91快色

As the daughter of a grade school teacher, it seems inspiring students is in the genes of one of only 10 people across Canada to receive a 2018 3M National Teaching Fellowship.

鈥淚鈥檝e been lucky to have been surrounded by really great teachers,鈥� says Isabelle Barrette-Ng, a senior instructor of biological sciences in the Faculty of Science who was honoured Feb. 6. 鈥淢y mom taught students from kindergarten to Grade 8, and I was sometimes in her class.鈥�

Created by the  (STLHE), the annual fellowship program recognizes exceptional teachers in post-secondary education. Barrette-Ng has been a pioneer of the latest ways to help students gain the knowledge they need to reach their potential.

鈥淭he 3M fellowships recognize innovative teaching as well as educational leadership,鈥� says Leslie Reid, vice-provost (teaching and learning). 鈥淚 am thrilled to see Isabelle鈥檚 work in creating deep learning experiences and growth opportunities for students and colleagues acknowledged by this prestigious recognition.鈥� 

Knowledge is dynamic 

With more than 500 students in her biochemistry, cell biology and genetics classes, Barrette-Ng faced the limitations of traditional teaching methods in large classes, which require students to individually work out problems on their own time after first being taught seemingly unquestionable facts.

The reality is that 鈥渒nowledge is dynamic 鈥� it鈥檚 always changing, and we are always adding to it,鈥� says Barrette-Ng, who is also an inductee to the Students鈥� Union Teaching Excellence Hall of Fame. 鈥淲e need to start thinking about how can we teach our students to ask questions and judge the reliability of that information, which is how science actually works.鈥�

Challenged by a lack of free web-based simulations, she coded her own Java applets, allowing undergraduates to practice difficult biochemistry techniques online. 鈥淚t not only helps them better understand these techniques, it also helps them design experiments they can run to see the effects of changing different parameters,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey can test their ideas as many times as they want and get instant feedback.鈥�

Innovative strategies and programs empower students and colleagues 

Barrette-Ng also introduced 鈥渇lipped learning鈥� in her large-enrolment courses, which reverses the traditional approach by having students prepare on their own time and at their own pace before each class through applets, podcasts and online quizzes.

鈥淲hen they come to class, instead of me lecturing, we work together as a team to apply our knowledge to different problems, and gain more knowledge and ask more questions,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t completely changes the dynamic in the classroom. I was able to reduce the number of students who were getting a D or F in the course 鈥� or withdrawing from it 鈥� from about 16 per cent to less than two per cent.鈥�

Barrette-Ng worked with colleagues at the  to study this technique and develop the Flipped Learning Interactive Strategies model, which aims to help instructors in all disciplines across campus create their own flipped classrooms. She also received funding in 2016 through the  to develop  (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Advancing Graduate Education in STEM), a new, multi-faceted educational leadership program for graduate students and their faculty mentors.

Barrette-Ng says she has learned much from engaging her students as scientists. 鈥淚 strongly believe students and teachers are learning partners 鈥� it鈥檚 a privilege to study biology with them.鈥�

This year鈥檚 2018 3M National Teaching Fellows were announced in  magazine and will be officially recognized at an awards ceremony during the June STLHE conference in Sherbrooke, Quebec.  

Barrette-Ng is a featured keynote at the 2018 91快色 Conference on Postsecondary Teaching and Learning hosted by the Taylor Institute from May 1-2, 2018. Her presentation will showcase her work in the SAGES Program (SoTL Advancing Graduate Education in STEM).