A global view requires not only a broader perspective, but also greater depth to anchor it firmly. In increasingly changing contexts, are we connected to ourselves in a way that feeds our spirits and nourishes our work? A professional sphere based only on research and practice risks being unbalanced and may jeopardize our well-being as academics.…

This paper recounts the author's experience with giving a Needs Assessment for improvement by university teachers. Subjects were from the University of Lethbridge and the 2008 Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) conference session. Teachers at the University (n = 77) indicated they could spend 5-15 hours in teaching…

Incivility is a critical, but under-examined aspect of teaching and learning. It has important implications for the academic success of students and the university as a whole. Bullying research offers a unique lens through which this type of anti-social behaviour can be understood with a view of developing intervention strategies. The exercises…

In this paper, we describe our experience with a recently devised teaching method termed interteaching (Boyce & Hineline, 2002). This educational approach provides a rich rehearsal of material, and emphasizes student engagement, peer discussion, and student/instructor interaction. We describe the method, provide pragmatic tips for…

Students come to university with diverse tastes, experiences, and backgrounds, yet we often want them to embrace a body of aesthetics, philosophies, and ideologies that reflect the material we and our established disciplines value as central. However, by using their own backgrounds as a basis for exploration, discovery, and sharing, students can…

Can we effectively integrate Deaf students into our post-secondary classes before recognizing and listening to them? Studies indicate that Deaf students continue to struggle, be silenced, and experience isolation when mainstreamed. Deaf students, or second-language students, inevitably develop new identities once included; however, we cannot…

Classroom response systems (clickers) are used in many courses at the University of Toronto (U of T), primarily to introduce interactive pedagogy and to engage students in lecture courses. We examined the use of clickers in various courses at U of T and interviewed over 30 instructors about their use of clickers in classes with a total enrolment…

Lowman (1995) described the relationship between teacher and student and student engagement as the two most important ingredients in learning in higher education. Humour builds teacher-student connection (Berk, 1998) and engages students in the learning process. The bond between student and teacher is essential for learning, satisfaction, and…

This project began in response to a perceived need to assess students' perceptions with respect to the emerging use of audience response systems (clickers) in several mid- to large-size undergraduate courses at the University of Victoria. We developed and validated a "Clicker Use Survey" to gather students' opinions with respect to…

Many disciplines employ journal writing as a tool for students to record and reflect on their learning experiences. In the internship program in Communications Culture and Information Technology at the University of Toronto Mississauga students experience the transfer of classroom theory to practice in the "real" work world during a once…

In our science learning and teaching environment, how often do we present science as a body of facts, or at best, a compendium of knowledge to which we can add more information, if we ask the "right" questions? In reality, the nature of science is significantly more complex, and the number of iterations we go through to resolve a given…

In 1994, the National Arts Education Association created a research agenda to address major research issues in the field of visual arts education for the purpose of examining, negotiating, and modifying commonly held beliefs in the field of art education. Research by arts educators has done much to inform visual arts education theory and practice,…

The use of rituals in the classroom can enrich and enhance learning. They can also build a sense of community and belonging which in turn makes the classroom a safer place to risk sharing ideas and engaging in class discussion. Rituals also bring closure to a particular segment of the class learning experience or for the class itself. How many…