Seventeen projects have been awarded funding through the first round of the听2023-24 杏吧原创 University Experiential Learning Fund (CUELF)听to create and enhance experiential learning opportunities for 杏吧原创 students.
We proudly recognize our colleagues across campus for their important work on these exciting projects to support lifelong learning and prepare students for the workplace.
Learn about the projects:
- Martha Attridge Bufton听(Research Support Services, 杏吧原创 University Library)听is creating an immersive WWII role-playing game to teach first-year students how to evaluate information to solve a complex historical problem.
- Lyndsey Copeland听(Music) is taking students to participate in an Indonesian gamelan rehearsal and purchasing musical instruments (Kalimbas) for use in 杏吧原创 courses.
- Jennifer Drake听(Civil and Environmental Engineering) is developing an experiential learning activity where students participate in a water distribution challenge as part of an interactive simulation.
- James Colraine听and听Prashant Washmare听(Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) are developing a series of virtual reality (VR) labs to allow students to conduct experiments and observe the principles of fluid mechanics in action.
- Randall Germain听(Political Science) and听Martin Geiger听(Political Science and Institute of European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies) are developing a project to facilitate and increase student internships by creating a database of potential internship possibilities and adding dedicated faculty support.听
- Dalal Hanna (Biology) is creating a field-based learning opportunity at an established field station to provide students in a Landscape Ecology course with firsthand experience with field-based data collection techniques and ecological research.听听
- Robert Helal听(Sprott School of Business) is introducing the Sprott Strategy Bootcamp, an experiential learning initiative for business students that helps first-years develop critical skills from senior students who, in turn, gain mentorship and leadership experience.
- Katie Lucas (Institute for Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science) is expanding the 杏吧原创 Undergraduate Journal of Science to the entire Faculty of Science and developing online learning modules to facilitate the integration of the journal into courses.
- Azar Masoumi (Sociology and Anthropology) is creating a workshop facilitated by Montreal-based activist, educator and artist Andi Vicente to help students use arts-based methods to navigate difficult topics in their course Race and Ethnicity.
- Leighann Neilson,听Rebecca Renfroe,听Robert Helal,听Deborah Casselman-Jones,听Emma Smith听and听Nadine Consigny听(Sprott School of Business) are developing Sprott students’ leadership and management skills through a social enterprise, Sprott Shares, which provides students with free clothing and household items to help their transition to Ottawa and Canada.听
- Alex Pettit听(Institute of Biochemistry) and听Mihaela Flueraru听(Lab Coordinator) are redeveloping a practical biochemistry course from traditional teaching labs to a semester-long Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) where students develop a project from hypothesis to presentation of findings.听
- Bora Pulatsu () is creating a virtual reality environment using field data collected from earthquake-struck residential buildings in Turkey to provide students with a unique learning opportunity.
- Marc Rioux (School of Public Policy and Administration) is sending students to the 2024 edition of the Model International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) event in Montreal, exposing them to high-level diplomatic and technical discussions and allowing them to develop and apply their technical knowledge and consensus-building skills.听 听听
- Brian Strong (Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies) is听enhancing the practicum in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) with new professional development opportunities (guest speakers, workshops, networking events, etc.) and increased connections with local employers.
- Sujit Sur (Sprott School of Business) is creating a community-based project connecting International Business students with ZanaAfrica, a social enterprise to create impactful, transformative solutions to problems faced by adolescent girls in Kenya.
- Janice Tibbetts听(School of Journalism and Communication) is creating a group multimedia project for upper-year journalism students that examines the impact of the Supreme Court’s 1999 Gladue decision around Indigenous rights. The project helps students better understand and write about the court and Indigenous issues and stories.
- Elena Zabolotnii (Civil and Environmental Engineering) is introducing Civil and Environmental Engineering students to the technique of aerial stereophoto interpretation and terrain analysis, giving them the ability to examine geological landforms in 3D at different scales, contributing to their understanding of geological processes and providing real-life skills.听
Applications are now open for the second round of funding for the听2023-24 杏吧原创 University Experiential Learning Fund (CUELF). The deadline to apply is Jan. 19.