Farnell Teaching Scholars

Thanks to a generous donation from the late Dr. Gerald W. Farnell, former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty was given the opportunity to appoint Gerald W. Farnell Teaching Scholars from 2015-2019. Appointment as a Gerald W. Farnell Teaching Scholar was for one year (non-renewable) and accompanied by a $12,500 teaching improvement fund, to be used to pay for the extra resources required to design, implement and evaluate novel pedagogical approaches or tools.


Recipients

2017-2018 Recipient

Christopher Moraes, Department of Chemical Engineering

Course: CHEE 314 Fluid Mechanics

Objective(s): Build a video production studio that leverages an instructor’s natural in-class teaching style, to produce inexpensively high-quality short video content within minutes in order to support the reformulation and delivery of foundational course content outside of class.

Activities:

  • Build a Lightboard studio
  • Identify characteristics of video content that supports course assessments (e.g., assignments)
  • Determine features of effective video-augmented active learning pedagogies

2016-2017 Recipient

Viviane Yargeau, Department of Chemical Engineering

Course: FACC 400 Engineering Professional Practice

Objective(s): To promote active learning, increase students’ confidence in their course competencies, increase students’ participation during class-time, and encourage students to reflect on their own learning process.

Activities: Implementation of active learning strategies in FACC 400 (lecture and tutorial sessions). The type of active learning strategies implemented were:

  • Use of Turning Point Cloud (McGill’s student response system
  • Design and implementation of on-line modules (quizzes, video/quizzes, group work activities)
  • In-class (lecture) group activities
  • Optimization of grade management

2015-16 Recipient

Jeremy Cooperstock, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Courses: ECSE 424 Human-Computer Interaction and ECSE 526 Artificial Intelligence

Objective(s): To replace final exams with in-class formative evaluations, which also included self- and peer-assessments.

Activities:

  • Peer-instruction using
  • Learning Catalytics In-class group activities
  • Self- and peer-assessment
  • Implementation of the flipped classroom instructional strategy
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