Nine Niagara College faculty members took advantage of the summer reading break to further their teaching skills through the Instructional Skills Workshop, a three-day learning event at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus offered by the College’s Centre of Academic Excellence (CAE).
Taking place June 24, 25 and 27, the workshop gave participants a chance to add to their instructional toolboxes by providing teaching frameworks, learning theories and change models under the direction of CAE education developers Kate Wiley and Dana Wetherell and Lianne Fisher from York University.
The workshop is internationally recognized for its practical approach and brings together instructors of all experience levels who want to explore new teaching methods and revisit foundational principles. It’s centred around a peer-based instructional development model, whereby participants must plan and deliver mini lessons each day to share with their peers to spark feedback and discussion.
“Without a doubt, the ISW reinforced my belief that successful teaching and learning is reflective and takes place in community,” said participant Shalini Khan, who’s been teaching Communications and English at NC since Fall 2022. “We were all teachers and learners at the ISW, and the seamless role switching within what quickly became a close-knit group of instructors from across the College’s two campuses provided recursive opportunities for learning and teaching that sparked deep self-reflection and abundantly enjoyable teaching moments.”
Khan said the camaraderie, the facilitators’ modelling of safe and accessible learning spaces, and learning proactive ways to deliver and receive feedback were among the workshop’s highlights for her.
“I received feedback on adding more hands-on experiences in my classes; I thought I was already doing this, but the feedback I received was that my classes were more engaging and the curriculum material more accessible when I facilitated a more embodied learning experience for my students,” Khan said. “In the second half of the Spring term, I incorporated short, simple activities into my lessons that got students physically moving and engaging with each other to bridge-in to particular lessons. This certainly had an impact on their engagement with the course material, and it made the class more enjoyable for them and for me!”
School of Justice and Fitness professor Sal Basilone said he immediately started implementing the principles he learned during the workshop to expand and enhance his current presentations.
“The ISW has also become a very effective learning program to rely upon as I develop new programs and presentations,” he said, adding improving his presentation development was one of the reasons he signed up for the workshop. “I was also interested in the opportunity to meet and work alongside instructors from across the College, to share ideas and experiences.”
For Alicia Riolino, a part-time instructor of HR and leadership courses in the Business & Management faculty who started at NC in the Winter 2024 term, the biggest takeaway came from understanding multiple learning modes.
She said it was especially enjoyable to learn among a group of supportive and like-minded colleagues with whom she was “excited and energized” to meet and learn each day, and to experience different evaluations and learning opportunities that she has already begun to integrate into her teaching.
Wiley said being a part of an experience where participants grow together is always rewarding for her.
“Every time that I am involved in an offering of ISW I feel lucky to be involved with the faculty participants and their journeys. I am privileged and grateful that they allow me to be a part of their experience and that they put their trust in the process,” she said.
“This group came to us during the summer, just as they were going on vacation or coming back from vacation, and yet fully gave their time and their energy, demonstrating an immense commitment to teaching and to our students’ experiences. We learned from each other, we laughed, we may have shed a few (happy) tears, and we grew as educational professionals and as colleagues and friends. I appreciate each of them and hope that they remember the experience as fondly as I do.”
The faculty members who participated in the workshop and received ISW certificates are:
- Patti Aubry – Business & Management
- Sal Balisone – Justice & Fitness
- Roxane Hendrie – Community Services
- Teghan Hinksman – Business & Management
- Eyad Khalifeh – Business & Management
- Shalini Khan – Academic & Liberal Studies
- Cara Ravesi – Business and Management
- Alicia Riolino – Business & Management
- Gonul Turkdogan – Academic & Liberal Studies
Wiley invites any part- or full-time instructors who are interested in participating in a future Instructional Skills Workshop to contact her at [email protected] to be notified when dates are booked.
