Guided by MomentUM: Leading Change Together, UM is committed to empowering learners through dynamic learning experiences that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. Investing in SoTL enables instructors and faculty members to examine their teaching practices, incorporate evidence-based findings, and ultimately, improve student success.

The 2025 SoTL Support Fund has awarded five Seed projects, a stream within the scaffolded-funding program which supports time-limited and innovative new teaching and learning research ideas with a budget of up to $6000. These projects span a range of disciplines, each offering an innovative approach to advancing research-based teaching and learning at UM.

Empowering Statistical Minds: Data Exploration for Student Engagement

Project lead: Hina Shaheen, Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science

Bridging the gap between theoretical statistical concepts and real-world applications can be challenging for many Statistics students. Traditional lecture-based approaches often encourage rote memorization of formulas rather than deep understanding. This project will introduce small-group, collaborative experiments using real-world databases, promoting active learning through data exploration and statistical decision-making. The hands-on problem-solving activities aim to strengthen students’ analytical reasoning, decision-making, and statistical interpretation skills. Analysis of students’ behavioural, emotional, and social engagement outcomes will inform and support ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing student success and career readiness.

Live Podcasting in Teacher Education: Amplifying Engagement, Dialogue, and Multimodal Literacies

Project lead: Amir Michalovich, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education

This project examines the extent to which live podcasting in class can cultivate engaging, dialogic, and multimodal classroom discussions for students in teacher education. Given the rapid advancement of generative AI, it is increasingly important to explore classroom-based assignments involving students co-developing and demonstrating their knowledge. While some research has explored the use of pre-recorded or edited podcasts in post-secondary education, it has rarely examined digital multimodal assignments conducted live in class. This study addresses that gap by exploring how these tools can impact student engagement with course content, participation in dialogic learning, and development of communicative skills across multimodal literacies (e.g., speaking, listening, writing, viewing, and representing). 

Team-based collaborative learning from the head to the toes to better health for all

Project lead: Dr. Laura MacDonald, Dental Hygiene, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

This project pilots an interprofessional team-based collaborative experiential learning program aimed at facilitating the integration of oral health within comprehensive health care. It will examine students’ perspectives of a novel interprofessional education (IPE) initiative delivered in a dental clinic setting. Both existing research and the outcomes of a recent Rady Faculty of Health Sciences interprofessional simulation indicate a persistent gap in incorporating oral health within comprehensive health-care practice. Situating this intervention within a dental clinic is intended to help health professional students connect oral health with overall health and roles and responsibilities to ensure comprehensive health care. Findings will offer curriculum IPE developers valuable insights into the key traits students believe support interprofessional collaboration competencies, specifically relationship-focused care, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and collaborative leadership.

Case-Based Learning in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design

Project co-leads: Yuhao Lu, Department of Landscape Architecture and Mark Meagher, Environmental Design Program

In landscape architecture and design education, students often struggle to build and apply an accurate vocabulary for describing spatial patterns. Relying solely on memorized definitions limits students’ abilities to recognize or articulate design intensions in new contexts. Applying case-based learning principles, which emphasize that deeper understanding emerges from exposure to concrete examples, this project will give students access to real-world cases in the form of project drawings and photographs. A curated collection of design patterns and vocabulary will be developed from an extensive database of precedents and enhanced through state-of-the-art machine learning. Students will submit their own sketches, which the system will analyze to generate key vocabulary terms to describe the patterns and examples of related patterns across multiple design disciplines. Pre- and post-project surveys will assess the tool’s impact on students’ design literacy, pattern recognition, and communicative competence.

Collaborative Proof Writing: Enhancing Mathematical Understanding and Communication Skills Through Group-Based Learning

Project lead: Jamie de Jong, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science

Writing mathematical proofs can be a significant challenge for undergraduate students, who must shift from the computational problem-solving emphasized in high school to the formal reasoning required in university mathematics. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of targeted in-class group activities designed to strengthen both mathematical understanding and communication. The activities will focus on analyzing and writing mathematical proofs, with opportunities for immediate feedback from both instructors and peers. While peer feedback is well-established in writing-intensive fields, its application in proof-based mathematics is limited. Surveys and assessments of student performance will be used to measure the effectiveness of this teaching approach.

Learn more about how UM is supporting teaching excellence.

Students shared powerful reflections on the impact their chosen teachers had on their lives, highlighting the dedication, compassion, and humour these educators brought to the classroom. For some, the most influential teachers were also the toughest—those who held them to high standards because they genuinely believed in their ability to succeed.

“My mom went to a parent-teacher conference. I had an excellent report card—except for all the classes I had with one teacher, Ms. Margaret Wiens. My grades in her class were thirty percent lower than every other class,” shared Christine Hay, the outstanding student selected from the Faculty of Education. “The rural school I attended was a Grade 4 to 12 school, with no high school art programming at all. Margaret Wiens was a teacher who saw the value of art in education. So, when I decided in Grade 12, four years later, that I wanted to apply to the School of Art at UM with no arts training at all, it was Ms. Wiens who learned how to build an entrance portfolio and mentored me through the entire process—during her lunches, her preps, and after school. I did end up getting direct entry into the School of Art. It is with deep gratitude that I stand here today and thank you, 23 years later, for showing up every day with grit, for showing me grace, and for being an example of how I hope to show up for my future students.”

Left image from left to right, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student, Ms. Margaret Hart, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding teacher. Right image from left to right, Mr.  Ron Constant, Joe A. Ross School, outstanding teacher, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student

This year’s Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception was held on May 5 bringing together students, their selected teachers, faculty representatives, and invited guests for an afternoon of meaningful celebration. The event was hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and emceed by the Centre’s Director, Dr. Erica Jung.

Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) brought greetings and shared her own reflections on the educators who made a lasting impact in her life. “I think back to my high school teachers’ who encouraged me to recognize potential that I didn’t fully see in myself, and some University Professors who helped shape the direction of my academic life, and ultimately my professional life. These individuals will never fully appreciate or know the impact that they had on me, but I certainly think about them every year when I come to this reception.”

Throughout the afternoon, students spoke not only about the academic guidance they received but also the personal support their teachers offered—support that extended beyond the classroom. Many shared stories of educators who cared deeply, often becoming mentors, role models, and even friends.

Yvonne Fenner, the outstanding student from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, spoke with heartfelt appreciation about the many ways her selected teachers supported her. “It wasn’t only the educational part of this journey that she helped me with. Ms. Margaret Hart was there for me on a personal note, as I have called on her many times in the last two years.” Ms. Margaret Hart, a First Nations Indigenous educator in the health sciences, shared that the presence of Indigenous students carries deep personal significance. “I’m there to nurture the students’ learning, but also, I’m there to nurture their identities too”—a sentiment that reflects a commitment not only to academic growth but to personal and cultural growth as well.

Following the ceremony, attendees had a chance to mingle, take photos, and reflect on the meaningful connections that helped shape their journeys.

Faculty of Law student Alessandro Potenza put it best: “I know that we were not uniquely smart, but instead, that we had a uniquely exceptional teacher.” A sentiment echoed by many—while talent may open the door, it’s great educators who help students walk through it.

For a full list of award recipients, please visit our webpage.

Oobleck pool!

Science Rendezvous is hosted by the UM Faculty of Science along with our campus and community partners. But the stars of the show are the more than 400 fantastic volunteers who make the event possible. We cannot wait to welcome you back for an exciting day filled with engaging science shows and booths. This is Winnipeg’s biggest and most remarkable science outreach event of the year!

Giant bubble trap!

Ready to get your hands dirty? Trap a person inside a giant bubble made of soap, water and glycerin. Run fast over our popular oobleck pool and don’t stop, or you will sink (up to your ankles)! Use plastic spoons to catch and release various critters from Oak Hammock Marsh.

Need a less messy activity? Visit us at the “Atomic Curiosities” booth to learn about radioactivity. Explore the “Math Mania” booth for brain-boosting math puzzles and games no matter how old you are. Or join us for a calm space to look at jaw-dropping rocks and fossils!

Look at the sun through the telescope!

This year’s theme is Wonder! We invite you to fuel your curiosity and look through our telescopes to view the sun. Learn more about polar bears at the “Polar Bears on Thin Ice” booth. Challenge yourself to code and move a pre-built robot arm. Or use small solar panels to light up little lights and sound buzzers!

Chemistry show!

With more than 50 science booths, our volunteers are excited to show kids the magic of science. But they are also secretly hoping to see the spark of curiosity and delight on adults’ faces, too. Whether you are bringing kids or coming on your own, we have something for you, and we are excited to see you there!

This event is FREE to attend, and no sign-ups are necessary except for science shows. To learn more, visit our website.

Sign up to volunteer for Science Rendezvous!

Discover Days 2025, an invite-only version of Science Rendezvous, intended for schools only, happens April 29th and 30th this year. We encourage you to also choose to volunteer for Discover Days when you are filling out the Science Rendezvous volunteer application.

We hear the same message when talking to Shaun Lui, professor and department head, about the various research areas the mathematics department focuses on and the efforts to hire brilliant young faculty members whose research makes national and international impact along with applying novel teaching approaches in classrooms.

To learn more about the department of mathematics and to hear about the student experience, please visit the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.

“As educators, many of us wonder if our teaching is effective. By carrying out a (SoTL) research project, we can gain many valuable insights. Designing the project gives us the opportunity to reflect carefully on our teaching methods, and partnering with a collaborator from another disciplinary background can open up new and valuable perspectives.” Wang worked with Brenda Stoesz, Research Lead – Science of Teaching and Learning at the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, to study the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in student learning of mathematical proofs.

As Wang explained, the ability to read, write and understand mathematical proofs are essential to the study of mathematics, yet students often struggle to grasp foundational mathematical concepts and appropriately use mathematical symbols and language. As the use of generative AI becomes more popular, it is important to understand its benefits and limitations in education. Their research project focused on (1) whether generative AI tools can support students’ learning of mathematical proofs, and (2) whether these tools could increase engagement in the classroom.

Conducting the study

As a SoTL Teaching Scholar, Wang committed 40 per cent of one term to complete the project while the Faculty of Science received funding for a course replacement instructor.

Over the duration of the term, Wang introduced biweekly assignments to her class which involved revising a flawed mathematical proof generated by ChatGPT, followed by group discussion and review. By the end of the course, their analysis showed that students were able to develop the skills required to use the tools effectively and identify errors appropriately. Student responses were collected, by survey and interviews, to assess student engagement with the activities.

Overall, the study led to significant learnings for Wang on how to incorporate AI tools to support student learning.

What is SoTL?

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is the systematic study of teaching and learning to improve student outcomes and optimize educational experiences in post-secondary environments.

“The SoTL Support Fund supports innovative research that seeks to understand and enhance teaching and learning practices. The results have a meaningful impact on the learning experience of UM students and contribute to a growing field of study in post-secondary education.” says Mark Torchia, Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning). “I encourage those who are eligible to consider how you can engage in this scholarship.”

Apply for the SoTL Support Fund – Teaching Scholar award

The SoTL Support Fund – Teaching Scholar award provides opportunities for professors, instructors and librarians to develop their portfolios related to educational leadership and teaching innovation. Successful applicants receive support to pursue a SoTL project and develop their teaching expertise through working with faculty and staff at the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

Successful recipients can choose to commit 40 per cent release time in one term or 20 per cent release time over two terms to complete their SoTL research project. The recipient’s home unit will receive funding for a course replacement instructor(s).

Applications are open now for the SoTL Support Fund – Teaching Scholar, with a deadline of September 16, 2024.

New to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning?

The University of Manitoba offers a variety of resources to support your SoTL journey. The SoTL Development Fund is for scholars who are new to SoTL, featuring an opportunity to attend the 2024 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in November in Banff, Alberta.

Find the full program criteria on the SoTL Development Fund intranet webpage. The application deadline is also September 16, 2024.

“If you just look a bit further, think a bit further, there is interesting stuff beneath the surface,” says Xinli Wang (Chinese Singaporean), an instructor at the department of mathematics, while she enthusiastically tells us how her curiosity got her interested in science. Join us, watch the interview and be inspired as we talk with Wang and other members of our community, celebrating the Asian Heritage Month.

Register now for the Solar + Storage seminar.

This seminar is free but registration is required. Light refreshments will be served.

A short description of the seminar

Canadian Solar is constantly examining the emergence of solar + storage across global markets. It is a fact that the demand for renewable energy sources continues to surge. We have seen the installed storage capacity double in the past year and anticipate that the new technologies powered by AI will further accelerate these trends.​ This surge underscores the importance of integrating energy solutions to ensure grid stability and reliability. 

​This seminar will include the following and more:

• The global trends in solar energy and the future of solar + storage, as we see it from the business and the technical perspective
• Acknowledging the impact of Dr. Shawn Qu in the renewable energy sector​
• Sharing a case study: the future is already happening and Canadian Solar is contributing to the advancement of clean energy

About the speaker

Colin Parkin, President, e-STORAGE

Colin Parkin is the President of e-STORAGE, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. He has been a driving force in Canadian Solar’s journey for the past fifteen years and a key contributor to its remarkable growth and success. Colin is renowned for his ability to build and lead teams across multiple markets, advancing technology, product development and integrating solar and energy storage opportunities. With a keen eye for innovation and a passion for sustainable energy solutions, Colin has played a pivotal role in driving the solar + storage revolution and expanding the business into global markets.

Mr. Parkin has extensive management experience in renewable energy, energy storage and photovoltaic solar sectors in both Canadian and international markets. His expertise includes project development and management, structured project finance and engineering procurement construction management.

Previously, Mr. Parkin served as Vice President of the Energy Group at Canadian Solar Inc. In this role, he oversaw the development of an operationally asset-managed 8-gigawatt project pipeline across various global regions. He was involved in significant asset sales and project financing transactions with top investment groups and lenders.

Before joining Canadian Solar, Mr. Parkin worked at Photowatt International, developing high-volume manufacturing processes for photovoltaic solar modules using advanced Spheral Silicon technology. He also managed the design and integration of capital equipment for a new photovoltaic module production process.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Parkin worked at Automation Tooling Systems (ATS), coordinating the development and commercialization of advanced medical diagnostic equipment, where he collaborated with doctors, engineers and scientists to bring sophisticated diagnostic systems to market.

Mr. Parkin founded and served as CEO of Integrated Manufacturing Technologies (IMT), where he led the business development and expansion of automated manufacturing solutions for the automotive industry.

Mr. Parkin studied Manufacturing Engineering at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada.
Colin Parkin’s leadership and innovative approach have significantly contributed to the growth and success of Canadian Solar Inc. in the renewable energy industry.

About e-STORAGE

e-STORAGE is a subsidiary of Canadian Solar specializing in designing, manufacturing and integrating battery energy storage systems for utility-scale applications. The company offers its proprietary LFP battery solution, Solbank, comprehensive EPC services and innovative solutions to enhance grid operations and integrate clean energy. e-STORAGE has successfully implemented over 4.5 GWh DC of battery energy storage solutions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China. The Company operates two fully automated, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities with an annual production capacity of 20 GWh.

About Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world’s largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery energy storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery energy storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 22 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered over 118 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built, and connected around 10 GWp of solar power projects and 3.3 GWh of battery energy storage projects across the world. Currently, the Company has approximately 1 GWp of solar power projects in operation, 7.4 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 19.9 GWp of projects in the advanced and early-stage pipeline. In addition, the Company has 600 MWh of battery energy storage projects in operation and a total battery energy storage project development pipeline of approximately 55 GWh, including approximately 3.5 GWh under construction or in backlog, and an additional 51 GWh at advanced and early-stage development. Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit www.canadiansolar.com.

It is essential to note that while this transformative process unfolds, certain academic departments and administrative offices, including the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, along with the Faculty of Science Dean’s Office (including advisors), will undergo temporary relocation. However, our dedication to providing uninterrupted support and services to our valued students and community remains steadfast.

We are here to provide timely updates and assist you as we go through this. For the latest updates and information, please refer to our new web page Machray Hall redevelopment, follow us on social media and keep an eye on digital signs across campus.

If there are any issues in terms of accessibility, please reach out to the General Offices of your department, your course instructors or the Accessibility Office.