Project Team
Trish Van Katwyk, School of Social Work
Edwin Ng, School of Social Work
Evelyn Morales, School of Social Work
Melissa Potwarka, Campus Wellness
Kalpita Gaitonde, Campus Wellness
Leah Foster, Campus Wellness
Project timeline: September 2026–February 2028
Description
Informed by critical pedagogy and relational theory, this project investigates how student wellbeing, belonging, and connection can support deeper learning. We will facilitate 3-5 co-design workshops for student-instructor teams from different programs across UWaterloo. In these workshops, participants will discuss critical relational pedagogy, student wellbeing, and obstacles and possibilities in classroom learning, then collaboratively design class-based learning activities for in-person and online contexts.
The project is innovative by bringing student wellbeing and learning together through a collaborative design process. By positioning students as knowledge-holders and co-creators, the workshops will generate practical learning activities that promote reciprocity, trust, inclusion, belonging, engagement, and collectivity. The resulting activities and co-design templates will be adaptable across courses, programs, and faculties.
Project Goals
- Enhanced teaching and learning practices through workshops grounded in reflective practice, critical pedagogy, and relational theory.
- Increased capacity to engage in meaningful student-teacher partnerships through co-design processes.
- Creation of adaptable templates to guide the co-design of student-centered learning activities across programs and faculties.
- Enhanced student wellbeing and learning via learning activities that are designed to foster relationality and student empowerment.