Grant Recipients
Vivian Dayeh, Department of Biology, Brenda Lee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Savannah Sloat, Science Indigenous Initiatives
(Project timeline: September 2024 - August 2025)
Description
The overall goal of this project is to implement a teaching and learning system based on an Indigenous Learning Circle methodology to better enhance student learning in STEM courses during lecture and tutorials. These Learning Circles will provide students a chance to participate in relational and reciprocal learning, which is sometimes overlooked in traditional didactic lectures or tutorials. In turn, students will foster critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, increased engagement, and community building. The project will play a critical role in fostering deep student learning by providing students with an experiential learning opportunity that goes beyond traditional classroom instruction and engages with Indigenous learning principles. The project will promote a shared responsibility for learning by encouraging collaborative learning and cooperative learning among students and provide a relational framework that can be applied to large STEM courses across the institution.
Project Objectives
The following are intended outcomes from the incorporation of Indigenous Learning Circles into STEM courses:
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Deepen student understanding of the subject matter taught in lectures or tutorials and make meaningful connections between theory and practice.
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Compare current lecture/tutorial methods and Indigenous Learning Circles with respect to enhancing learning and community building.
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Employ decolonial practices into STEM instruction and learning environments.
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Create a framework for the use of Indigenous Learning Circles in STEM courses at UW.