Dreaming big: McMaster community looks to the future of teaching and learning

Robert Cockcroft is the personification of teaching and learning.

An astrophysicist and postdoctoral research fellow, Cockcroft teaches first-year physics and third-year astronomy to McMaster undergraduates. He also manages the McCallion Planetarium, so he knows a thing or two about making science accessible to the general public.

And as a researcher delving into the scholarship of teaching and learning, he’s on the other side of the equation, conducting a pedagogical study of a brand-new introductory science course.

“I knew I was interested in teaching by the time I was a grad student,” said Cockcroft, who received his master’s in 2008 and his PhD in 2012, both from McMaster.

This summer, he began a postdoctoral research fellowship with the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning. “MIIETL was looking for someone not only active as a teacher, but also active in the research on teaching and learning,” he said.

Cockcroft and his student scholar Devra Charney were two of the presenters at the December 11 conference, organized by MIIETL and held in its newly renovated space in Mills Library.

“I’m in my fourth year of the Arts and Science Program,” said Charney, who is majoring in English. “Before I graduated, I wanted the opportunity to learn more about research.” She has assisted Cockcroft in a comprehensive study of the impact on first-year students of a new introductory science elective. Based on their findings, the course may become mandatory for all incoming science students as of 2015.

“At MIIETL, we are dreaming big,” said Arshad Ahmad, associate vice-president of teaching and learning and director of MIIETL, in his opening remarks to the conference. Ahmad stressed the importance of teaching and learning as one of the keys to unlocking the full potential of individual learners, institutions, communities and society at large. “What’s the next big thing? We in education know it’s the scholarship of teaching and learning.”

Jennifer Meta Robinson of Indiana University was keynote speaker. A renowned scholar in the field and past president of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Robinson proposed that the way forward lies in networking – moving from individual practice to collaboration and cooperation across departments, disciplines and institutions.

“Canada is raising the bar for the evidence-based scholarship of teaching and learning,” said Robinson, who also praised MIIETL as “an amazing resource.”

The December 11 conference welcomed more than 80 students, staff and faculty members from McMaster, and included research presentations, concurrent workshops, and a wine and cheese poster session to end the day.

With the tagline of “Helping Teachers Teach,” MIIETL provides leadership in teaching and learning by encouraging, supporting and collaborating with the teaching community in the scholarly exploration, innovation, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of teaching and learning practices.

For more information, go to http://miietl.mcmaster.ca