Teaching Excellence | Strategic Planning

Client: SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology)

Project assignment (design): Work with faculty to design and apply an institution-specific, shared vision of teaching excellence to enhance teaching and curriculum excellence.

Approach: Blended story-based research and Appreciative Inquiry. Over 200 instructors worked together to share stories of Teaching Excellence, then analyzed them to identify elements of excellence. Based on these findings, they went on to create visions and stories for a future of Teaching Excellence. These findings went to Executive Management Council to inform the polytechnic’s strategic plan.

Read the Teaching Excellence Report

Sample story of teaching excellence (shared by an electrical instructor):

“I had this amazing shop teacher in high school who wanted us to understand what would happen if some parts on an engine were connected wrong. So, to make the topic relevant, he set up a demo where he did things incorrectly. He ended up setting off a small, controlled explosion with a series loud bangs. His intent was to grab the attention of a room of 16 year old boys – us, his students. And it worked! Rather than just saying “Don’t do things this way – it’s wrong” he put some weight to the topic, made us see the consequences. Twenty years later I still remember his safety lessons – and I still have all my fingers!”