UPEI’s Teaching and Learning Centre held its first Faculty Academy Day on September 1, 2022 with 27 instructional staff attending sessions in their Robertson Library Annex learning space. The successful event is a new initiative from the Teaching and Learning Centre, offering collegial professional development primarily for sessional and early career instructors.

Dr. Charlene VanLeeuwen, session facilitator and coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Centre, described the many objectives of the Academy.

“Our objectives were to develop an inclusive community of early-career instructors keenly engaged in teaching and learning, promote evidence-based approaches to active learning in UPEI classes for all delivery formats, offer basic, foundational support for early-career instructors to begin to incorporate active learning into their classes, and hopefully build interest in more in-depth active learning opportunities such as a Faculty Development Summer Institute,” she said.

Academy facilitators included Dr. VanLeeuwen, Dr. Ann Braithwaite, Dr. Libby Osgood, and Dr. Etienne Cote—UPEI instructors, teachers, and educational leaders with experience in active learning in classes at the university level. 

Dr. Ben Stoughton is an assistant professor with the Atlantic Veterinary College. He attended the Academy and found the sessions extremely valuable. 

“Several very important teaching topics were covered, including ‘how to create the ideal lecture’, ways to cover ‘lots of material with so little time’, how to help ‘make it stick’, syllabus creation, and methods for team teaching,” he said. “The Academy served as a healthy, inter-disciplinary environment to learn from one another how to improve our teaching.”

“The most engaging part of the Academy was the instructors modelling and ‘dissecting’ the various teaching tools during the event. By directly using the tools that could be used to improve active learning, I was able to see the concepts materialize. Instead of lecturing us on ways to do it, they showed us first, then told us what it was, how it works, and the pros and cons.”

“We’re hoping to offer more Faculty Academy sessions throughout the year in addition to the sessions in late August.” – Dr. Charlene VanLeeuwen, Teaching and Learning Centre coordinator and Faculty Academy facilitator

Dr. Beth Buchanan, assistant professor of chemistry, also attended the Academy.

“I noticed the Faculty Academy on the UPEI website’s event calendar,” she said. “As a new professor, I thought it would be good to help me get my bearings.”

She appreciated the engaging discussions about the course syllabus, other continuing education sessions offered by the Teaching and Learning Centre, and opportunities for future instructors conducting research and completing their graduate studies, and noted the active learning content covered during the Faculty Academy was especially valuable.  

“Everything to do with active learning stuck the most with me, and it turns out I use those strategies the most in my teaching,” she said.

Dr. VanLeeuwen hopes to build on the momentum and success of the inaugural Faculty Academy in the future.

“We’re hoping to offer more Faculty Academy sessions throughout the year in addition to the sessions in late August.”    

The Teaching and Learning Centre supports faculty members, instructional staff, and graduate students with workshops, services, and resources. Visit the Teaching and Learning Centre website to learn more.

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