News and Events

Engaging Students in Research on Teaching and Learning
     Friday, May 11, 9:30am-3:30pm New West Boardroom (4920)

This will include a variety of different sessions: you are welcome to participate in just one of these or to join in for the whole day.  Please contact Laura Sandve (sandvel@douglascollege.ca) to register.

The purpose of this full day event of presentations and workshops is for us to discover more about how students can benefit from becoming involved in research and to think about how we can expand opportunities for this at Douglas College.

Guest presenters/facilitators will be Dr. Carmen Werder and four student collaborators from Western Washington University's Teaching-Learning Academy. Using the TLA experience as an example, they will show how creating opportunities for students to participate as partners in research on teaching and learning both enhances student engagement and fosters a collaborative learning culture.  See a detailed schedule of the day.

Research on Teaching and Learning at Douglas College:
RTL Book Awards Spring 2012

The Centre for Academic and Faculty Development is again offering up to 12 book awards to faculty members, as part of its ongoing support for research on teaching and learning within the College. Please submit applications by Friday May 4^th.

The RTL Book Awards are designed to encourage faculty to:-

• think about how our observations about student learning in our classes are capable of being developed into researchable questions;
• start to look at the body of SoTL literature that addresses our questions about student learning;
• investigate the feasibility of implementing these questions in small-scale research that could enable us to discover better ways of helping our students to learn;
• become generally more aware of the value of research on teaching and learning;
• consider becoming actively involved in research on student learning.

See the links below for more information about all aspects of the application process.

RTL Book Awards Backgrounder  

RTL Book Awards Overview

RTL Book Awards Application Form (Spring 2012)

RTL Book Awards - Fall 2011 

The following Douglas College faculty have won RTL Book Awards for their ‘researchable questions' relating to student learning at Douglas College:-

Lara Duke, Sports Science (Science and Technology)

Does working in problem-solving triads promote self-efficacy and student success when learning quantitative reasoning concepts of biomechanics in SPSC 1151?

Szabi Stikker, Library

How can instructors design hybrid course materials in a way that will significantly increase student readership and engagement?

Shaun Tyakoff, Political Science (Humanities and Social Sciences)

To what extent is there variation in student learning between students taking the same course either in a single 3 hour section or in a 2 x 2 hour format?

RTL Book Awards - Winter 2011

The following Douglas College faculty have won RTL Book Awards for their ‘researchable questions' relating to student learning at Douglas College:-

• Rosilyn Coulson, Economics (CBA)
  How do assignments involving analyzing media material affect students' ability to engage with and apply course concepts and critical thinking skills?
• Natasha Davidson, Mathematics (S & T)
  What is the impact of different modes of delivery of course material on student acquisition and retention of this material?
• Brenna Gray, English (LLPA)
  What can instructors do to improve students' ability to read, understand and follow course and assignment guidelines?
• Susan Hammond, Nursing (HS)
  What find of faculty feedback on student assignments is most helpful to students in improving their writing and critical thinking skills?
• Tanya Haye, EASL (DEVED)
  How does the use of online ‘blogging' make a difference to EASL students' awareness of and engagement with global issues?
• Cheryl Jeffs, Continuing Education (CFCS)
  How do students perceive the educational benefits of participating in blended learning courses, compared to traditional classroom courses?
• Maureen Mackey, Psychiatric Nursing (HS)
  How can online discussion questions be used most effectively to promote higher-order, critical thinking in students?  
• Tad McIlwraith, Anthropology (HSS)
  What is the effect of experiential learning on anthropology students' ability to understand and apply the concept of cultural relativity?
• David Moulton and Gail Tibbo, Marketing (CBA)
  Is there a link between student performance and class time-slot?
• Sarah Paynter, Geography (HSS)
  How do students' existing understandings of race and racism affect their ability to engage with critical race theory and analyses of racism based on discourse analysis?
• Janice Penner, EASL (DEVED)
  Can using a Personal Vocabulary Organising system help EASL students become more successful in learning and using vocabulary from the Academic Word List?
• Karen Sirna, Sports Science (S & T)
  To what extent can social media provide an educational tool for Sport Science students' critical analysis of public knowledge regarding sport, health, and the body?
• Marni Westerman, Sociology (HSS)
  To what extent does course content that focuses on diversity have an impact on Sociology students' attitudes towards minority groups?