CTL “Exploring Educational Excellence” Series Provides Insights and Opportunity for WashU Educators
The Center for Teaching and Learning and its affiliated faculty advisory board recently introduced “Exploring Educational Excellence,” a roundtable series designed to convene diverse panels of award-winning WashU educators and to give the award winners an opportunity to share their teaching insights, methodologies, and philosophies.
What do a jar of popsicle sticks, a Sears catalog from the 1890s, and a notebook from an old MBA course have in common? They have all inspired innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Janie Brennan, Heidi Aronson Kolk and Doug Villhard are three of nine recent recipients of the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. The annual award, sponsored by St. Louis-based global technology and software company Emerson, recognizes area instructors selected by their schools’ administrators for their accomplishments and dedication to students and the teaching profession.
To highlight their achievements, the Center for Teaching and Learning and its affiliated faculty advisory board recently introduced “Exploring Educational Excellence,” a roundtable series designed to convene diverse panels of award-winning WashU educators and to give the award winners an opportunity to share their teaching insights, methodologies, and philosophies. The inaugural session held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 brought together three recent Emerson award winners to offer their unique perspectives and approaches to engage and inspire their students.
Janie Brennan, Senior Lecturer with McKelvey School of Engineering’s Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering department, introduced a creative way to encourage student participation. Using a cup of popsicle sticks inscribed with students’ names to randomize who she calls upon, Brennan poses engaging questions to her learners, maximizing the opportunity for students to contribute constructive conversation that benefits all members of her class. She also emphasized the importance of combating the “forgetting curve” by structuring her classes into various segments to keep students engaged and actively absorbing information, rather than relying on large blocks of lecture.
Heidi Aronson Kolk, Assistant Professor in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, highlighted her implementation of multimedia tools such as Miro and Google Slides to create dynamic learner interactions with assigned course materials. Students use Miro to annotate pages from a vintage Sears catalog as a way to explore the origins of consumption culture. Additionally, Kolk emphasized the importance of providing feedback that fosters student growth without dampening their spirits, preferring audio files to convey message and tone rather than written feedback.
Doug Villhard, Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at Olin Business School, is relatively new to the realm of pedagogy with just four years of teaching experience. When Doug was an MBA student he kept an extra notebook where he recorded the good (and bad) practices of his professors and he used those insights to shape his own distinct approach to teaching. Drawing from his professional expertise in entrepreneurship and creating personal wealth, Villhard encourages students to approach problems hands-on before delving into theory, which fosters intrinsic motivation and engagement as they use logic to solve challenges. He also shared his unconventional grading system of “either 0 or 100- with unlimited retries,” reflecting his belief in simplicity and the opportunity to rectify missteps. He argued that this all or nothing approach is modeled on realistic aspects of entrepreneurship where 90% of start-up companies fail.
The event provided valuable insights into the diverse approaches educators employ to create enriching learning environments. By embracing innovation, fostering engagement, and maintaining a balance between challenge and support, these educators exemplify the spirit of excellence in teaching.
The Center for Teaching and Learning will host two more Exploring Educational Excellence panels in the Spring 2024 semester. To learn more about the upcoming panels and to register, visit our events page.
To explore and expand your own pedagogical horizons, please fill out this form for a free and confidential consultation with one of the the Center for Teaching and Learning’s experienced Educational Development staff members.
