April 30, 2024

2024 University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grants awards over $1M

36 recipients across 12 units receive funding for teaching and learning research
Students walking past a sculpture outside at the University of Calgary.
University of Calgary files

Teaching, learning and innovation are always in dialogue — teaching inspires innovation and innovation, in turn, necessitates changes in learning approaches. Each year, University of Calgary educators lead this conversation with original ideas and bold research in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Since 2014, the University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grants have awarded over $7.5 million in funding to 328 projects to support research on student learning and teaching practices.

"This year's recipients truly showcase innovation in education. Our campus community brought forward ideas that will transform teaching and learning across 12 academic units," says Dr. Mindi Summers, PhD, academic lead and educational leader in residence (SoTL) at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

In 2024, a record number of applicants submitted proposals that explore timely teaching and learning topics such as equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA), mental health, sustainability, experiential learning and more. Overall, 36 projects received up to $45,000 in funds across 12 units and three research streams for a total of over $1 million awarded.

Of note, 80 per cent of the funded projects include an emerging scholar — someone who has never applied for a teaching and learning grant before. Additionally, five of the funded projects benefit from a contribution of over $150,000 from the Students' Union Quality Money Open Education Resources Fund (OERF).

"The projects this year are an exciting example of how we can work together to advance our campus's strategic priorities with research incorporating students as partners and thoughtful approaches to EDIA. We are excited to learn from their work and welcome new grant recipients to our scholarship community," says Summers.

An illustration of a lightbulb in the middle of an open book.

2024 University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grants recipients

 

Development and Innovation grants

Part of the Community: Development of Accessible, Research-Based Weight-Neutral Resources to Support Collective Wellbeing
Principal investigator: Shelly Russell-Mayhew, Werklund School of Education
Co-investigator: Kheana Barbeau-Julien, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $15,000

Interactive Modules on Re-thinking the Role of Business and Re-thinking the Role of Corporate Reporting
Principal investigator: Irene Marie Herremans, Haskayne School of Business
Co-investigators: Atinuke Chineme, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL); Zhou Wenyu, Haskayne School of Business
Grant: $15,000

SIM Video-Novel: Enhancing Simulation Preparation for Nursing Students
Principal  investigator: Justin Burkett, Faculty of Nursing
Co-investigators: Amber Porter, Kayla Dias, Karen Cook, Lynda Sea, Tammy Hnatyshyn, Faculty of Nursing
Grant: $15,000

Animal Health as a Vehicle of Truth and Reconciliation: Parallel Review of the DVM Curriculum
Principal investigator: Mathieu Pruvot, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Co-investigators: Tessa Baker, Rebecca Archer, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Grant: $15,000

The Material Past: Medieval Worlds through Objects, Landscapes and Texts
Principal investigator: Courtnay Konshuh, Faculty of Arts
Co-investigator: Marica Cassis, Faculty of Arts
Grant: $15,000

Enhancing Quantitative and Data Science Skills in Biological Sciences Programs
Principal investigator: Ariane Cantin, Faculty of Science
Co-investigators: Kyla Flanagan, Paul Galpern, Lars Petersen, Eve Robinson, Willem Carel Wildering, Faculty of Science
Grant: $15,000

Professional Development for Trauma-Informed Medical Education
Principal investigators: Amanda Roze des Ordons, Aliya Kassam, Cumming School of Medicine
Co-investigators: Rachel Ellaway, Jessica Young, Cumming School of Medicine
Grant: $15,000

New Research Stream in the Scholarship of Design Education and Pedagogy (SDEP)
Principal  investigators: Daniel Hapton, Matthew Parker, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL)
Grant: $15,000

Development of an Automated Peer Feedback Assessment for Student Learning Teams in Entrepreneurship Courses
Principal  investigator: Thomas O'Neill, Faculty of Arts
Co-investigators: Sam Jones, Faculty of Arts; Ghada Nafie, Schulich School of Engineering; Rosalynn Peschl, Haskayne School of Business
Grant: $15,000

Mathematics in Motion: A Paradigm Shift from Content to Context in Post-Secondary Education
Principal investigators: Placida Dassanayake, Faculty of Science; Poornima Jayasinghe, Schulich School of Engineering
Grant: $15,000

Teaching Social Research Methods Online
Principal investigators: Annette Tézli, J Overholser, Faculty of Arts
Grant: $14,975

Advancing Proof-Based Mathematics Education: AI-Enhanced Problem Solving in Group Theory
Principal investigators: Thomas Bitoun, Ron Erez, Faculty of Science
Grant: $14,934.54

AVID: The Anatomy Video and Imagery Diversity Project
Principal investigator: Heather Jamniczky, Cumming School of Medicine
Co-investigators: Sarah Anderson, Lian Willetts, Dave Andrews, Cumming School of Medicine
Grant: $14,900

 

Educational Leadership

Facilitating Exploration into Advising, Teaching, and Programmatic Approaches for Enhanced Student Outcomes
Principal investigators: Alberto de Salvatierra, Sarah Ha, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL)
Grant: $45,000

Transforming Assessment: Specifications Grading in First-Year Calculus
Principal investigator: Jerrod Smith, Faculty of Science
Co-investigators: Mark Bauer, Claudia Mahler, Jenny Lawson, Faculty of Science
Grant: $44,976

Designing Interactive, Unfolding Case Study Simulation Learning Objects to Prepare BSW Students for Professional Practice and to Empower Instructors with Engaging Tools to Facilitate Experiential Learning
Principal investigator: Carolyn (Cari) Gulbrandsen, Faculty of Social Work
Co-investigators: Jacqueline Warrell, Krista Osborne, Heather Boynton, Julie Mann-Johnson, Angela Judge-Stasiak, Angelique Jenney, Nathan Pronysyn, Faculty of Social Work
Grant: $39,710

Adapting the CIPP Framework to Promote Scholarly Program Evaluation in Medical Education: The ACME Tool
Principal investigator: Lea Harper, Cumming School of Medicine
Co-investigators: Kevin McLaughlin, Sylvain Coderre, Kenna Kelly-Turner, Melinda Davis, Cumming School of Medicine
Grant: $39,050

 

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Affinity and Allyship Workshops to Advance Inclusion in the University of Calgary
Principal investigator: Andrea Protzner, Faculty of Arts
Co-investigators: Brae Anne McArthur, Deinera Exner-Cortens, Adam Murry, Louisa Krile, Vidhi Desai, Darian Mahmi, Faculty of Arts
Grant: $45,000

Using Evidence-Based Methods to Enhance the Instructor and Student experience in Canadian Higher Education Engineering Programs
Principal investigator: Philip Egberts, Schulich School of Engineering
Co-investigators: Krista Francis, Werklund School of Education; Mac Love, Schulich School of Engineering
Grant: $45,000

Archives and Special Collections Student Residency Program
Principal investigators: Laura Reid, David Jones, Libraries and Cultural Resources
Co-investigator: Lelland Reed, Libraries and Cultural Resources
Grant: $45,000

AI3: Teaching and Learning at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Academic Integrity, and Assessment Innovation
Principal investigator: Amy Burns, Werklund School of Education
Co-investigators: Michael Holden, Sarah Elaine Eaton, Alex Hemmerich, Myke Healy, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $45,000

Walk and Learns for Workplace Wellbeing: A Hybrid Podcast and In-Person Professional Learning Series
Principal investigator: Astrid Kendrick, Werklund School of Education
Co-investigator: Patrick Hanlon, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $44,992

Sustainable, Culturally Inclusive, Peer-Based Writing Development Model for Graduate Students
Principal investigator: Liza Lorenzetti, Faculty of Social Work
Co-investigators: Alyona Belikova, Marlyn Bennett, Leeann Hilsen, David Nicholas, Jane Slessor, Mathilde van der Merwe, Faculty of Social Work; Diane Lorenzetti, Libraries and Cultural Resources; Jaya Dixit, Office of the VP Academic; Kendell Heydon, Student Success Centre
Grant: $44,991

Optimizing Assessment of Learning with Assessment for Learning: A Developmental Evaluation of Programmatic Assessment in a New Physician Assistant Program
Principal investigators: Allison Brown, Rahim Kachra, Cumming School of Medicine
Co-investigators: Frances Kalu, Kelly Millar, Rachel Prato, Kendra Shelters, Shaine Jivan, Chin Mathieu, Aaron Johnston, Cumming School of Medicine
Grant: $44,990.20

What are Student and Faculty Experiences and Learnings about Ethical Usage of Generative AI and IBL in Higher Education?
Principal investigator: Beth Archer-Kuhn, Faculty of Social Work
Co-investigators: Cari Gulbrandsen, Patti Johnston, Faculty of Social Work; Mohammad Keyhani, Haskayne School of Business; Soroush Sabbaghan, Werklund School of Education; Justine Wheeler, Libraries and Cultural Resources
Grant: $44,980

Promoting Student Mental Health & Well-Being Through Art-Based Meditations
Principal investigator: Brittany Martin, Werklund School of Education
Co-investigator: Nadia Delanoy, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $44,980

Developing a Tool for TA Training using Large Language Models at the University of Calgary
Principal investigator: Estacio Pereira, Schulich School of Engineering
Co-investigators: Sumaya Nsair, Schulich School of Engineering; Heidi Esau, Faculty of Science; Leticia Radin Pereira, Cumming School of Medicine; Soroush Sabbaghan, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $44,333.60

Creation of a Job Description for Final Year Veterinary Students and Their Instructors in a Distributed Clinical Teaching Model using a Participatory Design Approach
Principal investigator: John Remnant, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Co-investigators: Marina McConkey, Alyssa Butters, Rebecca Archer, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Grant: $42,634

Evaluating Enhanced Learning Outcomes: Developing a Multimedia Library with Educational Videos and Interactive Tools for Laboratory Training
Principal investigator: John Holash, Faculty of Kinesiology
Co-investigator: Venus Joumaa, Faculty of Kinesiology
Grant: $40,000

Mentorship in Medicine: A Complex Opportunity
Principal investigator: Kevin McLaughlin, Cumming School of Medicine
Co-investigators: Sylvain Coderre, Melinda Davis, Lea Harper, Juliya Hemmett, Christopher Hergott, Laura Hinz, Cumming School of Medicine; Kenna Kelly-Turner, Faculty of Graduate Studies
Grant: $39,850

Practices and Perceptions of Critical Reflection at UCalgary
Principal investigator: Lisa Roxanne Stowe, Faculty of Arts
Co-investigators: Megan De Roover, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning; Felicia Glatz, Faculty of Graduate Studies; Catherine Heggerud, Haskayne School of Business; Travis Milnes, Office of Sustainability; Denis Onen, Schulich School of Engineering; Colleen Packer, Office of the VP International; Erin Sullivan, Faculty of Science
Grant: $38,385

Designing Field Experience within a Well-being Framework
Principal investigator: Theodora Kapoyannis, Werklund School of Education
Co-investigator: Patricia Danyluk, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $36,050

Effects of Repetition and Recall on Written Accuracy and Oral Proficiency in French Language Learning
Principal investigators: Miao Li, Faculty of Arts; Shweta Soni, Cumming School of Medicine
Grant: $34,000

Exploring the Experience of Graduate Students with Virtual Internationalization
Principal investigator: Aliya Kuzhabekova, Werklund School of Education
Co-investigators: Ainur Almukhambetova, Arafat Mamyrbekov, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $29,220

Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Language Learning and Teaching
Principal investigator: Wei Cai, Faculty of Arts
Grant: $19,946.20

Empowering Learning Through Student-Created Case Studies: Integrating Open Education Resources in Undergraduate and Graduate Education
Principal investigators: Soroush Sabbaghan, Barbara Brown, Werklund School of Education
Grant: $14,124

The University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grants have awarded over $7.5 million to innovative teaching and learning research since 2014. The yearly grants program is funded by the Provost Office with additional support from the Students' Union. Applications for 2025 funding grants will open soon.

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