Exploring Learning Priorities, Strategies, & Community-Building in the School of Criminology’s Honours Program

TILT program: TILT SoTL Project

Principal Investigator: Danielle Murdoch, senior lecturer, School of Criminology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Project team: Aliesha Thomas, TILT research assistant

Timeframe: November 2022 - April 2023

TILT Support: Up to 80 hours of TILT research assistant time and up to $200 for participant incentives

Course addressed: CRIM 491 -- Current Theory and Research in Criminology: Advanced Topics (Honours program)

Final report: View Danielle Murdoch's final report (PDF)

Description:

This inquiry project examined and clarified the learning priorities embedded within the School of Criminology’s Honours program, with particular attention to the role and function of CRIM 491, by investigating how participants understand the aims of CRIM 491, how learning is currently supported, and what changes might strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of the Honours experience.

To address these questions, the project gathered qualitative data from Honours students and faculty supervisors through interviews, surveys, and reflective discussions. The central objective was to determine whether a shared understanding of the course’s purpose exists and, if not, how this lack of clarity affects student learning, supervisory practices, and the overall functioning of the program. The inquiry also aimed to identify strategies that promote meaningful learning and to explore how the program might better support diverse student goals, including but not limited to preparation for graduate studies.

 Questions addressed:

• Should instructor prioritize any of the eight existing learning objectives more than others?
• Are there learning objectives that should be added to the existing list?
• What teaching strategies might support students to achieve prioritized learning objectives?
• What teaching strategies might promote community-building amongst the Honours cohort?
• What School/Program-level considerations should the School of Criminology community review?

Knowledge sharing: Informal conversations with colleagues expressing interest in feedback received from current and former Honours students and faculty. Plans include potentially presenting feedback at School of Criminology faculty retreat in May 2023, at School of Criminology faculty meeting in May or June 2023, and/or during meeting with Undergraduate Curriculum Committee in fall 2023.

Keywords: Honours program, blended learning design, learning objectives, community-building, peer review, small-stakes assignments, criminological research, quantitative methods, qualitative methods, graduate school preparation