October 10, 1996

Winners of 1996 teaching awards

American historian and novelist Henry Brooks Adams claimed that "a teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." The six teachers presented below can rest assured that they've had a powerful impact on the students who have taken their courses. They are some of the professors who've been selected by their respective faculties this year to receive teaching awards. The Reporter asked McGill's most recent teaching award recipients to share some of their thoughts about their approach to teaching. The next issue of the Reporter will include more prize-worthy professors from the Faculties of Arts, Dentistry, Law, Medicine and Science.

Name: Subir Bandyopadhyay

Title: Assistant Professor of Management

Award: Faculty of Management Distinguished Teaching Award (undergraduate)

Years at McGill: 4

How would you describe your teaching style?

I would describe my teaching style as very interactive and inclusive. I generally follow a structure which I make clear to students at the first class. However, after a number of classes, I ask for student feedback to make minor modifications, if required. In that process, I try to increase student involvement and at the same time improve the quality of the course.

Has technology affected the way you teach?

I regularly use audio-visual equipment in class to show current television reports and advertisements as required. For some of my classes, I provide students with computer accounts which they use to search for information on the Internet and also to interact with me and their classmates outside the class. I foresee that technology is going to play a larger role in teaching in the future. I think the Internet will emerge as a powerful teaching tool, enabling students and teachers to collect information and interact with others most efficiently.

What is your most memorable teaching experience?

Only a few weeks back, a former student called up from Frankfurt, Germany, to consult me on a marketing problem he had to deal with in his job. This guy took my courses three years ago. For me, it was very gratifying to know that he still remembered me and thought about me when he needed some professional advice.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

Interestingly, my initial attraction in a university faculty position was the research opportunity it offered. However, when I started teaching as a graduate student and later as a junior professor at McGill, I realized that teaching is as important as research, if not more, in the context of an individual's self-satisfaction and overall contribution to society. The opportunity to train young minds, to help students to choose and follow a career path is a matter of great inspiration to me.

What is the most important lesson you've learned as a teacher?

If you respect and care for students, they will invariably reciprocate. Every student may have specific needs and constraints; hence he/she should be treated as an individual and not simply as a member of a large class.



Name: Michelle L. Buck

Title: Assistant Professor of Management

Award: Faculty of Management Distinguished Teaching Award (graduate)

Years at McGill: 1

How would you describe your teaching style?

I wholeheartedly believe that teaching and education are not just about what happens in the classroom, but about their impact in people's lives outside of the classroom. I approach teaching as an opportunity to share my excitement about ideas that I love, and ideas that I think can make a difference in people's lives. I believe that learning involves an awakening to new ideas, that learning is fun, and that education provides a framework for thinking about things in different ways. My job is to facilitate these processes.

Has technology affected the way you teach?

Technology has not yet significantly affected my own approach to teaching, but I believe it will increasingly influence education, and can significantly enhance it. However, there is still a spark and an energy in live classroom discussion that may be complemented, but can't be replaced, by technology or electronic communication.

What is your most memorable teaching experience?

Some of the most memorable teaching experiences often occur outside of the classroom. When students talk to me outside of class, sometimes even a few years later, and share how they were able to use something they learned in the class, and how it has made a difference in their life--this is unforgettable to me.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I've been fascinated with teaching for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, I played school, designing quizzes and lesson plans. As a student, from the time I was young through graduate school, I always took note of what I thought were great teaching methods and styles, and also had fun thinking about how I might do things differently, integrating my own style and interests. I've always seen teaching as an opportunity to be part of ongoing learning and sharing of ideas, so in that way, I've always wanted to be a teacher.

What is the most important lesson you've learned as a teacher?

That teaching is an incredibly creative process--of designing a sequence of topics, materials, questions and experiences in such a way that it generates and inspires new awareness, new insights, new questions and new possibilities. And as with all creative endeavours, teaching is a continual learning process--trying new methods, learning from and with students, and learning from colleagues by discussing and sharing teaching methods and materials.



Name: David Harpp

Title: Professor of Chemistry

Award: David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision and Teaching

Years at McGill: 31

How would you describe your teaching style?

For undergraduates, somewhat formal with many slides, examples and demonstrations where possible. For graduate courses, it is semi-formal with examples and more broadly based descriptions since the audience is more highly trained. With graduate students, the "teaching" can go on in a day-to-day fashion with anecdotes and comments that help give the students an idea of what is expected of them, not only as graduate students but what will be expected later on in either an academic or industrial job.

Has technology affected the way you teach?

The technology that I have used up to now has involved using the maximum visual expression which for me has been the use of lap dissolve projection, permitting simple animation and colour changes. This form of lecturing makes it more interesting for me and I hope the audience. Even research topics can benefit as there are complicated chemical mechanisms and even colour changes that take place. Perhaps as important as the "technological" advances would be a presentation that takes the audience into consideration and leads them through the discussion in an organized fashion. Here, a clear chalk-talk can be inspiring.

What is your most memorable teaching experience?

The whole 30 years with both undergraduates and graduate students has been memorable. This can't easily be related to a single incident. One answer would be the receipt of feedback, years after having had a student in a class--whether as an undergraduate or a graduate student. I have tried to keep track of former students; they will usually keep their experience in perspective and comment where things went right for them. This feedback really is the "teaching experience."

What inspired you to become a teacher?

It just seemed like the right thing to do for me. Also, I suppose I wished to have a positive influence on others, as a few of my former teachers had on me. This goes back to high school as well as university and graduate school.

What is the most important lesson you've learned as a teacher?

I would say the lesson has been to deliver to a student--or a whole class--what I would have liked if I were a student in the situation. Using that philosophy, it makes it easier to understand what to do next, and it usually seems to work.



Name: Richard J. Munz

Title: Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering

Award: Class of '44 Award for Outstanding Teaching

Years at McGill: 20

How would you describe your teaching style?

My style is very conventional. I prepare my notes carefully and use the blackboard a lot. In spite of my terrible handwriting, students seem to prefer this to sophisticated overheads which tend to expose them to too much material in too short a time. I try to use a lot of example problems to demonstrate how theory can be applied.

Has technology affected the way you teach?

Technology has certainly changed the way I teach. It has changed the tools available to the students and the things that can be done with them. My undergraduate education and much of my graduate studies relied on slide rules and mainframe computers. While I was in industry, simple electronic calculators became available at high cost. During my time at McGill, I have seen an evolution from inexpensive programmable calculators to the original IBM PC, to the high-speed Pentiums we use now. The fundamentals have not changed a great deal but students are able to explore problems in much greater depth. They can present their work in a much more sophisticated style. They must remember, though, that flash without substance will not impress.

What is your most memorable teaching experience?

Something silly happened last year. I was using an overhead transparency to make a point and was in full flight. The transparency started to slide off the projector causing the image to move rapidly towards the top of the screen. Rather than thinking like a logical engineer and moving to the projector, I leaped for the image on the screen. The students greatly enjoyed my embarrassment.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

This was a natural evolution rather than inspiration. I started school in Canada in a one-room rural schoolhouse and was impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of my early teachers. I also had an excellent high school chemistry teacher who instilled a love of the physical sciences with his wry sense of humour. The final push came from some excellent teachers I had in my present department when I was a graduate student. From a purely selfish point of view, what can be more enjoyable than to be continually surrounded by enthusiastic, intelligent young people who want to learn?

What is the most important lesson you've learned as a teacher?

That to be effective as a teacher, you must keep the respect of your students; enthusiasm and dedication will usually carry you further than brilliance.



Name: David V. Plant

Title: Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering

Award: Engineering Alumni Award for Outstanding Teaching

Years at McGill: 3

How would you describe your teaching style?

I would describe my style as energetic, relaxed and very interactive. I enjoy interacting with the class, be there 20 students or 125. I work very hard to draw the students into what I am trying to teach via the energy I put into my lectures. I emphasize the passion I feel for the topic, and in doing so, hope to influence the learning process through my enthusiasm.

Has technology affected the way you teach?

I use the Web extensively as a teaching tool. I post all my material on the Web, including solutions to problem sets, quizzes and exams. In addition, I post examples of previous years' work. My experience has been that students find this extremely convenient, and appreciate it a great deal.

What is your most memorable teaching experience?

I was giving a lecture last fall, and putting a great deal into trying to get a point across. I finished the example I was doing, and the students applauded. I usually get applause at the end of the last lecture of the semester, but this was just a random lecture in the middle of term. It was an indication the students appreciated the energy and enthusiasm I was giving to this lecture, and I really appreciated it--I was quite humbled by the experience!

What inspired you to become a teacher?

The opportunity to work with people. Electrical engineering is an exciting field that is constantly being advanced. It is the people in the field that are responsible for this, and I get to work not only with the next generation of electrical engineers through undergraduate and graduate teaching, but also with some of the best electrical engineers practising in industry via my research program. In short, I get to work with people of differing ages and experience, and this is extremely exciting.

What is the most important lesson you've learned as a teacher?

I have learned two very important lessons. First, let the students know you care about them as students. Encourage them to do well and emphasize throughout the term that you genuinely want them to succeed in your class. It's probably obvious to a seasoned veteran, but I learned this my first term teaching, and have tried to follow it ever since. The second lesson is to be a good listener--listen to what the students are telling you, and respond accordingly. Teaching is a bi-directional exchange of information, knowledge and experience, so make sure that you are always listening.



Name: Vijaya Raghavan

Title: Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Award: Macdonald Award for Teaching Excellence

Years at McGill: 22

How would you describe your teaching style?

My teaching style is of the conventional type. I find the blackboard and chalk to be my best friends for class, but I occasionally rely on the help of transparencies and movies to embellish the presentation. Laboratory exercises and field trips are essential components of my teaching, as is participation by students through questions and class discussions. Always being available to my students for questions and answers, both inside and outside the classroom, is very important to me.

Has technology affected the way you teach?

I believe technology has affected every field and teaching is no exception. Technology has occasionally helped me in demonstrating intricate concepts. I see myself using more multimedia approaches in some of my courses for bringing field demonstrations into the classroom.

What is your most memorable teaching experience?

My most memorable teaching experience is the first class I ever taught. It was a class of about 120 freshmen students. I stood in front of the class with no teaching experience and no audiovisual equipment. About halfway through, I had difficulty keeping the students focused on the topic and they began to get restless. Suddenly, a student in the front row asked a question which I took my time to answer and encouraged a few other students to participate in the discussion. From then on, communication was much easier and I realized how important it was to communicate with students and to be in touch with their needs and feelings. This is something I strive to maintain throughout my career because without it, teaching cannot take place.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I have had many great teachers in my undergraduate career who inspired me to become a teacher. For me, being a teacher is like being a life-long student. In this career, one never ceases to learn. It is this aspect of teaching that I love most.

What is the most important lesson you've learned as a teacher?

The most important lesson I have learned is that teaching is fundamental to a researcher. Teaching helps to consolidate your ideas and also to share your research experience with the young minds, occasionally inspiring them to take your own line of research. Every class is a unique experience. There is nothing more satisfying for me than to have just completed a good class.