Tales of a Teacher: Ian Rowlands

by Hina Ahmed. This is the third of three Centre for Teaching Excellence Teaching Stories that will run in the Daily Bulletin this week.

A successful contestant on CBC’s Dragons’ Den – a reality-based show in which up-and-coming entrepreneurs are given a few minutes to pitch their business ideas to real investors – needs to be poised, persuasive, and mentally agile. One could argue that these character attributes come naturally to some people and not to others. However, for Dr. Ian Rowlands, these traits are definitely transferable and teachable, and they are ones that he strives to cultivate in his students.

In his course, Corporate Sustainability, Rowlands gives students the opportunity to make a 90-second pitch as a green business entrepreneur in a classroom version of Dragons’ Den. Other students assume alternative roles such as VP of Sustainability, or they advocate a particular policy position or interest-group perspective. This interactive role-playing gets students to fully engage with the issue, encouraging them to develop their capacity to listen, persuade, and negotiate, but doing so in a professional and supportive environment.

Rowlands, a Distinguished Teacher Award recipient, makes it easy for students to connect with their course content. In his course, Energy Decision-Making, Rowlands asks students to express their knowledge via a popular medium of their choice, such as a policy brief, a public-service commercial, a YouTube video, an Op-Ed cartoon, or any other media intended for a non-specialist audience. By letting students choose research topics that interest them, and by giving them multiple avenues to communicate their understanding, Rowlands puts the students in the driver’s seat of their own academic success.

Rowlands, who is currently Acting Executive Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, reinforces student learning by weaving themes and ideas across lectures, tutorials, and assignments, all while providing theory, history and multiple perspectives around an issue. As Environment and Business student Kate Koplovich states: “Professor Rowlands’ courses are extremely integrated -- they reinforce each concept numerous times.” Even after teaching for 23 years, Rowlands prefers to lead his own tutorials. He uses this more intimate environment as a safe space for students to discuss, assess, and share ideas. “Professor Rowlands creates a supportive environment for discussion, where no one is left behind,” says former student Lexi Salt. Another student, Julian Harmsen, remarks that Rowlands' continued passion for his discipline is what inspires students: “He conveys a constant desire to learn.”

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Graduating students: leave your mark

A message from Institutional Analysis & Planning (IAP).

Before you graduate, tell us about your experience at the University of Waterloo.

Beginning March 2, a sample of graduating students will receive email invitations to participate in the Canadian University Survey Consortium student satisfaction survey. The survey is being administered by PRA Inc. on behalf of the University of Waterloo.

This is your opportunity to provide feedback about your experience throughout your time here at the university. You will be asked about your activities and university experience. Some questions include:

• What aspects of your experience at Waterloo have been most positive?
• How could we improve student experience at Waterloo?
• How satisfied are you with student services offered at Waterloo?

Your responses to these questions and more will help Waterloo identify specific areas of the Waterloo experience that are successful and those that could be improved.

The goal of the survey is to improve teaching, learning, programs, supports and overall campus life for current and future students. The survey is being administered at many Canadian institutions which allows for comparison of student experiences at our university to experiences at other Canadian Institutions.

The survey will be available from March 2^nd to April 3^rd. Following the survey, summary results will be available on the Institutional Analysis & Planning website:  Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC)

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The Gathering of the Jugglers

The University of Waterloo Juggling Club will be holding its 23rd annual juggling festival on Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22. Beginners are encouraged to come out and learn the fine art of keeping objects from hitting the ground.

The event takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday in the Student Life Centre' Great Hall. There will be juggling workshops, games, competitions, and much more. Admission is free.

The main event is a Juggling Show is scheduled for February 21 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m in the Theatre of the Arts in Modern Languages. General admission is $10, with children 12 and under for $5.

Check the Juggling Club Facebook group or email the club for more information.

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