The Laurier Teaching Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Sara Klinck from Laurier's Music Therapy program and recipient of the 2023 Sustained Excellence Award in the Part-time Category shares her journey from a clinical music therapist to an inspiring educator, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery, humility, and lifelong learning in her pedagogical approach. Sara’s commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment shines through as she prepares students to handle weighty subjects such as end-of-life care. She discusses the integration of clinical experiences into her courses, the significance of universal design for learning, and the delicate balance of professional and personal well-being.

Laurier’s Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Learn more about award-winning teaching at Laurier: https://bit.ly/award-winning-faculty

Discover more from the Teaching Excellence and Innovation Team

Professor Scott Nicholson from Laurier’s Game Design and Development program shares his passion for creating unique and inspiring learning experiences through games. Not only does Scott teach about games, he also weaves meaningful gamification principles throughout his teaching, igniting students’ interest in both the subject matter, and their own learning. Scott discusses his student-centred approach to motivating students with customized learning paths that foster intrinsic motivation and empower students to learn through exploration and play.

He shares his experiences with integrating AI tools into teaching, helping students navigate these new technologies in their work, and how he uses gamification to help students build confidence. He offers  advice for other instructors on incorporating meaningful gamification principles into their courses to make learning more engaging and effective.

Resources and Articles

• A RECIPE for Meaningful Gamification http://s
• Exploring Gamification Techniques for Classroom Management 
• Completing the Experience: Debriefing in Experiential Educational Games
• EscapeIF: Educational Storytelling Games for Low-Resource Classrooms

Find Scott on the web at scottnicholson.com

Discover more from the Teaching Excellence and Innovation Team

Shauansea Brown in Laurier’s Communication Studies department discusses how she creates an environment where students can have difficult conversations safely by building trust and a collective care ethic in her classroom. Dr. Brown discusses how she encourages students to bring their lived experiences into her course. She also helps students unpack and discuss new ways of seeing and understanding, creating a supportive framework that gives students the responsibility for taking care of themselves and each other.

Follow Shaunasea Brown on Instagram: @drshaunasea

Hosted by Alesha Moffat, educational developer

Explore more from Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Laurier.

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Michael Woodford from Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work discusses creating supportive and inclusive classrooms and campuses that support 2SLGBTQ+  students and faculty. Michael’s research work on large studies like Thriving on Campus helps campus communities understand how to better support the needs of diverse 2SLGBTQ+ students in and beyond the classroom, and he shares strategies that listeners can use to build inclusive campus spaces and classrooms, along with ways to pre-empt and diffuse microaggressions. Hosted by Laurier undergraduate student Belle O’Neill.    Resources discussed: 

• Thriving on Campus
• Querying Higher Education
• The LGBQ Microaggressions on Campus Scale
• The NAME Steps for addressing microagressions
• SPECTRUM Centre in Waterloo
• OK2BME.ca
• Laurier’s Bystander Training program
• The Laurier Pride Guide for faculty and staff
• Learn more about Brantford’s Queersphere and Waterloo’s Rainbow Centre

Laurier faculty, staff and students can explore recorded programming and resources about microagressions in the classroom and inclusive teaching strategies on Connect. 

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Steve MacNeil from Laurier’s Chemistry and Biochemistry department discusses his journey from a blended and flipped classroom into scaffolding a metacognition co-curriculum throughout his courses to help students reflect not only on what they know, but on how they learn. Steve talks about how techniques like collaborative testing and IF-AT cards have deepened students’ learning in his courses, why it’s necessary to scaffold students through new pedagogies, how instructors can start building metacognitive components into their courses, and how a metacognition co-curriculum can help instructors navigate academic integrity alongside generative AI tools.

Explore Steve’s Work:

• Exploring the Influence of Multiple-Choice Test Formats on Student Performance  |  Wood, E., Klausz, N., MacNeil, S. (2022)
• Learning Task Inventories, Exploration of Optimal Conditions to Help Students Develop, Improve and Sustain Good Study and Learning Practices |  MacNeil, S., Wood, E., (2014)
• The Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT) in a Large Enrollment Introductory Organic Chemistry Course  |  MacNeil, S. (2011)
• Learning Task Inventories (LTIs) in Introductory Organic Chemistry  |  MacNeil, S., Wood, E. (2013)
• Follow Steve on Twitter (@SteveMacNeil9)

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Faculty Mentoring Award recipient Paula Fletcher from Laurier’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education joins Mary Wilson, vice-provost of Teaching and Learning, in conversation to discuss how she helps build confidence in students, the importance of faculty mentoring one another and the mentors who have shaped her journey.

Laurier’s Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Recipients are recognized for both long-standing and early-career excellence, for being classroom innovators and mentors, and for embedding internationalization into their curriculum and pedagogy.

Resources mentioned in the discussion:

• Laurier’s guide to mentorship is available to Laurier instructors on MyLearningSpace by self-registering in “Best Practices in Mentorship”
• Explore Laurier’s Researcher Handbook from the Office of Research Services
• Find out about the Laurier Graduate Enhancement Fund’s projects and apply for funding
• Learn about the Sun Life Centre for Physically Active Communities (CPAC). More information about physically active programs like Movin’ N Groovin’
• Discover the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Laurier

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Staff Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning recipient Lydia Awuah-Mensah from Laurier’s Career Development Centre joins Mary Wilson, vice-provost of Teaching and Learning, in conversation to discuss how she helps students reflect on their skill development, navigate transformative volunteer experiences and make meaning of the “Aha” moments in their lives.

Laurier’s Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Recipients are recognized for both long-standing and early-career excellence, for being classroom innovators and mentors, and for embedding internationalization into their curriculum and pedagogy.

Resources mentioned in the discussion:

• Connect with Laurier’s Career Centre
• Read about Career Integrated Learning at Laurier
• Learn more about Laurier’s Non-Profit Sector Experiential certificate
• HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre
• Further education support and appointments
• Memorial University’s Career Integrated Learning Project  |  Rhonda Joy and Rob Shea

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Hoffman-Little Award recipient Michael Cinelli from Laurier’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education joins Mary Wilson, vice-provost of Teaching and Learning, in conversation to discuss his approach to mentorship, how he helps students find balance in their lives, and strategies he uses to create thriving classroom and lab environments.  

Laurier’s Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Recipients are recognized for both long-standing and early-career excellence, for being classroom innovators and mentors, and for embedding internationalization into their curriculum and pedagogy.

Resources from the Discussion

Resources mentioned in the discussion:

• Example and impact of using IFAT cards
• Techniques for assessing through low-stakes quizzes like iClicker
• Kevin Orr, University of Huddersfield
• Active Learning resources for Laurier faculty

Recorded July 2022

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Laurier Teaching Fellow Richelle Monaghan from Laurier’s Community Health and Biology programs joins Mary Wilson, vice-provost of Teaching and Learning, in conversation to discuss creating community in the classroom, structuring courses with empathy and the impacts of embedding Universal Design for Learning into her teaching.

The Laurier Teaching Fellowship program cultivates a culture of teaching excellence and student success by harnessing the diverse skills and experiences of the fellowship community. Together with colleagues and Teaching and Learning, the Laurier Teaching Fellows advance teaching and learning at all levels of campus and community. Discover more about the Laurier Teaching Fellows.

Resources mentioned in the discussion:

• Integrating Universal Design for Learning principles 
• Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (Meyer and Land, 2006) 
• Christopher Winch at King’s College, London
• Centre for Leading Research in Education (CLRiE)
• Inclusive Pedagogy resources for Laurier faculty
• Learn more about Richelle Monaghan

Recorded July 2022

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Early Career Excellence Award recipient Colin Labadie from Laurier’s Faculty of Music joins Mary Wilson, Laurier’s vice-provost of Teaching and Learning, in conversation to discuss creating supportive and inclusive classroom environments that allow instructors and students to inspire and improvise with one another, and the role that care and compassion play in teaching.

Laurier’s Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Recipients are recognized for both long-standing and early-career excellence, for being classroom innovators and mentors, and for embedding internationalization into their curriculum and pedagogy.

Discussion Resources

Resources mentioned in the discussion:

• Instructional Skills Workshop Network
• BOPPPS Lesson Planning
• Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College, by Peter Felten and Leo M. Lambert
• Josh Eyler's talk at Laurier
• Robin DeRosa
• Maha Bali

Recorded July 2022

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