With technology constantly evolving and artificial intelligence (AI) usage rapidly expanding, instructors at the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) are committed to remaining ahead of the curve through professional learning and development, ensuring students have the best learning outcomes inside the classroom.
U of GH awarded four instructors bursaries to attend conferences on teaching and learning pedagogy – methods of effectively educating students. Kinesiology instructor Jaime Lever attended the Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching at the University of Calgary, and three instructors attended the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Conference in Hamilton, Ont. (Psychology instructor Dr. Helen Chen, Early Childhood Studies instructor Gowtham Vijayakumaran, and Justice Studies/Media and Communication Studies instructor Jamie Killingsworth). Both conferences were incubators for sharing fresh ideas about how to use AI constructively in the classroom and navigating teaching a student body who has access to this technology.
“I want to make sure I am doing as much professional development as possible to make sure that I am the best teacher that I possibly can be and that I can learn from others in the field,” U of GH Kinesiology instructor Jaime Lever said, who attended the conference in Calgary themed: From Disruption to Connection Digital Transformation in Postsecondary Education. “[I was happy to see] what this conference would cover in terms of using AI as an educator and how to adapt different pedagogies, knowing that technology has changed so much over the last few years.”
Lever, who is also a U of GH Kinesiology alum, started teaching in 2018. Since then, various factors have impacted how educators teach and students learn, including the introduction of regular online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of readily available AI tools. The changing landscape is what sparked her curiosity to learn more.
Meanwhile at the conference in Hamilton, Dr. Chen learned about using AI as an assessment tool – embracing it as a useful technology rather than fearing it. The conference also explored how to address AI’s potential misuse, including academic dishonesty. One approach discussed was developing guidelines for its responsible use.
Furthermore, as an instructor and trained organizational psychologist, Dr. Chen strongly believes in being a positive role model for continuous learning and development, inspiring students to have an appetite for curiosity. In a world where evolving technology is changing the workforce, students must remain adaptable to new developments, often through learning.
“We need to help students acquire the ability to be ready for jobs that don’t exist yet,” Dr. Chen said.
For Lever, that commitment to ongoing learning is also shaped by her experience as a Guelph-Humber alum.
“I know how impactful the professors were for me when I was [at U of GH] as a student... Knowing that my professor was taking these extra initiatives or trying to learn as much as they could in their professional development to help my learning, I think that would have meant a lot to me,” Lever said.
Related:
Using AI for good: U of GH students learn about academic integrity, responsible AI use
Demystifying artificial intelligence with Guelph-Humber’s AI Hub