Monday, August 8, 2016

Tales of a Teacher: Cynthia Richard

By Elorm Agbeyaka. This is the first of three Centre for Teaching Excellence Teaching Stories that will be featured in the Daily Bulletin this week.

Dr. Cynthia Richard, a Clinical Lecturer in UWaterloo’s School of Pharmacy, admits that her first time teaching went poorly. Indeed, after some grave course reviews, she questioned whether teaching was truly something that she was meant to do. Fortunately, Richard soon had a realization: teaching is a skill, and like any skill it can be learned and practiced: “Failing on my first attempt,” she says, “does not mean that I’m going to rule it out for the rest of my life!” Her efforts to improve paid off: in 2012, she received the Excellence in Science Teaching Award.

Richard firmly believes that the best teachers are themselves learners: they recognize the limits of their knowledge and they take steps, as needed, to undertake additional learning. Accordingly, she believes that instructors in the School of Pharmacy need not have a comprehensive knowledge of a topic prior to teaching it. “Teaching,” she says, “is not about being an expert. It’s not about having the attitude of ‘You’re going to learn so much from me’. Instead, it’s ‘We’re going to create activities so we can all learn together.’”

This idea of continuous learning has defined Richard’s teaching career. In her courses, she encourages two-way feedback: she provides her students with feedback on their assignments so that they have ample opportunities to improve, but she also asks them to provide her with feedback on the course, regarding lecture content, assignments, learning activities, and teaching strategies. “After every lesson or activity, I seek out some students to give me feedback, and I take note of it for next time.” Such feedback, says Richard, is necessary: “Just because you have taught it, does not mean the students have learned it.” Frequent feedback helps Richard ensure that her teaching and learning activities result in actual learning.

Richard’s appreciation of the benefits of timely feedback is also evident in a remediation tool – known as the Midpoint Assessment –  that she helped develop and implement in the School of Pharmacy in 2015. The Midpoint Assessment comprises 100 multiple choice questions and five clinical exams, and is delivered near the end of each student’s second year. Students who score below the minimal competency meet with an assessment team that helps them design an individualized education plan to prevent them from falling further behind their peers. Last year, the Midpoint Assessment identified three out of 120 students in need of remedial support. Richard has been working with these students to improve their clinical exam competencies.

Students who have taken courses from Richard report being greatly engaged in her classroom. They cite her ability to make course content interesting and relevant, as well as her enthusiastic and supportive approach. That’s the kind of feedback any instructor wants to hear!  

Conference examined the Digital Dilemmas of gender relations

Who ya gonna call? Professor Aimée Morrison references the recent all-female Ghostbusters movie during her keynote address at the Digital Dilemmas colloquium.

By Ellen Perschbacher.

This past Friday and Saturday, attendees of the Digital Dilemmas colloquium voiced key questions about how the proliferation of digital technologies and virtual spaces are changing the nature of gender relations and identities. Scholars, graduate students and regional policy makers gathered in Lyle Hallman North and listened to the mix of keynote speakers, roundtable discussions and paper presentations aimed at articulating how the digital realm is transforming gender identities and power relations in everyday life.

Friday’s keynote speaker, Waterloo’s own Aimee Morrison, an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of English, addressed the audience members with her presentation on portrayals of injustice in women's collective online actions. 

Professor Morrison’s keynote address was followed by a number of paper presentations, including Professor Stephanie Jones’ presentation on the authoritative discourse of expectations on black women negotiating relationship eligibility and power online.

The thought provoking discussions and willing engagement from the audience continued into Saturday’s events when keynote speaker Professor Brittney Cooper from Rutgers University added to the conversation with her expertise as a Black feminist theorist who specializes in the study of Black women’s intellectual history as well as race and gender representation in pop culture.

Much the same as Friday’s agenda, Saturday concluded with paper presentations and a light lunch during which audience members and presenters mingled and built upon the ideas generated by the event.

The colloquium’s attendees and organizers hope that this event - and others like it in the future - will generate new approaches to understanding and mobilizing action on gender relation issues in virtual spaces.