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Showcase

Showcase features instructors using innovative teaching strategies to enhance teaching and learning at UBC Okanagan. For more information on teaching and learning resources at UBC Okanagan, contact the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

	Showcase- Carolyn Labun Getting Your Message Across This past term, I worked towards two separate goals with my first-year writing students: to bring the world into our classroom; and (through our class blog, Engineers Write the World, and our writing journal, First Words) to bring our writing into the world. I hoped to bridge the gap between the academy and professional practice, and to help my students see that as our class motto claims, they can "get their message across," that their words matter, and someone is listening. Read More>>>
	Using Video To Create Supplementary Course Materials Dr. Scott Reid, professor of Biology, is continuously experimenting with technology to create learning resources for his students. “I will never stop trying to generate supplemental course material that engages the students and enhances the probability that they can excel at their studies…” In recent years, Scott has moved pre-lab talks out of the lab and captured his lectures using video recordings. In his personal account, Scott explains his philosophy behind the supplemental materials that he creates for his students, describing how he does it and sharing nuggets of wisdom he has acquired through his vigorous experimentation. Read More >>>
	Rethinking Japanese Language Classes With the Japanese language, it takes years to memorize the 2000 “daily-use” ideographs necessary for reading. This means that the traditional university classroom focus on translation and written tests does not work well. It also means that learning Japanese tends to require extra time. At UBCO most language classes meet 3 hours per week, but Japanese classes meet 4 hours per week (3 lecture hours + 1 lab hour) and my classes also have one extra “e-lab” hour per week of online WebCT exercises and drills. I feel that students of Japanese need to focus on speaking and listening in order to function in any meaningful way in the language while they put in the time learning to read and write – otherwise they have to wait 6-8 years for any return on their time investment and most students will just give up! More>>>
Dr. Teresa Wrzesniewski	Computer Animations Although Dr. Teresa Wrzesniewski has been teaching chemistry and physics for many years, she continues to experiment with innovative teaching strategies in an effort to enhance student learning. Wrzesniewski has been using computer animations in WebCT for her physics courses. The animations enable students to visualize concepts, practice and verify calculations. More recently she has also implemented “clickers” (personal response systems). These hand held devices allow students to participate and get immediate feedback, even in very large class sizes. How does this strategy enhance student learning? Students tend to stay focused because they know there will be a “clicker” question, they can participate and receive immediate feedback about whether or not they understand or can apply new concepts. Even though not every clicker session is for marks, the students have provided positive feedback about this learning experience and benefit from the frequent and immediate feedback. At the end of a semester when Wrzesniewski compares results; students are retaining what they have learned. It’s so important to have good questions that can elicit understanding and reasoning and allow students to infer and predict. Wrzesniewski has also been examining clicker use as a researcher and presented at the Teaching, Learning & Technology Conference, Ryerson University, Toronto, November 2007
Jan Don Domenico Cioe, Ph.D., R.Psych. Associate Professor - Psychology Department Website Link	Podcasting Dr. Cioe has used various strategies over the years to support student learning. This year Jan used digital recording and podcasting to enhance face to face classroom instruction. Students were able to access the podcasts through WebCT. The podcasts were then available to upload to ipods allowing students to listen at their convenience or during a lengthy commute. Students are able to review lectures and class discussions if they had been unable to attend or to clarify aspects of the lecture that are sometimes missed while note taking. Today's students are comfortable with technology and most have access to these tools, so podcasting becomes another student centred strategy for teaching and learning in an environment that is familiar. There are a few extra steps to take when providing such technology to students. It is important to repeat questions that are asked during class discussions, especially those that come from the back of the room or from someone with a quiet voice. Of course the digital recording must be converted to a small file such as an mp3 for efficient uploading and downloading.
Nina Langton, Associate Professor, Japanese Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies	Voice Tools Nina Langton has been teaching Japanese since 1993. She has long been an innovative user of technology as she recognizes the added value of using audio and video to enhance face to face instruction in modern language. Most recently Nina has added Wimba Voice Tools to her WebCT online course. Using audio technology allows students more opportunity for self-directed learning, taking the learning out of the classroom. It is also appealing to learner styles that like drill and review. The voice tools include voice email, live voice chat, voice announcements and voice discussions. Nina set up guest accounts so that students from Japan could also access the course and converse with her local students allowing for a very interactive audio component with native Japanese speakers and real life interaction. As more students become interested in acquiring modern languages this technology provides for an authentic experience where students use conversational Japanese and have the opportunity to negotiate meaning and initiate and control conversations.
Judy Gillespie, Ph.D. (candidate), MSW., BSW. Assistant Professor - School of Social Work Website Link	Team Based Learning Judy Gillespie was looking for a way to ensure that her students would be confident that they possessed and could apply professional skills and knowledge required in the social work environment. Judy implemented Team Based Learning this year and believes that this strategy allows students to develop their own knowledge by creating an environment where students are required to integrate theory and practice effectively. The classroom became a motivated community of knowledge builders where students came prepared and contributed with a keen awareness of perspectives and valuable individual opinions and insights that were beneficial to group success. Much to this caring teacher's delight, TBL proved to be quite a success as evidenced by the high quality final assignments many students submitted. Students were confident that they knew what was expected and were well prepared for their final writing assignment. Judy is looking forward to further developing the Team Based Learning approach to meet the needs of applied social sciences.

Showcase- Carolyn Labun

Getting Your Message Across

This past term, I worked towards two separate goals with my first-year writing students: to bring the world into our classroom; and (through our class blog, Engineers Write the World, and our writing journal, First Words) to bring our writing into the world. I hoped to bridge the gap between the academy and professional practice, and to help my students see that as our class motto claims, they can "get their message across," that their words matter, and someone is listening. Read More>>>

Using Video To Create Supplementary Course Materials

Dr. Scott Reid, professor of Biology, is continuously experimenting with technology to create learning resources for his students. “I will never stop trying to generate supplemental course material that engages the students and enhances the probability that they can excel at their studies…” In recent years, Scott has moved pre-lab talks out of the lab and captured his lectures using video recordings. In his personal account, Scott explains his philosophy behind the supplemental materials that he creates for his students, describing how he does it and sharing nuggets of wisdom he has acquired through his vigorous experimentation.
Read More >>>

Rethinking Japanese Language Classes

With the Japanese language, it takes years to memorize the 2000 “daily-use” ideographs necessary for reading. This means that the traditional university classroom focus on translation and written tests does not work well. It also means that learning Japanese tends to require extra time. At UBCO most language classes meet 3 hours per week, but Japanese classes meet 4 hours per week (3 lecture hours + 1 lab hour) and my classes also have one extra “e-lab” hour per week of online WebCT exercises and drills. I feel that students of Japanese need to focus on speaking and listening in order to function in any meaningful way in the language while they put in the time learning to read and write – otherwise they have to wait 6-8 years for any return on their time investment and most students will just give up! More>>>

Dr. Teresa Wrzesniewski

Computer Animations

Although Dr. Teresa Wrzesniewski has been teaching chemistry and physics for many years, she continues to experiment with innovative teaching strategies in an effort to enhance student learning. Wrzesniewski has been using computer animations in WebCT for her physics courses. The animations enable students to visualize concepts, practice and verify calculations. More recently she has also implemented “clickers” (personal response systems). These hand held devices allow students to participate and get immediate feedback, even in very large class sizes. How does this strategy enhance student learning? Students tend to stay focused because they know there will be a “clicker” question, they can participate and receive immediate feedback about whether or not they understand or can apply new concepts. Even though not every clicker session is for marks, the students have provided positive feedback about this learning experience and benefit from the frequent and immediate feedback. At the end of a semester when Wrzesniewski compares results; students are retaining what they have learned. It’s so important to have good questions that can elicit understanding and reasoning and allow students to infer and predict. Wrzesniewski has also been examining clicker use as a researcher and presented at the Teaching, Learning & Technology Conference, Ryerson University, Toronto, November 2007

Jan Don Domenico Cioe, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Associate Professor - Psychology Department
Website Link

Podcasting

Dr. Cioe has used various strategies over the years to support student learning. This year Jan used digital recording and podcasting to enhance face to face classroom instruction. Students were able to access the podcasts through WebCT. The podcasts were then available to upload to ipods allowing students to listen at their convenience or during a lengthy commute. Students are able to review lectures and class discussions if they had been unable to attend or to clarify aspects of the lecture that are sometimes missed while note taking. Today's students are comfortable with technology and most have access to these tools, so podcasting becomes another student centred strategy for teaching and learning in an environment that is familiar.

There are a few extra steps to take when providing such technology to students. It is important to repeat questions that are asked during class discussions, especially those that come from the back of the room or from someone with a quiet voice. Of course the digital recording must be converted to a small file such as an mp3 for efficient uploading and downloading.

Nina Langton,
Associate Professor, Japanese
Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Voice Tools

Nina Langton has been teaching Japanese since 1993. She has long been an innovative user of technology as she recognizes the added value of using audio and video to enhance face to face instruction in modern language. Most recently Nina has added Wimba Voice Tools to her WebCT online course. Using audio technology allows students more opportunity for self-directed learning, taking the learning out of the classroom. It is also appealing to learner styles that like drill and review.

The voice tools include voice email, live voice chat, voice announcements and voice discussions. Nina set up guest accounts so that students from Japan could also access the course and converse with her local students allowing for a very interactive audio component with native Japanese speakers and real life interaction. As more students become interested in acquiring modern languages this technology provides for an authentic experience where students use conversational Japanese and have the opportunity to negotiate meaning and initiate and control conversations.

Judy Gillespie, Ph.D. (candidate), MSW., BSW.
Assistant Professor - School of Social Work
Website Link

Team Based Learning

Judy Gillespie was looking for a way to ensure that her students would be confident that they possessed and could apply professional skills and knowledge required in the social work environment. Judy implemented Team Based Learning this year and believes that this strategy allows students to develop their own knowledge by creating an environment where students are required to integrate theory and practice effectively.

The classroom became a motivated community of knowledge builders where students came prepared and contributed with a keen awareness of perspectives and valuable individual opinions and insights that were beneficial to group success. Much to this caring teacher's delight, TBL proved to be quite a success as evidenced by the high quality final assignments many students submitted. Students were confident that they knew what was expected and were well prepared for their final writing assignment.

Judy is looking forward to further developing the Team Based Learning approach to meet the needs of applied social sciences.

Shirley McDonald

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Last reviewed 3/2/2011 2:24:16 PM