Professional Development in Teaching activities support all of McMaster’s educators (TAs, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, instructors, faculty, and staff) as they strive to enhance their teaching and provide a positive student learning experience.
The MacPherson Institute designs and delivers a broad range of programming for educators throughout their careers from first-time teaching assistants to those preparing for teaching awards. Our goal is to provide flexible teaching development activities that are relevant to instructors at different career stages and with unique disciplinary contexts.
*372 of 975 total full-time faculty members engaged in meaningful pedagogical discussions or activities during this period (includes consultations, workshops, events, Avenue and IQAP support.) Please note: this number is an estimate based on current tracking capabilities.
**31 individual new faculty members were contacted across all Faculties
***Educators is intended to include, but is not limited to, community partners, faculty, graduate students, librarians, post-doctoral fellows, sessional instructors, staff, teaching assistants, and undergraduate students who are involved in teaching in some capacity.
Curriculum Development activities focus on enhancing student learning experiences through academic program reviews and new program development. These supports are grounded in a philosophical approach that values student-centeredness and evidence-informed decision-making.
Departments have access to support for the development and refinement of program learning outcomes, curriculum mapping, administration of site visits, coordination of the Student Curriculum Consultants program and guidance on the Quality Assurance and institutional curriculum approvals processes. Support can also be provided to programs as they implement areas of improvement or enhancement identified during the Quality Assurance process.
Digital Pedagogy activities connect the teaching and learning community at McMaster to approaches and skills to help transform teaching using digital methods, tools and media with a goal of accessible and engaging student learning experiences.
The MacPherson Institute provides pedagogical training, guidance and expertise in online, blended and open learning design, as well as the integration and use of educational technologies. Instructors can also seek advice on the pedagogical use of institutionally supported educational technology tools, Open Educational Resources and tech-enabled teaching and learning grants.
The MacPherson Institute provides training and support for MacVideo, McMaster’s video portal, which allows users to make videos and other media available online to anyone they choose.
In April 2023, the MacPherson Institute launched the Learning Catalogue, a collection of free, open-access teaching and learning modules that are available to instructors at any institution, anywhere and anytime. This online catalogue includes new content and revised learning modules that grant educators access to a variety of professional development education without enrolling in a course. Instructors can take a self-directed approach and engage with topics and content that interest them.
The MacPherson Institute supports, administers and provides training for a number of Learning Technologies tools including McMaster University’s Learning Management System: Avenue to Learn. Learning Technologies continue to play an important role in the student experience as instructors adapt to hybrid learning environments and leverage media in their classrooms both in-person and online.
Scholarly Teaching activities enhance teaching and learning by supporting, generating, disseminating, promoting and recognizing research that has the capacity to inform educational initiatives and student learning.
The MacPherson Institute’s research successes over the past five years are attributed to the rapid uptake of the Student Partners Program; successful support for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) capacity through grant funding, workshops, communities of practice, conferences and individual consultations; development of research programs focused on key areas of teaching and learning practice including equity and inclusion in higher education and student-faculty partnership; contributions to educational development in international contexts; and, the establishment of research collaborations and networks that support local and international research and practice more broadly.
In 2024, the MacPherson Institute planned and executed the Students as Partners Community Forum pilot event. The initiative brought together students and educators who have created, planned to create or have participated in student partnership programs within and beyond McMaster. The pilot events ran on May 28 and June 26, 2024.
The International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP) is a journal about learning and teaching together in higher education. IJSaP explores new perspectives, practices, and policies regarding how students and staff are working in partnership to enhance learning and teaching in higher education. Shared responsibility for teaching and learning is the underlying premise of students as partners, and IJSaP is produced using a student-staff partnership approach.
In order to cultivate an environment where learning deeply matters and teaching is valued and recognized by the collective McMaster community, it is important for us to celebrate teaching and learning at McMaster through a variety of forms. Over the past year, the MacPherson Institute has led and contributed to a number of activities to enhance the appreciation for teaching at McMaster.
In 2022 the MacPherson Institute hosted the Innovations in Education Conference at McMaster University on December 8 and 9. Programming for the conference explored the Past, Present and Future of Teaching and Learning. Attendees participated in a variety of hybrid sessions to unpack how teaching has changed in the last 50 years, how it has stayed the same, and what we have lost and gained in the process. Two conference streams were available: Learning Technology and Research on Teaching and Learning.
Educators, faculty members, instructors and staff from across McMaster University have the opportunity to participate in professional development and celebrations of teaching as a professional practice. Teaching and Learning Month is an opportunity for many campus contributors to share teaching and learning events and programming during the month of May. The MacPherson Institute supports this initiative by coordinating and promoting these many events across different units into a month-long event series.
The MacPherson Institute recognizes and celebrates teaching and learning through a variety of awards and grant opportunities.
In partnership with the President’s Office, the MacPherson Institute supports the President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning.
Award Winners 2022
The MacPherson Institute awards Leadership in Teaching and Learning Fellowships each year to faculty champions who act as leaders and mentors to advance improvement in teaching and learning and to enhance student learning experiences. The award for fellows is up to $15,000 over two years.
Fellows 2022
Fellows 2021
The MacPherson Institute supports the Petro-Canada-McMaster Young Innovator Award each year. This award builds on the connection between research and teaching by engaging undergraduate students in research to enhance the learning environment and recognizes an innovative scholar within the first eight years of their research career.
Award Winner 2022
In partnership with the University Library, the MacPherson Institute supports the Open Education Resources Grant program.
Grant Recipients 2021-2022*
*Time period July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022
In partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost (Teaching and Learning), the MacPherson Institute contributes funding and support for the implementation of the Partnered in Teaching and Learning Strategy.