McMaster shines spotlight on undergraduate education

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/refining_directions_cover.jpg” caption=”Cover of the Refining Directions document”]McMaster has put a spotlight on what, how and where students learn, and on supporting the University's nearly 1,400 faculty members who give their heart and soul to undergraduate education.

Over the past few months, four committees have met regularly to examine aspects in education that deal with curriculum, teaching methods, learning space and recognition of teaching. The committees are part of the broader Refining Directions strategy to provide an innovative and stimulating learning environment where students can prepare themselves to excel in life.

“The overall theme they share is to start with McMaster's academic culture,” says Erika Kustra, an educational consultant in the Centre for Leadership and Learning at McMaster, “and then to create a project that supports undergraduate education and results in a sustainable change.”

Each committee, composed of staff, faculty and students from across all faculties, focuses on one aspect of education.

One committee is exploring what students learn. The committee hired a student intern to interview assistant deans and chairs. The goal was to uncover current curriculum practices, including what works well and how most successful programs are designed. They will first circulate a report of their findings on best practice, and then will use their findings to support others who are developing curriculum.

A second committee is examining the physical space and technology where students learn. “This group is developing a Classroom Refinement process to survey and analyze classrooms by asking students and faculty what opportunities there are for improving rooms,” Kustra says. The process will be tied to a new Classroom Renewal Committee being developed by Bart Strong.

Another committee is looking at how students learn. “Experiential learning is one example of what professors feel McMaster is doing well,” says Kustra. “We know that connecting theory and experience is very useful, so how do we get experiential learning more incorporated into the university overall? We're looking at sub projects so every student in every program has an opportunity to be involved in experiential learning, such as interdisciplinary field trips, and field courses.”

For example, an initiative by kinesiology professor Bob Henderson is being explored, where a series of mock experiential teaching sessions will be presented in a public space. “The sessions are intended to actively engage the audience, so people can see what active learning is like and you can take it away and apply it to your own classroom or students can take it away and adapt it to their presentations,” says Kustra, noting the sessions will likely be offered early in 2006.

The fourth committee is examining recognition of teaching. “One direction being explored is mentoring and another is trying to figure out how teaching is supported financially,” says Kustra. “How do you keep teachers supported and engaged so they keep giving their heart and soul?”

Del Harnish hopes the committees will take risks. “One of the most important elements of this is to think of things in terms of risk taking. It need not be successful, as long as it's action-oriented. Whatever promising ideas come forward we'll try, and if they're successful great, and if they're not, then we'll just try something else,” says the assistant dean of the Bachelor of Health Sciences program and academic director of the Centre for Leadership in Learning.

He expects that over the next two years, more than six new initiatives will be put in place. “Some may not fulfill their promise, but other projects will come on to replace them. In the best university, that should continue forever, people should have an environment in which they're encouraged to take risks with new initiatives and not worry about failure or success. That will keep the environment fresh and changing and more evidenced-based and better for all of us.”

Kustra says the overall program is already successful. “We're bringing so many people together to discuss such an important component of life at McMaster and in the process we already have seen outcomes. This has brought a spotlight on undergraduate education and teaching and that is always worthwhile.”

Harnish agrees. “If you look at educational literature and try to get a broad picture of everything that's been studied, it's pretty clear that environmental effects are two to three times more important than curriculum effects on student learning,” he says. “I think the message there is you don't need to be so concerned about the details of curriculum – you should be looking at other things as well: allowing students to feel as though they're part of a community that encourages excellence, spending the time to have more informal conversations rather than just classroom conversations, and encouraging activities where students and teachers work together formally and informally.”

A new website about the initiative is located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/cll/refining/home.html.