Educators from across disciplines and campuses will gather on Memorial’s St. John’s campus for a day of reflection, conversation, transformation and community-building on April 27.

Memorial’s Chairs in Teaching and Learning are planning and leading the one-day event, which will feature engaging activities and discussion sessions, and a keynote address from special guest Dr. David Helfand of Columbia University.

Janet Goosney, event lead and Chair in Teaching and Learning (Library), says the goal is to create an opportunity for educators across Memorial to come together to reflect, recharge and begin some new conversations about teaching.

“We want this day to be about community, and about supporting the teaching and learning culture at Memorial,” she said.

“We’ve tried to be creative — one might say transformative — in designing the event. So, instead of a speaker lineup, the day will focus on a series of conversations and activities, facilitated by the teaching chairs, but driven by participants. Everyone will be involved and engaged throughout the day, and we hope they will end the day feeling inspired and energized.”

Effective and engaging education

Keynote speaker Dr. Helfand is an educator, astronomer and former president of Quest University Canada, the country’s first independent, non-profit, secular university.

His talk will focus on how universities can create the most effective and engaging education for today’s students who will graduate into a rapidly changing, globalized world.

Dr. Helfand’s recently released book, A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age, provides the essential tools informed citizens must acquire to combat the tsunami of mis- and dis-information that threatens rational approaches to personal decision-making and the formation of good public policy.

Registration now open

The event is open to all educators at all campuses of Memorial University. Space is limited and registration closes on April 24. For full details visit the Teaching and Learning website.

The event will take place in room 1M102 in the Faculty of Medicine on the St. John’s campus. Please contact Janet Goosney via email or telephone at 709-864-3166 for details on how to participate remotely from another Memorial campus.

Register online now.