By Heather Dorries
Heather Dorries completed her PhD at the University of Toronto and joined UBC as a Teaching and Learning Fellow in the Flexible Learning Project in Geography in December 2013
In fall 2013, Dr. Loch Brown, lecturer in the Department of Geography, was awarded a grant from UBC’s Flexible Learning Initiative. The UBC Flexible Learning Initiative is a university-wide project designed to introduce new and innovative teaching approaches to classes across UBC.
The Flexible Learning Project in Geography will focus on the transformation of 10 courses in the undergraduate Environment and Sustainability Program, which is the largest undergraduate program in Geography. The three-year funding for the project provides support from an Instructional Designer, Media Designer, RAs and two Postdoctoral Teaching and Learning Fellows. The postdoctoral fellows are responsible for supporting course transformation, conducting research, and coordinating project activities.
The main objective of the Flexible Learning Project is to increase student engagement and improve student learning experience using online activities, interactive classroom activities, and student projects.
In Winter 2014, Geography’s Flexible Learning Project provided support for three courses in which new approaches were introduced. For example, Professor Graeme Wynn piloted a flipped-classroom approach to his course GEOG 327—Creating Canada. Professor Wynn created a series of podcasts which students listened to before coming to class. As a result, more class time was available for discussions, group activities, and student presentations.
In GEOG 310—Environment and Sustainability taught by Professor Karen Bakker and Professor Jennifer Williams, students completed short on-line quizzes on course readings before coming to class. These quizzes were designed to highlight concepts that would form the basis for lectures and in-class activities. A final survey indicated that students felt that the quizzes helped them focus on important concepts and be better prepared for class.
The Flexible Learning Project in Geography also encompasses research on pedagogy and teaching practices in Geography, as well as the student experience in the Envrironment and Sustainability program. This research is motivated by the question, “What motivates students to choose Environment and Sustainability as their program of study? And what strategies do students employ to meet their educational goals?” This research will inform the development of pedagogies and classroom practices that will help students be aware of and achieve their educational objectives.
In the coming semesters, the Flexible Learning in Geography project will also begin to create a repository of learning and teaching resources including videos and other media to support students and instructors in Geography.
Besides supporting work in individual departments, the Fleixble Learning Initiative at UBC provides an opportunity for scholars to share ideas. For example, Postdoctoral Teaching and Learning Fellows from across campus meet on a regular basis to discuss the scholarship of teaching and learning. In June, UBC’s Centre for Teaching and Learning Technology hosted an open house to showcase the exciting work that is happening across UBC.
More information about the Flexible Learning Project in Geography can be found by visiting the project website at: http://blogs.ubc.ca/flgeography/
Heather Dorries discusses the Flexible Learning Project in Geography with Dr. Arun Verma from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Flexible Learning Open House in June 2014.
Photo by Jon Chiang
