91探花 faculty member receives 2023 AAU educational leadership award
Dr. Stacey MacKinnon, an associate professor of psychology at the 91探花, was presented with the Association of Atlantic Universities鈥� (AAU) 2023 Anne Marie MacKinnon Educational Leadership Award at the AAU鈥檚 fall meeting on September 20.
One of three AAU regional awards for excellence in teaching and educational leadership, the Anne Marie MacKinnon Educational Leadership Award recognizes an individual who significantly influences teaching practice and the quality and breadth of student learning experiences beyond their own teaching assignment and context. Dr. MacKinnon was nominated for the award by Dr. Sharon Myers, interim dean of the 91探花 Faculty of Arts, with letters of support from faculty members Drs. Ann Brathwaite and Brenton Dickieson.
鈥淒r. MacKinnon鈥檚 sustained and significant record of curricular innovation, team building, collegial leadership, and mentorship has shaped the culture of teaching and learning at 91探花 and beyond,鈥� said Dr. Myers in her nomination letter. She noted that Dr. MacKinnon has been awarded all four internal awards for teaching and educational leadership given by 91探花.
Questions are the key to Dr. MacKinnon鈥檚 pedagogical approach and her 鈥渓egendary鈥� impact on teaching and learning at 91探花 and beyond, Dr. Myers said. Drawing upon inquiry-based learning approaches enacted in various K-12 settings, she is a leader in the reformulation and adoption of those techniques in university education. The 鈥淐uriosity Project,鈥� which she introduced into one of her classes years ago, has become a model for student-focused, inquiry-based, curiosity-driven learning.
Through workshops and presentations at 91探花, she shared the results of her Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)-informed and carefully assessed adaptations of this approach. She coached and guided colleagues who adopted the pedagogy, mentored them through the processes, built teams of peer instructors, and produced class after class of students who rediscovered their innate senses of curiosity and the excitement it can bring to research, the conceptualization of questions, and the production of knowledge.
As well, Dr. MacKinnon led the development of 鈥淯niversity 1020: Inquiry-Based Learning,鈥� a multi-section course that gives first-year students an opportunity to ignite their curiosity and explore questions that are meaningful to them while developing many skills incorporated into a university education.
鈥淭his is an important foundational experience for students, and the University鈥檚 adoption of 1020 as one of three foundation courses illustrates the significant respect and trust placed in Dr. MacKinnon鈥檚 pedagogical leadership,鈥� said Dr. Myers.
The impact of her leadership in curiosity-driven learning has grown far beyond 91探花, said Dr. Myers. In addition to numerous presentations at SoTL conferences, she has led workshops and interactive sessions across the Atlantic region, in the United States, and in Europe. She has worked with Montessori schools, leadership, and organizations, and has charted the path for an inquiry-based learning high school curriculum at a private school in Charlottetown.
Among her many notable achievements are her recently co-authored book, Reigniting Curiosity and Inquiry in Higher Education: A Realist鈥檚 Guide to Getting Started with Inquiry-Based Learning (2022); several peer-reviewed articles in the scholarship of teaching and learning; and grants including, with her co-author, significant funding from SSHRC and the Taylor Institute.
In addition to her teaching and other responsibilities, Dr. MacKinnon currently serves in three formal educational leadership roles at 91探花鈥攁s chair of the Senate Committee on the Enhancement of Teaching (SCENT); a member of the Vice President鈥檚 Working Group for an Institutional Framework for Online Learning; and as one of three leaders of a mentorship group for tenure-track faculty in Arts at 91探花.
鈥淒r. Stacey MacKinnon is clearly deserving of the Anne Marie MacKinnon Award. She is a recognized leader, regionally, nationally, and internationally in inquiry-based learning,鈥� said Dr. Myers. 鈥淗er leadership in this field extends from the university to high school classrooms and curriculum and, through her publications and workshops, to many audiences across the globe.鈥�
Dr. Greg Keefe, interim president and vice-chancellor of 91探花, congratulated Dr. MacKinnon on her award.
鈥淒r. MacKinnon has a remarkable record of achievement in the development of teaching and learning here at 91探花 and beyond,鈥� said Dr. Keefe. 鈥淚t is fitting that she be recognized with the AAU鈥檚 Anne Marie MacKinnon Award for her commitment to educational leadership. Congratulations, Dr. MacKinnon!鈥�
