Fall Perspectives on Teaching Conference - August 24, 2012
Date: August 24, 2012
Location: Social Science Centre, Room 2050
Fall Perspectives on Teaching Conference Schedule (pdf)
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Welcoming Remarks Angie Mandich, Associate Vice-Provost (Academic Programs & Students) |
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. SSC 2050 |
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Keynote Session Integrity in the Academy: Imperatives, Incentives and Innovations Julia Christensen Hughes, University of Guelph A groundbreaking 2002/2003 study on academic integrity at over a dozen Canadian PSE institutions, found troubling rates of questionable behaviours being reported by both undergraduate and graduate students. These results prompted a number of institutions to review their policies and procedures and augment their student and faculty orientation programs. This presentation will briefly review these earlier findings, reflect on what has transpired in the meantime, and suggest further change that is needed. Lapses of integrity will be explored with respect to both society and academe in general. New research findings will be presented that provide some explanation as to why these behaviours—which undermine the core purpose of academe—continue to occur. Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes is Dean of the College of Management and Economics (CME) at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She is also past-president of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, a predominantly Canadian organization committed to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in post-secondary institutions. An award winning instructor, Dr. Christensen Hughes’ scholarly interests include student engagement, curriculum renewal, academic integrity and educational reform. Recently she co-edited the book “Taking Stock: Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.” In 2007, Julia was the recipient of the Edward F. Sheffield Award from the Canadian Society for Studies in Higher Education for her work on academic integrity, published in the Canadian Journal of Higher Education. In 2008, she received the John Bell Award from the University of Guelph for outstanding contributions to education. Integrity in the Academy: Imperatives, Incentives and Innovations (pdf) |
9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. SSC 2050 |
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Refreshment Break |
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. |
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Plenary Session Academic Integrity at Western In this interactive session, the panel will share their perspectives on and experiences with academic integrity at Western. Specifically, they will address issues such as what they do in their respective roles to foster academic integrity, what they believe Western is doing well to help cultivate academic honesty, and what more the Western community can be doing to further promote a culture of integrity. The session will include the opportunity for discussion between the panel, Dr. Christensen Hughes, and session attendees. Facilitator: Debra Dawson, Director, Teaching Support Centre |
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. SSC 2050 |
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Concurrent Sessions – Choose One Session |
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Session A Group Work on a Grand Scale: Introducing long-term, collaborative projects into the large class context A first year class of 350. A semester-long group project worth 60% of your final grade, culminating in a public presentation for the entire University community. 65 five-person groups. Is this instructor nuts?? Group projects among classes larger than 50 students are often perceived to be unwieldy—difficult to manage logistically and virtually impossible to assess in any convenient way. This presentation seeks to change that perception. With creativity and thoughtful planning, the boundary of class size can be overcome. This interactive session will explore successful strategies for the introduction, management, and creative assessment of group projects in large classes. Natasha Hannon, Educational Developer, Teaching Support Centre |
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. SSC 2024 |
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Session B Getting Graduate Students Off to a Good Start So you have three new graduate students and four new TAs this fall … Join us to discuss concrete strategies you can use to clarify your expectations for graduate students in research, teaching and coursework, and prepare them for the first year of graduate school. Research on graduate education finds that a good start, continued mentorship, and clear expectations make a significant difference in graduate student completion and progress and lighten the workload of the supervisor. Nanda Dimitrov, Associate Director, Teaching Support Centre |
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. SSC 2028 |
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Session C The First Year Experience: Supporting Our Students’ Transitions Who are the incoming students of 2012? What programming is in place to engage this eager group in the University community, support them in their studies, and enhance their personal development? How might each of us further contribute to these efforts? Explore these questions with a panel of experts closely connected to the first year experience at Western—the instructor of a large first year course, the coordinator of Summer Academic Orientation, and an undergraduate student entering into their second year this fall. Shauna Burke, Assistant Professor, School of Health Studies |
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. SSC 2050 |
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Refreshment Break |
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
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Plenary Session Making Large Classes Feel Small: Best practices for large class teaching The anonymity of a 350 person class can allow students to coast through the semester never being noticed, never being called on to answer a question, and never even talking to the professor. Three of Western’s most successful large class instructors will share strategies to engage students actively in class and online, to balance the logistical challenges of large numbers with personalized feedback, and to draw students into a dialogue with each other, their instructor, and the discipline. Facilitator: Mike Atkinson, Faculty Associate, Teaching Support Centre |
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. SSC 2050 |
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Registration is free. Click here to register. |
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