Tom_Haffie

University of Western Ontario

<thaffie AT uwo DOT ca>

519-661-2111, X86502

Hats I Wear

Lecturer

Biology Department

Coordinator, First Year Biology program

Coordinator

PRESSWestern: Campus Wide Clicker Implementation

Robes I Wear

B.Sc. University of Guelph (Genetics)

M.Sc. University of Saskatchewan (Applied Microbiology)

Feathers in my Cap

3M National Teaching Fellow

Western Award for Excellence in Teaching Award

UWO Fellowship in Teaching Innovation

Ontario Leadership in Faculty Teaching (LIFT) Award

Western Student Council President's Medal for Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching

11th Place in the 2009 TV Ontario Top 10 Lecturers

Pies my Fingers are In

As a Biology Lecturer, I teach the genetics component of a full year first year Biology course with 1200 students. In the past, I helped to develop, and taught for several years in, an Inquiry based laboratory course for second year Bio students. Also, I developed and taught a course called "Genetics in Everyday Life" using complexivist curriculum design ideas.

As Learning Development Coordinator, I am just finishing up a large research project, funded through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), that looked at the effectiveness of a new "writing to learn" BioLiteracy curriculum in first year biology tutorials.

I also coordinate an Appreciative Inquiry into perceptions of "Learning Intensity" in our Faculty of Science. In my role as Faculty Associate in the Teaching Support Center, I provide a range of educational development support for faculty in Science.

I am in the planning stages of a project to introduce First Year Science Discovery Groups that will bring small groups of first year students together with Faculty and peer mentors for regular meetings.

For about five years, I have been presenting and consulting nationally and in the UK on the safe implementation of personal response (clicker) technologies.

I am one of five Canadian authors of the recently published first year Biology text

"Biology: Exploring the Diversity of Life'' (Nelson)

Scholarship Sampler

Haffie, T.L., Reitmeier, Y.M. and Walden, D.B. 2000. Characterization of university level introductory genetics courses in Canada. Genome 43:152159.TomGenome.pdf

Haffie, T. L., Meadows, K. N. and Dawson, D.L. 2007. Engaging Students in their Own Learning: The Influence of Cumulative Clicker Performance on Students' Learning Strategy Use and Academic Achievement. Poster Presentation, Annual Conference of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Edmonton.

Haffie, T.L. 2009. Broadcollecting: Using personal response technology to transform classroom interaction. In Classroom Communication, Catherine Black ed. Atwood.

None of the Above

Outside of professional life, I have a partner and three young adult children - none of whom share my deep interest in things biological. I enjoy sailing small boats and camping in my homemade yurt. I wish I was an avid cyclist.