Principal Daniel Woolf has announced the 2016 winners of the Principal’s Teaching and Learning Awards.

The awards, created in 2015, recognize individuals and teams who have shown exceptional innovation and leadership in teaching and learning on campus. The awards are administered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL).

“I commend each of the recipients of this year’s awards. They are a dedicated group of faculty and staff who have shown a deep commitment to enhancing the student learning experience at Queen’s,” says Principal Woolf. “There is a great deal of work happening across campus to foster excellence in teaching and learning and I am delighted that these awards can help raise the profile of this initiative.”

Each award celebrates a different aspect of teaching and learning, such as international education and curriculum development.

“The awards aim to celebrate excellence in strategic areas of teaching and learning at Queen’s and to recognize the faculty and staff members who are making important contributions to that excellence,” says Peter Wolf, Associate Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) and Director of the CTL. “I would like to extend my congratulations to all of this year’s winners and to thank everyone who took the time to nominate someone for the awards.”

Formal presentation of the awards will take place at the Teaching Awards Reception to be held in January 2017.

The recipients are:

Educational Leadership Award
(Sponsored and coordinated by the Centre for Teaching and Learning)

Mr. Robert Lovelace, Global Development Studies

Robert Lovelace is the recipient of the Educational Leadership Award, recognizing his 21 years of exemplary leadership in teaching, mentoring, and building the profile of Indigenous issues in Global Development Studies (DEVS), at Queen’s, and in the community at large. Amongst his many achievements, Mr. Lovelace is the originator of on-campus, blended and online courses, has been key in the creation of the new Indigenous Studies Minor, was the founding manager for the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre and has been the lead facilitator for the Annual Aboriginal Studies Symposium at Queen’s.

Educational Technology Award 
(Sponsored and coordinated by Information Technology Services)

Faculty

Dr. Lindsay Davidson, Ms. Lynel Jackson, Dr. Michelle Gibson, Dr. Stephen Mann, Ms. Sheila Pinchin, School of Medicine

Working collaboratively, this group of investigators within the School of Medicine has focused on developing innovative methodologies for the assessment of students and residents. The program is a truly blended learning initiative that involves the development of a set of online modules that assist students in their final years of medical school while working in the clinical setting alongside recent graduates (residents). This initiative addresses a major challenge in medical education, specifically to integrate the continuum of education between undergraduate and post-graduate training.

Staff

Mr. Amir Heidari, Ms. Katherine Prescott, Ms. Leigha Covell, Mr. Rob Bertschi, Mr. Simon Bailey, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Recently created by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, the Teaching and Learning Team brings together instructional designers and multimedia support analysts to work closely together to support the faculty’s instructors. In the past year the team has established three new educational technologies relating to video production in an effort to reduce the transactional distance in online courses: Live Action ‘Reality-Check’ videos that put the TA into the action and bring the real-world applications of engineering to the learner; 360 GoPro-mediated spherical video that brings the remote location to the learner and enables them to explore the environment, and; Lightboard-mediated tutorials where instructors or TAs connect with learners by looking at them directly while solving problems.

International Educational Innovation Award
(Sponsored and coordinated by the Associate Vice-Principal (International))

Dr. Ajay Agarwal, School of Urban and Regional Planning

Having created and delivered the School of Urban and Regional Planning’s SURP 827 - International Planning Project, Ajay Agarwal offers a course that exemplifies the international teaching and learning experience. Graduate students are exposed to the multidisciplinary aspects of planning practice and research in India through collaborations with universities, community groups and non-governmental organizations. The international context prepares students as global citizens who have gained understanding and sensitivity to realities beyond Canada’s borders. The immersive, experiential learning opportunity has been transformative for students and has left a lasting impact on the host communities as well.

Michael Condra Outstanding Student Service Award
(Sponsored and coordinated by The Office of the Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs)

Ms. Aphra Rogers, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

As the Program Associate for the first-year program, Aphra Rogers strives to ensure that she is physically and emotionally available to every first-year engineering student – and there are approximately 800 of them. Ms. Rogers is ever-present in the faculty building and online, she customizes supports and advice, and responds quickly to questions and concerns. She is credited with contributing to the faculty’s 97 per cent year 1-2 retention rate and high student satisfaction rate. She supports academic orientation events, promotes community-engaged learning opportunities, and manages 80 teaching assistants, who also benefit from her knowledge and compassion. The faculty regularly receives emails from students and parents expressing thanks and gratitude to Ms. Rogers for her outstanding support.

Promoting Student Inquiry Teaching Award
(Sponsored and coordinated by The Queen's Library)

Mr. Steven Maynard, Department of History

Steven Maynard has been encouraging students to use primary sources and engage critically with those resources for many years, as can be seen in the project developed for his Foucault for Historians 400-level course. Mr. Maynard takes what can be thought of as abstract theory and grounds it for students in order to actively engage them in the learning experience. His challenge to the students to use the theoretical knowledge they gain through readings and discussion and apply it to close reading of a primary resource extends the learning experience.