Welcome
The Provost’s Office and the MacPherson Institute are pleased to introduce a new virtual panel series called Teaching Remotely: Shared Experiences. This series will bring together faculty, instructors and staff from across McMaster to share their experiences in developing and contributing to remote teaching.
Below is a clip from our February 18th, 2021 session ‘Fostering Connection’. Instructors Teal McAteer, Krista Howarth, Mostafa Soliman and Peter Cockett share what it is that they do to make the online learning experience great for their students.
Information Box Group
Partnered in Teaching and Learning: Shared Experiences Virtual Panel Series
Thursday, September 23, 2021
3:00 PM – 4:30
The past year has been defined by adjusting our approaches to teaching and learning during the pandemic. Through this period, McMaster learners and educators explored new ways of connecting, new opportunities for engaging with content, and new ways to think about the teaching and learning experience. As we begin a new academic year, we reflect on what we have learned, what we can build upon and what initiatives can be nurtured in alignment with the new Partnered in Teaching and Learning Strategy to advance teaching and learning at McMaster.
Join us for an engaging reflection and discussion on the experiences this past year and the possibilities for teaching and learning into the coming year and beyond. Participants will have an opportunity to hear the shared experiences from panelists and to ask questions during a live Q&A.
Panelists:
Susan Tighe: Provost and Vice President, Academic
Kim Dej: Acting Vice-Provost, Faculty
Caroline Seiler: President, Graduate Students Association
Information Box Group
Teaching Remotely: Interdisciplinary Teaching and Program Development (May 19th, 2021)
Interdisciplinary teaching encourages instructors to consider new forms of collaboration across and through traditional disciplines, especially with the added complexities of our remote teaching and learning environment.
The recent Strategic Alignment Fund focus on interdisciplinary program development, presents an opportunity for faculty members to be involved in the creation new programs and to explore the collaborative and innovative opportunities interdisciplinary programs present.
Our panellists were:
- Chad Harvey, Associate Professor, Integrated Science Program
- Kate Whalen, Senior Manager, Academic Sustainability Programs
- Emad Mohammad, Director, Integrated Business and Humanities Program
- Colin McDonald, Associate Director, Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences Program
Teaching Remotely: Blended Pedagogies II (June 16th, 2021)
Just over a year ago we made the abrupt transition to teaching and learning online. As we consider what a return to the classroom might look like, we must also consider how the ways in which we’ve approached teaching and learning in a virtual environment has had an impact on what this return might look like.
Our panellists were:
- Joanne Kehoe – Lead Educational Developer: Educational Technologies (MacPherson Institute)
- Jamie-Tyler Sewerniuk – Learning Technologies Help Desk (MacPherson Institute)
- Susie O’Brien – Professor and Chair, Department of English and Cultural Studies
- Bridget O’Shaughnessy – Associate Professor, Department of Economics
- Bruce Wainman – Director of the Education Program in Anatomy and Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine
The Importance of Reflection in Teaching Development (July 22nd, 2021)
In 2019 MUFA completed a comprehensive review of Student Evaluations and recommended a shift from teaching evaluation to reflections on teaching development. Teaching development can be informed by peer observations of teaching as well as students’ reflections on learning at the course and program levels. A focus on the student experience and continuing to develop the practice of teaching has been further encapsulated in the recent launch of the 2021 Partnered on Teaching and Learning Strategy. Teaching evaluation is an important opportunity for educators to reflect and build on their teaching, but in a year that has been dramatically different than any we’ve encountered before, it is important for educators to reframe these evaluations.
Our panellists were:
- Robert Fleisig – Associate Professor,W. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
- Michel Grignon – Professor, Department of Health, Aging & Society
- Teal McAteer, Associate Professor, DeGroote School of Business
- Catherine Anderson: Director, Gender and Social Justice; Associate Professor (Teaching Stream), Department of Linguistics and Languages
Information Box Group
Reflections on Remote Teaching: Conversation with Susan Tighe and Kim Dej (January 28th, 2021)
Our first winter 2021 session featured a conversation with Susan Tighe, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and Kim Dej, Acting Vice-Provost (Faculty).
They shared their thoughts about remote teaching and learning experiences from within our community during this past year and into the future. This session provided an opportunity to engage in conversation, share experiences, ask questions and learn more about the path forward for remote teaching through the pandemic and beyond.
Participants were encouraged to review the Teaching Recommendations for winter term 2021 and Virtual Learning Task Force Report prior to the event.
Teaching Remotely: Fostering Connections (Feb 18th, 2021)
This session was about exploring strategies and opportunities to build connections and create feelings of community within the online learning environment. Our panel of guests shared their experiences, both failures and successes as they worked to test and implement new ways of engaging with their students.
Our panelists were:
- Peter Cockett, Associate Professor, School of the Arts
- Krista Howarth, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
- Mostafa Soliman, Assistant Professor, Booth School of Engineering Practice & Technology
- Teal McAteer, Associate Professor, Human Resources & Management
Teaching Remotely: Virtual Simulations (March 25th, 2021)
Our shift to remote teaching and learning has encouraged us to explore beyond the physical classroom and to engage in new ways with our learning communities.
There are many opportunities in virtual spaces to experience education from virtual and augmented reality to simulated laboratory environments—there are exciting and innovative opportunities emerging.
Our panelists were:
- Felicia Vulcu – Associate Professor (teaching), Undergraduate Program Advisor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
- Hatem Zurob – Professor, Chair Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Pat Clancy – Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy/Science
- Elizabeth Doyle – Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Teaching Remotely: Blended Pedagogical Environments (April 22nd, 2021)
Just over a year ago we made the abrupt transition to teaching and learning online. As we consider what a return to the classroom might look like, we must also consider how the ways in which we’ve approached teaching and learning in a virtual environment has had an impact on what this return might look like.
Together, we explored what blended pedagogical environments and spaces have been implemented across a range of disciplines and courses.
Our panellists were:
- Joanne Kehoe – Lead Educational Developer: Educational Technologies (MacPherson Institute)
- Jamie-Tyler Sewerniuk – Learning Technologies Help Desk (MacPherson Institute)
- Rosa Da Silva: Biology – Assistant Professor, (Teaching Stream), Biology & Associate Chair (Undergraduate) – Faculty of Science
- Rita Cossa: Business – Associate Professor, Strategic Management – DeGroote School of Business
- Rashid Abu-Ghazalah: Engineering – Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream), Biotechnology – W. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Information Box Group
Session 1: Engagement, Disengagement, and Managing Conversations (October 22nd, 2020)
Our first fall panel looked at managing student engagement in a virtual setting.
In a synchronous classroom environment, there are many considerations for instructors while they are teaching remotely. It can be incredibly rewarding to have real-time student engagement in content through discussions, but it can be also be overwhelming to juggle multiple screens, chats, video/audio, accessibility considerations, privacy/recording concerns, and more.
The Teaching Remotely: Virtual Panel Series returns this fall, with our first session on the topic of Engagement, Disengagement, and Managing Conversations. Join us to learn from the experiences of our panelists and to participate in a live Q&A.
Our panelists were:
- Jodey Nurse: L. R. Wilson Assistant Professor at the Wilson Institute for Canadian History.
- Sandra VanderKaay: Post-doctoral fellow at CanChild in the School of Rehabilitation Science.
- Nikol Piskuric: Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB) and School of Interdisciplinary Science (SIS).
- Mat Savelli: Undergraduate Chair and Assistant (Teaching) Professor in the Dept of Health, Aging, and Society and the Arts & Science Program.
Session 2: Teaching Remotely: Best Practices in Online Testing (November 6th, 2020)
As classrooms continue to go virtual, our approaches to student testing must be re-evaluated. What worked in-person may not always work online. Delivering student assessment in a digital space creates unique challenges and opportunities.
Our panelists were:
- Steve Hranilovic: Associate Dean (Academic) & Professor, Electrical and Computing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
- Behrouz Bakhtari: Assistant Professor, Operations Management, DeGroote School of Business
- Linda Davis: Instructional Assistant & Lecturer, Chemical and Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science
- Bridget O’Shaughnessy: Associate Professor, Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences
Session 3: Teaching Remotely: Working with Teaching Assistants Effectively (November 19th, 2020)
In a remote teaching and learning environment the role of the Teaching Assistant has evolved. TAs can benefit from additional support and guidance as they navigate their roles and responsibilities while also working remotely and adapting to new technologies.
Our panelists were:
- Dr. Verónica Rodriguez Moncalvo, Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Science
- Eva Mueller, Ph.D. Candidate,
Department of Chemical Engineering
- Carly Ciufo, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
-
Todd Alway – Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
Session 4: Teaching Remotely: Graduate Student Supervision and Mentorship (December 4th, 2020)
Relationships, studies, research and work have all been impacted as a result of the transition to a remote teaching and learning environment. These changes have also disrupted graduate student activities such as degree completion, thesis defenses, and academic research. Supervisors and mentors will need to be prepared to help grad students navigate these challenges and inevitable changes that must take place to successfully deliver on their plans, timelines, and program requirements.
Our panelists were:
- Sandeep Raha, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Director, McMaster Children and Youth University
- Lorraine York, Distinguished University Professor, Department of English and Cultural Studies
- Qiyin Fang, Professor, Department of Engineering Physics
- Karen Balcom, Associate Professor, Department of History & Sarah Whitwell, PhD – Department of History
Information Box Group
Session 1: Challenges, Failures and Successes (June 25th, 2020)
The first panel session looked back at the hurdles, stumbles and triumphs experienced by teaching peers across campus during the spring/summer online transition.
The panelists were:
- Aadil Merali Juma, DeGroote School of Business
- Catherine Anderson, Department of Linguistics and Languages
- Adrianne Lickers Xavier, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Silvie Tan Halim, W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Session 2: Engaging Students & Creating Online Community (July 9th, 2020)
The second virtual panel focused on the ways in which faculty, instructors and staff have been able to successfully use methods, tools and resources to create engaged students and online communities in their remote teaching.
The panelists were:
- Amanda Montague: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lewis and Ruth Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship
- Mark Busser: Academic and Experiential Learning Coordinator, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Katie Moisse: Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Sciences
-
Sashaina Singh, Office of Community Engagement
-
Giancarlo Da-Re and Fawziya Isah, MSU
Session 3: Teaching Remotely - Inclusive Spaces (July 23rd, 2020)
There is a growing need to consider equitable, inclusive and diverse spaces to support the holistic growth of students from various backgrounds and experiences in our learning environments.
Our third virtual panel was about fostering inclusive spaces in your classroom, with your teaching and within student learning communities.
Our panelists were:
- Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion
- Faiza Hirji, Associate Professor, Humanities
- Kalai Saravanamutt, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
- Vanessa Watts, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
- Anna Moro, Associate Professor, Humanities
- Alpha Abebe, Assistant Professor, Humanities
Session 4: Teaching Remotely - Accessible Teaching (August 6th, 2020)
We understand that there is a growing need to attend to accessible course design, content creation, and course delivery to support instructors in meeting the needs of students with disabilities, as well as students experiencing accessibility issues for potentially the first time, with the sudden and disruptive shift to online / virtual learning environments.
Our fourth virtual panel was about fostering increasingly accessible and disability-inclusive spaces in your classroom, with your teaching and within student learning communities.
Our moderators were:
- Kate Brown, Manager Accessibility Program-Equity and Inclusion Office
- Jessica Blackwood, Accessible Digital Media Specialist-Faculty of Science
Our panelists were:
- Allison Williams, Professor, School of Geography and Earth Sciences
- Li Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia
- Anne Pottier, Associate University Librarian
During this session, we experimented with a few accessibility tools. The video is captioned with MacVideo (Kaltura) automatic captioning. During the session we also used Otter.ai captioning (a paid service) as well.
We also had Ai-Media provide a human-generated transcript of the session. You can read or download it here.
As with all of the sessions, this one had a lively chat where good questions were asked and resources and links were shared. You can view a copy of that here.
Session 5: Teaching Remotely - Taking a Large Course to an Online Format (August 13th, 2020)
There are many moving parts to consider as we pivot this Fall to a complete online teaching model for introductory psychology.
We had a discussion with key members of McMaster Introductory Psychology program transition team: Joe Kim (Course Designer), Michelle Cadieux (Course Coordinator), Thomas Samson-Williams (Head Teaching Assistant) and Joseph Oluwasola (Student).
This edition of our virtual panel series focused on transitioning a large course to an online format that includes both synchronous and asynchronous components.
Session 6: Teaching Remotely: Testing and Evaluation (August 20th, 2020)
In the online space we must re-think traditional methods of evaluation and testing. Fortunately, there are many individuals at the University developing authentic, meaningful and impactful ways to assess students in an online environment.
Panelists were:
- Elzbieta Grodek, Assistant Professor, French
- Colin McDonald, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Frances Tuer, Assistant Professor, DeGroote School of Business
- Felicia Vulcu, Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Biomedical Science
Session 7: Teaching Remotely: Student Mental Health in a Remote Environment (September 3rd, 2020)
The overall student experience is dramatically different in a remote environment and student mental health plays a significant role in academic success. Stresses can be amplified and supports can be difficult to navigate.
Our panelists were
- Allison Drew-Hassling, Director – Student Affairs
- Jennifer Heisz, Associate Professor – Kinesiology
- Gillian Mulvale, Assistant Professor – DeGroote School of Business