Gathering

Stories of scholarship of teaching and learning at McMaster University

Authors

  • Jee Su Suh MacPherson Institute, McMaster University
  • Dan Centea Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University
  • Carolyn Eyles School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
  • Robert Fleisig Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University
  • C. Annette Grisé Department of English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University
  • Teal McAteer Human Resources and Management, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University
  • Ken N. Meadows Teaching Support Centre, Western University
  • Philip Savage Communication Studies and Media Arts, McMaster University
  • Nicola Simmons Faculty of Education, Brock University
  • Bruce C. Wainman Education Program in Anatomy, McMaster University
  • Nancy E. Fenton MacPherson Institute, McMaster University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15173/mi.v1i1.4993

Abstract

In this chapter, we gathered and synthesized deeply personal stories from established scholars at McMaster University and beyond on conducting scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). In the spirit of learning from one another’s individual experiences and motivations, we utilized collaborative autoethnography to connect the individual to the collective and knit together testimonials representing all six faculties. Specifically, we highlight how the concept of “gathering” can be accessed in several different ways to illustrate (a) how conversations drive curiosity and innovation, (b) how individuals from diverse backgrounds and expertise come together to collaborate and create new and emergent knowledge, and (c) how instructors can support one another to experiment, play, and take risks in a safe environment. We shine a light on how McMaster’s newly released teaching and learning strategy, “Partnered in Teaching and Learning: McMaster’s Teaching and Learning Strategy 2021–2026,” recognizes and promotes several principles and practices that SoTL practitioners at McMaster have been quietly undertaking for some time. Finally, these stories highlight recommendations and paths forward that will get us closer to our goal of achieving teaching excellence.

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Published

2022-12-07