Do Teachers Hate Discovering Academic Dishonesty? Yes!

[social-bio] In my reading, researching, writing and chatting about the topic of academic dishonesty over the past decade, teachers’ reactions to academic dishonesty can range from feelings of general disillusionment with students to feelings of personal affront by a specific student.    Many struggle with questions like why would students do this, what could I have…

The Profession of Learning

[social-bio] My title here at the Gwenna Moss Centre is officially “Instructional Design Specialist”; I apply my instructional design background to help faculty and instructors develop and improve their skills and abilities as teachers and course designers. However, I think of my “real” work as being more fluid and less prescriptive than the title suggests;…

Learning Styles Don’t Matter? Who Knew?

[social-bio] I blush as I confess that I’ve been guilty of it myself—I’ve promoted the notion of learning styles in my graduate teaching courses. In my defense, it has been with the purpose encouraging future faculty to consider employing teaching strategies beyond a (poor) lecture. Thinking back to my own days as a student, classes…

Copyright – Easing the Pain?

[social-bio] Canada’s new copyright bill has passed Parliament and Senate and there are several things instructors on our campus need to know. 1. What copyrighted electronic materials can I share with my students? Answer: share links, but if you are copying or uploading articles for students to access, make sure copyright is cleared (I.e. open…

Surface or Deep Learning?

[social-bio] While I was reading Taking Stock: Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Executive by Lindblom-Ylänne, I found myself reflecting on my own learning and asking which of my experiences and courses led me to deep learning? Conversely, what types of activities that I as an instructor have employed have led to deep…

Naming Assessments by Our Intentions

[social-bio]   By Carolyn Hoessler   What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
 By any other name would smell as sweet”  (William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet) If what determines the nature of a flower is its smell and not its name, then what determines the nature of an assessment tool is its use…