Threshold / Troublesome Concepts: What MUST We Teach?

Our disciplines abound with fascinating, rich, and important concepts to teach. Yet how do we decide on which concepts to focus when designing courses and programs?

Research from the past decade suggests that focusing our attention on identifying “bottlenecks” and “threshold concepts” – troublesome and sometimes transformational ideas – can help us to design courses and programs around concepts that have great potential to impact deep and lasting change in student learning.

This session will investigate the impact of instructor approaches and practices on student conceptions of expectancy and value.

Co-facilitated by Julie Timmermans, Centre for Teaching Excellence, and Gordon Stubley, Associate Dean, Teaching, this session will help participants to

• recognize that certain concepts within a course/program are more important than others and worthy of greater attention and
• identify a troublesome or transformational concept in their own course or program.

All engineering faculty are encouraged to attend — registration is not required. Refreshments will be provided. Please contact Kathy Becker if you have any questions about this event.

Printable Event Poster (PDF)