Philosophy of Educational Development
“[T]he intellectual exercise of understanding the rationale for a teaching method and how it relates to learning as well as testing out the teaching method is akin to what professors do as scholars.” [1]
At the core of my philosophy of education is the long-standing belief that people learn best through an active, social process of knowledge construction both with peers and more advanced learners. In fact, anchoring my philosophy in the socio-cultural theory of learning pioneered by Vygotsky has far-reaching significance in my professional practice: I see my role as one that supports and inspires instructors to gather knowledge about teaching and learning, experiment with new teaching ideas and look inward to reflect on their practice. I encourage reflective learning by asking as many questions as I answer.
This perspective promotes a shift of focus from “the sage on the stage” to the teacher as facilitator of student learning. Given the competing demands on professors’ time, not every one can be a teacher extraordinaire. However, all can develop greater awareness on how to promote a good learning environment and provide active learning opportunities for their students. With the tools to take a reasoned approach to teaching, the informed professor becomes a better teacher-facilitator. I also believe that faculty needs encouragement and inspiration, not judgment. I strive to be a compassionate educational leader who is respectful of all teaching styles in recognition that there is not one model that fits all. Yet I inspire change towards a learning-centered approach to teaching by sharing my knowledge of evidenced-based pedagogy and by encouraging course design practices situated in a constructive alignment framework.
Responsiveness to teaching needs is key in order to reach out to the professoriate. In planning programs, I believe that adopting a multi-faceted, flexible set of strategies including the traditional workshop, online and self-‐directed learning opportunities, peer coaching and mentorship along with extended programs all contribute to enhancing teaching practices as they enable cumulative growth and reflection about teaching and learning. As well, immediate relevance and practicality of offerings are key if we are to address the most pressing needs of teaching staff. Hence, it is important to build relationships across campus to understand what these needs are. I like to encourage contributions from outstanding university educators to increase capacity and relevance. For this reason I seek out opportunities to facilitate workshops and learning events with faculty members whenever possible. Pairing their wisdom and practical advice with the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has been a powerful tool in rallying others behind the same teaching ideals.
Grounding educational development in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is another important aspect of my practice. Throughout the course of my career, I have adopted an applied research approach to inform my pedagogical choices and provide contextual relevance to the recommendations broadly promoted in SoTL. As my interest for experiential education grows, I am intrigued by the potential of reflection in helping students develop into critical learners. Yet, little empirical evidence is available on the effectiveness of the pedagogical tools designed to help students learns to reflect. For this reason, I embarked on collaborative research to find out how we can better support experiential education.Above all, I believe in leading by example. Modeling good practice is key in inspiring change, so I keep up to date with research findings and new technological tools that can support and enhance sound pedagogy. For example, at the University of Alberta I offered a learning series in which participants learned about blended learning and concurrently experienced it for themselves, and as one anonymous participant noted, “[t]his series basically demonstrated the blended approach!! Thank you."
[1] Saroyan, A. & Amundsen, C. (2004). Rethinking Teaching in Higher Education: From a Course Design Workshop to a Faculty Development Framework. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, p. 19.
This perspective promotes a shift of focus from “the sage on the stage” to the teacher as facilitator of student learning. Given the competing demands on professors’ time, not every one can be a teacher extraordinaire. However, all can develop greater awareness on how to promote a good learning environment and provide active learning opportunities for their students. With the tools to take a reasoned approach to teaching, the informed professor becomes a better teacher-facilitator. I also believe that faculty needs encouragement and inspiration, not judgment. I strive to be a compassionate educational leader who is respectful of all teaching styles in recognition that there is not one model that fits all. Yet I inspire change towards a learning-centered approach to teaching by sharing my knowledge of evidenced-based pedagogy and by encouraging course design practices situated in a constructive alignment framework.
Responsiveness to teaching needs is key in order to reach out to the professoriate. In planning programs, I believe that adopting a multi-faceted, flexible set of strategies including the traditional workshop, online and self-‐directed learning opportunities, peer coaching and mentorship along with extended programs all contribute to enhancing teaching practices as they enable cumulative growth and reflection about teaching and learning. As well, immediate relevance and practicality of offerings are key if we are to address the most pressing needs of teaching staff. Hence, it is important to build relationships across campus to understand what these needs are. I like to encourage contributions from outstanding university educators to increase capacity and relevance. For this reason I seek out opportunities to facilitate workshops and learning events with faculty members whenever possible. Pairing their wisdom and practical advice with the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has been a powerful tool in rallying others behind the same teaching ideals.
Grounding educational development in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is another important aspect of my practice. Throughout the course of my career, I have adopted an applied research approach to inform my pedagogical choices and provide contextual relevance to the recommendations broadly promoted in SoTL. As my interest for experiential education grows, I am intrigued by the potential of reflection in helping students develop into critical learners. Yet, little empirical evidence is available on the effectiveness of the pedagogical tools designed to help students learns to reflect. For this reason, I embarked on collaborative research to find out how we can better support experiential education.Above all, I believe in leading by example. Modeling good practice is key in inspiring change, so I keep up to date with research findings and new technological tools that can support and enhance sound pedagogy. For example, at the University of Alberta I offered a learning series in which participants learned about blended learning and concurrently experienced it for themselves, and as one anonymous participant noted, “[t]his series basically demonstrated the blended approach!! Thank you."
[1] Saroyan, A. & Amundsen, C. (2004). Rethinking Teaching in Higher Education: From a Course Design Workshop to a Faculty Development Framework. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, p. 19.