At this year’s STLHE conference at Ryerson and OCAD, staff from OUSA are joining over 700 other students, faculty, administrators and educational developers for three days of intensive discussion on how we can improve teaching and learning in Canada. Delegates, some from as far away as Egypt, Australia, The Bahamas, and Iran, will navigate their way through over 100 plenary, breakout and poster sessions, and that’s just today.
The conference began bright and early this morning with a welcome from Joy Mighty, STLHE President and OUSA Partners Dinner keynote speaker. Following her, Ryerson VP Academic Alan Shepard and OCAD VP Academic Sarah McKinnon thanked delegates on behalf of the hosting institutions and spoke of the importance of collaboration in improving teaching and learning.
The highlight of the plenary sessions was by far the address by Dr. Michael Wesch, an anthropologist from Kansas State University, who spoke passionately of the need to change from a focus on knowledge to one of knowledge-ability. More than simply critical thinking, this approach to knowledge requires students to develop communication skills, empathy and thoughtfulness, all three of which work in tandem to allow the student to tackle the challenges the world throws at them.
Dr. Wesch also spoke of students’ deep desire to have a place in the world and suggested that faculty mentor students to proactively make a meaning for their lives as “meaning-makers” rather than “meaning-seekers”. Using a number of engaging examples, he described the need for universities to create “digital citizens” who harness new media to improve the world.
One of his most interesting points was about how instructors continuously squander the opportunity presented by having a projector and internet access in every room. Why do profs turn away from the incredible knowledge contained in the internet and instead choose to use the often mind-numbing PowerPoint approach?
As the first steps to change, Dr. Wesch suggested two things: engage students in real problems and harness the relevant tools to add to the learning experience. Though this advice is far from new, it has yet to be accepted widely, and this stubbornness is undeniably letting our students down.
Stay tuned for more as the conference progresses.
Alexi White
Executive Director
