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Inno-educators?Edu-vators?

2500 years ago, the philosopher Socrates once worried about how a n ew generation of students would cope with the invention of writing. Flash forward two millennia and it’s not hard to see that while the technology might be more advanced, the teacher’s dilemma has stayed the same.

In a rapidly changing world, how can educators prepare their students for success? To find out, Atlantic Business Magazine tracked down those on the cutting edge of class-room innovation.

We discovered that it’s not so much about what you teach, but how you teach it.

However you say it, innovation plays a big role in student success

VISION

Memorial Engineering.. .Excellence in engineering co-operative education and research » Our fully integrated co-operative education program provides students with the equivalent of two years of industry work experience.

» We are midway through an exciting period of major expansion, including new world-class engineering facilities in a large new infrastructure project on campus, called the Core Science Facility (425,000 sq ft).

» Our dynamic teaching and learning environment has internationally renowned and award-winning professors in their respective fields of research.

» The new Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (a joint initiative between Engineering and Business) along with biomedical and environmental engineering streams embrace exciting new areas for education and research.

For more information about our programs, professors and students, go to mun.ca/engineering

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The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University is nothing less than a regional powerhouse in engineering education and research. The faculty is staffed by award-winning professors including prestigious research chairs backed by leading players in industry, such as Husky Energy, Chevron, Statoil, Wood Group, and C-CORE. They offer one of the premier co-operative education programs in the country, splitting student time between classroom learning and hands-on experience in the workplace every second semester.

The explosive growth of the faculty in recent years carries its own challenges, but MUN Engineering is taking it all in stride. “Students are really anxious to see their studies being applied to real-world problems,” Associate Dean Andy Fisher told Atlantic Business. “It’s not just about lecturing all the time, but what’s critical is our focus on learning outcomes.”

Capitalizing on new technology has been one of the keys to Memorial Engineering’s success — b oth for students and instructors. Using their phones and laptops, students can provide instant feedback on lecture material, making classroom learning more dynamic. Professors record and share their lectures and presentations

online, allowing students to access them anytime and review any sections they found particularly difficult. They can also share the online learning modules with other instructors, making for collective improvements to the teaching process.

Of course, technology in the classroom can be a d ouble-edged sword. “It’s a f antastic enabler, but it can also be a d istraction,” Prof. Fisher concedes. But instead of policing students, Memorial takes a different approach: treating them like professionals and focusing on the learning outcomes.

“We start off in first year stressing that they’re young professionals. The co-op work terms really help with this. It reminds them that they can’t be a professional one term and then not the next. It’s seamless. We’re helping them develop the attributes and competencies that employers are looking for.”

It’s this emphasis on developing professional attributes that puts Memorial a cut above. “We’re preparing graduates to enter into and succeed in a p rofession,” Prof. Fisher explains. “So we identify throughout the program we will help students develop skills like leadership, teamwork, communications, and ethics.”

But the real proof of Memorial’s success is in their students. Dean, Dr. Greg Naterer, shares his enthusiasm for student success. “Employer feedback we have received has been consistently excellent. For over 45 years of fully integrated co-op education, employers come back term after term to hire more of our co-op students, now in the order of 400 student work placements per semester. The Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE) recently granted the programs a f ull six-year accreditation.

“Our graduates have become leaders in their organizations and award-winning alumni. Recently this year, this magazine named four MUN Engineering graduates among Atlantic Canada’s top CEOs: Terry Hussey, Rick Tiller, and Jason Muise, and Atlantic Business Magazine’s 2016 CEO of the Year, Larry Puddister.”

The Faculty is midway through an exciting period of major expansion in an eight-year strategic growth plan. A massive new infrastructure project on campus, called the Core Science

Facility (CSF) (425,000 sq. ft.) will enable a s ignificant portion of this growth with modern, world-class engineering facilities.

The Faculty has also launched a new Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE), in partnership with the Faculty of Business Administration, to foster an entrepreneurial culture through new curriculum opportunities, mentorship programs, entrepreneurship work terms, and other supports to students who want to start their own businesses.

According to Dr. Naterer, the dynamic learning environment is what sets Memorial apart. “These types of programs are available at other universities, but what’s unique here is the depth and quality of experiential learning and collaboration among disciplines such as between engineering and business.”

Prof. Fisher agrees. “We’re always looking to make the academic experience more engaging for students. Recently, I finished my term as president of the Canadian Engineering Education Association, and all across this country, there’s a desire to enable engineering students to have a b roader range of skillsets as well-rounded individuals. I think Memorial is on the leading edge of this movement.”

Memorial Engineering.. .Excellence in engineering co-operative education and research » Our fully integrated co-operative education program provides students with the equivalent of two years of industry work experience.

» We are midway through an exciting period of major expansion, including new world-class engineering facilities in a large new infrastructure project on campus, called the Core Science Facility (425,000 sq ft).

» Our dynamic teaching and learning environment has internationally renowned and award-winning professors in their respective fields of research.

» The new Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (a joint initiative between Engineering and Business) along with biomedical and environmental engineering streams embrace exciting new areas for education and research.

For more information about our programs, professors and students, go to mun.ca/engineering

“ It’s not just about lecturing all the time, but what’s critical is our focus on learning outcomes.”

Andy Fisher Associate Dean Memorial University

“ We’re always looking to make the academic experience more engaging for students.

Dr. Greg Naterer Dean Memorial University

50 Atlantic Business Magazine | November/December 2016

One of the biggest innovations in modern teaching has nothing to do with bringing students into the classroom. Instead, it’s about bringing the classroom to them.

“We live in an ‘on-demand’ world. People want options that include flexibility and convenience, and the education sector is no exception,” Belinda Elliott-Bielecki, Director of Marketing and Communications for the College of Extended Learning at the University of New Brunswick, tells us. “They want to learn on their terms. For most adult learners, managing the

demands of family, work, and other commitments is a d elicate balancing act, so programs offered entirely online hold high appeal.”

“Online programs have evolved too, providing more support and interactivity than ever before. We’re continuously monitoring learner feedback, and we adapt existing programs — and develop new ones — in response to what we hear.”

One of those new programs is an online course called Pathway to Coping, centred around health and wellness in the workplace.

“Pathway to Coping is unique and innovative,” Elliott-Bielecki explains, “in that it addresses a s ocietal issue. Some of the data we’ve seen indicates mental health issues are costing Canadian businesses an estimated $33 billion annually in lost productivity and staff turnover. Research has shown that coping skills are a leading indicator for predicting employee engagement and health. Our program gives participants the tools they need to develop coping skills in a s tructured, developmental program.”

The UNB CEL has fully embraced online and distance learning, offering a variety of online professional development programs in areas such as management essentials for the millennial population and

Stress & mental health issues cost Canadian businesses an estimated $33 billion/year in

lost productivity & staff turnover.*

Give your employees the tools they need to cope.

LEARN MORE506 447-3340 TOLL FREE 1 866 599-4646

profdev@unb.ca go.unb.ca/cel-coping

PATHWAY TO COPING ONLINE COURSE

*Source: Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health

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“ We live in an ‘on-demand’ world. People want options that include flexibility and convenience, and the education sector is no exception,”

Belinda Elliott-Bielecki Director of Marketing and Communications, College of Extended Learning, University of New Brunswick

occupational health and safety. They also work with organizations to create customized learning programs to address employees’ education needs.

The College of Extended Learning offers an innovative and valuable service. It’s an opportunity for non-traditional students to pursue higher learning from a r eputable institution that meets them where they are — literally as well as figuratively.

It’s one thing to enhance your campus with online technology. It’s another to offer a top-quality education without a p hysical classroom at all.

But that’s exactly what the University of Fredericton is doing.

“Our business school is one of the biggest in Atlantic Canada. It’s also 100 per cent online,” Peter Mersereau, Director of Operations at UFred, tells Atlantic Business.

On a virtual campus, innovation is critical. The university has partnered with Cisco to provide students with a dynamic and responsive learning experience without a l arge onus on the user. Because everything is online, students need instant access to resources, and a l evel of support at least as engaging as a t raditional classroom. But UFred is up to the task.

“Our program designs are key to our success,” Mersereau explains. “We’ve incorporated a h igh level of collaboration into our classes. Our students regularly work together on projects and assignments. We have also partnered with Wittenborg University in the Netherlands to provide the first game-based learning MBA (which we’re currently piloting), which will take interactivity and collaboration to the next level. We’re very excited to see the results.”

They’re already promising. UFred has tripled in size over the last three years, employing 30 operational staff and more than 40 professors and instructors teaching nearly 3,000 students.

“Students don’t want to be told they only have one way of obtaining their education,” Mersereau says. “So we provide them with options. And we never stop trying to become better.”

At the NSCC, innovation isn’t just a w ay to tinker with teaching — it’s at the absolute heart of preparing their students for the reality of the IT industry.

“Students demand to learn the most current stuff,” Sean Morrow, Faculty for Web Programming at the Truro Campus, tells Atlantic Business. “So that means we have to stay as relevant and cutting-edge as possible. It’s fun, but exhausting.”

But Morrow has a two-pronged approach to making sure both he and his students stay on top of the shifting sands of the tech industry.

“I dedicate a c ertain amount of time, when I’m not teaching, to just being a programmer again,” Morrow explains. “It’s lovely. I j ust code like crazy for however many weeks, trying out as many techs as I can and incorporating them into my lessons. It’s all about keeping your finger on industry.”

This passion for constant learning is something that Morrow brings to the classroom. “Some instructors will just throw a p iece of finished code up on the board and have students dissect it,” he observes. “I actually develop with my students. Obviously I have a plan, but I’ll join them in the lab and we’ll start with a clean file and we’ll build something together.”

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“ Our business school is one of the biggest in Atlantic Canada. It’s also 100 per cent online.”

Peter Mersereau Director of Operations University of Fredericton

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” he laughs. “Sometimes things don’t work. Sometimes I’m scratching my head. But the learning is amazing, because they see a 2 5-year veteran making mistakes, and showing that they need to be methodical and think about these things and look for bugs.”

It’s the NSCC’s focus on teaching concepts, ideas, and the program-

ming mindset — a nd not just the latest hot tech — that really sets their grads apart.

“I call it adaptability. They get to a point I l ike to call ‘Nerdlinger Zen’,” Morrow chuckles. “They’re just able to adapt to whatever technology comes their way with confidence. Which is important, because in IT, everything we teach will be outdated

in five years. So we make sure they can handle whatever industry throws at them. To me, that’s success.”

Indeed it is.We found the same basic truth in every classroom we visited, from the sophisticated laboratories of Memorial University to the purely virtual environment of the University of Fredericton. Whether they’re grappling with the written word or the world wide web, the best teachers are those who equip their students with the right mindset — not just the newest edition of a textbook, or a script for the latest programming language.

“The mind is not a cup to be filled,” Socrates once mused, “but a fire to be kindled.” And in campuses across Atlantic Canada, that fire is burning more brightly than ever. •

FEEDBACK*dchafe@atlanticbusinessmagazine.coma @AtlanticBus; @drewfoundland @MUN_Engineering; @UNB; @UFredericton @NSCCNews; #InnovationInEducation

“ Some instructors will just throw a piece of finished code up on the board and have students dissect it, I actually develop with my students.”

Sean Morrow Faculty for Web Programming Nova Scotia Community College

GREATNESS IS AN ATTITUDE.The future is written by the doers, makers and creators. Those who are eager to get things done and make their mark. The world belongs to those who never settle. And NSCC is for those who Strive.

Watch Callum’s STRIVE film at nssc.ca/callum