Spring/Summer 2018
ABUNDANT OPPORTUNITY
MOOT: THERE IT IS
ASK NEXT
The Arboretum’s New Food Learning Garden Gives Students A Place To Grow
Students And Faculty Mentors Excel At Paralegal Competition
Creating Space For Sensitive Discussions, Plus Advice For Shy Teachers
HUMBER STUDENTS GET A BOOST FROM ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST STUDIOS See p.17 for the full story
CONTENTS
Spring/Summer 2018
SPRING/SUMMER 2018, ISSUE 10
A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR YOUR CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS: This issue of NEXT was created with the help of students from Humber’s Professional Writing and Communications program. Nathan Whitlock, Editor, Humber Press Allison LaSorda, Managing Editor, Humber Press Kristin Valois, Communications Intern, The Centre for Teaching & Learning
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Dekel Chui and Andrea Chan, Graphic Designers, The Centre for Teaching & Learning Humber Press 205 Humber College Blvd. Toronto, ON M9W 5L7 HumberPress@humber.ca humberpress.com
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Letter From Eileen
Humber Gets Noticed 6
The Project Management Program Solidifies Partnership with the Project Management Institute
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Student-Run Health Fair Helps Build Networking and Life Skills
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Q&A: Pierre-Pascal Gendron on Bringing his International Monetary Fund Experience Back to the Classroom
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The Business School’s Bernie Aron and Aram Simovonian Help Paralagel Student Excel at the Osgoode Cup Competition
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Humber Faculty Bring Skills to Kenyan Polytechnics
@HumberPress
COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SCHOOL OF MEDIA STUDIES & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
8 The Humber Community 17
Film and TV Students Find a Project Home at Toronto’s Cinespace Studios
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The Arboretum’s New Food Learning Garden
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Multi-Disciplinary Team Wins Design Competition with App that Encourages Sustainable Living
Cover Story
NEXT Tech 22
Humber’s New Radio Space Incorporates the Latest in Technology and Accessible Design
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NEXT Scholarship 24
TIF Stories: Using Podcasts as Class Readings
Teaching & Learning Excellence 26
NEXTcast Q&A: Leila Kelleher on Flipped Labs
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Ask NEXT
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Letter From Eileen IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE an institution of higher education that is not focused on how to improve the educational experience for its students. The uncertainty surrounding the value of learning in higher education in the 21st century is often attributed to external pressures resulting from globalization, accountability measures and disruptions brought on by emerging and disruptive technologies. In conversation, unsurprisingly, many of the same complex challenges emerge, all of which lack a definite or universal solution.
These are important questions to ask and meaningful conversations to engage in. However, conversations and talk only get you so far. Luckily, we at Humber are doing more than just talk: we are engaging in experiential teaching and learning. We are developing rich and rewarding industry partnerships. Our faculty are maintaining their expertise and currency in interesting and creative ways. And we are cocreating significant learning experiences beyond the borders of our campuses and our country—even into virtual realms. The evidence is right here in this edition of NEXT.
How do polytechnic institutions maintain relevancy in curriculum when context, content and jobs are changing so quickly?
Take a look and be Humber proud.
What does excellence in teaching and learning look like in the 21st century? What practices and methodologies lead to student outcomes that are valued by industry—outcomes like creativity, innovation and resourcefulness?
ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK / DMI T & VS148
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Eileen de Courcy Associate Vice President, Teaching & Learning To read past issues of NEXT online, go to humberpress.com/NEXT
NEXT magazine was recently awarded with an In-House Design Award by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD). NEXT was one of 190 submissions from across Canada, and was selected by a group of creative directors and design managers. We at NEXT are extremely proud of this honour, and thank the RGD for its ongoing work in celebrating great design work.
AWARDS OF MERIT
HUMBER GETS NOTICED
Partner Up! HOW THE NEWLY STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HUMBER COLLEGE AND THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE BENEFITS STUDENTS AND FACULTY By Sydney Rallis
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS ARE AN ESSENTIAL element in helping students become career-ready. From internships to site visits, these kinds of partnerships connect learners to the worlds they are preparing to enter. With this in mind, Humber’s Project Management graduate certificate program, offered through the School of Applied Technology, recently formalized a key relationship with the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global, not-for-profit membership association and standards body that allows project managers to be trained according to a set of rigorous standards. The Project Management graduate certificate program has had a connection to the PMI since the program’s inception. But as the program grew, so did the challenge of accommodating the number of students who were eager
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to engage with professionals. “We started recognizing the importance of the relationship, but also that the relationship itself needed to expand and it needed to adapt to our circumstances,” says program coordinator Cheryl Francis-Nurse. “We needed to figure out a way we could, with more students, identify more opportunities.” Which is why the program’s administrators, faculty and students put together the Humber PMI-Toronto Student Community, a more formal partnership between Humber and PMI’s Toronto chapter. The Student Community, which launched this past March, was developed as a capstone project by previous Project Management students. It will “expose the students to a pool of industry practitioners, where they get to ask the questions that will reiterate, reinforce and clarify the things students are exposed to
HUMBER GETS NOTICED
in the classroom,” says Francis-Nurse. It will also offer learning opportunities like seminars and webinars. Francis-Nurse makes clear that students are not the only ones who will benefit from this new partnership. “Faculty are now continually plugged in to what the industry is doing. So, the faculty can remain current by being engaged,” she says. For everyone involved with the Humber PMI-Toronto Student Community, it is a recognition of how much valuable learning can happen outside of the classroom.
We started recognizing the importance of the relationship, but also that the relationship itself needed to expand and it needed to adapt to our circumstances
To hear Cheryl Francis-Nurse talk about the new Humber PMI-Toronto Student Community, check out episode #10 of Humber NEXTcast: soundcloud.com/humbernextcast
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK / MYVISUALS
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HUMBER GETS NOTICED
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HUMBER GETS NOTICED
All’s Fair in Health and Learning NUTRITION AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROMOTION STUDENTS PAIR UP WITH LONGO’S TO BUILD VITAL NETWORKING AND LIFE SKILLS By Daniela Di Vito
AT A TIME IN WHICH terms like “organic” and Short-Zamudio hopes to build on the partnership #MondayMantra are part of every online conversation, with Longo’s because of the benefits it offers it is impossible to ignore the healthier lifestyle students. “These types of partnerships help changes everyone is making. So it was only natural push students out of their comfort zones in a for Humber’s Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle safe environment,” she says. “It gives them an Promotion students to begin their own conversation opportunity to not be students.” Partnerships with around the phenomenon. industry professionals help take the schoolness out In partnership with the grocery store chain of the equation, allowing students to develop the Longo’s, students put on a health fair this past ability to think on their feet and engage with people March, for which they created displays designed to beyond their cohort. “When we sit in classrooms all demonstrate and share the knowledge they’d gained day with like-minded peers who are all self-selected in the classroom about nutrition, meal planning into nutrition, there is a common dialogue,” Shortand lifestyle lessons with faculty, staff and other Zamudio says, “but the general population students. This year’s installment was the second of doesn’t have that.” Exposure to new what will, with luck, become an annual event. dialogues motivates students to grow in Lori Short-Zamudio, coordinator for the Centre order to connect to larger networks they for Healthy Living and an instructor in the School may not have much in common with. of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism, was the This is a lesson that applies to all main driver behind the fair. As she explains, the programs. “When you look beyond the connection with Longo’s was not entirely random: brick-and-mortar and into what you can “Anthony Longo, the CEO, was a Humber student and accomplish in any environment, then came to introduce himself, which was cool for them,” anything is possible,” Short-Zamudio says. she says.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY, RECREATION AND TOURISM.
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HUMBER GETS NOTICED
International Man PROFESSOR PIERRE-PASCAL GENDRON ON BRINGING HIS INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND EXPERIENCE BACK TO THE CLASSROOM By Nicholas Flynn
FOR THE PAST DECADE, PIERRE-PASCAL GENDRON, a professor and program coordinator in Humber’s International Business program, has acted as a consultant for the International Monetary Fund (IMF). NEXT got a chance to talk with Gendron about his latest project, an IMF-hosted website on taxation targeted at policy-makers worldwide, and the lessons he brings back to his students. NEXT: You’re in the homestretch of your current contract with the IMF, correct? Gendron: Correct. It could be extended again. I’m working now on the final revision stage. For over ten years now, I’ve been doing technical assistance projects with the IMF. We assist in redesigning certain countries’ tax systems. One problem is that those reports are private, and the knowledge is never really shared—part of this current project concerns sharing knowledge about the things that have worked in the past. NEXT: How would you say working with the IMF has affected how you teach business? Gendron: That’s a central question. The core curriculum in business is very standard, unlike other areas. Internationally, there’s a sort of agreed-upon standard of what should be there. That makes it quite difficult to incorporate new information. When you look at the textbook treatment for those kinds of things, it’s quite dry and cursory. But doing this work myself allows me to put a lively story around that, to make clear that it’s actually much messier than it seems.
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NEXT: Given your background as an economist, would you say you run your program with an economist’s eye? Gendron: No, not at all. But faculty have quite a bit of leeway in terms of doing the things they feel achieve their course outcomes. So the courses are all quite different. My belief is that if there’s too much uniformity in the system, you don’t give the students a good training, whereas if you have a variety of positions and viewpoints, it forces critical thinking. It creates complementary approaches. NEXT: Considering your contract has been extended with the IMF, do you teach your students how to get invited back to the party? Gendron: [Laughs] I think that for the average student who is coming out of high school, programs like this are a bit of a shock. They’re adults. They’re the decision-making unit. The work placement is the first time where they’re really, really in charge. I think students learn about themselves a lot while they’re doing this.
HUMBER GETS NOTICED
PIERRE-PASCAL GENDRON
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIERRE-PASCAL GENDRON
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HUMBER GETS NOTICED
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HUMBER GETS NOTICED
Moot: There It Is! HOW THE BUSINESS SCHOOL’S BERNIE ARON AND ARAM SIMOVONIAN HELPED BUILD HUMBER’S REPUTATION AT A RESPECTED PARALEGAL COMPETITION By Carla Haddad
HUMBER DID VERY WELL AT the most recent Osgoode Cup, an annual event held at Toronto’s Osgoode Law School. According to its website, the prestigious event introduces “undergraduate students to mooting, a form of public speaking common in law school.” A Humber team made it to the quarter-finals, with two Humber students receiving individual awards. It’s a pretty good showing, given the size of the event—more than 100 teams participated this year—and given that Humber students used to be restricted to participating as timekeepers only. Cup organizers would not recognize Humber students as being comparable to their peers in university programs. All that has changed. “We are like ‘The Little Engine That Could,’” says Paralegal Studies program coordinator, Bernie Aron, who helps coach Humber students, as well as acting as a judge in the competition. This year, he was one of four judges to receive a People’s Judge Award at the event. In a mooting competition, teams compete in pairs to present an appeal or motions case to a panel of judges. Students in Humber paralegal program interested in
mooting get real-world perspectives from Aron, a skilled Ontario Small Claims Court judge, and professor Aram Simovonian, an Osgoode Cup veteran and certified lawyer. A star mooter in his student days at Humber, Simovonian was recruited by Aron to help coach students. Aron and Simovonian organize intensive weekly training sessions for undergraduate students once the mooting case is released and up until the competition date. “Sometimes, the training is tougher than the actual competition; but we want to make sure they’re prepared,” says Aron. “It’s so important to know a case inside and out—down to every paragraph— to know how to advocate and persuade for your side,” says Simovonian. It is in no small part thanks to Aron and Simovonian’s efforts that Humber has gone from timekeeper-status to respected competitor over the eight years it has participated in the Osgoode Cup. “Judges will approach students, amazed with Humber’s capabilities competing against universities,” says Aron. “There is respect that comes with the ‘Humber’ title.”
ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK / MASTERRR
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HUMBER GETS NOTICED
Planting the Seeds HUMBER FACULTY HELP DEVELOP TRAINING TECHNOLOGIES AT KENYAN POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTES By Ali Ryan
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LAST YEAR, HUMBER COLLEGE JOINED forces with 17 other Canadian colleges in order to help Kenya’s Ministry of Education bring its polyntechnic education programs up to date. The Kenyan Education for Employment program (KEFEP), a $1.7 million project funded by Global Affairs Canada and overseen by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), connected Humber faculty and expertise with Kisumu National Polytechnic, in order to develop a program called Plant Operations Maintenance in mechanical engineering. The program aims to open doors for Kenyan engineers.
HUMBER GETS NOTICED
We can gather and learn a lot from the way that our partners approach problems
Humber’s faculty brought homegrown expertise in linking the program with industry needs, coaching Kenyan educators to adapt and develop curricula that have realworld relevance. Prior to this, the Kenyan schools were relying on outdated textbooks and learning structures. As is the case with Humber’s own programs, the aim was to avoid a one-size-fits-all solution. “We looked at how we can build up the program so that it is relevant to Kenya,” says Jennifer Cleary, program director of Humber’s International Development Institute (IDI), which led Humber’s contribution. Cleary emphasizes the collaborative nature of the project: “We can gather and learn a lot from the way that our partners approach problems,” she says. The IDI has been working with Farzad Rayegani, the dean of Humber’s School of Applied Technology, as well as Neal Mohammed, the director of Humber’s new Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation. Cleary, Rayegani and Mohammed have all travelled to Kenya, and are exuberant about their time there. Though the money behind the project is vital, this is an initiative driven by compassion and enthusiasm. The experience of collaborating across national, continental and cultural boundaries has touched the faculty on both sides of the project. When Kenyan educators visited Humber’s campus last year, they planted a tree in the Arboretum. Inspired by their partners’ example, Humber faculty did the same thing when they were in Kenya. “It shows that we’re starting a partnership together, and lets us see it grow over time,” says Cleary. “There is something special about that.”
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THE HUMBER COMMUNITY
STUDENTS WORKING ON SET AT CINESPACE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SCHOOL OF MEDIA STUDIES & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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THE HUMBER COMMUNITY
That’s A Wrap A LAST-MINUTE REQUEST RESULTS IN A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP FOR HUMBER’S FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION STUDENTS By Laura Beattie
EACH YEAR, THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS in the Film and Television Production program embark on an intensive project to create several short films. For this immersive and multi-disciplinary project, the students model a proper union-style crew as they take on every aspect of the production process, from ideation all the way through to marketing and distribution. At the beginning of the winter semester, these productions go to studio. It’s easily the highlight of the program for the students—a chance to collaborate and make something real. | 17
THE HUMBER COMMUNITY
STUDENTS WORKING ON SET AT CINESPACE
At least, that’s how it usually works. Donna O’Brien-Sokic, who teaches Production Management in this program, explains: “In a normal semester,” she says, “we would start at the end of January and go 24/7 for five weeks. We’d go right through Reading Week, right through Family Day. We don’t stop.” This year, however, the labour disruption threw a kink into everyone’s plans. Educators were faced with the task of combining and condensing their lesson plans to accommodate the shortened winter semester. This was a challenge for everyone, but was especially problematic for the Film and Television Production program; with the shortened timeline, they simply weren’t going to have enough time to complete their films.
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Determined to provide her students with the learning experiences that they had been promised, O’Brien-Sokic started frantically looking for additional studio space. In a final act of desperation, she reached out to Cinespace Film Studios, one of the largest studios in Toronto and the busiest studio outside of Hollywood, having recently hosted productions such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror and Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water. It seemed like a long shot, but Cinespace responded with unanticipated levels of support and generosity. They granted the students access to a 5,000 square-foot studio space for just over three weeks—entirely free of charge.
THE HUMBER COMMUNITY
Without all of those pieces of the puzzle working together to fulfill a common goal, we couldn’t have done this.
The students admit that they were both inspired and intimidated at the prospect of working in such a high-calibre studio. “Being at Cinespace added a whole new dimension to the process,” says Robert Ryan Reyes. “Our excitement and enthusiasm of being there had to be balanced with a level of professionalism and responsibility akin to the productions we were shooting alongside,” adds Lara Cordiano. Even under regular circumstances, this project is a huge undertaking. This year, everyone rallied, and not only were the students able to complete their productions on a drastically reduced timeline, the foundations were laid for a strong new industry partnership.
“That shows you what a dedicated team can achieve,” says O’Brien-Sokic, “it comes from your administration, it comes from your students, it comes from your faculty and it comes from industry. Without all of those pieces of the puzzle working together to fulfill a common goal, we couldn’t have done this.” To see video of students working at Cinespace, go to youtu.be/SRqTWGbiKzc
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THE HUMBER COMMUNITY
Growing Knowledge THE ARBORETUM’S NEW FOOD LEARNING GARDEN IS A MULTIPROGRAM PARTNERSHIP THAT SOWS SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE By Nathan Thompson
PHOTO COURTESY OF HUMBER ASSET BANK
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VISITORS TO THE HUMBER ARBORETUM will find much more than beautiful foliage these days. The newly built Food Learning Garden—a demonstration garden and outdoor classroom—has been planted for the first time this past spring. The garden provides a wealth of new learning opportunities for Humber students and interested community members alike. The garden is the brainchild of Alexandra Link, the Arboretum’s director and a member of the steering committee for Humber College’s Centre for Innovation in Health and Wellness. Through her work at the Arboretum and in the community around the North campus, she began to investigate the issue of food security. She soon realized that the Arboretum was in a perfect position to address it with hands-on learning opportunities: “I developed the idea of building a Food Learning Garden at Humber so it would be a space where students and the community could go to learn about the importance of local food and how to build their own community or home food garden,” Link says. After meeting with various program coordinators, it was clear that the idea would bear fruit. The garden provides opportunities for culinary students in the School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism to harvest the produce for their classes and for use in Humber’s student-operated restaurant, The Humber Room. The garden also supports the Early Childhood Education program in the School of Health Sciences by providing a space where student teachers can help children understand the importance of nutrition and enable them to build a connection to the environment. Students studying Horticulture Science or aspiring to become landscape technicians will also benefit from the opportunity to get their hands dirty caring for this local garden. Following a successful pitch to the Centre for Innovation in Health and Wellness and generous funding from TD Friends of the Environment, the garden was designed and built in the fall of 2017. Its inaugural harvest has been anything but garden-variety. “Fruits, vegetables, edible flowers, herbs, permaculture plantings and berries; even goji berries and kiwis!” Link says. “We grow traditional things like carrots and tomatoes, and some of the funkier stuff on the leading edge of culinary trends.” The excitement and opportunities that are sprouting from Humber’s new Food Learning Garden are a sign of an abundant future.
THE HUMBER COMMUNITY
Learning to Live Together STUDENTS WIN A MAJOR DESIGN COMPETITION WITH AN APP THAT PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE LIVING By Mitali Colabawalla
THIS PAST MARCH, SIX HUMBER students representing four different schools and six different programs were selected by Humber faculty and the Office of Sustainability to compete in World Wildlife Fund Canada’s Designing Change for a Living Planet competition. After arriving at the WWF Canada head offices in downtown Toronto, the student team—Ankit Joshi, Avita Ragnauth, Ezgi Cokuysal, Graham Budgeon, Evan Curle and Jasmine Wong—were given two hours to brainstorm and develop an idea that they would then have to present to a three-judge panel. Furthermore, the idea had to offer an innovative solution to a day-to-day sustainability issue. Despite this pressure, and competition from 14 other colleges and universities, Humber’s team was victorious. They dreamed up an app that used an algorithm to connect tenants, roommates and landlords in order to encourage cohabitation, discourage the current ownership environment and promote the share market on the foundation of sustainability. The win came as a shock to the team members. “When they announced the runner-ups we were looking at each other with surprise,” Joshi says, though he makes clear it wasn’t that much of a shock: “We knew they had the best presentations of the day.” For Humber students like Joshi and the rest of his interdisciplinary team, spearheading environmental and social initiatives that inspire better lifestyles for themselves and the wider community is all part of the core idea of sustainability. Roma Malik, Sustainability Specialist at Humber’s Office of Sustainability, says integrating sustainability initiatives into the course curricula is the
number one way Humber can not only begin reducing its own ecological footprint, but also encourage boots-on-theground experiential learning in students. Professor George Paravantes, program coordinator of the User Experience Design New Grad Certificate (in which team member Ezgi Cokuysal is a student), says that without faculty taking the initiative to implement sustainability efforts into the classroom, Humber students wouldn’t have the opportunity to discover their passion for sustainability. He says the most fulfilling aspect for educators is “helping students find the trajectory of their personal path to success.” Many of the courses offered at Humber do integrate sustainability efforts, such as in the User Experience Design program, where sustainable thinking is interwoven into design methodology. Humber’s Office of Sustainability currently has a five-year sustainability plan, and is always looking to collaborate with Humber students and faculty. Any future Humber faculty interested in integrating sustainable initiatives into their course curricula should simply reach out to the Office of Sustainability with the inquiry, whether that be through their website or email, because some of their best projects started with a simple conversation.
ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK / ELENABSL & PURESOLUTION
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NEXT TECH
Back On The Air And Better Than Ever RISING FROM THE ASHES OF LAST YEAR’S FIRE, THE L BUILDING’S RENOVATED RADIO SPACE OFFERS STUDENTS A STATE-OF-THE-ART LEARNING SPACE By Arundhati Chatterjee
LAST YEAR, A POWER OUTAGE in Humber’s radio space in the North campus’s L Building resulted in a small fire that destroyed the main recording floor. But it soon returned, and was almost unrecognizable: the old-school black-and-brown interiors and bulky consoles had been replaced with vibrant red walls and sleek gadgets. Since its relaunch, over a hundred students and alumni of the Radio and Broadcasting program are have been availing themselves of the new, state-of-the-art facilities, which can now do much more to prepare them for their careers. The technology of how people broadcast audio out to the world has changed enormously, and Humber’s redeveloped radio space has embraced it all. The station not only features a Wheatstone Wheatnet-IP Console—one of only
HUMBER’S HI-TECH NEW RADIO SPACE
BEFORE THE RENOVATION...
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HUMBER RADIO
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NEXT TECH
We have brought it up to the standards of today
... AND AFTER
three in operation in the Greater Toronto Area—the transmission and recording controllers are entirely digital. Dean Sinclair, professor and general manager of Humber radio station (96.9 FM) can’t hide his enthusiasm when he talks about the new space. “We changed all the equipment from top to bottom,” he says. But he’s not the only one who is impressed: Radio Ink, one of the major radio and broadcasting magazines in the United States, recently called Radio Humber “one of the neatest radio stations in North America.” Sinclair says: “The mention means a lot to us, because the magazine never features Canadian radio stations.” The fully licensed station is regulated by the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and takes pride in its all-Canadian programming. The improvements to the station are not all about looks or prestige. With its door sensors, heightadjustable consoles, and other features, the space is now fully compliant with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA). “We have brought it up to the standards of today,” Sinclair says. | 23
NEXT SCHOLARSHIP
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK / MIMAGEPHOTOGRAPHY
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NEXT SCHOLARSHIP
TIF Stories: Teaching with Podcasts By Kirsten Desabrais
THE TEACHING INNOVATION FUND ALLOWS PARTICIPATING FACULTY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO A PARTICULAR IDEA RELATED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING. EACH ISSUE, WE PROFILE A SUCCESSFUL TIF APPLICANT—GETTING TO KNOW THE PROJECT, THE PROCESS AND THE PERSON BEHIND BOTH. SOMETIMES THE BEST IDEAS COME when you have nothing else to do. Like, say, when you are stuck on the bus between Humber’s North campus and the Kipling subway station. That’s where professors Mark Whale and Nathan Radke, who both teach in the GenEd program for the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, would often chat about their courses, which tend to be very broad in their scope— introducing concepts in philosophy, psychology, politics, and more. At some point, Radke proposed turning these impromptu discussions into a series of podcasts, to give students in the program insight into the way their teachers approach, and even argue, over the material. So they did, with the help of some simple recording equipment, a couple of smart friends—and a few beers. The resulting podcasts, which feature dialogue between different professors on the diverse topics they each teach, focus on course material and readings. Hearing diverse faculty opinions on each topic, Whale believes, can often be more engaging than having one professor simply deliver the material at the front of the class. Whale eventually decided to formalize the experiment a little by researching his students’ attitudes toward the podcasts, and so applied for and received assistance from the Teaching Innovation Fund (TIF, an initiative of the Centre
for Teaching & Learning). In his research, Whale found that the students responded favourably to the podcasts, though a number of respondents felt that the podcasts that were too long, or that had poor audio quality, were less successful than others. Many also suggested adding some form of summary at the end of each episode, and a link to further reading and resources. Whale sees these podcasts as a supplement to, rather than as a replacement for, course readings. He feels podcasts can be an accessible way for students to access information while encouraging critical thought. “You become much more active as a learner,” he says, “And I think it changes the way you interpret because you are actively interpreting.” The accessibility of podcasts is what Whale sees as their greatest strength. This summer, Whale will work with The Centre for Teaching & Learning to help develop a Humber platform where these podcasts can be hosted, so that students and faculty across the college can access them. Podcasts give students the flexibility to engage with course material outside of regular classtime, whether it be on their commute to school or on public transport. Some may even listen while riding the 191 bus, where Whale’s podcasts were first dreamed up.
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TEACHING & LEARNING EXCELLENCE
The NEXTcast Q&A IN THIS EXCERPT FROM A RECENT NEXTCAST EPISODE, PROFESSOR LEILA KELLEHER DISCUSSES FLIPPED LABS AND WORKSHOPS By NEXT Staff
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TEACHING & LEARNING EXCELLENCE
Professor in the Exercise Science and Lifestyle Management program [This excerpt has been edited for clarity and length.] NEXT: What exactly is a flipped classroom? Kelleher: It’s pretty cool, flipping your classrooms. What it means is students are responsible for learning the material that traditionally would’ve been taught during lecture time. In a flipped classroom model, the students learn the theoretical basics outside the classroom so that when they come to the class they engage at a deeper level and the professor can use their expertise to engage with the students and the material, rather than just teaching basic 101 theory on whatever subject it is. NEXT: So they’re prepared, they’ve got whatever hard content they need, and are ready to go a little further with it. Kelleher: Absolutely. Oftentimes, when the flipped classroom model is used, it uses more technology and media to do it. So there might be videos to watch, or modules on their classroom management system, they might answer to do a quiz to test their mastery, as opposed to just reading—which, as you know, some people do and some people don’t. And then the students can gain a higher master of that material because they’re using that classroom time to push those ideas and get a fuller understanding. NEXT: What are some pitfalls of flipping? Kelleher: The first challenge is that you have to create content. My model for labs that I’d developed was to record a video of exactly what I’d do at the beginning of
a lab—introducing a lab, explaining what it was about, and explaining the procedures. And what my students have to do is they have to take notes on that and submit them for grades. So when they come into the lab, they’re ready to go. The advantage is that students, if they’re well prepared, they can form a group right away, they know what equipment to get, and they can do the lab. And they can be in and out very quickly, if they choose, or they can stick around if little bit longer if they want to have deeper discussions. It frees up my time in the classroom for answering higher level questions and troubleshooting as needed. NEXT: How has the flipped approach been for you, in terms of your enjoyment and your engagement? Kelleher: I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, and I wouldn’t change it. I like to be nimble with my labs, so I set an old video camera up on a tripod and I just do my demonstrations exactly like I was in front of my class. And sometimes I stumble over my words, and sometimes there’s a bit of laughing—it keeps it all a bit real. But it also means if I need to produce new content, it takes no time at all. It’s more relaxing for me in the classroom because I’m not putting out fires and running around. I always get to know my students anyway, but I really get to know them because we end up having a lot more chats in the lab. soundcloud.com/humbernextcast
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TEACHING & LEARNING EXCELLENCE
Ask NEXT
WE TACKLE SOME OF YOUR TRICKIEST TEACHING ISSUES By Tayler Buchanan & Kristin Valois
Q
Recently, issues around the #MeToo movement have been coming up in my class discussions. I don’t feel entirely comfortable discussing such a delicate subject, but at the same time, I don’t want to disrespect my students’ feelings. How do I address issues like that in the classroom in a sensitive and constructive way?
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK / PROSTOCK-STUDIO
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A
This is a tough one. The best teachers empower their students to become engaged, active participants in the classroom. But this means that students will sometimes want to lead discussions into some very sensitive territory. With topics like sexual assault and the #MeToo movement, especially, it can be challenging to have a constructive discussion in the classroom. Many students may have opposing opinions, which is why it is important to create a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts.
When creating a safe space for discussions in the classroom, it’s best to set your expectations clearly from the beginning of the semester. Remember, behaviour unchecked becomes the norm, so that group of students talking in the background through your lecture will continue to do so if you don’t set out your expectations from the beginning. This way everyone is on the same page regarding listening to each other, being respectful and ensuring every voice in the class is heard.
TEACHING & LEARNING EXCELLENCE
The educator’s role in the discussion is the facilitator, meaning that it is their job to be aware of who has and who hasn’t spoken up in the class, as well as keep the discussion on track if things start becoming unsafe and disrespectful. A way to keep the discussion constructive and safe is by framing the #MeToo movement, or another sensitive topic, in a broader cultural context, if possible. By emphasizing the larger, cultural aspects of the conversation, commentary tends to remain on the issue itself and doesn’t encourage personal stories that may begin to make others uncomfortable. Whether a sensitive conversation is planned or spontaneous, teachers should prepare for the possibility of a discussion and be aware of their own comfort level when discussing topics. If the teacher is not comfortable then they should still acknowledge the student’s interest in a conversation by actively listening and using phrases like ‘thank you for sharing your experience,’ and then direct them to appropriate help, such as Humber’s counselling services.
what their techniques for speaking are. Chances are, they’ve felt the same way, and might have a few tips to share. It might seem obvious, but if you have key material you need to deliver, practice! In front of a mirror or with a partner can help you feel more comfortable. Simply reciting the words in advance can help you find places where you might stumble. If you’re still not feeling confident, The Centre for Teaching & Learning offers both public speaking workshops and individual coaching for teachers that help with intonation, flow and cadence. Break your teaching material into sections. Focus on a strong delivery of your introductory material, and then move to a class discussion or group activity where you can circulate
throughout the classroom and have one-on-one conversations with students. This will take the spotlight off of you, and allow you to engage with students and provide better support. And connecting with students will go a long way toward making everyone feel more comfortable, too. Arrive a little early to class, and create a dialogue before your lesson even begins. Invite your students to be part of the class by asking for feedback on course material. It will become a more natural, easygoing, back-and-forth kind of process. Students are generally pretty accepting—if you can show your humanity a bit in the classroom, they’ll respond to that.
Q
I am confident in the material I teach to students, but get very nervous and stiff in front of a class. What are some steps I can take to loosen up a bit?
A
Is wine out of the question? Seriously: a lot of educators feel the same way—standing at the front of the class can be daunting. And it’s easy to psyche yourself out. To get yourself on the way from shy to swagger, start by asking yourself why you’re nervous. Is it first-time jitters? Are you self-conscious about a particular aspect of your delivery? Try chatting with other faculty and asking PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK / GARETSWORKSHOP
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