Conference Program
Note: For a printable version, please download our Teaching and Learning Conference 2024 Full Program
For those attending the conference in person, the plenary and keynote sessions will be held in IIC-2001, on the second floor of the Bruneau Centre. The concurrent sessions will be held in the classrooms off the first-floor atrium of the Arts and Administration Building; a sign on each door indicates which session is inside.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
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Time |
Event |
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| 8:45 - 9:00am |
Land Acknowledgement and Welcome Dr. Jennifer Lokash, provost and vice-president (academic)
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| 9:00 - 9:15am |
Introduction Dr. Janna Rosales, conference faculty chair and associate professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
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9:15 - 10:30am |
Visiting Keynote Dr. Awneet Sivia, Associate vice-president, Teaching and Learning, University of the Fraser Valley (Why) Isn’t All Teaching Innovative? Putting Innovation in/to Practice
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10:30 – 11am |
Networking with Keynote - Break - Poster Presentations |
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11 - 11:50am |
Six Elements of Experiential Learning: A theoretical synthesis Ryan J.A. Murphy, Jennifer Browne, & Kim Myrick
Peer-Assisted Learning: Innovation and Enrichment through Community-Based Study Stephanie Dohey, Lydia Hardy, & Sarah Hawkins
Leading Through Experiential Learning Heather Stamp-Nunes & Georgina White
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12-1pm |
- Break - |
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1 - 1:50pm |
Plenary 1 Student and Faculty expectations for learning: Are we aligned? Host: Dr. Dennis Peters Panelists: Ms. Jenna Freake, Dr. Laya Heidari Darani, & Dr. Christine Helen Arnold
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2 – 2:50pm |
Christina Thorpe, Nicole Careen, & Janeen Pellatt
An Intersectional Analysis of the Oral Exam Kaitlyn Fortune & Kate Pendakis
Providing Innovative, Transformative and Data-Driven Disability Service Provision Jason Geary & Ashley Williams
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3 – 3:50pm |
Plenary 2 Innovative Teaching, Inspired Learning Other Presenters: Dr. Tom Cooper & Dr. Erin Oldford
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3:50 - 4 pm |
Closing Remarks: Day 1 Dr. Kim Myrick, conference director and co-director, CITL |
Thursday, May 2, 2024
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Time |
Event |
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8:45 – 9:15 am |
Welcome & Introduction Dr. Kim Myrick, & Bonnie Simmons co-directors, CITL |
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9:15 – 10:30am |
Memorial Keynote Dr. Jeannette Byrne, Associate professor, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation Let’s focus on learning – teaching innovation can make a difference.
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10:30 – 11am |
Networking with Keynote - Break - Poster Presentations |
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11 – 11:50am |
The Labrador Campus: Creating Innovative Pathways for Indigenous-led and Northern-focused Programs Ashlee Cunsolo, Sylvia Moore, Alex Sawatzky, & Jodie Lane
Evaluating with and against AI: From AI-proof to AI-required Ryan J.A. Murphy
On Becoming a Professional Social Worker: A Threshold Concepts Informed Inquiry into Student Growth Kristen Hynes, Kathy DeJong, & Laura Pacheco
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12-1pm |
- Break - |
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1 – 1:50pm |
Let Me Show You What I’ve Learned Sylvia Moore, Alex Sawatzky, Ola Andersen, Doris Dicker, Natalie Jacque, & Jodie Lane
Faster, better grading with AI assistance John Craighead, Danny Dyer, & Jonathan Anderson
Beyond “Ban” or “Embrace”: A Shift Toward Supporting Students’ AI Literacy Development Melanie Doyle & Sanaz Nabavian
A classroom-based intervention to raise student awareness of transferable skills Rhonda Joy, Jennifer Browne, Jeannette Byrne, & Anne-Marie Sullivan
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2 – 2:50pm |
Plenary 3 Co-pilot or cop-out: How well are we navigating generative AI at Memorial? Host: Dr. Janna Rosales Panelists: Melanie Doyle, Ryan J.A. Murphy, Andrew Stone, & Connie Morrison
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2:50 - 3 pm |
Conference Reflections: Day 2 |
Concurrent Session One: Wednesday, May 1 (11am – 11:50am)
Innovative Universal Design for Learning Strategies for Transforming Practice-Based Social Work Education
Dr. Ami Goulden, Simon Adu-Boateng, & Rose C. B. Singh
This session will showcase teaching and learning innovations in social work education that implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines. The authors will present a recently conducted case study exploring how UDL implementation in practice-based social work courses impacted student learning outcomes and experiences. The session will 1) highlight how educators can effectively integrate UDL into the design and delivery of their courses and 2) present various evaluation strategies for assessing the successful implementation of UDL. Session attendees will be encouraged to consider how UDL guidelines are applicable to their learning environments.
Understanding the Lived Experience of Student-Recorded Video Assessments in Nursing Education During the COVID-19 pandemic; A Pilot Study
Jennifer Collins & Jason Geary
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted evaluating undergraduate nursing students’ psychomotor skills.
Purpose: This pilot study aimed to better understand the perspective of undergraduate nursing students and their instructors’ lived experiences with student-recorded video assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This pilot explored the lived experience of nursing students and their instructors during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on student-recorded video assessments.
Findings: Some participants experienced inequity when engaging in student -recorded videography, including issues with privacy pertaining to student housing situations.
Conclusion: Planning for students needs with videography may allow for better informed pandemic planning procedures.
Innovating Bioscience Education: Flexible Open-Lab Sessions for Enhanced Learning
Ugonna Ani & Dr. Amy M. Todd
Traditional teaching labs often exist as fixed-pace, high-stakes environments and, therefore, face challenges in accommodating individual learning needs, troubleshooting student techniques, and fostering mastery of skills. This talk describes the introduction of flexible, experiential open-lab sessions in a second-year Human Biosciences Laboratory course. We explore how this model may promote student autonomy, enhance skill acquisition, and foster engagement by allowing learners to interact with equipment and techniques at their own pace in a more student-directed manner. We discuss insights on the planning, execution, challenges encountered, and student feedback, as well as plans to explore this approach in other life-science disciplines.
Six Elements of Experiential Learning: A theoretical synthesis
Ryan J.A. Murphy, Jennifer Browne, & Kim Myrick
What are the different dimensions of experiential learning? Moreover, how might understanding these dimensions help educators design programs and activities for experiential learning? In this presentation, we share the results of a theoretical synthesis of literature on experiential learning and related concepts, including competency-by-design and articulated learning. We introduce a framework of six elements of experiential learning (Outcomes, Reflection, Feedback & assessment, Development of knowledge, Engagement & participation, and Initiative & self-determination). We illustrate these dimensions by way of examples from student experiences. Finally, we discuss the implications of these elements in the design of experiential learning activities and programs.
Peer-Assisted Learning: Innovation and Enrichment through Community-Based Study
Stephanie Dohey, Lydia Hardy, & Sarah Hawkins
Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) is an innovative and engaged learning process in which the ultimate goal is student interaction and teaching. As sessions are led and attended by undergrads, PAL creates an informal environment among peers. During sessions, students are encouraged to demonstrate active learning skills and reflect on the knowledge they’ve gained. The learning goals of this conference presentation are to inform the audience of PAL program specifics, including the model on which it is based and the advantages offered to students in learning and community enrichment, and to provide the highlights of our program in its 2-year history.
Leading Through Experiential Learning
Heather Stamp-Nunes & Georgina White
Join us to explore the MI's SOT Certificate in Leadership, where innovation meets practical application. Discover how our program seamlessly integrates experiential learning methodologies, ensuring students apply theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios. Students develop hands-on skills for academic and professional leadership growth through group work, discussions, and community-based initiatives. With a curriculum of nine comprehensive courses, including Communications and Conflict Management, we emphasize a capstone module combining service learning, effective leadership, and equity and inclusion. Central to our approach is self-reflection, fostering authentic leadership styles. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights into cutting-edge pedagogies and enrich your conference experience.
Concurrent Session Two: Wednesday, May 1 (2pm – 2:50pm)
The Impact of Assessment Method on Student Motivation for Learning
Hannah Elliott & Jeannette Byrne
Has a student ever asked you, ‘Is this on the test?’. This question highlights how grades influence students’ approaches to learning – for many, the goal is ‘a good grade’ and not optimal learning. Grades also increase student anxiety, promote memorization and limit critical thinking, none of which are desired outcomes in courses we teach. Alternate grading is an assessment option that shifts focus from grades to learning. How alternate grading impacts learning motivation is poorly understood, despite rising popularity. This presentation describes our study that compared student motivation between a class that was traditionally graded versus one using alternate grading.
Agile Reflection: Ensuring Students Are Actually Learning (and Continually)
Garrett Richards
Experiential learning is becoming increasingly popular, especially at Grenfell Campus (e.g. through course partnerships with the City of Corner Brook). However, good experiential learning requires not just "learning by doing" but "learning by doing and then reflecting". In this session, I explain and evaluate my experiences with iterative - or agile - reflection activities for students in several courses (i.e. weekly learning logs, weekly attentiveness reflections, post-group-project reflections, and agile capstone review discussions). I have found these tools to be essential in facilitating genuine learning on particularly challenging subjects.
Another chance - Turning summative exams into formative opportunities with follow-ups
Ryan J.A. Murphy
In this lightning talk, I challenge the traditional duality of formative and summative evaluations in education, arguing that modern pedagogical design and technology can work together to unlock new opportunities for students to use feedback to improve their learning. I share a pedagogical innovation inspired by this philosophy: exam follow-ups. Exam follow-ups are simple opportunities for students to re-examine their own exams, encouraging them to review and correct their own mistakes for bonus marks. This practice reframes summative evaluations as formative learning opportunities.
Psychology Pathways Program: Enhancing Post-Graduation Skills Through Mentorship and Experiential Learning
Christina Thorpe, Nicole Careen, & Janeen Pellatt
The Psychology Pathways Program (PPP) was created to address student concerns that they felt unprepared about how to succeed in university and how to be competitive for post-graduation plans. The PPP consists of information sessions about unraveling the "hidden curriculum" and leveraging Individual Development Plans. It also included individual meetings in which students and mentors identified transferable skills from coursework and extra-curriculars and devised strategies to address gaps. Feedback from students and mentors will highlight the impact of the program, limitations, and how this approach can be extended to other units.
An Intersectional Analysis of the Oral Exam
Kaitlyn Fortune & Kate Pendakis
Recently, oral exams have been suggested as a way of mitigating the impacts of AI on the integrity of student learning assessment. Using an intersectional feminist approach, we critically reflect on the use of oral exams in relation to EDI-AR principles as well the unique generational challenges faced by Gen Z students. We will present a proposal to design (and evaluate) an EDI-AR informed oral assessment tool for an Introduction to Sociology class. We will then facilitate a group brainstorm to explore the strengths and limitations of our proposal.
Providing Innovative, Transformative and Data-Driven Disability Service Provision
Jason Geary & Ashley Williams
Despite an increasing rate of disabled students attending postsecondary institutions, the persistence and graduation rates of these students remain well below those of non-disabled students. In an effort to address this discrepancy, and offer disabled students an equitable educational experience, there are research-informed and data-driven interventions that postsecondary institutions should consider. For accessibility/disability offices like the Blundon Centre, this means embracing innovative and transformative supports and services as well as relying on data and research-informed best practices. This session will highlight the work of The Blundon Centre to provide an innovative and transformative and data-driven service delivery model.
Concurrent Session Three: Thursday, May 2 (11am – 11:50am)
Implementing labour-based grading in a Computer Science course
Lourdes Peña-Castillo
Labour-based grading was originally proposed for language and writing courses, and has been adopted more widely in the humanities than in STEM courses. However, the benefits of labour-based grading such as building equity and inclusion in the classroom, reducing student anxiety, promoting academic honesty, and providing more flexibility to students to enhance their learning are also desirable for STEM courses. In this talk, we will first describe how we adapt labour-based grading in a STEM field, specifically in a third year and graduate computer science course, and then reflect in this experience.
Resisting the "Apprenticeship of Observation" with Brightspace’s Video Assignment tool
Jeanne Sinclair & Norma St. Croix
This presentation explores the use of Brightspace's Video Assignment tool in an education graduate program. Our aim is to disrupt the cycle of the "apprenticeship of observation" where teachers replicate their own former experiences as learners. The video assignment tool provides a platform for education students to practice evidence-based teaching approaches and bridge the gap between theory and practice. Ultimately, the goal of enacting and capturing the teaching in the video tool is to develop what might be called "muscle memory" for effective pedagogical decisions. The session showcases the implementation of this tool in MUN's Reading Development and Instruction program to enhance teachers' skills in reading comprehension instruction. The presentation includes a brief demonstration and encourages audience engagement through a Q&A session.
Learning Creative Technologies Through Activities in the Makerspace
Kate Gilbert
The Common's Makerspace provides access to 3D printers, sewing machines, vinyl cutters and virtual reality headsets with the goal of furthering creative education through hands on project based learning. This talk will discuss how we develop and deliver workshops on these tools. We will also discuss how this has been integrated into a classroom environment to expand options for course work.
The Labrador Campus: Creating Innovative Pathways for Indigenous-led and Northern-focused Programs
Ashlee Cunsolo, Sylvia Moore, Alex Sawatzky, & Jodie Lane
The Labrador Campus of Memorial University has a core mission and mandate to create and deliver place-based, Northern- and Indigenous-led programs. Together with Innu and Inuit partners, we are designing and delivering innovative programming that are interdisciplinary, combine classroom-based and land-based educational opportunities, follow non-traditional scheduling formats to celebrate seasonal learning, and promote key critical leadership skills needed in a rapidly changing North. This session will highlight the core principles and values foundational to our new and unique undergraduate and graduate programs, and illustrate the Indigenous- and community-led co-creation processes utilized in curriculum design and creation.
In Your Element - LABRADOR CAMPUS - STRATEGIC COMMITMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Evaluating with and against AI: From AI-proof to AI-required
Ryan J.A. Murphy
In this workshop, explore the relationship between AI and assessing learning in the face of modern AI tools. We will go beyond the simple question of "is AI allowed?" to explore a spectrum of possible approaches to evaluation with and against AI, from AI-proof assignments to evaluations that require the use of AI to succeed. Then, participants will work together to define design principles and possible evaluation formats to fit each of these types of assignments. Participants (and the facilitator!) will leave the workshop with a new framework for addressing AI in evaluating learning.
Note: While not required, it would be helpful if participants have some experience using generative technology like ChatGPT.
On Becoming a Professional Social Worker: A Threshold Concepts Informed Inquiry into Student Growth
Kristen Hynes, Kathy DeJong, & Laura Pacheco
While the threshold concept framework has significantly contributed to educational research, there remains a notable gap in our understanding of its application in the context of social work education. This study has been developed with two primary objectives: first, to investigate the possibility of critical reflexivity as a threshold concept in social work education, and second, to identify how simulation-based learning can promote students’ comprehension of critical reflexivity.
Concurrent Session Four: Thursday, May 2 (1pm – 1:50pm)
Let Me Show You What I’ve Learned
Sylvia Moore, Alex Sawatzky, Ola Andersen, Doris Dicker, Natalie Jacque, & Jodie Lane
The graduate course, People, Place, and Identity (SASS 6001) engages students in examining how identity is intricately interwoven with place. The course uses innovative assessment strategies that are consistent with cultural ways of knowing. In this panel session, the course instructor, Inuit educators who are students in the course, and an artist/instructor working with the students will discuss how students were invited to demonstrate their learning, and how they collectively determined the assessment process. The discussion will exemplify ways of pushing the boundaries of post-secondary assessment, and students will share examples of the innovative ways they exhibited their learning.
Faster, better grading with AI assistance
John Craighead, Danny Dyer, & Jonathan Anderson
Online grading that improves both efficiency and student feedback is now a reality. Math, Statistics and Engineering have been investigating various interactive grading platforms for written and code assignments. By applying AI to marking, letting students and markers converse, and giving students feedback prior to officially submitting their work, students are able to engage more substantively in a virtuous cycle of feedback. More advanced platforms even allow for questions that adjust to student learning styles and knowledge. Our workshop will introduce participants to several platforms and engage them with a view to their own courses.
Beyond “Ban” or “Embrace”: A Shift Toward Supporting Students’ AI Literacy Development
Melanie Doyle & Sanaz Nabavian
Since generative artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in undergraduate classrooms, researchers have called for students to develop AI literacy (Chiu, 2024). AI literacy is a set of attitudes and competencies needed to critically evaluate and use AI technologies (Long & Magerko, 2020). In this presentation, two instructors share specific pedagogies they used to support students’ AI literacy development. Teaching in business and English, the instructors permitted AI to very different degrees, yet worked toward the same goal. This session will introduce AI-related competencies and share ways instructors can support students’ AI literacy development across teaching contexts.
A classroom based intervention to raise student awareness of transferable skills
Rhonda Joy, Jennifer Browne, Jeannette Byrne, & Anne-Marie Sullivan
There are increasing expectations on higher educational institutions to ensure graduates have the skills required to successfully transition to the work place. Graduate preparedness is critical for students, academia and industry. Evidence indicates students sometimes struggle with this transition, not because they lack coveted transferrable skills but rather due to an awareness gap and inability to articulate skills gained throughout their education (Edge et al, 2018). The presenters will share an innovative approach implemented in winter 2024 to address this issue in two academic units. The sharing of methods, results and a lively discussion will be facilitated.
Plenary Session One: Wednesday, May 1, 1pm -1:50 p.m.
Student and Faculty expectations for learning: Are we aligned?
Host: Dr. Dennis Peters
Panelists: Ms. Jenna Freake, Dr. Laya Heidari Darani, & Dr. Christine Helen Arnold
Distinguished scholar Vincent Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure (1975) states that, to persist, students need integration into formal (academic performance) and informal (faculty/staff interactions) academic systems and formal (extracurricular activities) and informal (peer-group interactions) social systems. Revisiting engagement and persistence throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Tinto (2023) reflects on these academic and social systems and expands them to include the importance of social network formation. The structure of these social networks, tight or loose, dense or sparse, are theorized to engender different outcomes for students.
This panel aims to explore this model and recent reflections within the context of Memorial University, as we learn from the personal experiences and perspective of current students (undergraduate & graduate) and faculty. With a better understanding of each other’s expectations and viewpoints, we can acknowledge the importance of flexible and innovative learning experiences on student success.
Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89–125. https://doi.org/10.2307/1170024
Tinto, V. (2023). Reflections: Rethinking Engagement and Student Persistence. Student
Success, 14(2), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.3016
Plenary Session Two: Wednesday, May 1, 3pm -3:50 p.m.
Inspiring Innovation in Teaching and Learning
Host: Dr. Kim Myrick
Other Presenters: Dr. Tom Cooper & Dr. Erin Oldford
"Innovative teaching is everything from inventing entirely new and novel approaches to simply reinventing old ways of teaching. The key is that the idea is impactful with significant positive change for a student. Rather than thinking of innovative teaching, think inspired learning, where students have the opportunity to assume new roles and responsibilities as learners; they participate in meaningful, authentic experiences; and they grapple with the dynamics and complexities of concepts. This prepares students to apply what they learn in university to professional careers that don’t yet exist.
In this session, Dr(s). Tom Cooper and Erin Oldford, from the Faculty of Business Administration, and their students will demonstrate inspired learning by discussing how they engaged with the world beyond the university course and wrestled with messy real-life problems that require convergent and divergent thinking as well as a deep understanding of their knowledge. The session shows how students own and navigate their learning as part of an opportunity that values their skills and talents. Participants will explore innovative teaching through the lens of inspired learning.
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Plenary Session Three: Thursday, May 2, 2pm - 2:50 p.m.
Co-pilot or cop-out: How well are we navigating generative AI at Memorial?
Host: Dr. Janna Rosales
Panelists: Melanie Doyle, Ryan J.A. Murphy, Andrew Stone, & Connie Morrison
Generative AI (genAI) has taken the world by storm in the past few years, and universities are actively reckoning with the implications of genAI for teaching and learning. Notable actions we have seen happen so far at Memorial in response to the proliferation of genAI include: revised calendar language to address academic integrity and the unauthorized use of genAI; more information resources for instructors; workshops and presentations dedicated to exploring genAI's perils and promises; and the recent founding of a genAI community of practice.
This plenary panel discussion will propel Memorial’s teaching and learning community to continue exploring the implications of genAI in post-secondary education. The panel will share perspectives from instructors and students and will open into a broader discussion of what further steps Memorial can take to navigate genAI’s effects as a “disruptive technology”.