Reflections on Humber's Rich Learning Culture

By: Ted Glenn, Ph.D., Professor of Public Administration and Program Coordinator at The Business School, Humber College

  

Krems an der Donau, Austria

April 25, 2014: From a teaching perspective, one of the things that is so interesting to observe here at the Krems IMC Master Days is teaching styles. At Humber, I’m used to seeing in my colleagues and using myself a full variety of teaching methodologies—traditional lecture, Q&A, debates, in-class group work and assignments, student presentations, simulations, online supplemented learning, asynchronous and synchronous online learning, etc.

Professionally, I feel fortunate to be immersed in such diversity and feel that it enhances my ability to contribute to learning each and every day. The culture that produces this diversity—which I believe stems from what former President Squee Gordon described as a “hire well and get the hell out of the way” philosophy—encourages and supports both risk-taking and innovation in teaching. That, I am convinced, benefits both teachers and students alike.

What I see at IMC Masters Days is the instructors using mostly traditional teaching methodologies like lecturing and Q&As. But don’t misunderstand the point of my observation here: the presenters at the IMC Masters Days are very, very knowledgeable in their fields and do a very, very good job of delivering material to students using traditional methods. And students are receptive and engaged with the presenters—they are used to traditional delivery styles and respond well to them. My experience watching my colleagues present here, though, leaves me with more respect for the culture of teaching and learning that exists at Humber and how much that culture has contributed to my own development as a trainer and educator. It is a sense of that legacy that I will seek to impart to the participants in my session on leadership this afternoon.

Humber professor Alain Londes at IMC Master Days in Krems.