The 3M National Teaching Fellowship: A high impact community of practice in higher education

Anita Acai; Arshad Ahmad; Nancy Fenton; Leah Graystone; Keegan Phillips; Ron Smith; Denise Stockley

doi:10.20343/teachlearninqu.6.2.5

Authors

Anita Acai McMaster University http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9901-2946
Arshad Ahmad McMaster University
Nancy Fenton McMaster University
Leah Graystone McMaster University
Keegan Phillips McMaster University
Ron Smith Concordia University
Denise Stockley Queen's University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.6.2.5

Keywords:

Teaching, Leadership, Award, Fellowship, Impact

Abstract

The 3M National Teaching Fellowship is a national teaching award program that has recognized over 300 teachers at more than 80 Canadian universities for their teaching excellence and outstanding educational leadership. Despite its rich, 30 plus-year history, its impact has remained largely anecdotal. In this study, we build on Hannah and Lester’s (2009) original, multilevel approach that looks at interactions between the individual, network, and systems levels to explore the impact of the 3M National Teaching Fellowship program on furthering and enriching teaching and learning in higher education. Through the analysis of a large collection of program artefacts corroborated with in-depth interviews with 11 fellows (key informants), we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which the program has had impact at the individual (micro), departmental (meso), institutional (macro), and national/international (mega) levels. In this article, we outline our scholarly exploration of the program’s influence and explore its role as a high-impact community of practice in higher education.

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Author Biographies

Anita Acai, McMaster University

Anita Acai is a PhD candidate at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and student scholar at the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation & Excellence in Teaching. She maintains active research interests in health professions education, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and issues related to gender equity and work-life integration in higher education.

Arshad Ahmad, McMaster University

Arshad Ahmad is vice-chancellor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. He was formerly vice-provost, teaching and learning and director of the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation & Excellence in Teaching, at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is also the former president of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Nancy Fenton, McMaster University

Nancy Fenton is an educational developer at the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation & Excell ence in Teaching at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and holds an assistant clinical professor position in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster. She is a qualitative researcher interested in critical methodologies and has published and worked in both higher education and health.

Leah Graystone, McMaster University

Leah Graystone’s MSc research [at McMaster University in Canada] focused on the relationship between the legislative environment (Sabrina’s Law) and the everyday experiences of students with anaphylaxis. She ha s experience in a range of fields, including public health, education, and business. She is presently working as the coordinator for events and highly qualified personnel at AllerGenNCE Inc.

Keegan Phillips, McMaster University

Keegan Phillips was an MSc student at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and research assistant at the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation & Excellence at the time of this study. His research interests include public health, epidemiology, and study design.

Ron Smith, Concordia University

Ron Smith is professor emeritus of education at Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, and past chair of the 3M Council of National Teaching Fellows. He directed Concordia’s Centre for Teaching and Learning Services for 24 years.

Denise Stockley, Queen's University

Denise Stockley is professor and scholar in higher education with the Office of the Provost, seconded to the Faculty of Health Sciences, and cross-appointed to the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She is the current president of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

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