Expertise

Incorporating Real-world experiences (Q7; Q8; Q9)

There are many ways to help the students recognize the relationship between what they are learning in the classroom and its application in industry (Q7; Q8; Q9).

• Host guest speakers from industry. For example: Leveraging non-local speakers to join the class virtually. Professor Keri Semenko in Animal Care hosted a virtual field trip to the Ontario Turtle Conversation Centre, an opportunity that was previously not available to her students given the transportation cost.
• Share developments in the field by inviting program graduates and other DC alumni to present, or share graduate testimonials
• Use active learning strategies to guide students to self-discovery, as well as learn from one and other
• Share and highlight how specific job postings relate to the skills students are developing. For example: job postings from Hired portal.
• Relate course material to real-world applications through experiential learning opportunities. For example: Riipen gives instructors the opportunity to search for or submit desired real-world work-integrated experiences with industry partners that they can embed into curriculum as in-class assignments, competitions, or longer duration project
• Connect course material to real-world applications through simulations, such as utilizing the exact or replica software that is used in the industry. For example, animal care students are trained and assessed on the tool AVI Mark, which is the common software used in Veterinary offices.Custom simulation experiences can be used to simulate real-world experiences, for example, in long term care, an individual is required to assess a home for safety, an online simulation, allows students to practice this experience; or installing a furnace.
• Explore developments in the field by sharing current events to discuss opportunities for application of their learned skillsFor example: In chemistry, professors found reviewing real FDA warning letters of non-compliant companies to highlight the importance of following guidelines being taught in class to be helpful.

Highlight your knowledge and experiences (Q8; Q9)

Sharing your experiences in industry, good and bad is a perfect example of gaining creditability with your students (Q8; Q9). In your teaching, this could look like:  

• An introduction video posted before the first day of the course can show students that you are the best instructor guiding them through that learning journey by sharing your ‘credentials’ and experience, and sharing your academic journey into that industry will improve student connection right from the first class.  
• Throughout the course, share stories and anecdotes, tips and tricks specific to your experience in industry, and allow students the opportunity to ask you more about them. 
• Share and highlight how specific job postings draw on the knowledge and skills that students are (or will be) developing in the course. For example: Start the class with sharing a recent job posting and connect how the duties align with what they are currently learning or have learned.

Use a variety of ways to teach and apply the content (Q10)

Class is always more exciting when students have the opportunity to learn and interact with course content in different, novel and perhaps even unpredictable ways. Using a variety of instructional and active learning strategies to teach and apply concepts increases student engagement (Q10) and supports the Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  

Employ the base principles of the Universal Design for Learning 

UDL promotes learning experiences that use a variety of teaching and assessment methods to remove barriers to learning, proactively respond to the variability of learners, and support the development of learner expertise.  

There are 3 key base principles that offer a foundation upon which to build your course: 

Multiple means of Engagement

• For example, incorporating discussions and small group activities into presentations; utilizing videos (such as JoVE), embedding engaging materials such as interactive activities in Kahoot; 

Multiple means of Representation

• Present the same content in a variety of ways: written/text, audiovisual and graphical (e.g., image, diagram or infographic). This will allow each student to engage with content in a way that is accessible for them. 
• Other ideas: Use accessible course materials; vary your pedagogical approaches; create various materials with students to support their learning (e.g., graphic organizers, concept maps, procedural diagrams); 

Multiple means of Expression

• Where possible, provide students with the opportunity to express their learning (i.e., complete an assessment) in a way that is relevant and meaningful for them, but still meets the required outcomes of the assessment.

  Example: an assignment for a nursing class asked students to discuss the uses, contraindications and side effects of different heart medications. Some students wrote it out as a text description or organized text into a chart, other students created mind/concept maps or pamphlets, and yet others created video recordings 

• Consider self-registration in DC’s Universal Design for Learning: Inspiring Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education  
• Various EdTech Tools are available through the CTL to support teaching and application of concepts in various ways, including Kahoot, Mentimeter and Padlet.  
• Consider your course content and determine if a flipped classroom/pre-lab approach would be beneficial. In a flipped or pre-lab classroom, faculty have students work with the materials in advance, usually online, and use the face-to-face time to reinforce, apply and extend the content in practical and hands on ways, which may include practice problems or simulations that demonstrate the application of the theoretical knowledge.  

Student-to-student approach:

• Learner Centered Classroom - Consider using aspects within your teaching rooted in constructivism, which posits that learners utilize their previous experiences to build knowledge (Kurt, 2021). By allowing students to bring their own experiences to the classroom and activate prior learning, they will be able to make connections and retain more of the knowledge being presented and thus increase their success.

  For example: As part of the class connection activity, ask students to share their thoughts on the topic. This could be accomplished in a Kahoot or Mentimeter word cloud, or Padlet parking lot  

• Student co-creation - Consider using the students as an integral part of the content design process such as creating resources that can be utilized in the future (e.g., video resource, infographic, review questions).