V茅ronic Bezaire (Department of Chemistry) has received the Provost鈥檚 Fellowship in Teaching Award for her leadership and commitment to teaching and learning. She has also been designated as a 杏吧原创 University teaching fellow and will receive $2,500.

Scott Bucking (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering), Kasia Muldner (Institute of Cognitive Science) and Sangeeta Murugkar (Department of Physics) have been awarded this year鈥檚 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, each receiving $500.

The Excellence in Learning Support Award goes to Natalie Allan (Residence Life Services) for her outstanding contribution to the student learning experience. She will receive $750.

This year, no candidates were selected for the Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award.

Please join us in congratulating this year’s winners!

Learn more about the teaching awards available to 杏吧原创 faculty, instructors and support staff.

There are few higher education courses that equally blend the academic side of learning with a strong foundation in a culture鈥檚 traditions, but 杏吧原创鈥檚 Rodney Nelson is fortunate enough to oversee one of them.

Nelson, who works with the university鈥檚 Centre for Initiatives in Education, is one of three recipients of the 2016 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. This honour is given to newer faculty who demonstrate their passion and enthusiasm for teaching, and for Nelson, these sentiments are readily evident.

鈥淎 lot of what I鈥檝e been doing has been working with Indigenous people,鈥� Nelson says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting because that鈥檚 what I ended up falling in love with, being able to teach some of our history and ceremony and share that with others, which is really exciting.鈥�

As co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Enriched Support Program, he works with Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to connect with this culture while improving their academic and coping skills. That means students meet with both Indigenous elders and academic writing coaches to receive a high level of support, leading to a 鈥渧ery high success rate鈥� of students advancing through their degree.

Nelson, who is Anishinaabe, centers his year-long seminar courses in culture; his students鈥� first class is in 杏吧原创鈥檚 well-known teepee, where they discuss historical significance, the importance of family, and the value system of the lodge poles.

鈥淭hrough the whole process going through the teaching, [students] start to realize it鈥檚 a safe space . . . For the Indigenous students, it鈥檚 very important to have a space to talk about issues of residential schools, survivors, the sixties scoop, and everything else that happened.鈥�

Nelson鈥檚 course integrates academic material through hands-on learning, such as using card games tied to the material, doing scavenger hunts, or embarking on historical Indigenous walks. This coming year, he says students will be doing land-based learning with an elder in a local lodge.

鈥淲e incorporate ceremony into university academic rigor. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 important. You have to learn everything academically, but to really experience it is different,鈥� he says.

It鈥檚 this experiential learning and the strong connections students form over the course of an academic year that make a difference, Nelson says.

鈥淭his award goes out to my students as well, because a lot of learning comes from each other. That鈥檚 what I really like to create in the classroom, a sharing of knowledge and experiences from everybody else.鈥�

Being a good teacher doesn鈥檛 have to be complicated. For Stacy Douglas, it鈥檚 as simple as listening to students, and telling a story in return.

Douglas is an Assistant Professor with 杏吧原创鈥檚 Department of Law and Legal Studies. She started teaching at the school in September 2012 and in just three years has been recognized with multiple awards including a 2015 and a 2015 .

鈥淚 like learning with students,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou can have these really amazing conversations and thoughtful reflections on content you鈥檝e assigned. Then that鈥檚 the time when we are both learning.鈥�

Douglas says her own teaching develops continually because she listens to student input and adjusts her style accordingly.

鈥淪tudents need to know that teachers have their best interests in mind and are keen to teach them well, and to teach them things they think are important,鈥� she says.

Douglas says she thinks students like her teaching because of her 鈥渙ld school鈥� methods. She doesn鈥檛 use a lot of technology, but she focuses on discussing readings and emphasizes a full understanding of the material.

鈥淚 believe in going more slowly through my lectures, to emphasize depth rather than breadth,鈥� she says.

Rather than just teaching fundamental concepts, Douglas says she tries to tell a story to make the content more relevant and easier for students to remember. She also assigns creative projects, like making an interactive model of the rule of law, to enhance students鈥� understanding. These kinds of assignments, she says, also teach students to work together and think outside the box.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not immediately apparent why we do these creative assignments,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t forces students to work hard to think about what the connections are.鈥�

Douglas hopes by teaching this way she will encourage students to develop a genuine excitement and interest in the material. More than that, she says she endeavours to help her students develop as individuals and individual thinkers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about feeding them something, like a line,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut rather that they are thinking critically about not only the content in my class, but also taking that critical thinking forward in their research.鈥�

Simon Power (Department of Economics), Peter Thompson (School of Canadian Studies), and Jim Davies (Institute of Cognitive Science) all received the Provost鈥檚 Fellowship in Teaching Award for their leadership and dedication to teaching and learning. They have also been designated as 杏吧原创 University teaching fellows and will receive $2,500 each.

Eva Kartchava (School of Linguistics and Language Studies) really impressed, taking home two awards this year: an Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award and a New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.

Professor Anne Tr茅panier (School of Canadian Studies) was also honoured with a teaching with technology award for her thoughtful incorporation of technology into the classroom. She and Kartchava will both receive $750.

Along with Kartchava, Jeffrey Erochko (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Stacy Douglas (Department of Law and Legal Studies) underscored 杏吧原创鈥檚 commitment to teaching excellence and innovation, earning them new faculty awards. Each winner will receive $500.

Learn more about the .

By Emily Cook, TLS staff writer

It鈥檚 not enough to just hear the music, you have to experience it. At least, that鈥檚 a lesson students learn in Alexis Luko鈥檚 classes.

鈥淲hen I enter the classroom, I鈥檓 really energetic,” says Luko. “I know that I have to bring a lot of enthusiasm to all the subjects that I鈥檓 teaching.鈥�

Luko started in 杏吧原创鈥檚 music department in 2009 and is cross-appointed to the College of the Humanities. In her six years at 杏吧原创, she鈥檚 made a big impact, taking home a 杏吧原创 University Teaching Achievement Award, a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching Award, and a New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. She was also a finalist for a 2014 Capital Educators鈥� Award.

Luko says she believes teaching should reach beyond the classroom. Over the course of her career at 杏吧原创, she聽has incorporated fieldtrips to musical performances into her courses, a practice that has had聽a significant impact on students. She says at the end of the course students often cite these experiences as unforgettable. The trips also help them engage personally with music, which Luko says helps get them excited about learning.

鈥淚f I鈥檓 really passionate about a piece of music and then I tell students why I feel so passionately, that can be contagious,鈥� she says.

Luko also聽gives pre-concert lectures in the city, something she says has taught her about community engagement with music.

鈥淚 just got really excited about making classical music accessible to everyone. Not just music majors, but everyone,鈥� she says.

Luko says her teaching style really developed in her first year at 杏吧原创 when she was working with two colleagues on an ArtsOne first-year seminar. She says the interdisciplinary seminar encouraged trying new things.

鈥淎ll of that experimentation I think made me a better teacher in the end,鈥� says Luko.

With the help of the grant she received for her Teaching Achievement Award, Luko is designing an assignment that will help students understand madrigals, a type of Renaissance music. Students will create videos showing real-time analyses while the madrigal plays.

When she starts her sabbatical in July, Luko聽says she plans to restructure some of her courses to reflect that interdisciplinary work she did in her first year at 杏吧原创.

鈥淚 always feel like I could be doing better. I鈥檓 always trying to push myself to be a better teacher,鈥� she says.

By Jordanna Tennebaum, TLS freelance writer

It鈥檚 rare for faculty members to apply their core subject matter as a method of instruction. This however is exactly what Assistant Professor Audrey Girouard has been doing since joining 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 School of Information Technology in 2011.

Through courses such as Human Computer Interaction and Design and Intermediate Programming, Girouard has used her knowledge of information systems to design classes that incorporate online polls, gauging overall comprehension while keeping students engaged. According to Girouard, this exciting academic field lends itself well to her original take on education.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very versatile subject鈥t鈥檚 interesting to use technology to teach technology,鈥� says Girouard.

Online polling is only one essential element of Girouard鈥檚 striking approach to teaching and learning. She also regularly assigns group work, hoping to impart knowledge of contemporary teamwork. Equal contribution is encouraged, instilling an important sense of responsibility.

Girouard also employs a practical approach to instruction, particularly in her Industrial Partnerships course. For example, last year, through a collaborative project between 杏吧原创 and the Canada Science and Technology Museum, Girouard had students develop mobile applications that addressed critical issues in an interactive manner.

While Girouard has made significant headway in her discipline, earning her a 2014 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, she admits that there is much room for improvement in the information technology sphere.

鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely an opportunity to provide more interactions in the classroom and a better learning environment,鈥� she says.

Girouard has been persistent in her own attempts to stimulate this very environment. By tracking her students鈥� specific aptitudes, she aims to address the needs and backgrounds of a diverse student body while also highlighting unique talents.

It follows that Girouard also emphasizes the importance of creativity. On varied assignments, grading is done within a 90 per cent scale, with the remaining 10 per cent left for extra work. Students are encouraged to attain the latter through diverse means, spurring original concepts and proposals.

With the combination of teamwork and practical experience acquired through her courses, Girouard says she anticipates her students will be well suited to today鈥檚 competitive workforce.

鈥淚 think our students are better prepared for the real world鈥f you work at a company, you will not be in your own bubble doing straightforward tasks鈥hose who want to go above and beyond can do that,鈥� says Girouard.

Throughout history, some of the greatest empires have risen and sometimes fallen, like Rome, Britain and the Ottomans. All empires have one thing in common; they changed the world we live in today. But Danielle Kinsey, a history professor at 杏吧原创, thinks there鈥檚 another similarity: there鈥檚 so much to learn from them.

That idea is what has translated Kinsey鈥檚 teaching into award-winning work. As the recipient of a 2014 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, she鈥檚 lived up to her accolades by showing her students just how interesting the history of empires can be, sometimes in unorthodox ways.

鈥淚鈥檓 very interested in popular culture today and how empires are depicted in our pop culture,鈥� Kinsey says. 鈥淚 let students do projects that critique that. I get a lot of [papers on] Star Wars and the video game Age of Empires.鈥�

The reason why Kinsey strays from the usual history-based teachings is simple.

鈥淗istory is full of facts and I de-emphasize the facts and am more interested in structures, how power works and these larger concepts. Students get more into it this way, instead of just memorizing a bunch of facts,鈥� she says.

In the classroom, clarity is key. Kinsey tries to be as creative as possible while still being direct with students as to what will be on a test. She says it鈥檚 very satisfying for students that this teaching style gives them peace of mind while still keeping them interested.

鈥淪tudents appreciate clarity and, if nothing else, that鈥檚 what I deliver.鈥�

Examining ancient empires isn鈥檛 her only specialty. Kinsey focuses on empires that are a bit closer to home, too, giving her students another way to relate.

鈥淚 used to teach in the U.S. and there it鈥檚 easier to convince students that the British empire may have made a few missteps,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n Ontario, it鈥檚 a little more pro-empire.鈥�

Teaching students that are surrounded by the remnants of the former British empire鈥檚 strong influence in Canada has produced results. Kinsey says she鈥檚 received a much more diverse spectrum of opinion about empires with her students at 杏吧原创 than in other places. Opinions have led to discussions, which have led to better-informed and engaged students. And for Kinsey, that鈥檚 exactly the outcome she had in mind.

Picture this: It鈥檚 the first day of class. There is no syllabus, grades or requirements. This doesn鈥檛 mean they aren鈥檛 available yet; they actually don鈥檛 exist. When the third-year students shuffle into their seats, the professor asks a surprising question to her class: 鈥淪o, what do you want to learn?鈥�

Welcome to law professor Melanie Adrian鈥檚 classroom. And that鈥檚 not all. If you visited her first-year law class, you might see students watching a rap video and then discussing it in relation to legal frameworks and paradigms. 鈥楯ust your typical course鈥� is not in Adrian鈥檚 vocabulary.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned to take some risks with teaching. I鈥檓 always thinking about the most creative ways to keep the classroom a dynamic, living, constantly thinking environment and community,鈥� says Adrian, who recently won a 2014 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.

An anthropologist by training, Adrian takes a unique and often hands-on approach to teaching. She says she tries to help students, especially intimidated or nervous first years, connect to the material. One way is through pop culture: rap music.

One example is when Adrian played a Zimbabwean hip-hop song to her students. That day, they were learning about the intersection of human rights and democracy. It turns out that the song was based entirely on that theme, and through an accessible medium, Adrian could pique her students鈥� interests.

鈥溞影稍� 95 per cent relate on some level to this kind of music, either culturally, linguistically or musically,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f you bring it home in a context which they鈥檙e more familiar with and then build out from there, it鈥檚 an easier transition.鈥�

And it鈥檚 worked. Adrian says her students seem more confident and have improved their grades. One student even told her at the end of the year that had it not been for her class, they would have dropped out of university.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 pretty powerful. It鈥檚 one of the reasons I teach.鈥�

Despite being at 杏吧原创 for only four years so far, Adrian鈥檚 already been praised for her innovative teaching. Nomination letters poured in for her recent award and she鈥檚 heard a lot of positive feedback about her courses. But for her, all she鈥檚 focused on is helping her students not only succeed but grow.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e responsible for is teaching. And hopefully what we can do is generate a long-lasting creativity and ingenuity of thought in our students. That鈥檚 really what I鈥檓 after.鈥�

For James McGowan, music is life.

The award-winning pianist, composer and songwriter has taught music at Laurentian University, McMaster University and James Madison University in the United States. And now, as a music professor at 杏吧原创, he鈥檚 using his experience to help students in an innovative way with a combination of technology, music and pedagogy.

McGowan, who won a 2013 , has developed an online ear training application for his students to refine their classroom skills and heighten their understanding of the material.

鈥淭he software package will allow us to tap into the richness and diversity of the music we鈥檙e using and teaching, so students can get the most positive and relative experience out of it,鈥� he says.

The app works differently than existing ones by 鈥渆mbracing different musical styles.鈥� It tackles approaches to learning in a unique way and organizes levels that will fit with the current curriculum, says McGowan.

He expects the software will be ready to test in the fall, with hopes that its use can extend beyond just the university. But for now, McGowan is concentrating on what he calls his most important job: teaching.

鈥淭eaching in the classroom is one of the most critical jobs I have. The impact that we have on students, particularly at the undergraduate level, goes far beyond the knowledge and skills that they learn,鈥� he says.

As one of the winners of the New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, McGowan would know all about that. Part of the criteria for winning the award is to use 鈥渋nnovative, unique or engaging teaching techniques鈥� while being a new professor in their first three years at 杏吧原创.

One of McGowan鈥檚 best strategies is using the department鈥檚 small class sizes to his advantage. He stresses that getting to know each and every one of his students is essential, so much that he鈥檚 able to develop a student鈥檚 musician skills on a one-on-one basis and watch them grow.

鈥淪tudents feel that I鈥檓 approachable because there鈥檚 an actual person, not just a face talking at them, that they can engage with,鈥� says McGowan.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about creating a respectful place for them to learn. It鈥檚 about capturing their sense of passion and explore that, but to do it in a way that allows them to really experience music.鈥�

Are you interested in pursuing a teaching award or do you know someone who deserves recognition? Nominations and applications are now being accepted for the 2014 杏吧原创 Teaching Awards, including the New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, the Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award and the Provost’s Fellowship in Teaching Award. Get all the details .听

A blend of real-world experiences, new media in the classroom and old-fashioned understanding sums up Mary Francoli鈥檚 teaching philosophy.

鈥淚 treat (students) like people,鈥� says Francoli, a communications professor at 杏吧原创 since 2005. 鈥淲hich seems really silly and it sounds really basic, but understanding that everyone has a life outside of here and there are many things that influence your academic performance. We have to be sensitive to that.鈥�

That approach is one of the reasons why Francoli was the 2012 recipient of the New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.

Though Francoli didn鈥檛 start in communications, the political science PhD says the discipline is a perfect fit for her. 鈥淭he ability for me to look at politics in a whole new light just revived and refreshed my interest in it.鈥�

She says she cares about preparing students for life after graduation. She even has a workshop with that name for her fourth-years. Her assignments often focus on that end, designed to get students out of the classroom to develop applicable skills. Or she brings the outside in, organizing a speaker series of specialists in the various arms of communication.

鈥淚 think it gives them hope that there鈥檚 something that they can do after they leave,鈥� Francoli says with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting for them to hear from people that are employing some of the skill sets that they are learning.鈥�

But, Francoli says it鈥檚 the one-on-one moments that remind her why she loves teaching 鈥� whether it鈥檚 guiding a student through their first conference presentation or proofreading a journal abstract or hearing from working students that her assignments were applicable to a 鈥渞eal-world environment.鈥�

New media is both a research passion and a teaching tool for Francoli. 鈥淢y attitude to teaching towards media is to really embrace it rather than banning it.鈥�

Instead, Francoli uses online polling and other programs to encourage interaction in the larger classrooms.

鈥淚 use that as a starting point for discussion and engagement,鈥� she says, adding she uses Twitter to answer questions and share interesting links. Even guest speakers use the course hashtags.

For the last couple years, she鈥檚 focused on the 鈥渋nteresting tension鈥� created by the adoption of social media practices in federal government, which can be antithetical to Twitter鈥檚 instantaneous and interactive quality. And for Francoli, teaching keeps her engaged in the subject she loves.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity for me to feel refreshed about what I鈥檓 learning and researching. The students always have really good ideas 鈥� talking to them I get different insight which I find really compelling.鈥�