This year’s recipients of the Brock University Tribute to Teaching awards share similar philosophies in the classroom.
Both Lydia Chen and Paula Gardner prefer a hands-on approach when it comes to getting their message across.
For Gardner, who won the Brock University Award for Excellence in Teaching for Early Career Faculty, “experience is at the root of understanding.”
Whether it’s bringing in a guest speaker or going into the community for research projects, the Department of Health Sciences professor brings experiential learning into the classroom as much as possible.
“That’s at the root of their learning and that’s what they’re going to take away,” Gardner said. “They’re not going to remember a lot of what they learn in terms of theory, but the practical application of it I think sticks with them long after they’ve left me.”
Gardner’s award recognizes the contributions to teaching undertaken by a new faculty member who is in the first five years of a tenure-track position.
