize the meaningful alignment between the priorities of our institution and the personal passion that powers our project and the impact of our SoTL-based initiatives in our practice.

Cooperative Education cohort:

Faculty of Student Development
Department of Career and Experiential Learning

Sarah Gibson, Leanne Mihalicz, Harshita Dhiman

“Teaching Beyond the Classroom in Cooperative Education”

 

Chemistry Education cohort: 

Faculty of Science
Department of Physical Sciences, Chemistry

Drs. Jess Allingham, Lindsay Blackstock, and Sharon Brewer

“Relating to Role Models: Investigating Identity and Belonging in General Chemistry at TRU”

 

Value #1: Curiosity

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Engaging with the work of fellow SoTL Scholars and benefiting from the expertise of the program facilitators introduced us to a whole new realm of research. Both teams’ projects have a student reflective focus, thinking about real-life topics that currently impact their personal and professional development. 

This experience ignited a deep sense of curiosity. Learning new research methods and data analysis approaches was challenging, provoking feelings of confusion, intimidation, and apprehension. 

The SoTL Cohort program supported us by introducing us to established and emerging philosophies and new strategies to answer questions that directly relate to our teaching practice.  

 

Value #2: Inclusivity and Diversity

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Working in the SoTL Scholars Cohort brought like-minded novice researchers together to learn and grow. This program facilitated the formation of relationships outside of disciplinary silos allowing for the inclusion of diverse voices and viewpoints.  

Research can be a lonely process, which fortunately was not the case of our team. We are thriving within a collaborative project where the student voice is amplified through participation and engagement, both as study subjects and as research partners.  

Each team member brings unique insights that strengthen our individual contributions. Our shared philosophy on pedagogy aligns us; even with different perspectives, we are united in purpose and approach. Our research project specifically investigates a co-developed in-class assignment that highlights diversity in chemistry. 

 

Value #3: Sustainability (Social) 

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Social sustainability focuses on equity, justice, and community well-being.3 Participating in the Cohort as a cohort facilitates continued progress by maintaining effective working relationships and balancing research deliverables alongside our daily work responsibilities. 

We share the workload effectively, meaning we can support one another when scheduling conflicts arise, ensuring that no one is overwhelmed, and we collectively meet all responsibilities. Together, this structure fosters a collaborative environment where all member’s contributions are balanced and valued.  

The Cohort program structure kept the group organized, motivated, and provided rich learning opportunities that would not have occurred if working in isolation. Working as a cohort team allows for a shared vision, enriched project outcomes, and distribution of workload.

 

Value #4: Community Mindedness

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The student community and experience are at the forefront of both our research projects. Engaging regularly with the larger Cohort empowers us to elevate and support one another by exchanging knowledge and insight across disciplines. Each time we meet, we’re invigorated by diverse viewpoints and expertise. 

Meeting, interacting and learning from faculty across campus was a highlight and helped build relationships and community. Our SoTL research has been shared back to our professional community at levels ranging from regional to international.   

To foster broader inclusion, we are committed to sharing our progress and outcomes with our department and disciplinary community, inviting their input and extending the impact of our work beyond the cohort. 

 

Our experience in this SoTL cohort has been amazing because of the incredible support from CELT, the faculty mentorship and inspiration. We encourage others to participate in a future SoTL Cohort as a cohort within your discipline or across disciplines! If you are interested SoTL research, reading ‘Becoming a SoTL Scholar’ is a great place to start.4 

 

References: 

1. Our Values, TRU’s Vision Statement. 2020. Available from: https://www.tru.ca/about/tru-mission-statement/envision.html (Accessed November 20, 2024) 
2. Schroeder, C. (2007). Countering SoTL Marginalization: A Model for Integrating SoTL with Institutional Initiatives. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2007.010115 
3. Rinalducci, S.N. (2024). 3 Pillars Of Sustainability Explained (Guide & Examples). Available from: https://sustainability-success.com/three-pillars-of-sustainability/ (Accessed November 21, 2024) 
4. Miller-Young, Janice, Nancy L. Chick, eds. 2024. Becoming a SoTL Scholar. Elon, NC: Elon University Center for Engaged Learning. https://doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa6. 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Researching with Soul and Intentionality: A New Era of SoTL Research

by Dr. Tanya Manning-Lewis and Dr. Alexis Brown

It is not a coincidence that Alexis and I are co-writing this piece on new ways to think about SoTL research. We have talked about this many times over the course of the year as we feel a sense of urgency to disrupt traditional ‘academic’ research. It is not lost on us that research that works out of different kinds of logic that are embedded in ‘non-linear relationships and flows (Law and Urry, 2004) is often seen as transgressing traditional forms of research bound to objectivity. But why is that? Why does non-linear, collaborative, and post-humanist research threaten the “predictable order” of research (Allen, 2023)? SoTL Scholars Potter and Raffoul (2023) reason that we need room for the humanities and non-traditional research to be a part of the SoTL research community, and this requires more nuanced ways of thinking about SoTL research.  As colleagues who share this view, we are bound by our desire to push the boundaries of SoTL research. In doing this work, we often ask ourselves, what exactly is SoTL research, and what does this look like through trans-disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses?

The CELT 2023-2024 SoTL Scholars program cohort revealed much about trans-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to research. It was fascinating to be a part of the cohort of scholars and witness the vastly different ways our colleagues were engaging in their SoTL scholarship and research. Collectively, we aim to deepen our understanding of our scholarship of teaching, but our different disciplinary backgrounds have us embedded in particular ways we view and think about research. Some of us leaned into traditional forms, while others were drawn to challenge the hegemony of mechanical and technical methodologies, privileging instead the principles that research is not and never can be an innocent, neutral or value-free endeavour. As we dug into the messiness of research in our many cohort meetings, it was evident that, at times, we were drawn back to the predictable order of research. It was clearly difficult to make that jump to research outside of the bounds of ‘academic work.’

As Bochner (2014) muses, we need to write and research with soul- to embrace that we are flawed, messy and complicated human beings (and SoTL scholars) engaging in complex work, as our colleague Natasha Ramroomp Singh argued in her post last month. But is it possible to engage in research in this manner without seeming to be a threat to the field of SoTL or to our original academic disciplines? Does SoTL create the space to deconstruct, disrupt and reconstruct research that creates new possibilities? The short answer is yes. We had many wonderful conversations and breakthroughs in our SoTL meetings that revealed that there is space for new ways of thinking about research.

The longer answer involves embracing the discomfort and messiness that come with real, lived teaching and research experiences. We know this can be unsettling as there are often many questions about maintaining rigour in research. To be clear, rigour looks different in different types of research, and the qualitative researcher is as committed to rigour as any other field. But it is also important to acknowledge that researchers engaging in non-traditional research do the work of positioning themselves in the research and engaging in reflexivity. This reflexivity ensures a thoughtful, credible approach to data collection where authenticity and depth of the engagement take precedence. This is what SoTL research represents for some of us- the opportunity to engage deeply with our work.

At its core, SoTL is not just about researching pedagogy; it is a community-engaged process where we learn and grow together, constantly refining our understanding of teaching and learning. It challenges us to collaborate with our students as co-researchers and co-learners, bridging gaps between the classroom, research, and lived experiences. Through transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses, SoTL offers a space to expand beyond rigid frameworks, experiment with methodologies that value complexity, and embrace research that is inherently reflexive and relational. It can feel risky to step away from conventional research, but this is precisely where SoTL offers immense possibility. It can be the space where we disrupt and ultimately reconstruct research in ways that can be transformative for ourselves and our students. The very nature of the work pushes us to engage differently with knowledge creation, inviting us to learn from one another, our students, and the communities around us. We are excited by this prospect and what the future cohorts of SoTL Scholars will offer as we continue these conversations.

 

References

Allen, A. (2023). The death of thought: Reading Bataille in the ruins of a university. Research in Education, 119(1), 65–78.

Bochner, A. P. (2014). Coming to narrative: A personal history of paradigm change in the human sciences (1st ed.). Routledge.

Law, J., & Urry, J. (2004). Enacting the social. Economy and Society, 33(3), 390–410.

Potter, M. K., & Raffoul, J. (2023). Engaged alienation: SoTL, inclusivity, and the problem of integrity. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(1), Article 2.

by Dr. Natasha Ramroop Singh

 

Simmons (2020) analyzed the dynamics affecting *SoTL practitioners and outlined the 4M framework which identifies factors that either encourage or hinder scholars from pursuing SoTL. Four levels of influence were identified – the Micro or individual level, the Meso or department/program level, the Macro or institutional level, and the Mega or beyond the institutional level. In this blog post, I will explore the micro level – factors intrinsic to the individual which affect ones ability or desire to explore research within the classroom.

Effective teaching is a performance art. In the classroom, the instructor must be vibrant, powerful, excited, passionate, knowledgeable, and dare I say, happy. Students now are hyper attuned to when they are bored, and can easily resort to scrolling on Instagram to get that hit of dopamine they crave. Long gone are the days when students were responsible for the level of interest placed upon course content for their own success. It is now the instructor’s responsibility to sing, dance, act and tic-toc our way through classes.

I can be funny and outgoing under the right suite of conditions, but generally, being in front of a group of students, especially in CT 200 on a Friday at 4:00 pm where I seem to always get scheduled, makes me a downright swamp animal. But, I am a professional, so I always get the job done. Do I think I operate at full capacity at all times? Perhaps not. My students’ evaluation of teaching certainly tells me I can do more – more practise questions, more images, less words on slides, write slower, talk slower, smile, be more approachable, perform Act 5 Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth…..It is clear I have things to work on and improve.

But guess what? I love my job. I thoroughly enjoy the dynamics of being an academic and the opportunities that come my way. As someone who is always striving for excellence, I care deeply about my student’s perception of me, and I want to be able to make a positive impact on their learning and ultimately their lives. That’s why it’s ok for me to be a SoTL Scholar. It’s ok for me to reconcile the fact that I am imperfect, and study my imperfect techniques in the classroom.

SoTL represents an opportunity for me to engage with teaching in a more intellectual and reflective manner. It allows me to apply research methodologies to my teaching practices, critically analyze the outcomes, and contribute to the broader academic discourse on education. SoTL offers a way to blend my passion for teaching with my interest in research, potentially leading to innovations in pedagogy that benefit students.

This is to me, a very conscious and personal decision – to want to critically reflect on what I do, and how I do it, all towards the goal of being more effective, more respected and more fulfilled, as I leave CT 200 on a Friday evening at 5:30 pm.

By striking a balance between research and practical teaching, educators can ensure that our scholarly efforts translate into meaningful improvements in the classroom, ultimately benefiting the students we aim to serve. As the law of dialectics states – truth emerges from the clash of ideas – so if you are thinking about exploring SoTL, and you know you are an imperfect educator, I urge you to embrace the paradox.

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Interested in learning how to engage in scholarly inquiry on teaching and learning, or seeking research funding to support your SoTL scholarship? Watch for exciting announcements from CELT coming out this Fall!

 

* TRU’s definition of SoTL is: A research-based approach to investigating and improving teaching and learning practices in postsecondary education. Faculty members who conduct SoTL contribute to the field of teaching and learning by using rigorous research methods and disseminating their findings, making them available for critique and replication.

Reference:

Simmons, N. (2020). The 4M framework as analytic lens for SoTL’s impact: A study of seven scholars. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 8(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.8.1.6

by Rhonda McCreight and Diane Janes

Emotional Learning

The experience of both teaching and learning can feel like a roller coaster ride for both the instructor and the learner. In Pekrun’s book Emotions and Learning (2014), he prefaces the general anxiety and emotional state of learning across the board professing that “the classroom is an emotional place” (p.6). No matter what type of institution, delivery mode or learner demographics, as educators it is essential that we understand and embrace the emotional journey of learning so that we can truly engage the teaching and learning process. Here are a few tips and resources to consider in your journey towards understanding your students’ emotional learning needs.

Pekrun (2014) explores the topic of emotions and learning through a series of ten principles which are organized under three main concepts:

1. Understanding the nature and diversity of learner emotions – what emotions are and why they play a part in learning.
2. Addressing functions, antecedents, and regulation of emotions – the consequences of emotions in the classroom, what causes them and how they can benefit or create barriers to learning.
3. Understanding the role of education on modifying or influencing emotions in the classroom – how educators directly impact, mitigate or enhance positive emotional reactions in the learning experience.

He bases his research on four main types of learning-related emotions – achievement, epistemic, topic and social emotions (Petruk, 2014, p. 8). Achievement emotions relate directly to the success or failure of learning, such as a terrible exam score or a killer oral presentation. Epistemic emotions are the cognitive impacts triggered by a learning task such as delight at seeing a problem solved or curiosity to see how the lightbulb turns on. Topic emotions, conversely, are the emotions triggered by the affective domain like empathy for the main character of a book. Finally, social emotions are the human connections and relationships made within the classroom.

Each of these categories describes how or where the emotion is manifested. This resource, although ten years old, provides pragmatic suggestions for improving the “cognitive and motivational quality of classroom instruction” which in turn can lead to an “increase of self-confidence and enjoyment, and a reduction of boredom and anxiety” in the learner and fosters the ability to self-regulate their learning (Petruk, 2014, p.20).

Finally, as we navigate the post covid space, it has been observed that in today’s world “Emotional complexities are rampant. [There is] Declining wellbeing. Increased polarization. Burnout. Lack of retention. How can colleges & universities utilize social emotional learning to support students, faculty, staff & community to build a healthier context for learning and work? The last two years have brought to light key challenges in colleges and universities — given the emotional complexity of this moment, is it important that we infuse more emotional intelligence development?” (Six Seconds, 2022).

To help us examine what we are seeing in higher ed with respect to social emotional learning post covid, watch this panel of university and colleague educators discuss how to support themselves and their learners on navigating emotions and learning. Sponsored by Six Seconds, The Emotional Intelligence Network. Six Seconds is a global network with a mandate to help everyone grow their emotional intelligence. This video is 60 minutes long. Six Seconds Website https://www.6seconds.org/

• Social Emotional Learning in Colleges & Universities: Livestream https://youtu.be/V1tAGD0SDMY

If you are not able to spend time today on a longer video, then consider this shorter video produced by Edutopia. While it does focus on K-12 teaching, the conversations and ideas in this video are very translatable to the university classroom. This video is 4:28 minutes long. Official Website: https://edutopia.org

• Building Adult Capacity for Social and Emotional Learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cht0Lm0rBAY

 

As you plan your Fall and Winter terms, can you think of ways to engage your learners’ emotional journey in your classrooms?

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Resources

 

Edutopia. (2020). Building Adult Capacity for Social and Emotional Learning. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cht0Lm0rBAY

Pekrun, R. (2014). Emotions and learning. International Academy of Education. International Bureau of Education. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000227679

Six Seconds. (2022). Social Emotional Learning in Colleges & Universities: Livestream. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tAGD0SDMY

by Alexis Brown and Carolyn Ives

Teaching the Whole Student: Incorporating Spiritual Learning

Educators have long relied on learning taxonomies to help them determine and articulate what learners should be able to know, do, and value by the end of a lesson, course, program, or credential. One such taxonomy is one developed by Bloom (1956) and updated by Krathwohl, Bloom and Masia (1964), which outlines three domains of learning: cognitive, psychomotor and affective. It’s a taxonomy many at TRU use to develop curriculum.

At the Interculturalizing the Curriculum workshop offered by Kyra Garson in May 2019, I was introduced to a different taxonomy: noting a gap in the domains posited by Bloom, Marcella LaFever (2016) reimagined Bloom’s taxonomy and added a fourth domain — the spiritual domain — and aligned all four learning domains with the Medicine Wheel, explaining that the spiritual domain was “essential for balance in . . . support[ing] students in their learning goals” (p. 409). The levels of learning in the spiritual domain LaFever introduces include honouring, value/d, connect/ed, empower/ed, and self-actualize/d. The reimagined taxonomy appears on page 417 of LaFever’s article, and the associated verb list appears on page 418.

LaFever also notes the challenges of assessing these kinds of learning outcomes, and she offers possibilities, such as reflection work, oral storytelling, demonstrating a commitment to relationship-building, role-playing and articulated plans for self-growth (p. 419). As many of us are intentionally striving to teach the whole student, considering learner spiritual growth is one way to acknowledge that students have multiple dimensions of learning beyond the cognitive.

LaFever also acknowledges her positionality as a non-Indigenous researcher and shares her challenges of and approaches to doing this work (p. 410-11). However, if post-secondary institutions wish to decolonize the curriculum, it will have to be taken on as everyone’s work, not only that of Indigenous staff and faculty. Considering the spiritual learning of students is one such approach we all can take.

Link to LaFever’s article: “Switching from Bloom to the Medicine Wheel: creating learning outcomes that support Indigenous ways of knowing in post-secondary education”

The second resource we have selected for you in the spiritual domain is a video by Secwépemc storyteller Kenthen Thomas. Spirituality is the fundamental interconnectedness of all things, being attached to mother earth (RCMP Aboriginal Policing Services, 2010 as cited in Lafever, 2016). The domain of spirituality underpins and connects all other domains and is focused on rising above self to attend to others. Thomas’s video is a way to begin considering how to incorporate the spiritual learning domain through honouring Secwépemc teaching on the interconnectedness of storytelling and land, the laws that emerge from these stories, and how stories guide us to make ethical decisions in all disciplinary fields.

Link to Thomas’s video: Kenthen Thomas: Storytelling and the Link to the Land (youtube.com)

We’d like to invite you to consider one or more of the courses you teach:

Is there a way spiritual learning can be integrated?

If you’re designing a new course, could learning outcomes be included from the spiritual domain?

If CELT can support you in integrating learning in the spiritual domain into your courses, please reach out to us at celt@tru.ca.

References and Resources

Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Longmans, Green, & Co.

CRICKET: Course renewal in a kit. (2019).

Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S. Bloom, & Masia, B. B. (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook II: The affective domain. New York: David McKay.

LaFever, M. (2016). Switching from Bloom to the Medicine Wheel: creating learning outcomes that support Indigenous ways of knowing in post-secondary education. Intercultural Education, 27(5), pp. 409-424. DOI: 10.1080/14675986.2016.1240496.

Thomas, K. (2020). Storytelling and the Link to the Land. YouTube. Last retrieved July 3, 2024.

by Brett McCollum and Wei Yan, CELT

This week, we offer two professional development activities to rejuvenate your mind. Creating space in your mind to reflect on your teaching is a valuable practice for scholarly teaching. It is part of the cycle by which educators move from anecdote to evidence-based teaching. Whether you choose to engage with one or both of these activities, or select one of your own choice, we encourage you to create opportunities for you to improve your mindfulness.

The first activity is a mindfulness practice that you can easily fit into your day, anywhere that you can sit, rest, and breathe. This 10-minute guided meditation focuses on listening to your thoughts, acknowledging them, and then shifting your attention to sounds outside your mind.

With practice, you may find this exercise useful to draw upon year-round when you are finding it difficult to prioritize your actions and need to create some head space.

https://soundcloud.com/mindfulnessuvm/sets/resilience-practices?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The second activity is called “Gratitude Giving”. Engaging in work-community gratitude is an effective strategy for conditioning your mind to see the positives in your work environment and bring that attitude into your classroom.

To help you with this activity you can use a pen and paper. Think of a TRU colleague (faculty, staff, or administration) who made a difference for you this past year. Write down their name. Now think about what they did and the reason behind your appreciation. Capture those thoughts in a sentence or two.

If you would like to, we invite you to send your message of gratitude to celt@tru.ca using the subject line “Gratitude Giving”. We will prepare a thank you card with your short message of gratitude and send it to the intended recipient by interdepartmental mail. Indicate if you would like your message of gratitude to be sent anonymously. We will continue sending your cards of gratitude all summer.

by Carolyn Ives and Rhonda McCreight, CELT

The Connection between Movement and Learning (Carolyn)

When I lived in Edmonton, I was a regular attendee at free outdoor workouts hosted by November Project, an international fitness and community-building movement. I noticed that although the workouts started at 6:00 AM, and even through the harsh Edmonton winters, people still attended in droves, so a colleague and I decided we could learn a lot about fostering motivation in the classroom from these gatherings. We decided to bring a group of faculty members to six November Project workouts spanning two weeks and, after each, host a workshop to discuss what learning from this community we can apply to classrooms. The workshops focused on the value of building classroom community, fostering student motivation, creating classroom rituals, integrating movement for deeper learning, and using the city as a living lab or classroom space—all things that had been modelled in the November Project workouts. We shared our results at the POD Network Conference in 2018. 

What we learned from this project about movement and learning is supported by research, which has shown that physical movement can have a profound impact on learning (Ferrer & Laughlin, 2017; Medina, 2014; Hrach, 2021; Ratey, 2008). In her book Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning (2021), Susan Hrach argues that we should no longer treat students as “brains on sticks” (ix)—meaning rather than focusing on only their cognitive engagement, we should approach learning holistically, engaging students in their bodies as well as their minds to support deeper learning. MacLean’s magazine has posted an article about this book, called “Why Movement Is Critical to Learning.” 

Although Hrach’s book isn’t available as an open access resource, there are several online sources for ideas about how to incorporate movement into your classroom. While some of them focus mainly on K-12 classrooms, some of them, such as this page from the University of Michigan and this article from Times Higher Education, offer strategies appropriate for a post-secondary classroom. 

Additional Examples of Integrating Movement into Learning (Rhonda)

The use of gaming in educational development has been widely researched and celebrated for its ability to engage learners in the kinesthetic domain, amongst other significant attributes (Hu-Au & Lee, 2017). The educational YouTube video What can teachers learn from gaming design? challenges the viewer to consider “how game design helps us fundamentally understand classroom design.”   

Hu-Au and Lee (2017) describe virtual reality (VR) as “an immersive, hands-on tool for learning that can play a unique role in addressing passive and disengaged students” who may otherwise struggle to see the value of what they are learning (p. 217).  VR can address essential skills in the learner such as “empathy, systems thinking, creativity, computational literacy, and abstract reasoning” (p. 217). 

Here is an introduction to some VR training videos that you might consider in your curricula: 

Electrical Safety 

Intracellular Journey 

Fire & Evacuation Safety 

Chemistry Lab Overview 

 

How Can This Work for You? 

The resources linked below include strategies you can use in your own context. As you plan your courses for the fall semester, consider how you might take advantage of the deep learning that can accompany movement: How might you incorporate movement into your classroom? 

 

References and Resources 

Braybrook, S. (2022, Mar 22). Why and how to bring physical movement into the classroom. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/why-and-how-bring-physical-movement-classroom  

Digital Engineering Magic (2020). VR Safety Training for Electric Power Industry.  Retrieved at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AsksACwdDE 

Ferrer, M.E., & Laughlin, D.D. (2017, Feb. 26). Increasing college students’ engagement and physical activity with classroom brain breaks. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 88(3), 53–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2017.1260945 

Hu-Au, E. & Lee, J.J. (2017) Virtual reality in education: a tool for learning in the experience age. Int. J. Innovation in Education, Vol. 4, No.4.   

https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/teaching_resources/docs/virtual_reality_education_tool_learning_experience_age.pdf 

Hrach, S. (2021). Minding bodies: How physical space, sensation, and movement affect learning. West Virginia UP.  

Human Restoration Project (2022). What can teachers learn from video games? https://www.youtube.com/@HumanRestorationProject  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMCpT671c9k 

Kong, S.L. (2021, July). Why movement is critical to learning. MacLean’s. https://macleans.ca/education/why-movement-is-critical-to-learning/  

The Learning Centre. (n.d.). Movement and learning. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/movement-and-learning/  

LSA Learning & Teaching Technology Consultants. (2021). Using movement to increase student engagement and learning. LSA Technology Services. University of Michigan. https://lsa.umich.edu/technology-services/news-events/all-news/teaching-tip-of-the-week/using-physical-movement-to-increase-student-engagement-and-learning.html  

Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Pear Press. 

Random42 Scientific Communication (2019). Intercellular – an interbody VR experience. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aogLFedcnTI 

Ratey, J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. Little, Brown, & Co. 

Stem-urpbl (2020) VR Chemistry lab overview.  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md-ijiH9Q_0 

1000 realities studio. (2020) Fire and Evacuation VR Safety Training. EHS Virtual Reality Training. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VizQzKjzUHk