Karline Wilson-Mitchell, Director Denise Mcleod, Aborignal Student Coordinator Midwifery Education Program Karline Wilson-Mitchell, director of the Midwifery Education Program (MEP), and Denise B. Mcleod, Aboriginal student coordinator for the MEP program, chose to focus on supporting Indigenous students in the midwifery program at Toronto Metropolitan University for their LTG grant. The primary goal of their […]
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Bryan Koivisto, Professor Anthony Morgan, Science Educator and PhD Candidate Organic Chemistry Bryan Koivisto, who teaches organic chemistry at Toronto Metropolitan University, collaborated with Anthony Morgan to digitize and bring Freestyle Social into the classroom with the LTG grant. In a Freestyle Social, a question is asked and players are given 10 seconds to form […]
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Rachel Dodds
Rachel Dodds Professor Course: HTM 302 – Marketing Principles Strategy: Introducing teaching through video assignments A couple of years ago, Rachel Dodds realized not only were students were getting bored of doing the same written, structured assignments, but she was getting bored of marking them. When the pandemic required her to rethink her course, she […]
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Bryan Koivisto
Bryan Koivisto Associate Professor Course: CKIH 200 – Science Mentorship Strategy: Creating podcasts and fireside virtual chats with student partners Bryan Koivisto introduced Rye Sci Match in 2014. The non-credit course was created for Science students to explore career paths other than medical school. The incredibly popular course focused on cultivating leadership and exploring research […]
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Kevin Leung
Kevin Leung Contract Lecturer Course: PSY 209 – Industrial Psychology Strategy: low-stakes knowledge checks with frequent feedback Kevin Leung mixed peer activities, debriefs, interactive readings and low-stakes testing each week in his class, during and outside class time. By focusing on student engagement and low-stakes assessments, not only did his students get to test their […]
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Kiana Basiri
Kiana Basiri Assistant Professor Course: REM 520 Real Estate Economics and REM 700 Real Estate Valuation Strategy: One-on-one meetings during virtual classes When Ryerson shifted to virtual learning in March 2020, Kiana Basiri redesigned her courses in a way that encouraged participation and communication. When the pandemic hit, Kiana was asked to think of different […]
Rai Reece Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Course: SOC 507 – Race and Ethnicity in Canadian Society Strategy: Informal check-ins Rai Reece is an educator who feels most at home in a physical classroom where she can feed off the energy of her students. When moving to remote teaching, she wanted to preserve this energy. […]
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Stefan Grambart
Stefan Grambart Contract Lecturer, RTA School of Media Course: RTA 103 – Digital Media Production I | RTA 929 – Multi-platform Narrative Strategy: Applying gaming culture conventions to virtual lectures In 2020, Stefan Grambart was juggling two different roles. He was a graduate student in the Digital Media program at Ryerson while also teaching a […]
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Diana Varma
Diana Varma Contract Lecturer, Graphic Communications Management Course: GCM 230 – Typography Strategy: Podcasting Diana Varma knew that Zoom fatigue and an abundance of assigned readings in many courses would tire her students. So she decided to build on her existing original podcast (Talk Paper Scissors) and create audio episodes in lieu of formal lectures […]
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Alan Kaplan
Dr. Alan Kaplan Associate Professor, Chair of Finance Course: AFF 713 – Advanced Corporate Finance Strategy: Student presentations via Zoom Alan Kaplan is passionate about offering students an opportunity to practice their presentation skills. When his class moved online, he had to come up with a new strategy for the presentation component of his class. He […]
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David Naylor
Dr. David Naylor Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Course: MEC 516 – Fluid Mechanics I Strategy: Building libraries of test questions and video demonstrations David Naylor didn’t want his students to fall behind in the remote classroom. So, instead of depending on a midterm and exam to test students’ knowledge, he and his colleagues […]
Dr. Steven Gedeon Associate Professor, Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy Courses: ENT 78AB Advanced Entrepreneurship and ENT 401 Design Thinking Strategy: Turning class content into a video series Steve Gedeon spent his summer producing a video series from home for his students, complete with theme music and graphics. He created his videos based on modules so he […]
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Cheryl Thompson
Dr. Cheryl Thompson Assistant Professor, Department of Creative Industries Course: CRI 100 – Creative Industries Overview Strategy: Making space for deep discussions It’s a moment many instructors fear — that moment when a question is posed to a class, and not a single student offers a response. This silence can feel like an eternity. Cheryl Thompson […]
Jenn McArthur Associate Professor, Department of Architectural Science Course: ASC 522 – Project Economics Strategy: Interspersing content delivery with “brain reset questions” There’s only so much our brains can take in before we need a break or change in focus. In Jenn McArthur’s classes, she uses “brain reset questions” to stimulate discussion and break up content […]
Janie Goldstein Lecturer, Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy Courses: ENT 501/CENT 501 – Family Business in Canada Strategy: Offering multiple engagement opportunities Janie Goldstein’s approach to remote learning was to make live classes as engaging and interactive as possible. Each week, she would start by asking students what words came to mind related to that […]
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Martin Habekost
Dr. Martin Habekost Associate Chair and Associate Professor, School of Graphic Communications Management Course: GCM 110 – Introduction to Graphic Communications Management Strategy: Multiple channels of communication In Martin Haberkost’s lecture, every class starts with 10 minutes of music and lively conversation in the Zoom chat. For Martin, this not only set the tone for his students, […]
Dr. Michael Raby Contract Lecturer, Department of English Course: ENG 201: Myth and Literature Strategy: Virtual discussion groups Michael Raby started teaching in the Department of English at Ryerson during the COVID-19 pandemic. As he prepared to teach Myth and Literature, he took into consideration the unique situation his students were in: isolated from their peers, […]
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Vincent Hui
Vincent Hui Associate Professor, Department of Architectural Science Course: ACS 301: Studio Strategy: Recreating studio culture in an online environment Providing students with the tools they needed to complete architectural assignments from home during the pandemic was a challenge. However, Vincent’s main concern was how to preserve the studio culture in a remote teaching environment. […]
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Louis-Etienne Dubois
Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois Assistant Professor, School of Creative Industries Courses: CRI 700 – Human Resources in the Creative Industries; CRI 840 – Experience Innovation; CRI 800 – Managing in the Creative Industries Strategy: Slow Teaching Amidst the flurry of frantic redesign and crash courses in using educational technology at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Louis-Etienne wondered […]
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Dana Osborne
Dr. Dana Osborne Assistant Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures Course: ANT 100: Introduction to Anthropology Strategy: Applying an Open Educational Resource (OER) to an organic learning experience At the core of Dana’s introductory Anthropology course is the study of human connection. Teaching in a remote environment forced her to rethink how her students could […]
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Janice Rudkowski
Janice Rudkowski Assistant Professor, Retail Management Course: RMG400 – Merchandise Planning and Buying I; RMG907 – Relationship Marketing Strategy: Building rapport in the virtual classroom Janice Rudkowski always looked forward to greeting her students in person at the beginning of the semester. With the new virtual classroom setting, she adapted other ways to build rapport […]
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Danielle Lamb
Danielle Lamb Assistant Professor, School of Business Management Course: MHR 523 – Human Resources Management Strategy: Weekly reflections Danielle and her teaching colleague wanted to find a way to ensure all students could receive participation marks, even if they couldn’t attend class. In person, students would hand in short reflections on index cards at the […]
Beverlee Buzon Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biology Course: BMS 500 – Human Genetics Strategy: Themed learning groups In Beverlee Buzon’s fourth-year human genetics class, the students had rarely met each other before stepping into the classroom. She noticed this led students to feel shy about contributing to class discussions and asking questions. To […]
Michael Dick Contract Lecturer, School of Professional Communication Course: CMN279 – Introduction to Professional Communication Strategy: Synchronous Q&A sessions Even though the course Michael Dick teaches was online before the pandemic, there were still significant adjustments needed to respond to his students’ needs. Introduction to Professional Communication is delivered through a simulation platform, where students […]
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Hossein Noyan
Dr. Hossein Noyan Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biology Course: BLG 143 – Biology I Strategy: Student-instructor dialogue For Hossein Noyan, the key to a successful remote learning experience is developing clear communication between teacher and student. To establish proper dialogue, structure and an appropriate means of communication are essential. With virtual learning, misunderstandings […]
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Medhat Shehata
Dr. Medhat Shehata Professor, Department of Civil Engineering Course: CVL 533 – Concrete Materials Strategy: Lab video demonstrations With much of the learning traditionally occurring in labs within his department, Medhat Shehata had to find a creative solution to mimic the in person experience in a remote environment. However, instead of applying a perfect solution, he deliberately […]
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Judith Bernhard
Judith K. Bernhard, PhD Professor, School of Early Childhood Studies Course: CLD 231 – Families in Canadian Context I Strategy: Mid-semester student survey Judith Bernhard’s third-year course presented some unique challenges during a time of remote teaching. While half the class had been attending classes at Ryerson for some time, the other half were direct […]
Dr. Damien Lee Assistant Professor, School of Sociology Courses: SOC 427 – Indigenous Perspectives on Canada; SOC 540 – Special Topics in Indigenous Studies Strategies: Discussion board feedback videos. In person, Damien’s classes focused on exchanging ideas through discussion. His challenge when transitioning to remote delivery was how to keep the conversation alive and, at the same […]
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Andrea Moraes
Andrea Moraes, PhD Contract Lecturer, School of Nutrition Course: FNS 250 – Introduction to Food Systems Strategy: Integrating students’ personal experience There are over 100 students in Introduction to Food Systems. For Andrea Moraes, it is important to include the perspectives of all the students in the learning process. One way she encourages her students […]
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Ian Young
Ian Young Assistant Professor, School of Occupational and Public Health Course: POH 103 – Data Management Strategy: Custom video tutorials As part of the Blended Learning Lab, Ian developed two weeks of asynchronous modules using a combination of video tutorials from LinkedIn Learning and practice files to teach students the fundamentals of using Microsoft Excel […]
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Natalie Alvarez
Natalie Alvarez Professor, School of Performance Courses: THF 403 – Landmarks in Canadians Theatre; THF 402 – Text Examination: Dramaturgy and Direction Strategy: Specifications grading Natalie Alvarez recognized that learning during a pandemic would mean more challenges for her students, not just in their coursework, but in their personal lives. This led her to radically […]
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Noel George
Dr. Noel A. George Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biology Course: CHY 103: General Chemistry I Strategy: Creative approaches to assessments It took multiple strategies to make General Chemistry 1 work for 800 first-year students attending classes remotely. First, Noel George wanted to ensure all students had the scientific knowledge they needed before starting […]