We describe a detailed program evaluation for a University-wide teaching and learning grants program at a Canadian research-intensive university. This work was designed to determine if the program is driving the types of changes in practice it was designed to support. We administered a survey that included yes/no response and Likert-scale…

Metacognition--the processes whereby learners assess and monitor their progress in learning (metacognitive monitoring, MM) and use these judgements of learning to make choices about what to study in the future (metacognitive control, MC)--has been shown to be beneficial to learning. However, effective learning also relies on metacognitive…

This pilot study explored undergraduate students' experiences with goal setting and time management. We embedded a series of mandatory planning and reflection assignments into two undergraduate courses. Assignments were unique to each course, but emphasized goal setting, planning and time management, and reflection. Qualitative analyses revealed…

We developed and launched an online, course-integrated module called Growth & Goals aimed to help students better develop evidence-based learning skills. The module focuses on five main concepts: self-regulated learning, goal-setting, metacognition, mindfulness, and mindsets (growth and fixed continuum). Growth & Goals is an open education…

As key components of self-regulated learning, metacognition and goal orientation have been tied to improvements in academic achievement. Some research supports a bidirectional relationship between metacognition and goal orientation in which they promote each other as well as learning outcomes. We created a learning philosophy assignment (LP) to…

Numerous studies exist on how and to what extent course instructors in higher education are embedding or directly teaching writing, learning and information literacy skills in their courses (Cilliers, 2012; Crosthwaite et al., 2006; Mager & Spronken-Smith, 2014). Yet, disparity within the literature demonstrates that there is no consistent…

Working within a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) perspective requires a rigorous approach based on conceptual frameworks in order to build on previous developments. Nevertheless, in health sciences education, the development, implementation, and evaluation of many educational innovations are carried out without an underlying conceptual…

We found that actively engaging students in our introductory microbiology course was a challenge given our large class sizes and many non-majors taking the course as a program requirement. Therefore, we introduced a novel active learning strategy to our course. Students grouped into teams of three had to create PowerPoint virtual posters on one of…

It is well known that university students with ineffective learning strategies and low motivation are at risk for lowered grades and stress. Given the needs of these students, Mount St. Vincent University developed the Student Success Course (SSC), a 14-week intervention that offers instruction in learning strategies, selfmanagement, and…

This study sought to provide a better understanding of how lecture capture technology is used by students and how its use is related to student satisfaction, attendance, and academic performance. Using a mixed method design with both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data, instruments included a student questionnaire, interviews and…

There is ample theoretical justification for incorporating reflection exercises as a tool for preparing students for life beyond university, yet the utility of such exercises needs to be documented if resources are to be devoted to their implementation. This study describes the implementation and evaluates the effectiveness of a reflection…

It has been argued that for novice students to acquire a full understanding of scientific texts, they also need to pursue a recurrent construction of their comprehension of scientific concepts. The course dossier method has students examine concepts in multiple passes: (a) through reflective writing on text before it is considered in the…

With a view to improving the quality of class discussions of assigned articles, I implemented a new way of organizing small group seminars in an undergraduate early childhood education course. The seminars were led by student facilitators and had a balance of accountability and autonomy. Mid-way through the course, the students reflected…

A first year non-majors biology course, with an enrollment of around 440 students, has been redesigned from a course of traditional content and teaching style to one that emphasizes biological concepts in current global issues and incorporates active learning strategies. We were informed by the education literature incorporating many aspects of…

Developing learners' ability to self-regulate their own learning has been an ideal sought after by researchers and practitioners alike. Over the past 40 years a plethora of educational psychology research on self-regulated learning (SRL) has flooded the literature. In this article I attempt to consolidate key theories from this literature base and…