Distinguished Fellowship in Learning and Teaching Excellence (FLTE)

Recognition of the Faculty of Health’s strategic plan and educational priorities for teaching excellence and innovative pedagogies are showcased in FLTE positions. The goals of this initiative are to:

provide an arena for cultivating educational and pedagogical innovation and excellence in health-related disciplines
further the application of innovative pedagogies in daily teaching practices
recognize exceptional educators.

The FLTEs represent exceptional expertise and contribute innovation to Health’s teaching and learning community. They act as ambassadors of teaching excellence and scholarship by elevating our capacity to deliver high-quality learning experiences that meet the needs of today’s learners.

Guided by the needs of the Faculty, FLTEs develop resources and identify new directions that enhance learning and teaching excellence and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Areas of focus include experiential education, technology-enhanced learning, and decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEDI), as well as other priorities. They will work with faculty, staff, and students to promote engaged teaching.

The FLTE program began in 2023. Each year, one FLTE will be selected for up to a 3-year term, or renewed, according to the Faculty’s guidelines for the position. Meet the current Fellows and read about their projects below.

FLTE 2025: Dr. Larkin Lamarche

Photo of Prof Larkin Lamarche. Caption provided: Photo with “Big Lonely Doug” on the Traditional territories of the Pacheedaht, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla. “Doug” is a symbol of on-going colonial violence, ecotourism tension, and the fight for preservation and a big reminder of the interconnectedness of all kin.
Larkin

Photo with “Big Lonely Doug” on the Traditional territories of the Pacheedaht, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla. “Doug” is a symbol of on-going colonial violence, ecotourism tension, and the fight for preservation and a big reminder of the interconnectedness of all kin.

Dr. L. Lamarche (they/them), Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream School of Kinesiology & Health Science

Project Description: Land as Pedagogies: Cultivating capacity for Team teaching with Land

The centrality and fundamental significance of Land in any de/uncolonization effort cannot be understated. This project will engage with aspiring/inspiring land-learners to design ways to increase sustainable energy devoted to Land-based pedagogies and cultivate sites of Land-based education.

Co-produce resources to support health-based instructors’ wonder and critical use of Land-based pedagogies in their courses
Expand experiential education opportunities for Faculty of Health students to include Land-based ‘placements’
Cultivate a Faculty of Health Earthwork community of practice
Foster awareness, appreciation, understanding, and innovation in relation to Land-based pedagogies in the Faculty of Health

Below are the interconnected activities of the project.

Conduct an environmental scan (university-wide) to identify current ways instructors teach with Land, and understand successes, hesitations, and challenges of Land-based pedagogies from student and instructor perspectives.
Informed by the environmental scan, a cluster of resources will be co-developed (with students and instructors):
- A workshop series focused on Land as Pedagogies.
- An open access Field Guide for health-based educators, containing Land-based learning pages spanning a breadth of health topics.
Launch Stumped, a collegial consultation process for any course instructor wanting to engage with Land-based pedagogies; as part of the consultation, a group of aspiring/inspiring land-learners will devote focused capacity-building energy to develop and pilot Land-based learning activities to be integrated into courses in the Faculty of Health (learning to be included in the Field Guide, mentioned above).
A storying of successes, hesitations, and challenges of our journey to cultivate sites of Land-based education will be capture throughout the project.

FLTE 2024: Dr. Lynda van Dreumel

Dr. L. van Dreumel, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
School of Health Policy & Management

Project Description: Building student capacity and future readiness through ePortfolios in
the Faculty of Health

ePortfolios play an important role in higher education by providing students with a digital space to connect their learning experiences and achievements. This project engages students and faculty members in the co-creation of a framework for the development and implementation of ePortfolios in courses and curricula within the Faculty of Health.

Provide students with guided curricular opportunities for deeper learning, self-reflection and professional identity formation, and a platform to showcase knowledge and skills as they pursue their next academic or career goal.
Co-creation of a Faculty of Health ePortfolio Framework and Implementation Roadmap for any/all courses or units to guide the inclusion of ePortfolios in their programs.
Development of a set of resources available for students and faculty to build skillsets and capacity for ePortfolio implementation.
Completion of a Proof of Concept project with at least one program adopting and implementing the use of ePortfolios into the curriculum.

Three phases of the project are:

Phase 1: A current state and needs analysis will be completed by engaging students, faculty members, university staff, and community partners to understand:
Phase 2: A Framework for ePortfolio Adoption and a Roadmap for ePortfolio Implementation will be completed and will address:
- High impact practices related to ePortfolio adoption and implementation
- Course and curricular considerations and decision-making criteria when implementing ePortfolios
- Strategies for connecting ePortfolio activities to Course Learning Outcomes, Program Learning Outcomes, and Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations
- Strategies for leveraging the results of ongoing ePortfolio implementation in Program Evaluation and Cyclical Program Reviews
- Digital platform options available and considerations for selection
- Implementation resources and strategies available as open- source digital learning objects
Phase 3: At least one program in the Faculty of Health will participate in a Proof of Concept for implementation of ePortfolios in a course, a series of courses, or across their curriculum.

Results will be disseminated at York and in the broader SoTL community.

Inaugural FLTE 2023: Dr. Julie Conder

Dr. J. Conder, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Psychology

Project Description: Increasing Equity for First-Generation Students in the Faculty of Health (FirstGen: SkillsHub)

This teaching-learning project aims to meet the identified needs of first-generation students through the creation and evaluation of learning and assessment tools.

Increase equity for first-generation and intersectionally marginalized students, by increasing access to resources and community building opportunities
Expand experiential education activities for FoH students through funded positions that produce eLearning module materials
Build and support use of technology-enhanced learning and innovative assessments for first-generation students
Decolonize aspects of curriculum via evidence-based alternate assessment strategies.

Three phases of the project are:

Phase 1: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Study – a survey and focus group approach across all units to examine strengths and challenges in the focus population
Phase 2: Creation of Interactive eLearning Modules and Related Resources – modules will include skill building content aimed at areas identified in Phase 1 and communicated through video, text, animation, quizzing, and links to activities/discussions; will be accessible for students via computers, tablets, and mobile devices via website; other interactive resources will be built
Phase 3: Alternative Assessment Strategies - Ungrading, an innovative and recent pedagogical movement in assessment practice will be measured and compared to traditional assessment across senior-level or capstone courses within the Faculty of Health.

Results will be disseminated at York and in the broader SoTL community.