The purpose of the Centred on Learning Innovation Fund is to stimulate the development, implementation, and assessment of innovative teaching and learning. Click on 'Abstract' to read more about this year’s proposals:
Raising Awareness of Impostor Phenomenon to Foster Resilience in an Academic Community
Michelle Bondy, Faculty of Science; Dora Cavallo-Medved, Department of Biological Sciences; Laura Chittle, Department of Kinesiology; Amy (Dana) Menard, Odette School of Business and Faculty of Science; & Elizabeth Ismail, Argumentation Studies
Abstract
Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is commonly experienced by individuals in academia and is characterized as an intellectual feeling of phoniness that can undermine confidence in oneself and result in increased stress and negative effects on career decisions. To the best of our knowledge, we are unaware of any resources available at the University of Windsor to help students and faculty manage IP. We propose a multi-phased project to help support and create resources for groups who may be especially prone to feelings associated with IP. To enhance awareness, we will employ a student-partnership model where students will be mentored and trained on how to conduct research and create interactive workshops on IP. Phase one will involve conducting a literature review and survey on IP, and an environmental scan on available resources at other institutions. Phase two will consist of the creation and delivery of interactive and learning-centred workshops to groups most at risk of experiencing IP on campus (e.g., new faculty members, graduate students, minoritized and underrepresented undergraduate students). Phase three will entail the collection of feedback through an exit survey to determine the impact of the workshops and to gather information on how to change or enhance workshop content and delivery. We will disseminate project findings at various teaching and learning conferences. The project outcomes aim to enhance awareness of this widespread phenomenon, mitigate problems associated with IP and help students and faculty manage IP, thereby fostering resilience and strengthening the teaching and learning relationship.
Indigenous Teaching Methodologies
Beverly Jacobs, Valarie Walboose, Sylvia Mcadam, & Jeffery Hewitt, Faculty of Law
Abstract
Indigenous Professors (Dr. Valerie Waboose, Jeffery Hewitt, Dr. Beverly Jacobs and Sylvia McAdam) at the Faculty of Law would like to formally develop teaching methodologies to teach the Indigenous Legal Orders (ILO) to first year law students (1Ls). Each professor has his/her own ways of teaching, however, we would like to articulate our methodologies in a formal manner. We need to work with a group of Elders/Knowledge Holders to assist and guide in developing and articulating Indigenous teaching methodologies. An invitation to a selected group of Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and nêhiyaw (Cree) Elders/Knowledge Holders will be sent to bring them together to assist in achieving our goal. We would like to have this gathering as land-based learning so we would like to meet in the Anishinaabe territory of Bkejwanong First Nation (Walpole Island) during the summer of 2019. We will know that we have achieved our goals when we formally developing Indigenous teaching methodologies with the Elders/Knowledge Holders to teach the mandatory ILO to 1Ls.
The Code of Conduct and Access to Justice
Jillian Rogin, Faculty of Law
Abstract
This project aims to engage law students, community members, and poverty law lawyers in the creation of training materials relating the Rules of Professional conduct that govern law students doing client-facing work for academic credit including legal clinics, externship and internship opportunities. The goal of this project is to create training materials with law students, for law students who work in poverty law settings, informed by community perspectives of lawyering emphasizing lawyer competence including: decolonizing lawyering, trauma informed approaches, intersectional praxis, and self-reflective approaches. Creating meaningful orientation and teaching materials relating to the professional obligations governing law students involved in community legal work has historically presented pedagogical challenges in terms of student engagement and investment. Via focus groups that include lawyers, law students, and the communities they serve, we will create a guide (“The Access to Justice Model Code”) that interprets the professional obligations governing legal work in community and poverty law contexts.
The guide is aspirational in that it will challenge regnant models of lawyering and will be reflective of the realities of lawyering in the context of working in the community with marginalized people. It will be used as a teaching tool to be used in law student orientations for students engaged community lawyering. The Access to Justice Model Code will be available online, accessible to the broader University of Windsor community, and we will create evaluations of the tool for the lawyers and law students who use the guide in law student orientations.
Engaging Teacher Candidates in Music Education Through Inclusive Narratives of Identity
Terry Sefton, & Danielle Sirek, Faculty of Education
Abstract
Music methodology courses for generalist (non-specialist) teacher candidates in Ontario Bachelor of Education programs focus on components of the Ontario Arts Curriculum, and on training teacher candidates to “deliver” the curriculum. Course content is often an attempt to compensate for deficits in music literacy of teacher candidates, and typically includes instruction in basic notation and performance skills. This approach contributes to some teacher candidates having an aversion to classroom music (Bremner, 2013; Holden & Button, 2006), since their personal experiences of music are not valued or deemed relevant to the classroom.
Using action and narrative research methodology, we examine teacher candidates’ experiences learning music in our university classrooms; and encountering music during practicum placements. We examine our own teaching practices, and what we can do to ensure more inclusive classrooms. We also investigate graduates' experiences in early career teaching, and whether their university music education courses provided them with the necessary foundation.
This project began in 2016. We have presented papers at five international conferences, and written two papers for peer reviewed journals (one published, one submitted). We seek funding to: conduct additional focus groups; complete inquiry into early career teachers; and disseminate our research at the Ontario Music Educators' conference in November 2019.
The findings of this study can provide insights into teacher candidate motivations, attitudes, and values in teaching classroom music; contribute to more innovative and effective teaching practices that are meaningful to our students; and impact successful classroom teaching for early career teachers.
The Teaching Tool Parade: A Showcase of Practice
Bonnie Stewart, Faculty of Education
Abstract
This digital literacies project will create an online “tool parade” of short 3-4 minute videos highlighting digital classroom technologies. This tool parade will develop - via separate, stand-alone grant applications - a series of videos showcasing various tools and building resources for faculty and pre-service teachers. Outputs will be featured on the Faculty of Education’s website, shared via social media, and discoverable on the web.
This grant application focuses the SoTL side of the project - the faculty Showcase of Practice. In Phase 1 of the SoTL Showcase (August 15-October 1), a hired student and I will design and create 4 “proof of concept” videos, summarizing popular classroom tools. These practical videos will serve as a model for exploring educational technologies in critical, informed, and accessible ways.
Phase 2 of the SoTL project (October 1-December 1, 2019) will demonstrate the exemplar videos at Faculty Education Council and invite faculty to participate. The student and I will support faculty members to record contributions to the tool parade, based on the model of the exemplars.
Success criteria for the SoTL project are described in detail in the Project Description.
These lively, critical overviews of emerging educational technologies and applications will develop student digital literacies, but also deepen digital scholarly practice and capacity within the faculty and campus community, and create a channel by which innovative teaching can be recognized and celebrated.