On being strategic in selecting active learning techniques
Project Investigator(s): Jenny H Peterson, Instructor, Department of Political Science Project Description This study will present evidence and analysis of the specific impacts of different modes of active learning (e.g. simulations, role playing, peer teaching, reflective writing), on specific course learning objectives (e.g. improving basic comprehension of topic area, developing critical thinking skills, communicating complex […]
Flexible learning student engagement: a case study
Project Investigator(s): Phaedra Burke, Sessional lecturer, Sauder School of Business Project Description The intent of this research is to improve (or strengthen) student engagement in a Flexible Learning course by understanding student interest and motivation in learning. The project will involve quantitative data from questionnaires (students’ background, their interest and motivation), qualitative data from interviews, […]
Measuring Student Aptitude for Knowledge Transfer Across Disciplinary Boundaries
Project Investigator(s): Chris Addison, Instructor, Department of Chemistry; James Charbonneau, Lecturer, Department of Physics and Astronomy Project Description This project involves developing an instrument that will allow us to quantify student ability to transfer knowledge across discipline boundaries, and to assess the ability of the Science One Program to promote this knowledge transfer. We will […]
Productive Failure in biology classrooms
Project Investigator(s): Sunita Chowrira, Professor of Teaching, Botany; Karen Smith, Lecturer, Microbiology Project Description Students were required to complete various learning activities (readings, quizzes, worksheets and problems) in a specific sequence i.e., pre-class, in-class, post-class. Research Questions Are all in-class activities created equal? Will all in-class activities lead to learning gains? What kind of activities […]
Complementarity of teaching approaches in Soil Science Education: Instructor and student perspectives
Project Investigator(s): Sandra Brown, Instructor, Applied Biology Project Description Currently three upper level soil science courses in the Applied Biology program are taught using distinct instructional approaches: direct instruction, problem based learning and experiential learning. This project aims to evaluate the complementarity of these courses as a package from both instructor and student perspectives, to answer […]
“Paying Attention to Attention”: Exploring the Integration of Games in a Popular Culture Course to Enhance the Quality of the Student Learning Experience
Project Investigator(s): Janice Stewart, Senior Instructor, Institute of Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice Project Description This project explores the integration of gaming as a pedagogical tool in a Popular Culture undergraduate course that is taught in the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia. In “Paying Attention to […]
Instructor versus Student Perspectives of Cognitive Tasks in Chemistry Laboratories
Project Investigator(s): Robin Stoodley, Senior Instructor, Chemistry Project Description Do students and instructors share the same view of which cognitive tasks are present in chemistry laboratory experiments? Anecdotal evidence suggests they do not, but to what extent do they differ? Are there patterns to the differences? Why do they differ? The instructors’ views have already been […]
Exploring the Potential for First-Year Undergraduate Courses to Participate in Research Projects at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Project Investigator(s): Bridgette Clarkston, Instructor, Botany Project Description The Beaty Biodiversity Museum (BBM) is home to UBC’s biological research collections and contains over two million specimens—a wealth of potential for teaching and research projects. However, most courses in the Biology Program do not use the Museum and those that do interact mostly with the public displays. […]
Seating the Scene: Identifying antecedents and consequences of micro-segregation and testing an intervention to disrupt it
Project Investigator(s): Simon Lolliot, Instructor, Psychology, Steven Barnes, Senior Instructor, Psychology, Trish Varao-Sousa, PhD student, Psychology Project Description The present project aims to identify patterns of segregation in university classrooms, and implement a learning tool to ameliorate this segregation. Based on prior research on micro-segregation (segregation that occurs in every-day living spaces, including classrooms), we plan […]
Impact of placement of questions within videos on student learning
Project Investigator(s): Eugenia Yu, Senior Instructor, Department of Statistics, Nancy Heckman, Professor, Department of Statistics, Bruce Dunham, Professor of Teaching, Department of Statistics , Caitlin Donnelly, Lecture, Botany Project Description The Flexible Learning Introductory Statistics (FLIS) project is a multi-disciplinary, cross-faculty collaboration between UBC statistics instructors, focused on the development of instructional resources. We have created […]