Institute for
Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning
Annual Report
2010-2011
Prepared by
Richard A. Gale MFA, PhD
Director, Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Submitted to the Office of Research Services
September 15, 2011

Table of Contents
About the Institute

3

Administration

4

Executive Summary

5

Goals from 2010-2011

6

Signature Programs
Teaching and Learning Scholars Program
Engaging Departments Initiative
Scholarship Presentations

7
8
9

Research Activities
Featured Scholarship
Teaching and Learning Scholars
Institutional Initiatives and Projects

10
13
14

Going Public
Centennial Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Canadian Forum on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Building Profile Locally, Nationally, Internationally

15
17
19

Budget and Funding

20

Goals for 2011-2012

21

Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Annual Report 2010-2011

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About the Institute
Established in November 2008, the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is an important
part of the infrastructure supporting scholarship at Mount Royal University. Building on our long-standing
commitment to academic excellence, the Institute scaffolds scholarly inquiry related to teaching and
learning on campus and beyond.
The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning operates as a ...
•
nexus for communication and collaboration, providing resources and coordinating initiatives
locally, regionally, nationally, and beyond,
•
community of scholars advancing the existing body of knowledge about teaching and learning,
while building a culture of inquiry,
•
research centre encouraging, facilitating, and supporting investigation leading to deeper
understanding of and sustained improvement in student learning.
The Institute is dedicated to understanding and improving student learning, improving and enhancing
the quality of the student learning experience, expanding awareness of evidence-based pedagogical
practices, facilitating collaboration and research related to the educational enterprise at Mount Royal
University and beyond, and building a culture of inquiry dedicated to excellence in teaching and
learning and scholarship.
Its local objectives include engaging Mount Royal University students, faculty, staff and administration in
teaching and learning scholarship through:
•
Consulting, mentoring and advising on potential and ongoing projects;
•
Encouraging faculty collaboration on all facets of pedagogical scholarship;
•
Establishing venues and opportunities for students to work as researchers;
•
Sponsoring workshops, forums, symposia, seminars and presentations;
•
Developing dedicated resources and support materials for researchers;
•
Administering internal research support, including small-grants programs;
•
Identifying potential research-funding sources and granting opportunities.
Beyond Mount Royal University, the Institute contributes to the growing knowledge base on teaching and
learning scholarship by providing opportunities for colleagues and friends to:
•
Access and engage with the resources and literature on teaching and learning scholarship;
•
Share research ranging from work-in-progress to completed investigations and publications;
•
Participate in issues-based forums on scholarship of teaching and learning;
•
Gather at practitioners symposia on scholarship of teaching and learning; and
•
Collaboratively build a community of scholars, supporters, and fellow travelers.
Locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, the Institute is working to establish and facilitate
networks of researchers and collaborative practice, forge partnerships with organizations committed to
understanding and improving student learning and faculty teaching, and building a sustainable
organization that can offer “visions of the possible” for all scholars of teaching and learning.

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Administration
The Institute operates with one full-time director and one full-time administrative assistant. We also
employ Mount Royal University students and faculty members through stipends and secondments.
During the academic year, the following individuals made up the Institute personnel list.
•
Richard A. Gale, Director
•
Anne Johnston, Administrative Assistant
•
Miriam Carey (ADC), Engaging Departments Initiative
•
Karen Manarin (English), Scholars Writing Residency
•
Becky Willson (Library), Centennial Symposium
•
Kimberly Getz, student assistant
•
Missy Chareka, student assistant

In addition, the Institute has engaged the following individuals as facilitators for the Teaching and
Learning Scholars Program residencies.
•
Doug Hamilton, Royal Roads University Chair of Faculty Development
•
Deb Bennett, General Education
•
Miriam Carey, Academic Development Centre
•
Ron MacDonald, Journalism
•
Karen Manarin, English
•
Janice Miller-Young, Engineering
•
Joanna Szabo Hart, Nursing

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Executive Summary
The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning seeks to “encourage, facilitate and support the
engagement of Mount Royal University faculty in teaching-learning related scholarship, and to advance
the existing body of research in this area … to build a culture of scholarship related to teaching and
learning, cultivate communities of practice, and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in this area …
[and] assume a leadership role in building the profile of the scholarship of teaching and learning
provincially and nationally.” (Proposal for Establishment of the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning, 13 October 2008)

In the last annual report the Institute set forth an ambitious agenda and we are happy to report that
much has been accomplished in a very short time. During the last academic year, the Institute has
successfully built a culture of inquiry at Mount Royal University and positioned itself as the most active
and productive (perhaps even the pre-eminent) research and development centre for scholarship of
teaching and learning in Canada. Highlights of the year include:
•
Growth of the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program to almost forty faculty including
participation from Mount Royal University and the beginning of a collaboration with Royal Roads
University in Victoria BC;
•
Continuation of the Engaging Departments Initiative in General Education, expansion into other
departments, and the beginning of a project focusing on student learning in the undergraduate
studies curriculum;
•
Expansion of our public presentation offerings on campus, including the Scholarship in Progress
Series as well as special events such as a presentation by Susan Elrod focusing on undergraduate
research as a high impact practice;
•
Successful mounting of the first Centennial Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
which attracted almost two hundred educators from across North America and beyond;
•
Organization and presentation of the second annual Canadian Forum on Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning, this year focused on the issue of assessment and likewise well attended by
educators from Canada and the United States;
•
Expansion of Institute influence within the Province, across Canada, and internationally through
presentations, collaborations, and other forms of outreach.
After less than three years in existence and just over one year of programming, the Institute for
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is thriving within Mount Royal University and expanding its
influence well beyond the borders of Alberta. We are financially stable with the promise of significant
growth within the next academic year, internally productive with regard to individual and collaborative
scholarship, and internationally prominent with the promise of future success. All is well.

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Goals from 2010-2011
In the last annual report (2009-1010) the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning specified the
following goals:
•
Extend the impact of our research institute and continue to foster/facilitate scholarship of
teaching and learning at Mount Royal, within Alberta, across Canada, and around the world;
•
Build an endowment (working with the Mount Royal Foundation) for the Institute that meets or
exceeds the institutional mandates;
•
Mount another forum on scholarship of teaching and learning at Mount Royal University in 2011;
•
Create a successful Centennial Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in November
2010 and prepare for another in the fall of 2011;
•
Continue and expand the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program with the goal of engaging at
least 100 Mount Royal University faculty by 2015;
•
Maintain a prominent and positive profile for the Institute on campus by engaging with faculty,
programs, and administration;
•
Enhance the prominent and positive profile of the Institute (and Mount Royal) locally, nationally,
internationally, and;
•
Continue a programming agenda that enhances understanding of student learning, supports
faculty scholarship of teaching and learning, contributes to institutional learning objectives and
initiatives, and establishes systematic scholarly inquiry into student learning as an integral part of
the Mount Royal University culture.
During the 2010-2011 academic year we have made great progress in all of these areas, in some cases
exceeding expectations and in many cases embarking on new and unanticipated initiatives.
In the area of original research we continue to foster and support scholarship that contributes to our
understanding and improvement of student learning. Some of the key areas mentioned below include
general education, nursing, and music. Most significant is our work on collaborative and collective
scholarship, exemplified by the Engaging Departments Initiative and our work across the Foundation
courses of the Department of General Education.
Although we have yet to achieve a substantial endowment to make the Institute self-supporting, during
the last academic year the Institute has been actively seeking substantial contributions. This work has
yielded two one-million dollar gifts that will be used during the next five academic years for dedicated
projects. Additionally, we are narrowing in on a major donation with the help of the MRU Foundation
and hope to have something substantial in place before the end of the year.
The Institute has been most successful in the areas of programming, going public, and establishing
profile on campus and off. Our Teaching and Learning Scholars Program is widely known and respected,
drawing attention from around the world and consistently featured as an exemplar of formal support.
Our public events continue to draw significant attendance and major speakers. The profile of the
Institute is increasing with each initiative and our collaborations with international and national
institutions reflect this growth. Finally, our intentional approaches to outreach and dissemination
continue to influence practice, theory, and the understanding of student learning across the globe.

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Signature Programs
Teaching and Learning Scholars Program
The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning offers an annual research development program
designed to encourage and support faculty committed to systematic scholarly inquiry into student
learning. The Teaching and Learning Scholars program brings together faculty from a range of academic
disciplines committed to investigating and documenting significant issues and challenges in teaching and
learning. The central work of the Scholars is to develop course-based inquiry projects, conduct research
that sheds new light on a significant aspect of student learning, share evidence and findings publicly in
an effort to influence practice in the field, and help build a culture of teaching and learning scholarship
at Mount Royal University within their own disciplines and beyond. The program engages a diverse and
dedicated community of scholars committed to building and sharing pedagogical knowledge, advancing
post-secondary teaching and enhancing student learning beyond the individual classroom. In the pursuit
of these goals, each Scholar designs and undertakes a research project aimed at improving practice in
teaching and learning. Scholars are selected for a one-year term, participate in three multi-day off-site
residencies (February, August, February), and engage in monthly collaborative activities.

During the 2010-2011 academic year the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program took in, for the first
time, a group of faculty members from outside Mount Royal University, in keeping with the Institute’s
plan for outreach and impact. These three Scholars were all from Royal Roads University, and worked as
full members of the 2011 cohort, participating in all residencies and receiving individual mentorship at
their home institution from Doug Hamilton, Chair of Faculty Development at Royal Roads and one of the
facilitators for the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program. Other highlights from this academic year
include the acceptance of our first Scholar from the performing arts, our first Scholar from student
learning services, three Scholars from Nursing (making that program our highest subscribed), and
Scholars from both General Education and Business (both programs continue to be strong supporters of
the Institute).

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Engaging Departments Initiative
Mount Royal University has embarked on a program by which scholarship of teaching and learning
becomes a key feature in the understanding, assessment, and improvement of student learning across
the institution, but with special emphasis on campus-wide and emerging degree programs. Our belief is
that systematic scholarly inquiry into student learning will provide significant data on student learning
that can, when organized and aggregated around common institutional or programmatic themes, lead to
systemic improvements within specific academic departments and throughout the university as a whole.

The initial site for this work has been the Department of General Education (GNED), where foundation
courses are the focus of investigation. General Education courses at Mount Royal University have been
organized into four thematic clusters: Numeracy and Scientific Literacy; Values, Beliefs, and Identity;
Community and Society; and Communication. Faculty members teaching foundation courses in each of
these four clusters have collaborated on a scholarship of teaching and learning inquiry regarding the
development of critical reading skills. A common research question was examined in a foundation course
in each cluster through common methodology in 2011, with data analysis taking place over the summer.
It is hoped that this collaborative and “cross-clusteral” scholarship of teaching and learning inquiry will
inform the development of curriculum at the foundation level in General Education, but also prove to
be a model of collaborative research in relation to student learning which other Departments in Mount
Royal may wish to explore.

Finally, thanks to this initiative, Mount Royal University was recently recognized as a key institution for
scholarship of teaching and learning. In a new publication from the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching (Stanford CA), The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Reconsidered:
Institutional Integration and Impact (Jossey-Bass) was released to much acclaim and it singles out Mount
Royal University, the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and the Engaging Departments
Initiative as key to the integration of individual scholarship and institutional coordination.

Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Annual Report 2010-2011

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Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Presentations
The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
presents the 2011

Scholarship in Progress Series
This series provides our community with a forum for sharing, discussing, and critiquing ongoing teaching and learning research. Attendance is
open to anyone and topics range from small-scale disciplinary studies to institution-wide investigations or triangulation of multiple data sources.

All presentations will be held
from 12:00 n - 1:00 pm in Y324.

Register online at
www.mtroyal.ca/adc

Please pre-register for
presentations individually
using the workshop numbers
provided below.

Register by email to
nfunke@mtroyal.ca
Register by calling 403.440.6042

Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research Initiatives
Richard Gale (Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) – Monday, January 24th – Workshop #73

The Value of Interaction and Experience in Developing Advocacy Skills
Helena Myllykoski (Nursing) – Wednesday, February 2nd – Workshop #74

Formative Assessment in Reflective Dialogue Journals
Jodi Nickel (Education and Schooling) – Wednesday, February 9th – Workshop #75

Grace Under Pressure: Student Learning in Teams
Andrea Williams (Bissett) – Tuesday, February 15th – Workshop #76

Researching Teaching and Learning in Library Sessions
Becky Willson (Library) – Thursday, March 3rd – Workshop #77

Evidence of Change as Learners: Student Voices
Lee Wertzler (Psychology) – Tuesday, March 15th – Workshop #78

The Impact of a Support Group on EAL Nursing Students
Liza Choi (Nursing) – Wednesday, March 23rd – Workshop #79

Anxious About Science and Math? So Are Your Students!
Melanie Rathburn (General Education) – Tuesday, March 29th – Workshop #80

How Internationally Educated Health Professionals Value Role Play Simulations
Deb Bennett (Social Work) and Karen Dodge (International Education) – Thursday, April 7th – Workshop #81

Mining the Field Notes of Fourth Year Nursing Students Transitioning to Practice
Joanna Szabo-Hart (Nursing) – Wednesday, April 13th – Workshop #82

What are the Barriers to Understanding Financial Concepts for First-Year Public Relations Students?
Jane McNichol (Public Relations) – Thursday, April 21st – Workshop #83

Studentsʼ Experiences of Learning the Disciplinary Thinking in Physics
Qasim Syed (Mathematics, Physics and Engineering) – Monday, May 2nd – Workshop #84

Development of Academic Writers: Perceptions of Students at Mount Royal University
Aileen Smyth (Student Learning Services) and Glen Ryland (General Education) – Monday, May 9th – Workshop #85

Student Perceptions and Opinions in a Cross-Disciplinary Science Course
Brett McCollum and Christopher Lovallo (Chemical and Biological Sciences) – Thursday, May 19th – Workshop #86

Critical Thinking in the Interdisciplinary Classroom
Heather Nelson (General Education) – Friday, May 27th – Workshop #87

Impacts of Term Projects on Environmental Science Studentsʼ Ability to Connect Theory with Practice
Israel Dunmade (Environmental Science) – Tuesday, May 31st – Workshop #88

Mount Royal University’s
Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Faculty of Science and Technology and
Office of Research Services
are pleased to co-sponsor

Toward a Pedagogy of Discovery for
All Students
Undergraduate Research as a High-Impact Practice
Featuring

Dr. Susan Elrod
Executive Director of Project Kaleidoscope
November 15, 2010
10:00 am until 12:00 n
Lincoln Park Room
Mount Royal University

Undergraduate research is a "hot topic" in higher education because of the increasing evidence
regarding its effectiveness as a high-impact practice. What makes undergraduate research such a
rich experience for students? The characteristics of and support for this practice will be presented,
along with various ways it can be implemented in an undergraduate science curriculum that is
accessible to all students. Unanswered questions and avenues for scholarly investigation regarding
undergraduate research as an educational practice will also be elicited and discussed.
Dr. Susan Elrod is executive director of Project Kaleidoscope. She holds a doctorate in genetics and
has taught extensively, conducted scientific and educational research, and long been a leader in
promoting teaching and learning excellence in the STEM disciplines. Elrod came to PKAL from Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo where she has been a professor of biological sciences since 1997.
Please register for this event (Session #23) at www.mtroyal.ca/adc
or contact the ADC via nfunke@mtroyal.ca or 403-440-6042

Central to the dissemination goals of the Institute is the
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Faculty Presentation Series,
which is designed to provide members of the Mount Royal
University community with opportunities to share ongoing work
and receive constructive feedback about their scholarship of
teaching and learning. Speakers are selected from across the
university, and attendance is open to anyone interested in
participating; visitors from beyond the Mount Royal University
community are encouraged to attend. Topics range from
disciplinary inquiries and small-scale studies to institution-wide
investigations and triangulation of multiple data sources. Indeed,
although this is a scholarship of teaching and learning series, we
have adopted the “big tent” approach to participation. During
the last academic year, sixteen presentations were offered
featuring faculty from across the institution. Presentations were
largely focused on Teaching and Learning Scholars and their
projects, but other faculty members also participated as
presenters. Most sessions were very well attended, with some
offering standing room only.
Additionally, the Institute co-sponsored with the Faculty of
Science and Technology and the Office of Research Services, an
all-campus event on November 15, 2011 titled “Toward a
Pedagogy of Discovery for All Students: Undergraduate Research as
a High-Impact Practice” offered by Susan Elrod, Executive Director
of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL). As the description stated,
“Undergraduate research is a "hot topic" in higher education
because of the increasing evidence regarding its effectiveness as a
high-impact practice. What makes undergraduate research such a
rich experience for students? The characteristics of and support
for this practice will be presented, along with various ways it can
be implemented in an undergraduate science curriculum that is
accessible to all students. Unanswered questions and avenues for
scholarly investigation regarding undergraduate research as an
educational practice will also be elicited and discussed.” The
event was attended by faculty members and administrators from
across the campus and was followed by a more informal (but no
more influential) conversation between Dr. Elrod and senior
administrators. This event was organized by the Institute as part
of the Office of Research Services’ initiative on undergraduate
research.

Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Annual Report 2010-2011

9

Research Activities
Featured Scholarship
The Institute fosters research activity in a number of ways; indeed it is fair to say that all of our work is
focused on the development and dissemination of research on student learning. However the most
direct impact of this goal manifests in the work of the Teaching and Learning Scholars. To date we have
accepted thirty-seven Scholars into the program and their research has been significant; some are
engaged in multiple projects. Below is a sample of five projects from the current cohort.

Valerie Kinnear, Accounting
Team-Based Learning in financial accounting:
is it more effective than an individual approach?
The purpose of this Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research project is to look for indicators that a
team-based learning teaching strategy is more effective than an individual approach to learning
accounting. The participants of this study will be students enrolled in my two sections of "Financial
Accounting Practices" (ACCT 3220) in fall 2011. ACCT 3220 is the first course taken by accounting majors
after an introduction to financial accounting course (ACCT 2121 or equivalent) taken by all business
majors. The course is a bridge to intermediate financial accounting. Students normally take ACCT 3220
in the second year of their program. The study will use a mixed methodology approach including both
qualitative and quantitative methods. Student term work (team history snap-shots and peer evaluations)
and a post-semester on-line survey/questionnaire will be analyzed using textual analysis whereby
recurring themes and patterns are identified and examined by the principal investigator. These results
will be compared with student grades to look for a correlation or indication of impact on learning. The
three sources of data will allow me to triangulate any findings in order to increase the validity of any
conclusions that may be reached.

Reid Spencer, Music Performance
A study in studio pedagogy, as it relates to voice training for
classical singers at the undergraduate level.
At this moment in North America there is considerable work being done in the area of studio pedagogy,
as it relates to the training of classical singers. While there are many issues that can be identified, this
study will examine two related questions: Is there a benefit to shorter, more frequent lessons in voice
training, and does the current trend toward scientific methodology in the studio supersede the older,
empirical methodology used by teachers since the 17th century?

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Catharine Lindland, Undergraduate Studies
Understanding Why and How Students Apply Learning Strategies
Students often enter university with a limited understanding about themselves as learners and the
different strategies needed to succeed in post-secondary. UGST 1001: Effective Learning in the
Undergraduate Context is a course about learning how to learn and developing self-regulated learners.
To help students realize the control they have over their own learning, this course is based on
Zimmerman’s (2000) theory of self-regulation. Research in this area has shown that students’ reasons for
studying play an important role in their views of strategy usefulness and in their selection and
application of specific kinds of learning strategies (Alexander, 1995; Butler & Winne, 1995). However, it
is unclear what strategies students find the most useful and apply or modify to other contexts based on
their purposes for learning. Therefore, this project is investigating what learning strategies students are
actively developing, modifying and transferring to new learning contexts based on their learning goals.

Glen Ryland, Department of General Education
Developing Academic Writers in General Education
Academic writing proficiency is a skill that students develop while acquiring a university education. I
propose to study student self-regulation in the development of academic writers by asking, what are the
strategies and sources that students recognize and realize in writing university assignments? As an
instructor in the Department of General Education, I want my students to learn the content of the
course curriculum, but I also want them to be able to identify their development as academic writers,
as a life-long learning skill that fosters and supports student self-regulation. This study will identify,
categorize, and discuss the strategies and resources that students recognize will enable them to
succeed in completing written assignments at the university level. I will then compare individual
student claims about their writing experience and learning to the corresponding assignments in order to
evaluate how they have realized their understanding of what they recognize as important and
influential in their writing.

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Stephanie Zettel, School of Nursing
Narrative pedagogy and the evaluation of clinical practice in nursing education: Fostering clinical
competency through stories
It is recognized that a “superficial relationship between nurses and their practice roles” (Boychuk
Duchscher, 2003, p. 24) can develop if students are not supported in questioning their assumptions
underlying nursing practice. Wenger’s (1998) social learning theory posits learning as an act of social
participation and collaboration in practice. I am interested in how students are using all forms of
feedback as they strive to link theory to practice. Students’ learning will be assessed with guided
narrative feedback from the instructor that is situated in the context of their clinical experience and
directed toward specific benchmarks they must meet in order to progress in the program. All students,
regardless of their participation in this research project, will receive written feedback on their practice
each week to which they will provide a written response. This dialogue will continue from week to week
as students care for different patients and are prompted by the instructor to think about how key
concepts they have learned in theory are applied in the clinical context. Assignments in the course
(integrated reflective writings x 2) also lend themselves to this integration of theory and practice and
facilitate further reflection by the students on what it means to be a professional nurse. Participants’
written work will be kept until the end of the course after which time, students will be interviewed to
understand the relative impact of the instructor’s feedback on their learning. All students’ midterm and
final evaluations will be audio recorded, and both the written component of the evaluations and the
evaluation interview will be considered as data for those wishing to participate in the study. Data will
be analyzed for common themes around what elements students believe to be important in their
learning how to become a professional registered nurse.

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Teaching and Learning Scholars
Mount Royal College faculty selected as 2009 Teaching and Learning Scholars:
•
Katherine Boggs, Science and Technology (Earth Sciences)
•
Alex Bruton, Bissett School of Business (Entrepreneurship)
•
Miriam Carey, Arts (Policy Studies)
•
Ron MacDonald, Communication Studies (Journalism)
•
Karen Manarin, Arts (English)
•
Janice Miller-Young, Science and Technology (Engineering)
•
Subadhra Rai, Health and Community Studies (Nursing)
•
Rik Smistad, Bissett School of Business (Accounting)
•
Norman Vaughan, Teaching and Learning (Education and Schooling)
Mount Royal University faculty selected as 2010 Teaching and Learning Scholars:
•
Liza Choi, Health and Community Studies (Nursing)
•
Israel S. Dunmade, Science and Technology (Environmental Sciences)
•
Jane McNichol, Communication Studies (Public Relations)
•
M. Helena Myllykoski , Health and Community Studies (Nursing)
•
Heather Nelson, Teaching and Learning (General Education), Arts (Humanities)
•
Jodi Nickel, Teaching and Learning (Education and Schooling)
•
Melanie Rathburn, Teaching and Learning (General Education), Science and Technology (Biology)
•
M. Qasim Syed, Science and Technology (Physics)
•
Joanna Szabo Hart, Health and Community Studies (Nursing)
•
Lee Wertzler, Arts (Psychology)
•
Andrea L. Williams, Bissett School of Business (Business Communications)
•
Becky Willson, Library Services (Psychology and Counseling)
Mount Royal University and Royal Roads University faculty selected as 2011 Teaching and Learning
Scholars:
•
Geoffrey Archer, RRU Management (Entrepreneurship)
•
Joanne Bouma, MRU Health and Community Studies (Nursing)
•
Patrick Carmichael, MRU Teaching and Learning (General Education)
•
David Finch, MRU Bissett School of Business (Marketing)
•
Kelly Hewson, MRU Arts (English)
•
Valerie Kinnear, MRU Bissett School of Business (Accounting)
•
Catharine Lindland, MRU Student Learning Services (Undergraduate Studies)
•
Glen Ryland, MRU Teaching and Learning (General Education)
•
Reid Spencer, MRU Communication Studies (Theatre, Speech and Music Performance)
•
•

Stephanie Zettel, MRU Health and Community Studies (Nursing)
Amy Zidulka, RRU Management (Business Communication)
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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Institutional Initiatives and Projects
To support Teaching and Learning Scholars who have completed inquiry projects, presented results in
public venues, and are ready to write for publication, the Institute offers an annual facilitated writing
residency. This program provides Scholars with guidance, critique, and independent time to reflect on
research results, refine analysis and dissemination strategies, and revise scholarly writing for
publication. These residencies complete the cycle of development provided by the Teaching and
Learning Scholars Program, helping researchers build from investigation to impact.

The Institute’s work on collaborative scholarship investigations is best exemplified by the Engaging
Departments Initiative’s Critical Reading in General Education; A Collaborative Inquiry. This is a
collective and coordinated inquiry examining critical reading in four very different first-year general
education courses, where critical reading is defined as reading for academic purposes and reading for
social engagement. This project was originally designed by the Institute Director Richard Gale, and was
further developed at a summer institute offered by the Association of American Colleges and
Universities (AAC&U). During the Fall of 2010 four instructors shared the same research question, data
gathering protocol and data analysis methodology in an effort to triangulate (quadrangulate?)
understanding of student learning in different but affiliated courses. The four instructors, all Teaching
and Learning Scholars, are Miriam Carey (ADC), Karen Manarin (English), Melanie Rathburn (Biology), and
Glen Ryland (General Education).

Although only at the very early stages, the Institute is working with the coordinator of Mount Royal’s
University Entrance Option to develop a collaborative, multi-course, longitudinal study of student
learning in undergraduate studies. Focusing on the high impact practices of first year experience
coursework, and building on the decades-long expertise of student learning services and other support
personnel at Mount Royal, this project will seek to understand and improve learning at the access point
where it can influence success throughout students’ university career.

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Annual Report 2010-2011

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Going Public
Centennial Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning hosted our first annual Centennial Symposium on
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning November 11 to 13, 2010 in Banff AB, with pre-symposium
workshops offered on the campus of Mount Royal University (Calgary AB), November 10, 2010. This
gathering of teacher/scholars was designed as a “practitioners conference” dedicated to developing
individual and collaborative teaching and learning scholarship, sharing nascent data and findings, going
public with compelling results of completed research projects, and building an extended scholarly
community. The Centennial Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning commemorates Mount
Royal’s 100-year commitment to understanding and improving student learning, and is part of our
Centennial Celebration. [isotlsymposium.mtroyal.ca/2010Symposium/program.html]

Pre-Symposium Workshops took place Wednesday, November 10, 2010 from 8:00 am until 5:30 pm on the
campus of Mount Royal University in Calgary AB. Workshop topics included:
•
Getting Started in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – an introduction to the principles and
practices teaching and learning scholarship, facilitated by the Director of the Institute for
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Richard Gale.
•
Systematic Scholarly Inquiry Using Blended Learning Technologies and New Media – a hands-on
session focusing on established and emerging technologies and their application to scholarship of
teaching and learning, facilitated by blended learning author and Teaching and Learning Scholar
Norm Vaughan.
•
Using Qualitative Methods of Data Collection and Analysis – a journey through the often-unfamiliar
world of qualitative methods focusing on definitions and examples as well as practical classroom
research applications, facilitated by experienced researcher and Teaching and Learning Scholar
Deb Bennett.
•
Institutional Leadership for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – an advanced workshop for
faculty, professional developers, and other campus leaders committed to advancing scholarship of
teaching and learning institutionally, facilitated by the Director of the Institute for Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning Richard Gale.

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Keynote presentations were offered by three distinguished teacher/scholars.
Susan L. Elrod, Executive Director of Project Kaleidoscope, began as the second
director of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) at the Association of American Colleges and
Universities (AAC&U) on January 1, 2010. She holds a Ph.D. in genetics and has taught
extensively, conducted scientific and educational research. Elrod came to PKAL from
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she has been a professor of biological sciences since
1997, and most recently served as associate dean for strategic initiatives and director
of the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME). She has
experience in curricular reform, learning assessment and program evaluation, faculty
development, and departmental and institutional governance, and has led a wide
array of STEM education initiatives, including PKAL’s W.M. Keck Foundation-funded
initiative, Facilitating Interdisciplinary Learning and several STEM teacher education
initiatives. Elrod is also a PKAL Faculty for the 21st Century (F21) member.
Pat Hutchings, Senior Associate, joined the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement
of Teaching in 1998. She served as a senior scholar and then vice president, working
closely with a wide range of programs and research initiatives, including the Carnegie
Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She has written widely on the
investigation and documentation of teaching and learning, peer collaboration and
review of teaching, and scholarship of teaching and learning. Recent publications
drawing on Carnegie's work include Ethics of Inquiry: Issues in the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning, Opening Lines: Approaches to the Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning, and The Advancement of Learning: Building the Teaching Commons. She
continues to work part-time with the Foundation on a broad range of higher education
issues. She was chair of the English department at Alverno College from 1978 to 1987
and a senior staff member at the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE)
from 1987-1997. Her doctorate in English is from the University of Iowa.
Ron MacDonald, Mount Royal Journalism Professor, has been a reporter, staff
correspondent, senior editor, news director, acting bureau chief, and freelance writer.
He taught at other post secondary institutions before joining Mount Royal as a fulltime Journalism instructor in 1984, and has served as Chair of Academic Council, a
member of the Board of Governors, and Chair of the former Communications
Department and of the Applied Journalism and Applied Electronic Publications degree
programs. Ron was selected as a 2009 Teaching and Learning Scholar, and his inquiry
focused on learning disciplinary ways of thinking and practicing in two introductory
journalism courses. His study examined students' posts to asynchronous online
discussion forums in two back-to-back introductory undergraduate journalism courses,
looking for evidence that students are learning how to think and act like journalists.

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Canadian Assessment Forum on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Each year the Mount Royal University Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning sponsors an
annual Canadian Forum which brings together senior higher-education administrators, private and
public-sector stakeholders, and campus leaders from British Columbia to the Maritimes who are
committed to fostering and promoting systematic scholarly inquiry across the post-secondary landscape.
These events range in focus from institutional leadership and aligning assessment practices to the role
of students as co-researchers.

The 2011 Canadian Forum on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focused on the synergies and
connections between assessment and systematic scholarly investigation of student learning—exploring
how scholarship of teaching and learning contributes to, draws on, and enriches the assessment of
student learning at course, program, and institutional levels. Participants considered how teaching and
learning scholarship contributes to and interfaces with the goals and processes of ongoing, thoughtful
assessment practices.

The Canadian Forum took place on May 3, 2011, was attended by almost one hundred participants from
across Canada and the United States. The website can be accessed at
isotlforum.mtroyal.ca.

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Keynote presentations were offered by:
Charles Blaich, Director of the Center of Inquiry at Wabash College and the Higher
Education Data Sharing Consortium, received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the
University of Connecticut in 1986. He taught at Eastern Illinois University from
1987-1991 and joined the faculty at Wabash College in the fall of 1991. In 2002,
he assumed his current position at the Center of Inquiry. Along with researchers at
the University of Iowa, University of Michigan, and Miami University, Blaich
designed and implemented the Wabash National Study in 2005. Forty-nine colleges
and universities are participating in this longitudinal research project on the
practices and conditions that support student learning. In 2011 Blaich became
Director of the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, 130 private colleges
and universities sharing survey and institutional data for improvement. Blaich's
publications include “From Gathering to Using Assessment Results: Lessons for the
Accountability Movement from the Wabash National Study,” and “Some
Complexities in the Effects of Diversity Experiences on Orientation Toward Social/
Political Activism and Political Views in the First Year of College.”
Pat Hutchings joined the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in
1998. She has served as a senior scholar and then as vice president, working
closely with a wide range of programs and research initiatives, including the
Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She has written
widely on the investigation and documentation of teaching and learning, peer
collaboration and review of teaching, and scholarship of teaching and learning.
Recent publications drawing from Carnegie's work include Ethics of Inquiry: Issues
in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2002), Opening Lines: Approaches to
the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2000) and The Advancement of
Learning: Building the Teaching Commons (2005). She continues to work part-time
with the Foundation on a broad range of higher education issues. She was chair of
the English department at Alverno College from 1978 to 1987 and a senior staff
member at the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) from 1987-1997.
Her doctorate in English is from the University of Iowa.
Pierre Zundel, President of the University of Sudbury, is a graduate of the
University of Toronto and the Université Laval (PhD in forestry). He has taught at
the Université de Moncton (UdeM) and the University of New Brunswick (UNB).
From 2000-2005, he was Managing Editor of the International Journal of Forest
Engineering and from 2000-2009 he taught in the interdisciplinary leadership
program at UNB’s award-winning interdisciplinary leadership school Renaissance
College. He has worked as both a professor and in academic leadership – as Chef
de Secteur at UdeM (1988-91) and as Dean of Renaissance College. His passion for
teaching and learning was recognized when he was chosen as the first UNB
University Teaching Professor in 2001. In the following year, he received the
Atlantic Association of Universities Educational Leadership Award and, in 2003,
was made a 3M National Teaching Fellow by the Society for Teaching and Learning
in Higher Education (STLHE). In 2006, he led a team at Renaissance College that
received the STLHE’s national Alan K Blizzard Award for Collaborative Teaching.
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Building Profile Locally, Nationally, Internationally
The Institute has been working to become the premiere research centre for understanding and
improving of student learning through systematic scholarly inquiry. Part of this agenda includes
establishing a high profile amongst post-secondary institutions and a reputation for thoughtful inquiry,
insightful preparation of faculty researchers, and responsible dissemination of quality scholarship. Much
of this is accomplished through our Teaching and Learning Scholars and our various public venues. But in
addition we have other strategies for building profile locally, nationally, and internationally. Perhaps
the most obvious vehicle for promotion of the Institute is our various web presences developed through
Mount Royal University [mtroyal.ca/isotl] and externally for both our annual events, the Canadian
Forum on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning [isotlforum.mtroyal.ca] and the Centennial Symposium
on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning [isotlsymposium.mtroyal.ca].
Additionally, the Institute has been represented at a wide variety of conference venues during the
academic year. Most important has been our representation at some of the larger and more significant
academic conferences such as those organized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities
(AAC&U), the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), and the
Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). Scholars have also presented their work
and represented the Institute at disciplinary venues and other dedicated events such as the Alberta
Colleges and Institutes Faculty Association conference, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Commons, and the International Qualitative Research Conference. Also significant was the participation
of the the Institute Director in the organization and delivery of an important conference for university
presidents and provosts organized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) on
the topic of improving undergraduate education; scholarship of teaching and learning figured
prominently at the event and was represented specifically by the Institute.
Finally, the Institute has cultivated collaborations with associations and institutions developing a clearer
sense of and commitment to scholarship of teaching and learning. This may be the most important
service that the Institute provides to its wider constituency, for it places us not only at the centre of
important institutional efforts, but also positions us internationally as a nexus for ongoing and future
work in support of student learning. The Institute has worked directly with Thompson Rivers University,
Royal Roads University, Nipissing University, and Norquest College, as well as organizations ranging from
the Educational Developers Network of Alberta (EDNA) to the Centre for Higher Education Research and
Development (CHERD). We have also had other institutions approach the Institute with collaborative
opportunities, in Alberta these have includes Bow River College, Lethbridge College, and Portage
College. Beyond Canada we have begun investigating partnerships with the Central European University,
the United States Air Force Academy, Columbia College Chicago, Miami Dade College and others.

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Budget and Funding
Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning - Budget Overview 2010 - 2011
Since its inception in 2008, the Institute has been operating with a limited budget provided by the
Faculty of Teaching and Learning and the Provost’s Office. The Mount Royal Foundation has been tasked
with identifying and pursuing potential donor funding for an endowment amount of between $5M and
$10M, and this work is ongoing. Recently, we have had word that two $1 million awards have been
earmarked for the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. The first will be dedicated to the
Teaching and Learning Scholars Program, providing $200K per year over five years. The second will be
dedicated to the Institute operating expenses, perhaps including the Director’s salary, also slated as
providing $200K per year over five years. Neither of these gifts has been announced formally, either by
the Foundation or by the granting corporations, but the Institute has received assurances that the funds
will be made available beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Resources:
One Time Allocation Earned Revenue
2011 Forum Earned Revenue
2010 Symposium
Other Revenue
Centennial Funding
ADC Contribution to Symposium
Provost Contribution to Symposium
Provost Contribution to Writers Residency
Transfer from Reserve
Total Resources

$ 100,000
$ 10,075
$ 53,482
$ 1,239
$ 10,000
$ 2,000
$ 2,000
$ 20,000
$ 32.564
$ 231,360

Expenditures:
General Operating
Writers Residency
Scholars Program
Centennial Symposium
Canadian Forum
Total Expenditures

$ 91,382
$ 18,655
$ 50,512
$ 48,897
$ 21,914
$ 231,360

Committed Revenue:
Royal Roads University Commitment to Scholars Program

$ 10,500

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Goals for 2011-2012
In anticipation of the 2011-2012 academic year the Institute will continue to work in established areas,
but also expand its programming into new venues, connections, and initiatives. We will continue to:
•
Foster, support, and promote research that contributes to the understanding and improvement of
student learning at Mount Royal, within the Alberta, across Canada, and around the world;
•
Seek external funding for our activities ranging from individual gifts for specific programs and
initiatives to the establishment of an endowment that can sustain and grow the Institute;
•
Build our program of public presentation venues dedicated to systematic scholarly investigation of
student learning, specifically the Canadian Forum and the Symposium;
•
Cultivate individual scholarly activity through the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program with a
goal of working with all faculties by the end of the 2014-2015 academic year;
•
Encourage collective scholarly activity through the Engaging Departments Initiative with a goal of
increasing departmental and cross-departmental collaboration with all faculties at Mount Royal;
•
Maintain a prominent, positive profile on campus by participating in research committees,
increasing interaction with assessment activities, and collaborating with other institutes;
•
Enhance the prominent, positive profile locally, nationally, and internationally through conference
presentations, collaborations, and dedicated outreach activities.

Additionally, during the 2011-2012 academic year we will endeavor to expand the work of the Institute
for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the following key areas of inquiry:
•
Undergraduate Studies – Building on connections between the Institute and General Education,
establish a collaborative program examining student learning in undergraduate studies;
•
Capstone Courses – Building on the work of Teaching and Learning Scholars, establish a
collaborative and cross-program investigation of student learning in capstone courses;
•
Community Engagement – Building on the strengths of the Institutes for Integrative Health and
Non-Profit Studies, establish an investigative agenda dedicated to learning in the community;
•
Creative, Fine, and Performing Arts – Building on institutional strengths and cross-institutional
collaborations, begin an investigation of learning in the creative, fine, and performing arts;
•
Integrative Learning – Building on local expertise and international connections, begin a
collaborative investigation of integrative learning across the curriculum;
•
Student Populations – Building on the needs of under-represented and at-risk populations, begin
work investigating student learning in specific areas (possibly aboriginal students, rural students,
first-generation students, and others);
•
Collaborative Convening – Building on strengths of our public venues and Institute connections,
begin collaborating with other institutions and organizations to co-sponsor local, national, and
international events and conferences.
Finally, we will begin investigating dissemination possibilities, including proceedings, online resources
and publications, monographs and other print publications, and new-media strategies for going public.

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