Teaching Innovations
The Faculty of Science is committed to the support and promotion of innovative teaching and learning initiatives. The continuous research excellence within the faculty directly shapes the scientific and technological advances of today, and learning and innovation shapes the great scientific minds of tomorrow. Below are just some of the teaching innovations coming out of the faculty.
NEW: MOOCs & Alberta Curriculum Alignment
The U of A is proud to offer free open online courses to the community. As we look after children at home and for ways to keep our kids and ourselves learning and having fun during school closures and home stays, these courses are a great resource.
MOOCs
Since 2014 and the launch of our first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Dino 101—recently named one of the Top 50 MOOCs of all time—the Faculty of Science has cemented its place as a world leader in the production of MOOCs.
Beyond the release of this first, trailblazing MOOC, the faculty has produced eight more general science MOOCs:
- Astro 101: Black Holes,
- Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions,
- Introduction to the Arctic: Climate,
- Paleontology: Ancient Marine Reptiles,
- Paleontology: Early Vertebrate Evolution,
- Paleontology: Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds,
- Problem Solving, Programming, and Video Games (PVG),
- and Understanding Video Games.
In offering these general science MOOCs, both as free content to anybody in the world with internet access, and as accredited undergraduate options for Faculty of Science students, we hope to stay true to the university's philosophy of "uplifting the whole people".
Betsy Kruk takes her screen test in front of the green screen during before primary filming of Dino101 gets underway.
The film crew prepares for a taping of Dr. Phil Currie in Dinosaur Provincial Park for Dino101.
Online professional development specializations
In an effort to support industry using the faculty's expertise in science, two online career specializations have been developed:
using the MOOC template, which have thus far attracted hundreds of thousands of learners from around the globe.
Learning enhancement projects
Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) awards enable educators to improve their courses through substantially redesigning a curriculum of studies, developing educational resources, and/or researching educational outcomes achieved through using innovative educational methods.
Recently funded innovative educational projects out of the Faculty of Science include:
- Creation and Implementation of Methods Modules in Introductory Psychology Courses
- Assessing the effectiveness of community service learning and discovery learning to promote intercultural competencies in students who study abroad and students who do not study abroad
- Trilobite Learning Centre
- The UAlberta geekStarter Science Hardware Hackerspace
- Computer-based Content Across the Mathematics Curriculum
See a full listing of innovative educational projects funded by year on the TLEF site.