The creation of a massive online course for Health Science students, helping students develop information literacy and an online dissection simulation for hands-on virtual training will be the focus of the newly created Teaching Fellows Program at Western.
The goal of the program is to enhance teaching innovation and teaching quality at Western by bringing together a cohort of faculty members who will provide educational leadership, perform research on teaching, and disseminate the knowledge they acquire to the larger university community and beyond.
The first three-year fellowship recipients include:
Dan Belliveau (Health Sciences), who is planning to create a MOOC (massive online course) for new Health Science students admitted to Western – offered the summer before they come to campus – to help them be better prepared for first year;
Sarah McLean (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry), who is working to create an online simulation of rat dissection that will help more students get experience with hands-on virtual anatomy; and
Peter Ferguson (Political Science), who is working collaboratively with librarians to design better learning activities to help students develop information literacy.
Fellows will develop and complete an innovative technology project designed to enhance teaching and learning in their disciplines. In subsequent years, they may work to integrate other themes into the curriculum such as experiential education, interdisciplinary learning initiatives, as well as international education and the mentorship of global ready graduates.
The long-term vision for the initiative is to have one teaching fellow in each of the faculties.
Professors will receive up to a 40 per cent secondment from their department/faculty to the Teaching Support Centre for a three-year term and are eligible for up to $10,000 funding per year for three years to conduct their scholarly project.
During their term, recipients will be part of the research on teaching and learning community and will meet on a monthly basis to discuss their project. They will also provide peer consultations on teaching to at least three colleagues over the three-year term, provide leadership and development on teaching dossiers to faculty, and evaluate grant proposals related to teaching and learning initiatives.