Discover the techniques and practices of outstanding teachers at UBC

Dr. Cheryl Segaric

School of Nursing
MHLP511: Curriculum Development in Clinical Education

Promoting Critical Reflection & Personal Meaning

What do we know about ourselves as educators? How do we know? Why is this important?

Why did you choose this slide?

I believe learning is what happens as we engage with self, others and our environment – knowledge is socially created. With that in mind, I chose photos from one of my classes, combined with critical reflective questions used to prompt class discussion. I feel that this best depicts how I strive to create a collaborative learning environment by encouraging the sharing of ideas related to course/learning material. I try to stimulate discussion that provides students with opportunities to reflect on and in their practice and make salient connections to content that facilitates their personal and professional growth.

What are you aiming to convey with it?

In the context of my style of teaching, I am aiming to convey the importance of active engagement not only with content but also with each other…and I am also trying to role model that.

In the context of the reflective questions, I aim to increase student awareness regarding their philosophy about teaching/learning. This is also a follow-up to the completion of the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) (Pratt & Collins, 1998). It is valuable for them to gain insight about the importance of knowing or being sensitive to how their thinking about teaching and learning informs their interactions with others as teachers and educational leaders – particularly concerning curriculum development/reform work.

How do you think it contributes to student learning?

Creating space for dialogue provides opportunities to make explicit the relevance of content to practice, allowing students to draw on current knowledge and experience while discovering new ways to think about key concepts under consideration. This contributes to professional growth in a variety of ways (e.g. developing critical reflective skills and fostering respectful, collaborative communities of practice).

View Dr. Cheryl Segaric’s one-minute presentation on their teaching practice.