We are pleased to share that the following projects, representing 4 academic schools, have been approved for the 2024-2025 academic year:

College student success & retention strategies

Nathan Wilson, Claire McCormack, Amy Derdall, David Swerdfeger, & Angela Wood, LS

This project measures the impact of initiatives aimed at reducing attrition and bolstering student satisfaction in General Arts and Science. These initiatives are in their second year, and this year along with the cohort-enhancing activities, student perceptions will be measured using student surveys to determine student motivation and “stick-to-itiveness”.

The MAD paramedic study: Replacing words with (augmented) reality in paramedic learning

Dr. Vlad Chiriac & Edin Ibric, HS/MAD

This study aims to provide an interactive, realistic bridge between the theory course and practical courses in the Paramedic program to develop students’ hands-on skills and patient interactions. This will be done in collaboration with MAD as students will be developing the augmented reality simulation. Both sets of students will be surveyed about their experiences and skill development compared to more typical tests previously used in these programs.

Student experience with emojis: Perceptions and usage

Dr. Lynne Kennette & Amanda Cappon, LS

This project aims to investigate why students choose to use emojis in their communication, and their perceptions of emoji use (both sending and receiving), and whether those perceptions impact student learning (e.g., instructor rapport). This project is a collaboration between 4 institutions across North America.

Working to close gaps in health: Can cross-curricular projects about medical disparities influence empathy in Pre-Health Sciences students?

Karen Founk & Jesse Parsons, HS

The goal of this study is to determine if medical disparity-themed cross-curricular interventions do in fact influence the empathy of first-semester Pre-Health Sciences students. Students across six courses will be surveyed to determine if each additional exposure to medical disparity-themed case studies have a greater influence on their empathy. Overall, this study will allow its researchers to gain valuable insight into best practices for empathy-forward pedagogy and deepen DC’s commitment to the TRC’s Call to Action to close gaps in health within Indigenous communities.

Practical programming tests: Stress vs. authenticity

Kyle Chapman, Samson Chung, & Kenneth Hodgson, BIT

In this project, a form of practical test was introduced where students write a tiny snippet of code side-by-side with the professor in a short, scheduled appointment as a subset of normal class hours. This form of authentic assessment more closely models vocational expectations, however, the context in which this is conducted could be incredibly stressful for the students. Along with the practical test, students will be surveyed about their stress levels throughout the term to identify how they compare to more typical test structures in addition to performance.

Recently Completed SoTL Projects

Completed SoTL projects have made valuable contributions to the body of knowledge in their respective areas. Results were shared during DC’s Fall Academic PD Day in their respective years, and some have been submitted for publication and/or presentation at conferences and symposia provincially, nationally, and globally. We invite you to engage with the valuable outcomes of this research by clicking on the titles to see project descriptions and poster presentation links.

Generative AI use in post-secondary education: Impacts on learning and motivation

Dr. Erin Dancy, Howard Umrah, & Corey Gill, HS/BIT

This project aims to examine student and educator perceptions of GenAI use on learning and motivation. Specifically, it will ask how GenAI is used by students and educators, whether there is correlation between GenAI use and learning and motivation, as well as general attitudes about GenAI. The results will be further examined to determine if motivations change based on program, or demographics including role in the institution, with the goal of helping inform GenAI use at DC.

Empowering success: Transformative assessments in business education

Corey Gill, Anne Donnellan, & Elisabeth Schoep, BIT

The purpose of this project is to determine whether adapting assessments away from memory-based to a variable assessment approach can ease the transition into the college environment, prepare students for the workplace, and reduce the stress felt by first semester students. These variable assessments focus on key concept application and the use of resources that would be available in the working world.

A MAD general education proposal: A cross-departmental collaborative student assignment

Robert Savelle & Edin Ibric, LS/MAD

This project is a collaboration between a General Education course and Media Art and Design course allowing students to experience cross-discipline collaboration through an overlapping assessment. The goal is that, while evaluated separately, the assessment would bring together diverse themes and topics into a creative and cohesive document. The goal is for this type of initiative to enhance student enthusiasm and their appreciation of the value of durable and transferable skill sets emphasized in General Education courses.

Closing the feedback loop: Automated assessment for coding education

Kyle Chapman, BIT

This project will investigate the impact of using CodeGrade, an automated assessment and feedback tool, on student learning and progress in a foundational computer programming course. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of automated feedback in improving student engagement and positive perception of introductory computer programming, reducing student barriers to success and ultimately reduce attrition.