Presentation /

You Can Change the World!

In this delivery presented at the 2021 Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference for university faculty, I attempt to share some of the pedagogical methods I adopt and implement in my teaching, that have proven effective in enhancing student engagement, inclusion, participation and motivation. I also share some of the positive results and feedback from students, and why these should make us proud of the work we do.

The presentation generally targets the following areas: the crucially important skills of analytical reasoning and critical thinking; the fostering and acquisition of a global mindset; an approach to learning that is founded on the understanding of the course’s concepts (even when narrow or microscopic) and their consequent logical application, rather than a utilitarian or overly specialized approach to knowledge and the subject material; a broadminded appreciation of the link of the specific course material (whatever its nature) to the holistic and interconnected nature of the body of knowledge across disciplines; the benefits of continuously improving one’s knowledge and intellectual formation; the potential we all have to make a positive impact around us, in ways big and small and with far-reaching consequences often hidden to us; and so on. And - very importantly, in the midst of all of that - the conviction that learning can be - and as far as possible, should be made - fun, without compromising the profundity and rigor of the process and the learning material.◼︎