How 3M National teaching fellows improve the classroom
The 3M National Teaching Fellowship was founded 31 years ago by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education to recognize exceptional teachers in post-secondary education, where emphasis is often on research.
There’s no cash prize, but winners become lifetime members of the society, which meets annually to brainstorm ways to improve higher education, and each year’s crop of 10 professors spend three days at a retreat in Banff, Alta.
“Anybody who is nominated for the Teaching Fellowship is going to be a great teacher,” says society president Robert Lapp. “What makes the difference is the leadership element. Each of the winners shifted his or her university culture by re-energizing teaching.”
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Glen Van Brummelen Mathematics, Quest University A founding tutor of Quest University and proponent of its unique interdisciplinary model, Van Brummelen believes in discovery-based learning, to the point where his spherical trigonometry class found a flaw in a 210-year-old theorem proof. |
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Gordon Stubley Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo This mechanical engineering professor always puts students first. Stubley has also changed the culture of education at Waterloo, where he has had a hand in the teaching fellows program, their annual conference, and a new English literacy program. |
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Nicola Simmons Education, Brock University Simmons leads by “moving out of the way so others can move into leadership roles.” She encourages learning via creativity—from free verse to Lego—and champions the scholarship of teaching and learning in Canada and internationally. |
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Jay Wilson Department of Curriculum Studies, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan Wilson looks for ways to enhance the learning environment and include experiential learning, like shifting a video design course to rustic labs in a remote area. His innovations and leadership have re-energized the teaching culture at U of S. |
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Timothy S. O’Connell Department of Recreation, Brock University O’Connell fosters success and leadership by teaching students to engage with the outdoors thoughtfully and reflectively. He leads wilderness trips for people with disabilities and conducts research in the benefits of experiential education. |
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Alison Flynn Chemistry, University of Ottawa Flynn’s “flipped” classroom and strategic use of technology inspire an enthusiasm rarely seen in organic chemistry classes. A renowned instructor and researcher, she’s also transforming the way life sciences are taught at UOttawa and beyond. |
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Alan Steele Department of Electronics, Carleton University Steele is changing the way electronics and electrical engineering are taught by bringing complex concepts to life in the classroom, and mentoring colleagues to do the same. His grads go on to be leading research engineers in optical communications. |
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Greg Evans Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto Evans is an environmental chemist who teaches engineering students to think like global citizens. He builds bridges to help marginalized students enter STEM and is a pioneer in engineering education as a profession. |
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James Fraser Physics, Queen’s University Fraser creates learning communities where students partner with professors and participate as “apprentice scientists.” He mentors colleagues in this visionary teaching method, which has already helped reduce the gender gap in physics at Queen’s. |
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Shelly Wismath Liberal Education Program, University of Lethbridge Wismath is a “teaching ninja” with a subtle, diplomatic style. Both a distinguished mathematician and a leader in the scholarship of teaching and learning, she’s a role model for women in STEM and a pioneer of liberal education at Lethbridge. |