Faculty selected as Teaching and Learning Scholars

Nine faculty members have been chosen as scholars for the first Teaching and Learning Scholars Program cohort at Thompson Rivers University. The goal of the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program is to encourage and support faculty in scholarly inquiry into student learning.

Nine faculty members have been chosen for the first Teach and Learning Scholars Program

The members represent a good cross section of TRU’s disciplines and expect to start a ripple effect throughout the university that will inspire their fellow faculty members to advance of the best practices for teaching at the university level.

“The work of the scholars will produce a deeper and more meaningful understanding of student learning in the context of their individual classes,” said Gary Hunt, TRU Coordinator, Teaching and Learning Support. “While research on teaching has been a staple for years, the new program offers a novel approach through collaboration and peer support.”

The Teaching and Learning Scholars Program brings together faculty who are committed to rigorous, systematic, and evidence-based study of student learning. Working in a peer-supported, cohort model of collaborative investigation over one year, each scholar will develop a course-based inquiry project, conduct research that sheds new light on a significant aspect of student learning, have the work peer-reviewed, and share the findings publicly.

Adapted from the model at Mount Royal University in Calgary, the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program was originally developed by the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the US. It has also influenced similar initiatives at Royal Roads University and UBC.

The program is an initiative of the Centre for Student Engagement and Learning Innovation and is led by four faculty members, Gary Hunt, Joanne Jones, Krista Lussier, and Lyn Baldwin.

The 2013 Teaching and Learning Scholars are:

Sharon Brewer, Chemistry	Bruno Cinel, Chemistry	Jackie Stokes, Social Work	Elizabeth Rennie, Library
Karen Ross, Biology	Susie Safford, University and Employment Preparation	Christina Cederlof, University and Employment Preparation	Terryl Atkins, Visual and Performing ArtsNina Johnson, English and Modern Languages

For more information about the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program at TRU contact Gary Hunt,
Coordinator, Teaching and Learning Support
(p) 250-828-5461 (e) gahunt@tru.ca