Editors' introduction to Where learning deeply matters

Abstract

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of McMaster University’s teaching and learning centre, presently known as the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching (MacPherson Institute or MI), one of the first established in Canada. In alignment with the institute’s vision of “cultivating an environment where learning deeply matters and teaching is valued and recognized by the collective McMaster community” (Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching, 2019, p. 3), we wondered how we might leverage this milestone to further value and recognize teaching and learning at McMaster. This edited volume emerged in response. Composed of 24 chapters written by 86 authors—including undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, current and former staff, teaching assistants, sessional instructors, faculty, and retired faculty—and supported by 46 research participants and 31 peer reviewers, this collection responds to the following questions:

• How has teaching and learning evolved and changed at McMaster University over time?
• What have been defining moments of teaching and learning development at McMaster?
• What must we remember and learn from this history?
• What critical challenges do we face in teaching and learning today and into the future? How have these emerged, and how might we address them?
• What are our visions for the future of teaching and learning at McMaster?

In this editors' introduction, we review the organization of the book and reflect on intentions, themes, and limitations of the work as a whole.