May 7, 2018
Instructors invited to submit applications to teach in Taylor Institute learning spaces
Ania Harlick, instructor of Physics & Astronomy (centre) with students Anna Ordog and Adam Tyl.
Jessica Snow, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
鈥淢y experience at the Taylor institute has made me think about building more opportunities for small group discussions and more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback in the future,鈥 says Kristine Bauer, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Bauer recently taught a highly flexible course called Mathematical Explorations in the Taylor Institute鈥檚 forum, one of three dynamic learning spaces in the building. The course required students to produce team projects exploring how mathematical topics could be used to develop deeper understanding of recent media articles. Bauer found the forum particularly conducive to the course鈥檚 design.
鈥淥ne of the most exciting consequences of a space designed in a forum style to encourage discussions is that the students engage in discussions! Not only do they work productively in teams during the class, but the students often gather before or after class to work together,鈥 she notes.
Joty Das, a second-year student pursuing concurrent bachelor of arts degrees in French and education, testifies to the course鈥檚 collaborative nature. She also makes note of its unique technological access, which enriched her learning experience.
鈥淭he neat thing that makes the forum stand out is how interactive it is. We can either sync our phones or our laptops to individual stations to project data or a presentation,鈥 she explains. 鈥淎lthough we had a class of 100 students, I don鈥檛 think I ever felt that there were 100 students, because we weren鈥檛 so close to each other, unlike in other classrooms.鈥
Kristine Bauer, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Jodi-O photography
Group learning in the Taylor Institute
Teaching a physics course on harmonic motion, waves and rotations in the Taylor Institute鈥檚 studios D and E, instructor Ania Harlick also praises the building鈥檚 community-building possibilities. As with the forum, these learning studios are equipped with interactive audiovisual technology, whiteboards and movable tables and chairs.
鈥淭he arrangement of the furniture, which allows students to face one another rather than facing me, makes for a very collaborative learning environment,鈥 Harlick says. 鈥淚 have also discovered (and am still surprised I didn鈥檛 realize this earlier) that replacing a worksheet with a white board invites everyone to contribute, as nobody can take ownership of the medium. Students seemed to be more encouraged to grab markers, add their corrections/ideas without feeling like they are invading someone's personal space and property. This created some very animated and heated group work sessions.鈥
Teaching in the Taylor Institute has also given Harlick some takeaway ideas that she hopes to apply in future courses.
鈥淥ne thing I will take away from the space is that I will never again be afraid to make my students move in the classroom,鈥 she says.
As Bauer and Harlick鈥檚 experiences show, the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning lends itself to collaborative and student-driven classroom approaches. Thanks to unique technological features and movable furniture, the building鈥檚 learning spaces lend themselves easily to a variety of disciplinary contexts.
鈥淥verall, this building is a pleasure working in because of its spacious settings and up-to-date technology, which students can use or observe as an alternative to what they typically use,鈥 Joty Das reflects.
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Ania Harlick calls the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning a collaborative environment.
Jessica Snow, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning