The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Linkage Grants were established in 2023 to enable the synthesis, exploration and high-impact dissemination of interdisciplinary SoTL research. This two-year pilot funding program supported the formation of interdisciplinary teams of SoTL researchers inquiring into fundamental questions in higher education that benefit from collaborative investigation in multiple pedagogical and curricular contexts.
The SoTL Linkage Grants were jointly created by the offices of the Provost and Vice President Academic (VPA) UBC Vancouver, and the Vice President of Research and Innovation (VPRI) UBC Vancouver, together with the Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISoTL).
FUNDED PROJECTS
Breaking Barriers in Health Professions – Fostering Accessible and Inclusive Health Professions Higher Education
Year awarded: 2023
Investigators: Tal Jarus (PI), S. Zaman, S. Barnes, L. Hershler, L. Stephens, E. Katzman, S. Kamenetsky, B. Beagan, I. Epstein, A. Yee, C. Krekoski, M. Pearson, G. Parhar, & T. Edelist
Health and human service (HHS) professions educational programs have low representation of students living with disabilities. Barriers include stigma, discriminatory program design, lack of support, and oppressive interactions. Evidence suggests educators lack understanding of those barriers. Through this SoLT Linkage grant we will disseminate knowledge from a few projects with students and educators across 10 HHS professions, focusing on how to make HHS education more accessible, and how to best support educators and students.
A Multidisciplinary Examination of LLM-Based Tutoring Chatbots’ Effectiveness and Influence
Year awarded: 2023
Investigators: Dongwook Yoon (PI), J. Zhu, F. Götz, V. Shwartz, & S. Khan
This research project will explore and enhance the role of AI in higher education. The team is developing smart chatbots for personalized tutoring, while tackling challenges such as misinformation and overreliance. By studying impacts on learning outcomes and teacher-student interactions, they strive to create ethical, effective AI tools for a more interactive, inclusive educational future.
Alternative Grading in Higher Education
Year awarded: 2023
Investigators: Celeste Leander (PI), J. Beasley-Murray, J. Bullard, J. Graves, M. Graves, S. Jhangiani, F. Moosvi, D. Oliver, P. Pickell, & G. Toti
The purpose of this project is to synthesise the experiences and impacts of Alternative Grading systems in a variety of courses spanning multiple departments, disciplines, and contexts. Our primary goal is to report on implementation details and student perspectives, though an important stretch goal is to understand how these systems impact learning. If your course has implemented some form of Alternative Grading, We’d love to hear from you!
Mixed-methods Investigation of Student Experiences and Behaviors during Group Work in Science Courses
Year awarded: 2023
Investigators: Anka Lekhi (PI), M. Allen, G. Rieger, O. Ola, M. Coles, & R. Holmes
This project is aimed at investigating the experiences of students who may face barriers to participate in group work via a mixed methods investigation into student experiences of various formats of group work in Science courses. Observations of group work activities will be conducted as well as, one-on-one pre/post interviews to understand student behaviors, reflections, and group interactions. Ultimately, we hope to gain insights on how to make the practice of group work more inclusive for vulnerable students.
Teaching Practices on Communication in Dementia Care for Health Professional Students: A National Survey
Year awarded: 2024
Investigators: Katharine Davies (PI), T. Howe, J. Small, L. Jenstad, L. Hung, B. Mortenson, J. Henderson
Health professional students require education about effective communication between health professionals and patients living with dementia in order to provide person-centred care to this population. An investigation of the teaching practices used to educate health professional students about communication in dementia care across medicine, nursing, and allied health is needed to compare current practice with evidence-based recommendations in the literature. With this SoTL Linkage Grant, we will conduct a national survey to 1) identify the teaching practices used across Canada about this topic; and 2) identify barriers and facilitators to educating health professional students about this topic.
Decolonizing and Indigenizing Health Professional Education Programs
Year awarded: 2024
Investigators: Jay MacDonald (PI), T. Jarus, Y. Mayer, E. Bailey, V. Ciocca, G. Beliveau, M. Nightbird, M. Elder, K. Valavaara, H. McLennan, J. Turner, M. Tardif, L. Harper, P. Barnes, L.A.D. Hershler.
Indigenous Peoples have been historically marginalized from, and remain under-represented in, healthcare professions. This multidisciplinary project includes contributors from 15 healthcare programs and aims to understand the barriers and facilitators for inclusion of Indigenous Students, faculty, and staff in health care professional education programs (HPEPs); and to implement and evaluate programs designed to promote culturally safer HPEPs.
Toward Equitable Post-Secondary Science Education in Canada
Year awarded: 2024
Investigators: Jaclyn Stewart (PI), A. Ashok, B. Steinwand, E. Kroc, J. Stang, J. Ives, L. Lukes, M. Summers, S. Jhangiani, T. Kelly, W. S. McNeil, A. Hofmann, A. Crane, A. Cantin, E. Saville, F. Moosvi, I. McKinnell, J. DaSilva, J. Rodríguez Núñez, K. Smith, K. Hubenig, L. Blackstock, M. Mullally, S. Johnson, S. Brewer, S. Lolliot, S. Findlay, T. Mahtani.
Prior research suggests that STEM educational inequities are common and some instructional methods are better than others at achieving equitable outcomes. The Canadian Consortium of Science Equity Scholars (CCSES) is exploring equity in Canadian post-secondary STEM to identify practices and policies that create parity in educational outcomes for students from historically, persistently, or systematically marginalized groups. Our project aims at a) identifying how an inclusive course climate impacts students belonging and learning across science courses, institutions, and demographic groups; b) identifying the specific course design features, instructional practices, and policies that lead to equitable outcomes; and c) reframing approaches to university-level science equity work by applying critical perspectives and highlighting the students’ voice.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Student Experience in Distributed Learning Environments
Year awarded: 2024
Investigators: David Anekwe (PI), C. Sielmann, E. Park, C. Keulen
This research will investigate student experience of learning in distributed learning environments across multiple disciplines using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. The findings will offer useful insights for educational programs leveraging distributed learning and contribute to the broader scholarship in teaching and learning. The interdisciplinary approach will ensure that conclusions apply to a broader context outside the boundaries of a particular discipline.