It’s different now. Today’s learning environments extend substantially beyond the traditional classroom. Students seek a wide range of options for their post-secondary education that recognizes their diverse lives and professional circumstances. As the global digital transformation and economic integration unfolds, universities must shift perspective and approaches to address present and future student and faculty needs. As an educational leader developing innovative responses to changes in our environment KPU fosters a direct engagement with external organizations, communities and industry and prepares learners for still-emerging practice futures.
Expert teachers actively work on their teaching through various forms of professional development including participating in professional learning communities of peers that encourage research-informed exchanges between faculty and diverse KPU researchers. As stewards of a resolute educational calling we will support and resource our instructors with the most current and effective technologies and coaching tools such as e-portfolios to enable the very best for our students. We will incentivize, recognize and celebrate the achievements of our educators. We will explore the fertile synergy between teaching and research, between core knowledge and experiential learning.
Educational research has proven that student achievement and success improve when integrated approaches to program planning, teaching and assessment are explicitly linked to teaching quality, enriched curriculum and program currency. Our aim is to have students partake of vibrant KPU classroom environments conducive to developing the skills needed to become lifelong, independent and self-regulated learners. KPU’s approach to teaching excellence, already a distinguishing feature of our delivery, will be further infused with corresponding plans and strategies developed to address Teaching and Learning, Research, Bridging Trades and the Academy, Internationalization, Indigenization, Open Education and the evolving transformation of the British Columbia K-12 curriculum.
As a teaching university we embrace quality programming and promote teaching excellence as foundational elements in addressing the needs of our diverse learners. We bring this to life by promoting an academic culture rooted in the synergies between teaching, learning, research and scholarship and in doing so we deepen our calling and extend our scope.
"Sustained excellence seldom happens serendipitously. It is generally the result of a compelling vision, clear goals, careful planning, and a commitment to follow through. It often requires a willingness to embrace ambiguity, persist in the face of disappointments, adapt as necessary, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders."
Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering Education: Phase 1 Report, (ASEE 2009), p.10.
Teaching & Learning
Teaching and Learning at KPU will concentrate on advancing our practice through our educators, our students, our learning environments and our infrastructure. We will pursue and activate our unique polytechnic university identity and teaching goals via four central areas of focus:
Diversity
Diversity refers to the range of considerations educators have available today to excel in teaching; the diversity of our student population and their need to succeed; the variety of learning environments to best meet learning outcomes, access and expectations about curricular options.
Quality
Quality is achieved through continuous enrichment towards teaching excellence. By carefully monitoring and measuring student success and by developing institution-wide strategic planning, standards and corresponding infrastructure we will effectively and efficiently resource and establish appropriate learning environments for our students’ experience.
Connection
As we activate our tag line “where thought meets action” we will cultivate connections through continuous interaction within and outside of KPU. Intentional connections will be sought to provide students with more learning opportunities, enrich teaching excellence, promote research and scholarship, strengthen partnerships at home and abroad and to showcase our collective efforts and enhance KPU’s reputation.
Distinctiveness
Distinctiveness builds on KPU’s status as a unique polytechnic university in Canada. To differentiate ourselves we must equip our range of educators with training and opportunities to advance their teaching practice and leadership, encourage specialized programs (e.g. Advanced Manufacturing, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Brewing, Sustainable Agriculture, Indigenous Community Justice) and provide learners the means to engage in scholarship enriched by research for more holistic learning experiences. KPU increases its global competitiveness by responding to global education and skills needs.
"There is, I think, no point in the philosophy of progressive education which is sounder than its emphasis upon the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purposes which direct their activities in the learning process..."
Experience and Education, John Dewey (Collier-Macmillan, 1963), p.67.
Goal 2: Advance Teaching Practices
Strategy 2.1
Support and enable teaching excellence and the use of research-informed research practices.
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Strategy 2.2
Integrate structures and resources to support teaching excellence and engaged learning.
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Strategy 2.3
Equip educators with skills and knowledge and further develop their teaching expertise through ongoing PD activities.
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Strategy 2.4
Assist educators to create more opportunities for faculty-led, student engagement in active learning and experiential learning.
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Strategy 2.5
Provide a range of learning environments and advance our existing classroom, technology-enhanced and online learning environments.
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Strategy 2.6
Pursue and develop a new approach to adult learning education recognizing the need for alternative delivery modes capable of addressing the challenges and obstacles for this learner group.
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Strategy 2.7
Actively establish community partnerships in relation to teaching and learning.
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Strategy 2.8
Leverage and build on internal expertise.
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