Using social media and mobile technology in the classroom
Last week I had the pleasure of presenting at an Education Technologies conference, on the topic of using social mediaContinue Reading
Category: Universities Today
Food for thought – CHEM181x – McGill’s first MOOC has begun
McGill has released its first MOOC, Food for Thought (CHEM181x). This course was developed by Teaching and Learning Services from an on-campus course titled “World of Chemistry: Food” that has been very popular since the mid 1980s…. Read more –>
Robotutor marking student homework
Finally something (someone) who can teach thousands of students at a time. I give you… Robotutor! Is this where our flirtation with MOOCs will lead? What are we trying to achieve with MOOCs anyway? That has never been made clear to me. I could imagine MOOCs as a way to prepare students FOR university but I still have grave concerns about what they mean for the future of universities if we remove the real interactions between professors and students and we stop pushing both to be their best.
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McGillX MOOCs – librarians in the virtual classroom
I wrote in a previous post about how librarians were getting more involved in the teaching on university campuses across North America. Now I’d like to offer a glimpse into how librarians are actively playing a role in advancing and innovating teaching and learning right here at McGill. Read more –>
Twenty top tips for interpreting scientific claims from University of Cambridge
We talk about giving students the tools to evaluate research in their disciplines critically. These tools can also be applied to their roles as citizens as well. We are sold a lot of things now- it is more important than ever to judge the claims of our colleagues, our leaders and even ourselves honestly and critically. Here are some really good tips for developing that critical spirit from the University of Cambridge. Read more –>
Learning to scythe
This summer my husband taught me to use a scythe. I accepted my friends’ indulgent smiles when I raved about the experience but I knew that many considered this to be a foolhardy and retrograde pursuit. Some asked, “Would you like to borrow our mower?” or “Why not pay your neighbor to cut the field?” assuming our choice was due to lack of funds or lack of awareness of the advancement in power tools since the Industrial Revolution. Read more –>
McGill Provost reflects on future of the University
What are MOOCs, why are they important, and did you know that the concept was actually developed here in Canada? In his recently published article “Questioning higher education”, McGill Provost Anthony C. Masi reflects upon the disruptive role and possibilities of educational technologies at university, both in physical spaces and (a)synchronous virtual spaces. Read more –>
McGill and the Quebec Charter of Values
Congratulations to Principal Suzanne Fortier and the McGill administration for taking a stand in favour of pluralism and against the Quebec Charter of values. The statement published on the McGill website is a critical first step in supporting all members of our community and their right to dress in accordance to their convictions. Read more –>
MOOCs and human interaction
Post by Terry Hébert, Pharmacology and Therapeutics: An interesting article by the president of my Alma Mater, David Naylor at the University of Toronto on the continuing need for interpersonal contact in the university educational setting. Here, he is commenting on the use of MOOCs (massive open online courses). To quote him: Read more –>
To lead or to manage…
By Terry Hébert, Pharmacology and Therapeutics Thought-provoking commentary on the use of metrics to evaluate academics. The most striking thingContinue Reading
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