Expanding the Use of Shiny Apps in Statistics Classrooms to Improve Student Outcomes

Katherine Davies, Hon Yiu So

This project’s goal is to increase interactivity in undergraduate stats courses using a custom Shiny app. These apps are increasingly being used in stats courses, but this project will expand their use cases by developing and implementing multiple choice questions which provide feedback and better prepare students for exams.

Fostering an Inclusive Clinical Environment

Jasdeep Dhir, Shannon Kitchings, Rochelle Reid, Michelle Phoenix, Sandra VanderKaay, Sarah Glazewski, Nick Morrison, Charmaine Neu, Leslie Gilles, Katie Porter

Entry-level healthcare programs encourage the integration of the tenets of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice (EDIJ) through all aspects of education. This must be considered in both in-class and clinical placement learning.This project seeks to promote inclusive clinical education environments through engagement in learning activities that incorporate the concepts of EDIJ in graduate rehabilitation science professional programs. It will  evaluate perspectives of clinical instructors (CI)/ Preceptors following in learning activities focussed on EDIJ. It will also evaluate the perspectives of Students on an inclusive learning environment when supervised by a CI/ Preceptor that has engaged in these learning activities.

McMaster Music Workshop

Andrew Mitchell

Previously, the project PI (Andrew Mitchell) created a co-curricular “Music Performance Workshop” in which Music students from the School of the Arts could bring musical performances under development before their peers for testing, experimentation, and practice. Music students currently study in the genres of classical music and jazz.  Dr. Mitchell’s goal is to expand this opportunity to students from across campus with interests in music creation (including both performance and composition), any musical genre, from any tradition, and begin to build a diverse cross-campus community of musicians.

Digital Skills for Future Employment Success

Tina Robinson, Anna Magnotta

This project seeks to implement a Digital Skills program to respond to employers’ needs and address the financial and academic barriers that hinder access to formal training and experiential opportunities geared toward cultivating digital skills. Accessible to students from all faculties, will leverage available resources like LinkedIn Learning.

Narrative Medicine and Dialogue-Based Science Communication

Stephanie Sanger, Abeer Siddiqui

The project team seeks to assess the perceived value students place on narrative and storytelling in Health Sciences and Life Sciences undergraduate programs. They will host an interdisciplinary storytelling exhibition where students from two FHS and one Life science courses will share their stories with McMaster and beyond.

ArtSci Outreach Initiative: Interdisciplinary Sites of Inspiration for SOTA Students

Swintak, Linah Hegazi, Shaden Ahmed

This project seeks to establish connections between students at the School of the Arts and STEM based research sites across campus. The project involves conducting student-led outreach that explores McMaster’s core research platforms to evaluate possible synchronicities with expressive creative production. Information collected will be directly integrated with the curriculum of iArts 1PB3 – Perspectives B: Arts in Society: Technology and the Environment, the new Integrated Arts Program’s mandatory entry-level survey course. The aim of project is to open the door of cross-disciplinary conversation and explore sites of knowledge that have potential to influence the work of emerging artists.

Incorporating Large Language Models into Science and Humanities Courses

Maryam Zamani, Ryan Belowitz, Ross Ryan, Abeer Siddiqui

The overall goal of this project is to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of instructors and students from across the University to learn how to best incorporate language models into a select number of assignments in the Faculties of Science and Humanities. Data collected from students and instructors through surveys and focus groups will be provided to the Task Force to assist with updating policies.

Asynchronous Course Content for English 1G03

Eugenia Zuroski, Chase Thompson

The project team will develop and implement a suite of asynchronous course content for a hybrid first-year English course. The content will be designed to enhance the overall quality of online materials and ensure they meet the highest accessibility standards.

Re-Imagining Student Leadership – Towards Equity, Inclusion and Social Change

Alpha Abebe, Sheena Jary

The investigators will enhance the Humanities Leadership curriculum by deepening its focus on equity, leveraging decolonial methodologies, and inviting current and former students to share ideas about, and co-create, curriculum design and course content, informed by their unique perspectives and lived experience.

Physician self-disclosure of illness experiences during educational encounters

Anita Acai, Cezara Ene, Etri Kocaqi

Recognizing that medicine exists in a sociocultural environment that views illness as a burden, medical professional norms may reflect and reproduce ableist values and diminish physicians’ own illness stories. This Seed Grant will fund Part II of a two-part study, which aims to understand how medical learners process their preceptors’ lived experiences as patients, the impact on their learning and development, and the potential of these narratives in medical education.

 

Pilot Testing Virtual Reality Equipment in the Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Course

Ilana Bayer, Peter Helli, Irena Rebalka, Evan Varlese, Kevin Shao, Zahra Abdallah

The investigators will utilize the VR equipment and 3-D anatomical assets to pilot test VR anatomy experiences in the Anatomy and Physiology tutorials, focusing on user experience and feasibility of implementing VR in a tutorial setting. They will also measure the impact of VR anatomy experiences on learner outcomes and investigate whether using VR anatomy assets facilitates learner comprehension of anatomical structures and processes.

Assessment and Improvement of Digital Lab Guides and an Environmental Scan of Lab Delivery at McMaster University

Ryan Belowitz, Ana Tomljenovic-Berube, Sanari Wickramaratne

The investigators will explore the optimal way for students to engage with digital lab guides, assessing which hardware is preferred and optimal for students to view the digital lab outline during the lab itself; which elements within the digital lab outline students have found most helpful. The project team will alsoprovide a qualitative assessment of other lab course instructors/coordinators’ experiences regarding the most effective way to run labs with students (digital or print).

Developing flexible learning tools for syntax

Alison Biggs, Tienna Nagel, Jacob Rice

This project aims to increase flexibility and accessibility in Linguist 2SY3, through the development of two specialized asynchronous digital resources for a course that otherwise relies on significant in-person engagement.

Improving Student Wellness through Flexible Course Assessments in Chemical Biology 2L03

Lydia Chen, Cosmina Filip, Vanessa Bautista

This project proposes to create a modified course design which responds compassionately to student needs, thereby promoting student wellness and better support student mental health while make a positive impact on their learning experience.

AnatoME: Removing Barriers to Representation of Skin Tone Diversity in Anatomical Sciences Education

Kristina Durham, Sarah Wojkowski, Krista Howarth, Simran Lohit, Adam Arca

This project will ascertain the depth and breadth of resources that exist in relation to clinical skin-based assessments across diverse skin tones, develop a curated catalogue of inclusive resources called AnatoME, and identify gaps in resources to promote future work on resource development that is descriptive of or illustrating of given assessments across diverse skin tones.

Exploring creative genograms as a pedagogical approach towards the ‘not-knowing stance’

Arij Elmi, Eva Marie-Stern, Kusum Bhatta

This project explores how creative genograms (graphical representations of family trees) can support Social Work students as they develop and become comfortable with the “not-knowing-stance” and reflective capacities.

Optical Imaging Micro-credential Program

Qiyin Fang, Jacob Saunders, Jan Phillips

This project will develop a flexible micro-credentialled learning pathway for McMaster students and industry professionals seeking to improve their knowledge of optical imaging.

Evaluation of the CityLAB Semester in Residence Fall 2022 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Framework

Dave Heidebrecht, Randy Kay, Karen Balcom, Maleka El Naghi, Amandeep Saini

The CityLAB Semester in Residence (SIR) program brings together McMaster students, academics, as well as partners from community organizations and the City of Hamilton, to work on local change-making projects. In Fall 2022, CityLAB SIR is implementing a new equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) framework. This framework aims to promote the knowledge, awareness, skills, and willingness to act needed by students, instructors and partners to successfully incorporate EDI considerations into their own community-based projects, as well as in the classroom. This grant will support hiring a student partner to assist with the implementation and evaluation of the EDI framework.

Inclusive learning through equity-driven approaches to design

Andrea Hemmerich, Robert Fleisig, Sean Park, Negar Deilami

The project will explore ways in which Design Thinking (DT) — as taught in the Masters of Engineering Design (MED) program — can provide students a more inclusive environment in the Faculty of Engineering by supporting them in learning equity-driven approaches to design.

Intersectional Experiences in Engineering: Identifying Barriers to Inclusion

Kim Jones, Pariza Katila, Abhilasha Kaur, Yue Tan

In collaboration with undergraduate students in engineering, the project lead will explore experiences of different groups within women in engineering.

Developing a Machine Learning-Supported System for Semi-Automated Thematic Analysis of Qualitative SET Data

Caroline Junkins, Amanda Kelly Ferguson, Sharonna Greenberg, Pratheepa Jeganathan, Rasmi Panse

This project proposes to build a machine learning (ML)-supported thematic analysis system to provide semi-automated analysis of qualitative SET data. This pilot project will shape our future strategy on SET in alignment with the overarching 2021 Partnered in Teaching and Learning Strategy and the 2019 MUFA report.

Enhancing Software Engineering Education Through Innovative & Collaborative Experiential Learning

Ridha Khedri, Holly Koponen, Lindsay White

This project team will develop a project-based collaborative co-curricular for Software Security, designing an escape room development program in which students can test their knowledge of software and hardware design in a low-risk environment. The co-curricular will also include opportunities for mentorship.

Impact of availability of handheld ultrasound upon internal medicine residents’ point-of-care ultrasound competency

Kimberly Lewis, Xinxin Tang, Emir Ali

This project aims to expand the use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) technology within Internal Medicine, demonstrate that providing an ultrasound machine facilitates achievement of competency with POCUS and improves patient care. With these expected findings, they hope to subsequently advocate for the purchase of a handheld system at all hospital sites that Internal Medicine residents rotate through.

Specifications-based Grading and Authentic Learning in Kinesiology

Krista Madsen, Daanish Mulla

The project team aims to improve Biomechanics, a level II core course in the Kinesiology undergraduate program, by adding more authentic learning opportunities and specifications-based grading. Through these two course changes, they hope to positively influence science undergraduate students’ performance and wellness.

Promoting Experiential and Interdisciplinary Learning Opportunities through the ExCELINT Ambassador Program

Anna Magnotta, Gisela Oliveira, Dave Heidebrecht, Maleka El Naghi, Kashish Sikka

This project aims to promote experiential and interdisciplinary (ExCELINT) opportunities, which often struggle in promotion due to their ‘unique’ form of learning or content, and their place outside of established programming, through an ExCELINT Ambassador program.

Promoting and Evaluating Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at McMaster University

Michael Wong, Paul Leegsma, Emma Marsden

The project team aims to evaluate the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) virtual exchange project and develop a handbook which will detail an inclusive and equitable COIL approach that values (a) intercultural and interdisciplinary skills and (b) student partnerships through the incorporation of student coordinators and student-centered pedagogy.

 

Pathways: Approaching Life with a Political Science Degree

Lana Wylie, Beyza Hatun Kiziltepe, Dana Shugom

This project will develop an innovative new course, Pathways: Approaching Life with a Political Science Degree, which will enable students to see how their undergraduate education in Political Science translate to graduate or professional schools, first jobs, and career opportunities. It will underscore the value of a liberal arts education while preparing students for life after graduation.

Career Development Programming for Science Graduate Students

Tara Zabella, Bhagwati Gupta, Alice O’Carroll

Science Career and Cooperative Education is partnering with the Faculty of Science Department of Graduate Studies to deliver career programming that is uniquely tailored to the specific needs of Science students at the graduate level. As such, this project will conduct a comprehensive needs analysis in Fall 2022 to inform the first iteration of career programming in Winter and Spring 2023.

VR For Anatomy Education

Ilana Bayer, Emma Plater

At McMaster, the Education Program in Anatomy has begun to explore implementing extended reality (VR and AR) into education. VR has been proposed to be beneficial in an educational context by increasing learner engagement, providing accessible and active learning environments, and facilitating spatial memory by allowing learners to interact with content from multiple angles. However, there is limited research on using VR or AR dynamically to help teach human movement. The objective of the proposed project is to investigate whether the use of extended reality technologies facilitate learner comprehension of functional motion and implementation into clinical scenarios.

Conceptualizing the Colonial Grid as an Educational Video

Mirna E. Carranza

The project seeks to create a video that will prompt students to think through the interplay of historic, socio-economic, political, and geographic factors which produce relations of power. The project team has previously developed the concept of the “colonial grid” which identifies how people’s everyday realities are organized by colonial power and privilege.

AnatoME: Beyond the Sex & Gender Binary in Anatomical Sciences

Kristina Durham, Danielle Brewer-Deluce, Adam Arca, Simran Lohit, Marfy Abousifein, Maha Siddique

This project builds on the team’s previous PTL Seed Grant, which assessed the lack of diversity in skin tone in anatomy teaching resources and curated a collection of resources to rectify this inequity. This project seeks to identify ways to deconstruct notions of sex, gender, and sex- and gender-related factors embedded within anatomy laboratory procedures and teaching practices. As a leader in evidence-based anatomy education research, the McMaster Education Program in Anatomy and the AnatoME team aim to evaluate and improve guidelines, policies, and content surrounding sex and gender inclusivity within body donation and anatomical science education.

Promoting a Culture of Inclusivity and Belonging in the Faculty of Engineering

Andrea Hemmerich, Robert Fleisig, Negar Deilami, Kim Jones, Sarah Dickson-Anderson, Devon Mordell, Aasiya Satia, Areeb Khawaja, Jon Pusic

This project will build on the outcomes of a 2022 Seed Grant and 2023 Okanagan Special Project grant. These grants enabled the co-design and delivery of an interactive workshop and related resources for incoming Engineering graduate students on the benefits of diversity in design. The Grow Grant funding will enable the extension of these initiatives to a larger group of students, and to offer follow-up workshops after the completion of their design courses. These follow-up workshops will engage participants in identifying both successes and further challenges in integrating EDI principles into their courses with opportunities to design improved learning experiences.

Flexible Learning and Reductions in SAS/MSAF Use

Katie Moisse, Miriam Goldstein, Kate Brown, Lee De Bie Das, Luca Bernardini

The project team previously demonstrated that giving students the flexibility to join class in person or virtually does not harm the learning experience. They wish to build on this work with a focus on flexible learning spaces and assessment structures, and how they may reduce the need for accommodations through Student Accessibility Services (SAS) and the McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF). They will also interview instructors to understand the perceived pros and cons of a HyFlex learning environment, to prompt a dialogue about how flexible course design may improve the teaching and learning experience for instructors and students alike.

Undead Orchestra Video Game Module

Joseph Resendes, Rosa da Silva, Jeal-Paul Amore

With CEWIL Canada funding, the project team has brought together Game Design and Science, Technology Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) students towards the development of game-based learning tools.  Over the last 2 years, over 150 McMaster, University of Wollongong, University of Toronto STEAM faculty and students and George Brown game design faculty and students have developed and piloted an open access, STEAM-based video game universe called “Undead Orchestra: Slaying Scale Challenge.” This project will incorporate two more McMaster courses, allowing students to compose music for the video game.

CIVDEM@Mac

Karen Bird, Adrienne Davidson, Selina Mudavanhu, Christina Baade, Andrea Lawlor, Joanna Massie, Nicolas Hinspberger, Paul Emiljanowicz, Brent McKnight, Adrianne Lickers Xavier, Bruce Newbold, Cliff van der Linden, Emad Mohammad, Geoffrey Cameron, Greg Flynn, John McAndrews, Juanita Debarros, Maria Gintova, Peter Graefe, Todd Alway, Mark Busser, Ruthanne Talbot, Anne Lech

The CIVDEM@Mac Interdisciplinary Minor, beginning in Fall 2024, will provide students the opportunity to gain theoretical and hands-on understanding of how to strengthen civic vitality, democratic resiliency, and electoral integrity, as well as empowering underrepresented communities to participate in the political and electoral process. Students earning the CIVDEM Interdisciplinary Minor will take courses from three thematic lists, with experiential and problem-based learning informed by community partners embedded in core course requirements. The project brings together 12 partner organizations plus more than 20 instructors and staff across three Faculties (Social Sciences, Humanities, Business).

Instructional Videos for Foundational EDI Principles and Critical Theory

Peter Cockett, Syrus Marcus Ware, Adrien Crossman, Swintak

This project will create a series of short instructional videos developed in collaboration with iArts’ students and faculty. The videos will teach foundational EDI principles and key aspects of critical theory (Indigenous resurgence, gender, race, class, disability, neurodiversity). The videos will be created through an iterative process facilitated by Cockett, and co-applicants Adrien Crossman, Syrus Marcus Ware, and Christine Swintak, employing student artists with lived experience as co-creators. Student participants will learn research-creation processes targeted on core social justice objectives, collaborate with faculty on the conceptualization and realization of the project, and have their work published online.

Identities, Communities and Histories of the World: A Virtual Online Course Exploring Identity

Stacy Creech de Castro, Rodrigo Narro Pérez, Alpha Abebe, Rebecca Misiak, Kojo Damptey

This project will design, create, and implement an interdisciplinary online course focusing on transnational communities and identities, diasporic thought, migration, cultural expression, and racial and social justice movements, among other topics framed through anticolonial decolonial approaches. The main objective of this course will be to introduce students to these topics which are becoming more essential to create a just society and learning spaces. This course is envisioned to be an asynchronous online course, providing flexibility to students who are interested in these topics but may not be able to fit this course into their academic plan.

Co-Designing Interdisciplinary Program Streams in Health and Sustainability with Students

Robert Fleisig, Andrea Hemmerich, Gail Krantzberg, Seyedeh Marjan Alavi, Cynthia Lokker, Nicole Wagner, Jon Pusic, Areeb Khawaja

Co-Designing Interdisciplinary Program Streams in Health and Sustainability with Students. The proposal focusses on program improvement initiatives for enhanced collaboration and integration of experiential learning opportunities with students, faculty, and staff from SEPT and aligned programs outside of the Faculty of Engineering, such as MSc eHealth, as well as community partners. They propose developing interdisciplinary areas of specialization within the SEPT master’s program curricula (i.e., streams) in partnership with students, including: 1) Virtual Care and 2) Sustainability. Additional potential program streams will be considered in the second year of the project (e.g., Social Systems, Global Development).

Maximizing the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Experience

Sheena Jary, Lalai Abbas, Stacy Creech de Castro, Ritika Khetarpal, Rachel Shadid, Habiba Noor

Undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) play a critical role in the success of undergraduate students at McMaster and, while they complete mandatory online training, UTAs lack opportunities for professionalization and academic recognition for their hard work—and their learning. The team aspires to develop a new Concurrent Certificate in Educational Theory and Reflective Practice, providing UTAs with skills that will differentiate them as they move onto teacher’s college, graduate school, or the workforce. The goal of the Concurrent Certificate is not to replace current departmental or faculty-specific training, but rather to supplement the UTA experience with transferable skills and professional training.

Decolonising Ontario Archaeology: Establishing an Advisory Circle to Support Repatriation / Rematriation through Student-Led Research and Outreach

Scott Martin, Carrie McMullin

Possibly connected to archaeology’s uncomfortable history as an agent of colonization, Ontario archaeology content in McMaster courses has declined in recent years. This lack of discussion may imply that Indigenous histories are less worthy of study or less interesting than those of people(s) elsewhere. To rectify this gap and strive for an equitable and decolonised Ontario Archaeology at McMaster University, the proposed initiative has two main components:  a) develop a revived Ontario Archaeology course that interrogates archaeology’s roles in Colonialist hegemony over Indigenous heritage; and b) plan an Advisory Circle to advise on repatriation/rematriation of Ancestors and their belongings.

An Exploration of Gift-Giving and Honoraria Practices at Postsecondary Institutions

Sarah Whitwell, Amanda Montague, Cristina Foley, Vanessa Hayward, Catherine Grise, Brent McKnight, Nikol Piskuric, Mark Busser, Shahad Al-Saqqar

Experiential learning opportunities often involve guest speakers, collaborative research, placements, and practicums which require contributions from community partners. Yet there is no consensus regarding how best to compensate community partners, recognizing that a one-size fits-all solution is also not appropriate depending on socioeconomic and cultural factors. There are growing concerns that inadequately recognizing the work of community partners will lead to a breakdown of valuable partnerships. This project will address ongoing confusion by creating guidelines and resources on the complex matters of recognition, incentives, gifts, compensation, and honoraria.

Developing a Reflection-Oriented Package for Instructors in Community-Engaged Learning Courses

Karen Balcom, Katie Moisse, Cynthia Lokker, Brent McKnight, Kate Whalen, Rodrigo Narro Perez, Dave Heidebrecht, Jay Carter

As community-engaged learning expands on our campus, there is increasing need for quality instructional materials in support of this learning, and for tools to measure the outcomes and impact of community-engaged learning. This project addresses the first need through the development, deployment and testing of an instructor guide to promote student reflection that can be adapted for use across CEL classes.

A Partnered Learning Pathway to Better Elections & Participatory Democratic Innovations

Karen Bird, Greg Flynn, Todd Alway, Katherine Boothe, Adrienne Davidson, Peter Graefe, James Ingram, Inder Marwah, Cliff van der Linden, Joanna Massie, Mark Busser, Bruce Newbold, Christina Baade, Sara Binnie, Joanna Massie, Paul Emiljanowicz

This Garden grant will create a partnered learning pathway for understanding contemporary challenges of electoral integrity, democratic participation and civic engagement. The project team will map existing course content and design complementary curriculum to strengthen students’ theoretical understanding and technical expertise in the field, culminating in a proposed interdisciplinary Undergraduate Certificate in Elections and Democratic Vitality. The project will also build experiential learning opportunities through a partnered approach where students work with leaders in electoral management and democratic advocacy.

Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone: An Artificial Intelligence OSPE

Kristina Durham, Yasmeen Mezil, Joshua Mitchell, Jason Bernard, Lana Amoudi, Varun Coelho, David Klitovchenko, Layla Rahimpour, Sriya Rajyam, Gerald Segovia, Meghna Varambally, Pariya Vejdani, Tracy Wang, Philip Yu

Though the objective structured practical exam (OSPE) is an evaluation that is commonly used in both undergraduate and professional graduate anatomy education to assess learner knowledge, comprehension and clinical application using cadaveric specimens, student preparedness is impeded by logistical barriers to the provision of adequate OSPE practice. The project team therefore proposes to develop an OSPE tool to provide students with a personalized, unique, and interactive study opportunity that uses artificial intelligence to provide feedback specific to their written responses.

Towards a more scholarly teaching practice: Making conversations about teaching easier

Robert Fleisig, Monica De Paoli, Andrea Hemmerich

The goal of this project is to continue the previous work to transfer and adapt existing practices of scholarly teaching, both from experts and the literature, into the practice of teachers at McMaster University. This goal will be accomplished through partnership with international experts, workshops on topics including competency-based interviewing for assessors of teaching, writing critical reflections on teaching, constructing authentic teaching portfolios, and engaging with peers in conversations supported by a teaching portfolio.

Desirability, feasibility, and co-development of an interdisciplinary capstone project for MSc in eHealth course-based students

Cynthia Lokker, Nicole Wagner, Neil Barr, Vincent Maccio, Marg Leyland, Elizabeth Warnick, Jasmine Foley, Stephanie Zahorka, Vritti Patel, Neethu Pavithran, Sheila Richardson

The 2020 IQAP review of the eHealth MSc program at McMaster recommended considering a design focused capstone project as an alternative, complement, or replacement for the scholarly paper as a culminating milestone. The goals of this Garden proposal are to assess the desirability and feasibility of an interdisciplinary capstone project course for course-based students and, if feasible, to co-develop the course and plan for evaluating this potential major curriculum enhancement.

Connecting science and society with a focus on equity and inclusion

Katie Moisse, Shaiya Robinson, Rodrigo Narro Perez, Ana Campos, Ana Tomljenovic-Berube, Sarah Symons, Kevin Diamond, Karen Balcom, Tahmina Shamsheri, Anjana Sudharshan, Vidhi Bhatt, Darren Sajeevan, Zoya Adeel

This project aims to embed critical learning about how underrepresentation and discrimination can negate the presumed hope for neutrality of the scientific process at key curricular touch points across the School of Interdisciplinary Science’s three undergraduate programs. SIS instructors will partner with undergraduate students and community partners to develop learning opportunities that centre equity and inclusion, assessment strategies that cater to diverse student bodies, and flexible learning environments that maximize the success of all students. They will also create a level 3 course with a focus on health disparities that is open to all students in the Faculty of Science and develop a “science and society” pathway in the Life Sciences Program.

GrowGrads: Co-design and Development of Strategic Priorities and an Educational Plan to Strengthen Graduate Student:Faculty Supervisory Relationships

Catharine Munn, Lynn Armstrong, Emma Bruce, Loa Gordon, Mojan Naisani Samani, Valentina Antonapillai, Jillian Halladay, Emma Apatu, Catherine Connelly, Martin Gibala, Susan Jack, Anna Moro, Gillian Mulvale, Tracy Prowse, Michael Thompson, Andrea Cole, Kate Whalen

GrowGrads proposes to bring together a diverse range of leaders, faculty, staff, students and post-doctoral fellows to identified strategic priorities to strengthen graduate student: faculty supervisory relationships and outline an educational curricula and training opportunities for graduate students and faculty. Co-design will inform GrowGrads; it is a method and philosophy of engaging stakeholders, ideally suited to this work, which embraces partnerships with users/stakeholders, applies a user-centred lens to solve challenges, and focuses on the human experience.

Creating a New Path: Expanding Anti-Racism, Inclusion, and Equity in the Science Undergraduate Curriculum

Rodrigo Narro Perez, Kalaichelvi Saravanamuttu, Shymega Arasaratnam, Brooke Fearns, Koubra Haggar, Iñaki Gomez Alvarez

The Anti-Racism, Inclusion and Equity in the Science Undergraduate Curriculum (ARIE) project is an ambitious, unprecedented initiative that aims to introduce and build anti-racist, inclusive and equitable pedagogies in the Faculty of Science through a suite of interdisciplinary undergraduate courses. The project team will use the Garden Grant funding to fully develop, test, advertise and launch the ARIE suite of courses, including students as equal partners in the development of curricular materials.

McMaster Hybrid Classroom Standard

Anne Pottier, Nick Marquis, Gerald Bierling, Kevin Andrews, Joey Ricottone, Tiago De Sousa, Melissa Elliot, Kyle Fletcher, Otto Geiss, Brad Leenstra, Roger Periard, Ted Shaw, Jon Kruithof, Chris Lombardo, John Bator, Neil Kotch, Michael Curwin, John Bell, Jessica Blackwood, Angela Harrison, Bryan Czerneda, Carmalita Larkin, Christa Morrison, Kate Brown, Paul Leegsma, Saray Syzmanski, Vix Moyo, Steve Tadros, Sophia Holness, Michael Wong, Max Overdijk, Harshal Patel, Stephanie Verkoeyen, Jingchuan Sui

The McMaster Hybrid Classroom Standard project team seeks to secure funding to engage with an audio / visual integrator to consult, design, and program a standardized hybrid meeting solution that can be scaled for different classroom / meeting spaces across McMaster campus teaching and meeting spaces. An intentional, collaborative, and iterative approach to designing classroom standards with representation from several key experts across campus will enable McMaster to begin to develop a robust, accessible, and scalable standard for hybrid experiences.

iArts action research-creation project

Stephanie Springgay, Peter Cockett, Syrus Ware, Adrien Crossman, Swintak

The iArts action research-creation project will support large-scale curriculum and pedagogical innovation in the new iArts program in the School of the Arts, which launches Fall 2022. The two main objectives of the Garden Grant are to: 1) Implement and evaluate equity, diversity and inclusion in iArts teaching and learning and; 2) Develop and assess arts-based pedagogical models for active and flexible learning spaces.

Cultivating a Culture of Inquiry-Based Learning at McMaster University

Michael Wong, Stacey Ritz, Jean Wilson, Sarah Symons, Dina Brooks, Brenda Vrkljan, Margaret Secord, Kristina Trim, Meredith Vanstone, Ilana Bayer, Michelle Fattori, Ali Al-Humuzi

Since the 1980s, McMaster has emphasized the use of inquiry-based approaches within a variety of Programs and Faculties. This project seeks to understand, enhance, and expand McMaster’s commitment to inquiry-based education by: investigating the uses of inquiry in different undergraduate contexts at McMaster; establishing a community of practice for instructors already using inquiry approaches and those who wish to start; and creating an open access resource (OER) to explain the benefits of inquiry in post-secondary settings and how to implement inquiry in different contexts.