Technology-enhanced, Experiential, and Active Learning (TEAL) Joint Sub-Committee

The technology-enhanced, experiential, and active learning (TEAL) committee is a joint subcommittee of the Lassonde Faculty Council Learning, Curriculum and Students (LCS) Committee and the Lassonde Faculty Council Planning, Academic Resources & Research (PARR) Committee. The TEAL committee is responsible for initiating, developing and promoting technology-enhanced learning, eLearning, experiential education, and active learning in the Lassonde School of Engineering.

2.1. TEAL initiates advances in teaching and learning, by identifying relevant best-practices and innovative approaches & technologies (at York and globally) that are likely to enhance student learning in line with Lassonde’s academic priorities. TEAL will evaluate initiatives to: assess their likely impact, identify implementation resource requirements, and align with Lassonde academic priorities, to make implementation recommendations.

2.2. TEAL encourages and supports faculty-led initiatives about eLearning, experiential education and active learning. This includes facilitating the process for internal teaching & learning grants (such as the Lassonde Educational Equipment Fund (LEEF)) and providing feedback on applications to programs external to Lassonde (such as the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF)).

2.3. TEAL catalyzes the successful deployment of prioritized initiatives by: building stakeholder engagement, supporting pilot implementation, and embedding performance measures that will contribute to making recommendations about broader deployment. During pilot implementation, TEAL will play a critical role in ensuring required implementation and training resources are available to maximize the likelihood of success.

2.4. TEAL encourages the adoption of innovative approaches (and best-practices in higher education) in line with Lassonde academic priorities, by encouraging engaged faculty to share their experiences (novel practices and/or the results of pilot projects) to encourage wide scale adoption and maximize their impact on teaching and learning at Lassonde.

• Definition of eLearning
“The development of knowledge and skills through the use of information and communication technologies to support interactions for learning with content, learning activities and with other people” (York University, Common Language for eLearning, 2014) https://avptl.info.yorku.ca/files/2017/03/2014-03-26-CommonLanguage-for-eLearning.pdf

• Definition of Experiential Education (EE)
“EE is an approach to learning that bridges theory and practice by providing students with concrete applied practical experiences and then helping them to reflect on their experiences using the theoretical knowledge they have learned” (York University, Common Language for Experiential Education, 2018) https://avptl.info.yorku.ca/files/2019/10/2018-02-01-Common-Language-for-EE-HB_edited.pdf

• Definition of Active Learning
“Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process… While this definition could include traditional activities such as homework, in practice active learning refers to activities that are introduced into the classroom. The core elements of active learning are student activity and engagement in the learning process. Active learning is often contrasted to the traditional lecture where students passively receive information from the instructor.” (Prince 2004)
Prince, M. (2004). Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research. Journal of engineering education,
93(3), 223-231 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x)

The Committee recognizes the importance of cultivating a culture of fairness, equity, diversity and inclusion. The Committee ensures that these essential principles are integrated into the School’s/Committee’s policies, programs, operations and practices.

5.1. Meetings and Protocols

• Meetings are open to members of the Lassonde community, subject to the availability of space
• When the committee considers matters relating to specific individuals or to other matters where confidentiality must be observed, the committee may, in the notice for a meeting, declare part of a meeting to be closed or in camera.
• When the committee meets in camera, only committee members may be present.
• The Lassonde Faculty Council has adopted “York University Rules of Senate” to guide and inform its governance structure and operations.
• This committee shall make its decisions based on a simple majority of those members present and voting at a duly constituted meeting
• Committee members will notify the Chair/Secretary if they will be absent from a meeting.

5.2. Chair and Vice-Chair
• The Chair of TEAL is responsible for providing leadership to the committee in pursuit of its mandate.
The Chair presides at all committee meetings, acts as the official spokesperson for the committee, and ensures that the committee operates in conformity with the rules enacted by Faculty Council and Senate.
• In the case of the absence or illness of the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the committee may appoint one of the members of the committee to act as Chair pro tempore and for such period the member so appointed shall act as, and have all the powers of, the Chair.

5.3. Quorum
• Per Senate rules, the quorum shall consist of a majority of voting members.

5.4. Timing and Frequency of Meetings
• TEAL meetings take place monthly from September to June.
• The committee may conduct additional meetings as warranted by committee business.

5.5. Standing Orders
• The conduct of the business of the meeting shall be subject to the “York University Rules of Senate”

5.6. Agenda, Administration, and Minutes
• The administration of the committee shall be taken up by the Secretary to the Committee.
• All records of the meetings, including the minutes, shall be retained in accordance with the Common Records Schedule (CRS) for Faculty Councils (ADG15) and Faculty Council Committees (ADG17) under York University’s Information, Privacy and Copyright Office.
• The Committee Administrator shall be responsible for ensuring correspondence and decisions made by the Committee are available to relevant people or bodies, including the membership of sub-committees and secretaries of relevant Faculty Councils.

5.7. Voting
• All members of the committee are voting members unless specifically indicated otherwise. Ex-officio and elected/appointed members have the same voting rights.
• Voting may be in person or by e-vote.
• Pursuant to the discretion of the Chair, members may be permitted to vote by means of an electronic communication (e-vote) which enables the votes to be gathered in a manner that permits their subsequent verification

TEAL will submit an annual report to LCS and PARR and provide other business to LCS & PARR as it arises.

Version Number: Technology-enhanced, experiential, and active learning (TEAL) V.1.0

Approved By: Faculty Council

Date: May 2020