Innovative Teaching Practices: Enhancing Student Learning through Community-Engaged Education
Jul 10, 2024
10:30AM to 12:00PM
Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/07/2024
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Led by Ayesha Khan
McMaster University
Post-secondary institutions are increasingly being called upon to update and broaden their pedagogical approaches to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. A growing emphasis is on curating learning experiences that enrich “human skills” such as active listening, critical thinking, and social perceptiveness.
Community-engaged education (CEE) is an experiential pedagogy that involves student participation within specific communities, enabling them to apply classroom-taught content in real-world contexts. CEE has been linked to several positive outcomes, including a deeper understanding of course content, an increased ability to apply course concepts, and sharper problem-solving skills.
While CEE projects have shown immense promise in enhancing students’ learning experiences, they can also present unique challenges that require instructors to find equally unique solutions.
The purpose of this workshop is twofold: [1] to introduce participants to CCE with examples of how this pedagogy is implemented in both small enrollment and large enrollment courses, and [2] to assist them in creating a concrete example of how they can incorporate a CCE project into their current or future courses, regardless of discipline. By the end of the session, participants will gain practical insights and tools to effectively integrate CCE into their teaching practices.
Dr. Ayesha Khan is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Science with a cross-appointment in the School of Interdisciplinary Science (SIS) and the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. She has received several teaching awards, including the Community Engagement Award and an Excellence in Teaching Award from the McMaster Students Union. Additionally, she is the recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching & Learning at McMaster University. She also held the position of Associate Director (Curriculum and Pedagogy) at SIS. As part of a multi-institutional Canadian initiative, she designs research questions around student well-being with publications in The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the Canadian Journal of Higher Education.