5.4 Tuning In Sessions

5.4.1 Back to the 90s: Investigating Engagement, Interaction, and Thinking in a Screenless First-Year Writing Class

Mustafa Siddiqui, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy, UTM
Ryan Shuvera, Sessional Lecturer, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy, UTM

Sustaining Resonance: Lessons, Insights, and Impact

Earlier this term, I conducted a first-year writing class a bit differently—I went screenless. The two sections I taught for three hours each did not use any technology. This meant there were no slides, no laptops, and no phones, and I called it a “Back-to-the-90s Class.” As an instructor, I relied on handouts, boardwork, and hard copies of books; meanwhile, students engaged through annotation, reflection, and small-group exercises. Special accommodations were also made for students registered with accessibility services. The goal of this class was to diminish what tech writer Mihov (2025) calls “lazier” (para. 14) thinking by temporarily unplugging digital and AI noise and instead exploring what students gain when they work with paper, pens, and conversations.

Through a session at the TLS, I plan to discuss the outcomes of this three-hour, tech-free class. I will share not only my observations but also students’ responses captured through an end-of-class feedback survey, which sought students’ perspectives on and preferences regarding occasional tech-free classes. Overall, by presenting the class structure and the preliminary findings, this session intends to highlight how “teach[ing] for real” (Geppert, 2019, p. 3) may foster focused thinking, deeper peer connections, and stronger engagement. At the end of the session, I will share my plans for how I wish to take this research forward while inviting teaching and learning enthusiasts from other fields to collaborate on future stages of this work.

Practice Track

5.4.2 From knowing to doing: The role of experience in health professions student learning
Emily Wood, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Speech-Language Pathology

Sustaining Resonance: Lessons, Insights, and Impact

This session discusses the planning, implementation, and results of a SOTL study, evaluating a novel education program carried out in the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Master of Health Science (MHSc) curriculum. The program combined (i) a didactic lecture addressing theoretical, psychometric and practical issues of assessment; and (ii) a one-day hands-on learning experience where students practiced assessment skills and reflected on their experience with registered clinicians.

A mixed methods analysis of assignment data was carried out to evaluate whether the program achieved its intended learning outcome of developing student assessment competencies. Quantitative student self-ratings of competencies pre-lecture, post-lecture and post-experiential learning opportunity were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to examine student self-rated learning across the program. Qualitative analysis of student written reflections is ongoing and will contribute to understanding students’ perceptions.

Students’ self-rated competence in all assessment skills increased throughout the program, with clear improvements after the in-class lecture and even larger gains following the hands-on learning experience. The combination of learning in class and practicing in real settings led to the greatest growth. Preliminary qualitative findings suggest that students valued hands-on experience early in their academic coursework and felt that the program contributed meaningfully and uniquely to their learning.

The session will also briefly explore and invite discussion around optimal levels of confidence and training required for hands-on independent practice; the limitations and alternatives to self-ratings as data sources; barriers to implementation of experiential learning; and potential ideas for next steps or ideas to scale such programs.

Research Track