The future of university teaching—from the potential of mobile and online learning, to big data, to stretched budgets, to the changing needs of students and employers—has emerged as a hot topic of debate in the media and elsewhere in 2013.
At On the Verge: Debating the Future of University Teaching, May 1 and 2 on the UWindsor campus, University of Windsor faculty, instructors, administrators, and students will be among the presenters who will take up the challenge of predicting what’s next—where university teaching is headed in the next 10 to 40 years.
Taking part in two rounds of competitive lightning panels, Allan Conway, Anne Forrest, Chitra Rangan, Dave Andrews, Gwen Ebbett, Dora Cavallo-Medved, Bill Anderson, Merhdad Saif, and Betsy Keating will be joined by panelists from Ryerson, Oakland, Carleton, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and Lakehead. They will explore first the perils, and then the possibilities, which lie ahead. The day will close with an interactive plenary led by Tina Pugliese and Finney Cherian.
Panelist Dora Cavallo-Medved from the department of biological sciences is looking forward to the forum: “I'm hoping to discuss the teaching and learning challenges we’ll face in the future such as funding, use of technologies and larger class sizes, and more importantly, I’m looking forward to exploring novel and creative approaches that we can develop to address some of these concerns.”
Kinesiology professor, Dave Andrews adds: “The forum offers me a unique opportunity to reflect on my effectiveness as a teacher in a changing world and to engage in exciting and thought provoking discussions with colleagues.”
Event co-organizer, Erika Kustra, is optimistic of a great turnout.
“It’s going to be a very lively and thought-provoking day,” she says. “A lot of people are planning to come out to support their colleagues and instructors, and add their own voice, so we look forward to seeing everyone there.”
For more information, and to register for the conference, visit http://cleo.uwindsor.ca/oakland/.