What do the Atlantic Ocean and the Centre for Preparatory & Liberal Studies (CPLS) at George Brown College (GBC) have in common? Both made waves this month during the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education's 2023 annual conference in Charlottetown, PEI!
Equipped with innovative practices and important research findings in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), a George Brown College contingent from CPLS and the Teaching and Learning Exchange (TLX) made a splash at the conference, collaborating with colleagues and students from across the country.
The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE or The Society') is Canada's leading voice for enhancing teaching and learning in post-secondary education institutions. The Society does this with scholarly research, professional development, policy advocacy, and opportunities for exchange and collaboration among educators and students. This year's STLHE Annual Conference - hosted by Holland College and the University of PEI on the unceded lands of the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq people - was one such opportunity.
Showcasing GBC's SoTL initiatives
Ana-Marija Petrunic, Associate Dean of GBC's School of ESL & Immigrant Education and STLHE Board Director and Treasurer (2021-2024), shared her experience of establishing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning unit (SoTL-ESL) at George Brown College to bridge the gap between TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) research directions and English language teachers' everyday practices. Petrunic highlighted the faculty leadership, professional development, and academic contributions that have blossomed through this initiative.
A team of CPLS faculty - including Elena Chudaeva (School of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Sharon Hauck (School of Work and College Preparation), Raj Khatri (School of ESL and Immigrant Education), Sarika Narinesingh (Department of English and Communication), and Anne Wonyoung Song (Department of English and Communication) - presented their innovative UDL Mindset study findings. This research addressed a gap in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) literature by examining faculty perceptions of, and experiences with, implementing UDL in the classroom. They shared faculty successes and challenges uncovered in this study.
School of ESL faculty member Anna Bartosik presented her STLHE-funded research that will examine learner-directed and autonomy learning in Canadian post-secondary education institutions. In this study, Bartosik will analyze Canadian post-secondary institutions' public-facing course outlines for evidence of learner-directed and autonomous learning at the point of instruction. Results and findings of the study can be expected in 2024.
