Enhancing Students’ Engagement with Group Writing Project by Optimizing Division of Labour
Project Investigator(s): Xiaowen Xu, Instructor, Department of Asian Studies; Bosung Kim, Learning Designer, CTLT Project Description One common complaint about group projects is that students feel that their group members are not contributing equally, and such feelings may have negative impacts. Thus, the success of the group projects is dependent on a fair division of […]
The TEACHERS Project: Training and Engaging Academics in their Classrooms to positively impact Health, Education and Resiliency in our Students
Project Investigator(s): Sally Stewart, Associate Professor of Teaching, School of Health and Exercise Sciences; Jannik Eikenaar, Assistant Professor of Teaching, School of Engineering Project Description This project investigates the impact of supporting faculty members in adopting course-based interventions to improve student well-being. It follows our phase-one pilot that showed overwhelming positive results, consistent with current […]
Embedded psychological skills training to improve student learning outcomes, self-regulation, and psychological well-being
Project Investigator(s): Carolyn McEwan, Instructor, School of Kinesiology Project Description The purpose of this project is to explore how a psychological skills program (including goal setting and attainment strategies, attention focusing, emotion regulation techniques, and self-reflection) embedded in the written assignment structure of an undergraduate core course could improve students’ understanding of course content, academic […]
Learning motivation in chemistry: The interplay between value, self-efficacy and learning environment
Project Investigator(s): Jeanette Leeuwner, Science Education Specialist, Department of Chemistry Project Description Motivation impacts the direction, determination and quality of students’ actions during their learning process. ‘How Learning Works’ presents a theoretical framework of 3 elements that impact motivation: self-efficacy, value and the learning environment. The framework includes student behaviors that result from the interactions […]
Modulating student progression from guided- to open-inquiry to enhance self-regulated learning in a first-year biomedical engineering laboratory
Project Investigator(s): Gabrielle Lam, Instructor, School of Biomedical Engineering Project Description Inquiry-based learning is a constructivist, student-centered approach that can be used to engage students in the scientific process of discovery. However, its implementation in a first-year engineering laboratory course presents unique challenges, because students have had little prior exposure to unstructured learning, and are […]
Improving the scientific writing of students: An examination of tutorial activities
Project Investigator(s): Maryam Moussavi, Sessional Instructor, Department of Zoology Project Description The project goal is to better assist students’ creation of logical arguments for their scientific writing. Worksheets and activities are being developed to assist with the initial set-up for the current scaffolded assignment, based on previous student feedback. I aim to evaluate the efficacy […]
Reflective essays for affective domain learning in science field courses
Project Investigator(s): Suzie Lavallee, Senior Instructor, Forestry and Conservation Sciences Project Description This study will examine the dimensions of affective domain learning in a capstone field course for a program (Natural Resources Conservation – Science and Management major) in UBC Faculty of Forestry. Assessments of attitudes, beliefs, professionalism, and ethics will be provided over a […]
Barriers to attending office hours among Biology students – Perceived and Actual
Project Investigator(s): Pam Kalas, Senior Instructor, Department of Zoology and Botany; Sunita Chowrira, Professor of Teaching, Department of Botany Project Description In large university courses, office hours represent unique opportunities for students to receive individualized support from instructors. So much learning is thought to take place during office hours interactions that publishing companies have developed educational […]
Can we help students value biological diversity, especially the biodiversity they may be “blind” to, through participation in a Beaty Museum specimen curation project?
Project Investigator(s): Bridgette Clarkston, Instructor, Department of Botany Project Description First-year students have few opportunities to contribute to science beyond their classroom, especially in large-enrollment lecture courses. And while the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (BBM) is home to UBC’s biological research collections and contains over two million specimens, most courses in the Biology Program do not […]
The “Ideathon Challenge” as Pedagogic Method Towards Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Innovation, and Applied Learning: A Case Study
Project Investigator(s): Su-Jan Yeo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Community and Regional Planning Project Description ‘PLAN 211 City-Making: A Global Perspective’ is a new undergraduate service course and open to students with second year standing or above in any program at UBC. Embedded in this course is the time-sensitive and team-based “City-Making Ideathon Challenge”—a platform […]