Two Ryerson teaching award winners talk virtual teaching in a hands-on world
Professors Amy Peng and Andrew Laursen are the recipients of Ryerson’s top teaching excellence awards this year.
From podcast projects to field trips and Halloween dress-up parades, professor Andrew Laursen’s teaching methods expand the classroom beyond its four walls. “If we’re trying to teach students about the natural world, where better than the natural world?” says Laursen, who this year received the Ryerson Chancellor’s Award of Distinction, recognizing his career commitment to excellent teaching and learning.
This past year students in his undergraduate class observed field work at Yellow Creek to learn techniques for collecting invertebrates from various microhabitats. These same students were then connected with external research programs, for example at the Royal Ontario Museum, that provided a behind-the-scenes look into research conducted by curators from the invertebrate collection and entomology section.
Laursen’s approach to hands-on learning had to shift this spring, with the move to remote learning due to the pandemic. Though the transition has posed challenges to a curriculum that is highly experiential, he believes the need for collaboration and creativity is stronger than ever.
“I want to make sure students are engaged, have a chance for their voice to be heard, to contribute their ideas and suggest their own solutions,” he says. “When you realize that students also want this to go well, they’re already on your side. It becomes a collaboration and you can learn much better that way when you approach it as such.”
Laursen’s commitment to collaboration is part of his approach to excellence in teaching. “When collaborating with faculty, we all do different things well,” he says. “It’s a chance to build strength and put together teams that can then interact with students in a much more effective way in terms of learning outcomes.”
Passion and structure remain the most important
Similarly, Amy Peng, professor in the Department of Economics and interim chair of the Department of Criminology, has relied on collaboration to navigate the new normal of virtual teaching. Peng has been in constant discussion with professors both at Ryerson and around the world. “I did not stop teaching. The content was still structured and interactive as possible,” she says. “Students like that we were flexible and I like to be there for them. It’s not something I take lightly.”
When Peng first arrived at Ryerson in 2004, she was 27 and had never stood in front of a class of 300 students before. Instead of resorting to reading off slides, Peng turned her vulnerability into a professional development opportunity, by demonstrating her passion for economics as she taught her classes. Now 16 years later, she is this year’s recipient of the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, part of Ryerson’s recognition program.
The desire to innovate a highly theoretical curriculum led Peng to adopt an experiential learning approach. Through a computer lab component in her courses, students are able to feel the connection between the classroom and their prospective profession. “We need to make an extra effort [with students],” she says. “The reason I’m willing to is because students use postsecondary as an opportunity to learn on their own and find their place in the world. I support that and know we as educators can make an impact and touch their lives.”
Peng prides herself on being available for students, both over email and during office hours, and infusing aspects of her own educational experience in economics into her interactions with students. “It’s a wonderful thing to teach because if you love the field you’re in as an economist, this is the way to reach a large audience and show your passion,” she says. “I share a bit of my own story, something I struggle with, something personal. You can show why something is worth learning and help students apply basic concepts to real life.”
Ryerson Awards are part of the larger Ryerson recognition program and celebrate the achievements of faculty and staff in teaching, research, administration, service and leadership. To learn more about all the award winners, visit Recognition and Awards.
This is one in a series of stories about the new Ryerson Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, the centre is dedicated to big thinking about curriculum, pedagogy and creative ways to develop inclusive teaching practices that enrich the student learning experience.
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