sowing seeds of inquiry opening symposium · Planning and Action Strategic Academic Plan (2006) We are a uniitiversity th tthat blibelieves stltrongly in the it tiintegration of research

Sowing the seeds of inquiry:Sowing the seeds of inquiry: Teaching and learning at a research-intensive universityresearch-intensive universityMarch 5-6, 2009

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Nexus Project

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Boyer Report*

Research universities have unique capabilities and resources; it is incumbent upon them to equip their graduates to undertake 

i l d i luniquely productive roles. (p. 38)

Research universities should

• give undergraduates meaningful experiences and capability not available elsewhere

• set students on path of becoming mature scholars

– articulate 

– adept in the techniques and methods of their fields

– ready for challenges of profession or graduate study 

* Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University, 1998

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Planning and Action

Strategic Academic Plan (2006) 

W i it th t b li t l i th i t ti f h dWe are a university that believes strongly in the integration of research and scholarship into the fabric of our students’ academic lives. Our researchers are also our teachers, and so inquiry informs our students’ learning experiences. McGill strives to ensure that inquiry‐based learning and teaching are standard in terms ofstrives to ensure that inquiry based learning and teaching are standard in terms of the content and method of undergraduate courses.

Principal’s Task Force on Student Life & Learning p g(2006) 

As members of a research‐intensive university, students learn about and are f yencouraged to participate in, research and scholarship in their field.

Nexus Project presented and approved (2008)

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Nexus Project Goal

LearningLearning

/Research / ScholarshipTeaching

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Project PhasesProject Phases

University‐wide event: Sowing the seeds of inquiry

Inquiry network

Documentary video profiles of best practice

Survey of current practices

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Sowing the Seeds of Inquiry: Teaching & Learning at a Research-Intensive UniversityLearning at a Research Intensive University

Thursday, March 5 : Opening Symposium

• Keynote address: Reflections on Teaching Excellence

Dr. Mick Healey

University of Gloucestershire

Cheltenham, UK 

• Panel discussion: Four McGill professors and their students

Friday, March 6• Lecture:  Linking discipline‐based research and teaching  to 

benefit student learningbenefit student learning 

• Workshop:  Linking Research and Teaching 

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Keynote AddressKeynote Address

Reflections on Teaching Excellence

Dr. Mick Healeyr. Mick Healey

University of Gloucestershire

Cheltenham UKCheltenham, UK

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Curriculum & Research-Teaching Nexus

STUDENTS AS PARTICIPANTS

Research‐tutored

Curriculum emphasizes learning focused on students 

Research‐based

Curriculum emphasizes students undertaking g f

writing and discussing papers or essays

ginquiry‐based learning or low key research

Research‐led Research‐oriented

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCHPROCESSES & 

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH CONTENT Research led

Curriculum is structured around teaching subject content

Research oriented

Curriculum emphasizes teaching processes of knowledge construction in the subject

PROBLEMSCONTENT

the subject

STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE (Healey 2005)

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Keynote AddressKeynote Address

Reflections on Teaching Excellence

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Panel for SymposiumPanel for Symposium

What course‐related experience shared by each p y

professor‐student pair engaged the student in 

h h l hresearch, scholarship, or inquiry?

DiscussionDiscussion

Common themes

Presentations

• Professors

How to involve undergraduates actively in research / scholarship / inquiry in a course

R i l f h d Rationale for method 

Expectations for student learning

• Students 

Learning experienceearning experience

Impact during and after the course

ThemesP f ’ i i t i• Professor’s passion is contagious

• Managing course time

– In class: problem‐solving and research processes

– Out of class: cover material

• Transforming the conventional teacher‐student relationship

– Student’s role: passive learner  contributor to discipline

– Role of teams

• Value of confronting real problems and data

• Challenge of autonomy

• Excitement of discovery

Case 1:

Professor Lisa TravisProfessor Lisa Travis

Laura Kalin

Linguistics

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LING410: Structure of a specific language

• Winter 2008• Malagasy (Western Malayo‐Polynesian language 

k d )spoken in Madagascar)• 12 upper level students

Research content– My own research languageMy own research language– Explosion of research on Malagasy since course was last given (1991)g

– Preparing for conference paper for July 2008

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My task

– Preparing for my conference paper

– Students had background knowledge and had read g gone current paper

– Insight the night before the class

– Solved half the problems

The students’ “task”

– Other half of the problemsOther half of the problems

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OutcomeOutcome

• July 08:  LT presented at July conference (solving half y p y ( gthe problems)

b l h h lf h• Feb 09:  LK solving other half in Honours thesis making important theoretical contribution

• March 6, 2009:  LT giving colloquium talk at MIT on combined results

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Case 2:Case 2:

Professor Paul Wiseman

SKen Sun

Physics and Chemistry 

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Chem 110 ~ 1000 students: Topic Atomic Emission

B l Li E i i SBalmer Line Emission Spectra

Balmer n=4n=5

n=6

Series of Emission Lines434nm 656nm

n=3

410nm486nmn=2

Turn of the 20th century…

"As soon as I saw B l ' f l

yProblem…Explain the simpleEmission light patternFrom atoms

EBalmer's formula the whole thing was immediately

From atoms

n=1Niels Bohr

yclear to me."

Modern Nanotechnology…Emission From Quantum Dot Nanoparticles…Tracking ProteinsQuantum Dot Nanoparticles…Tracking Proteins

Quantum Dot Labeling

Of Cell Membrane Receptors

Tracking QD labeledTracking QD labeled

Receptors on Cells

Luminescent EmissionLuminescent EmissionFrom Quantum DotsOf varying Size

Unsolved Problem…Why do QDs Blink?

((CdSeCdSe))ZnSZnS –– StreptavidinStreptavidin (QD605) (QD605) TIRF Illumination TIRF Illumination

CCD Detection CCD Detection 50ms Integration Time 50ms Integration Time 2000 Frames2000 Frames2000 Frames2000 FramesSee Bachir et al. JAP 99 (2006)Perturbs fluctuation measurements

Opportunities for Summer Research

Nirmal et al. Nature(London) (1996)

Case 3: 

P f M i W tProfessor Marcia Waterway 

Anita Rogic

Plant SciencePlant Science

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PLNT 458 Flowering Plant Systematics

Students:  mostly U3, 6‐15 students per year

i i l l ( l f l dPrerequisite:  PLNT 358 Flowering Plant Diversity (plant family recognition and plant identification skills; plants in their habitats)

Course Goals:Course Goals: 

1. Introduce you to tropical plant families and their evolutionary relationships

2. Improve your plant identification skills, especially for difficult plantsp y p , p y p

3. Introduce you to methods of phylogenetic analysis and their interpretation

4. Give you experience using different  sources of information about plants

Evaluation:  3 projects and two short exams

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Phylogenetic analysis project

From raw DNA sequence data     Evolutionary tree

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ActivitiesActivities

• Acquire the data, some directly from the DNA analyzer and some from the Genbank online database

• Prepare the data for analysis in 3 different formats

• Conduct 4 kinds of analysis using 8 different y gcomputer programs

• Interpret the resultsInterpret the results

• Answer the research questions

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Content Goals:  

Understand the different methods (and associated assumptions) for estimating evolutionary relationships among species

Interpret phylogenetic trees calculated using each of the methods

Skills Goals

Conduct a credible phylogenetic analysis using current methods

Draw inferences from comparative data

Critically evaluate research papers that use these methods

Life Experience Goals

Experience the excitement of discovering something new

Experience the satisfaction that comes from figuring things out for yourself Experience the satisfaction that comes from figuring things out for yourself 

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386 options!!!  p

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Case 4:Professor Andre CostopoulosProfessor Andre Costopoulos Colin Nielsen

Anthropology

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The Breakfast Club Course numbers 

• Reading Course: ANTH 38x or 48xg• Honours Thesis: ANTH 490, 491, or 492

Regular University Structure

• Independent Projects 

ll h

The Breakfast Club

• Independent Projects

/• Meet individually with advisor

• 6‐8 U2/U3 students meet together with advisor– Go through the research g

process together

– Share references, tools, solutions

Experimenting with ViewshedsEverything you can see

from one place.Variability cause bysoftware choice

Software A Software B

Mont‐Royal

Difference Between A  & B

Nielsen, C., and A. Costopoulos. 2005. “Impact of Terrain Severity on Variation in Viewshed Generation: Comparing Idrisi, ArcMap and G ” A h l i l C ti N l tt 62Grass”. Archaeological Computing Newsletter 62.

Advantage for StudentsAdvantage for Students

• Excellent way of learningExcellent way of learning

• Talking helps

S f l• Sense of progress, value

• Less isolating, less intimidating

• Inspiring

• Published paperPublished paper

Closing remarks Closing remarks

Please complete feedback forms. 

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