Grant recipients:
Kelly Anthony, Applied Health Sciences
Andrew Laing, Department of Kinesiology
Lora Giangregorio, Department of Kinesiology
Bryan Grimwood, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Luke Potwarka, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Diane Williams, School of Public Health and Health Systems
(Project timeline: May 2015 - April 2016)
Description
It is well known that certain innovative teaching practices can promote deeper learning that extends beyond the classroom, leads to more and longer lasting connections between students and faculty, and encourages a spirit of collaboration and mutually shared intellectual curiosity (Ellis, 2001). This project is designed to explore the use of innovative teaching practices by faculty in Applied Health Sciences and to investigate the barriers and facilitators, real and perceived, to their implementation. We will focus on 5 innovative teaching approaches based on the University of Waterloo Task Force on Innovative Teaching Practices (Ellis et al., 2011).
This project will also identify the information needs of the AHS faculty regarding implementation of innovative teaching methods. In future work, we hope to mobilize this knowledge into a series of events that encourage more innovative teaching both across the Faculty and the University.
Findings/Insights
The response rate was strong; over 80% of faculty participated. Most faculty (65%) report using active teaching/learning, or high impact practices (HIP) techniques such as small groups, debates, case studies, etc.) 'often or always'. Most (95%) also said they use PowerPoint/lectures 'often or always'. This suggests that although most are trying alternative modes of engaging their students, almost all are still using some form of traditional lecture format.
Over eighty percent said the main barrier to active HIP was large classes. Over 50% felt class spaces could be more flexible, and over 40% said research/service demands were barriers to active teaching and learning. This is a finding echoed by the faculty Teaching Fellows in their summary report from 2016. Overall, this is a shared feeling across campus that large classes make engaging teaching very difficult. We also know from almost all HIP research that smaller classes make better learning experiences for students.
Almost everyone reported that HIP were important to them personally (95%), to the Faculty (60%), and to UW (50%). This is important to note; faculty wish to engage their students more, but sense less commitment from their faculty, and even less from the university as a whole.
Responses to what we do that is active and engaging in our classes were varied. Of the instructors who engaged in HIP, Instructors reported that we have our students engaged in research designs, Oxford style debates, real-time case studies and problem based learning, getting students physically active in class, working on community projects and with community partners, presenting and competing with posters, using I-clickers for class interactions, etc.
What helps us do our best, most engaging teaching, according to AHS survey responses? Over 80% said having small classes and 55% said flexible class spaces help most. Most instructors feel strongly that small classes are the places that enable them to use high impact, evidence-based teaching strategies.
We now know a little bit more about how AHS instructors teach, and what we see as the barriers and facilitators to the best student learning. It is our assumption that these barriers and facilitators to high impact teaching would be shared by our colleagues across campus; the barriers we report are not specific to AHS; space is at a premium and undergraduate classes continue to grow in size.
Dissemination and Impact
We disseminated quantitative findings to the AHS Faculty last year in a Newsletter, and would be happy to report the findings contained in this report to a CTE session.
Through this project, we learned a good deal and it was helpful going forward in planning courses, programs, etc. After receiving the results of our study, the SPHHS Director created a series of small seminars for first-, second-, and third-year students and created more small class capstone courses. We hope to see other departments institute similar changes that allow for smaller class size, which faculty reported was the biggest barrier to high impact teaching and learning.
References
Project reference list (PDF)