Dr. Tamara Kelly will take on the role of Interim Chair, Department of Biology, for a term of six months. Dr. Seyed Moghadas has been appointed Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Education. And, Dr. Andrew Skelton will step into the portfolio of Associate Dean, Faculty. The latter two appointments are in effect for a term of three years.

We welcome these distinguished colleagues to their respective roles and look forward to their continued leadership and service to the Faculty.

Dr. Tamara Kelly – Interim Chair, Department of Biology

Dr. Tamara Kelly is a Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Department of Biology and served as the inaugural Pedagogical Innovation Chair in Science Education for the Faculty of Science. In this position, she championed evidence-based inclusive teaching strategies and led initiatives to improve student learning experiences.

Since joining FSc in 2008, Dr. Kelly’s commitment to teaching excellence has been recognized with numerous awards, including the OCUFA Teaching Award, the President's University-Wide Teaching Award, and the Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Awards. She has played a key role in curriculum redesign and faculty development within the department. She is institutional lead for the Canadian Consortium of Science Equity Scholars (CCSES) and current president of the Open Consortium of Undergraduate Biology Educators (oCUBE). Dr. Kelly holds a PhD from McGill University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Seyed Moghadas – Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Education

Dr. Seyed Moghadas is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and a leading expert in computational epidemiology and vaccine science.

He is the founding director of the Agent-Based Modelling Laboratory at 91��ɫ, where his research focuses on advanced mathematical and computational modeling of infectious disease dynamics, public health interventions, and health economics. Dr. Moghadas has received several prestigious honors, including the 2022 President’s Research Impact Award and recognition as a 91��ɫ Research Leader. He holds a PhD in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Sharif University of Technology and has led international research efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His work bridges theory, policy, and practice to support evidence-based decision-making in public health.

Dr. Andrew Skelton – Associate Dean, Faculty

Dr. Andrew Skelton is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, with a primary focus on mathematics education and pedagogy. He won the 2021 Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award and has served as the Academic Coordinator in Bethune College, the Coordinator of the Mathematics for Education major and was the inaugural Director of the Data Science major.

Dr. Skelton is deeply involved in research aimed at supporting first-year students in their transition to university. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Guelph and has extensive experience in both secondary and postsecondary education. Dr. Skelton is committed to enhancing the student experience and supporting academic success through innovative teaching and curriculum development. 

We would also like to thank outgoing Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Education, Vivian Saridakis, and Associate Dean, Faculty, Gerald Audette, for their dedication and service to the Faculty of Science.

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91��ɫ’s 2025 Spring Convocation will honour two faculty members with Distinguished Research Professor and University Professor recognitions.

The Distinguished Research Professor title is awarded to a faculty member whose research has had a significant and lasting impact, both at 91��ɫ and beyond. It is a recognition of scholarly excellence and leadership that has shaped fields of study and contributed meaningfully to the academic reputation of the University.

The University Professor honour is reserved for those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to teaching and research, alongside exemplary service to the University community. Recipients are recognized for their broad and sustained influence across all areas of academic life.

University Professorship

Paula Wilson, Faculty of Science

Wilson, a long-serving faculty member in the Department of Biology, has been recognized for her significant contributions to 91��ɫ’s academic mission, governance and community life.

Since joining 91��ɫ in 1998, she has held a range of senior administrative roles, including associate dean of student affairs, acting dean of the Faculty of Science, acting associate vice-president international, interim Chair of biology and, most recently, head of Bethune College.

She played a central role in developing undergraduate programs such as the biomedical science stream and the international bachelor of science, both of which have broadened access to science education. As a member of the Markham Campus Planning Group, she also supported the development of new professional graduate programs.

As head of Bethune College, she revitalized its role as an academic and social hub, launched new communications platforms, strengthened ties with the  and reimagined Academic Orientation Day to build student belonging.

A passionate educator and mentor, Wilson is a staunch advocate for removing barriers to learning. Her current scholarship, supported by a 91��ɫ Academic Innovation Fund grant, focuses on improving accessibility in undergraduate labs. Her pedagogical expertise and deep commitment to student success have had a lasting impact on the student experience at 91��ɫ.

While Wilson has received other teaching awards – including the Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award and the President’s University-Wide Teaching Award – the University Professorship, she says, stands out.

"Receiving the University Professor recognition is the highest honour I could receive from 91��ɫ, so it means a lot to me and I’m deeply grateful for it. It has special meaning for me too, as a member of the teaching stream, as this honour rarely goes to teaching stream faculty," says Wilson. "I’m especially thankful for my colleagues who prepared the nomination and support letters, as these things take a substantial amount of time and energy – I feel like I am sharing this honour with them.

"Having the privilege to work with so many outstanding colleagues, students and staff members at 91��ɫ has made it both fun and a pleasure to come to work each day and to be honest, anything I have accomplished has been in collaboration with and because of them."

Courtesy of Yfile

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A collective passion for the cosmos is driving a fundraising initiative that aims to support the Allan I. Carswell Observatory at 91��ɫ while fostering community involvement in scientific exploration.  

The Open Air Astro Fair – which takes place from 5 to 11 p.m. on the first clear day between June 24 and July 4 at 91��ɫ’s Keele Campus – offers a unique opportunity for the 91��ɫ and extended community to celebrate the wonders of astronomy while contributing to the observatory's ongoing operations.  

The one-day fundraiser, which is expected to attract more than 500 attendees, will feature interactive displays and educational activities designed to spark curiosity about the cosmos. Attendees will have the chance to experience solar observation during the day and lunar viewing at night, with some participating vendors showcasing their products aimed at promoting science and astronomy awareness. 

91��ɫ will be transformed into a vibrant hub of scientific inquiry where participants can see demonstrations showcasing solar observation, interactive games and hands-on activities suitable for all ages. The fair will feature opportunities for visitors to learn about sunspots, solar conventions and even construct their own astronomical fortune tellers. Activities will span across two locations of the Keele Campus – the Observatory Atrium atop the Arboretum Parking Garage and Allan I. Carswell Observatory Domes. 

“The fair's focus on collaborative learning aims to encourage a sense of community through shared experiences in science and education,” says Elaina Hyde, director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory. 

Ticket purchases will facilitate repairs and essential maintenance for the observatory over the summer months. Each $30 ticket will fund Astronomy in Action’s planetarium shows, cover event costs and contribute to the observatory’s fundraising goals. 

Hyde notes that several local and national partners are collaborating for this inaugural event, including three Canadian companies exhibiting at the fair.  

If skies remain cloudy, a “no-go” notice will be published on the event website and sent to ticket holders by 9 a.m. daily, ensuring timely communication. If the event needs to be rescheduled due to inclement weather, tickets will automatically transfer to the following day's conditions, allowing for flexibility for those intending to visit. 

“By drawing people in through the allure of the cosmos, the Open Air Astro Fair demonstrates 91��ɫ’s commitment to engaging communities in science and discovery,” says Hyde. 

Tickets for the Open Air Astro Fair are .

Courtesy of Yfile

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In the Faculty of Science, we continuously strive to deliver high-quality education and experiential learning opportunities that our students need to become future global leaders. In this issue of Innovatus, I am excited to share some of the ways in which we are prioritizing excellence in teaching and learning in the Faculty of Science. 

Our Faculty has been working hard to expand co-op opportunities for our students so they graduate with real-world experience. For instance, we have launched an innovative work-integrated learning program open to all science students that has doubled its intake each year. 

Our instructors are enhancing student learning and experience by introducing new technologies and methods of teaching, such as using virtual reality to augment students’ understanding of concepts and creating podcasts to increase the accessibility of course content. They are also creating new programming to support our students in becoming future scientists, such as a new transformative course for undergraduates to learn about the structure of a research career and how to conduct responsible research. 

We have an incredible community of instructors and staff in the Faculty of Science who are committed to providing our students with the knowledge, skills and credentials they need and desire to successfully transition into rewarding and impactful careers. Our faculty members and staff are the drivers of teaching and learning innovation in our Faculty, and I am immensely proud of and grateful for their efforts. 

Thank you,  

Rui Wang
Dean, Faculty of Science 

In this issue:

91��ɫ professor pioneers podcast-based learning in biology 
Professor Elizabeth Clare swaps traditional textbooks for dynamic podcasts, offering students a fresh, interactive and accessible way to learn complex biology concepts.

Using VR in chemistry to ‘future-proof’ students
A new fourth-year chemistry course at 91��ɫ is changing the way students learn, moving beyond traditional methods to embrace modern technology and deeper learning.

New biology course prepares 91��ɫ U students for ethical research
Learn how a new fourth-year biology course is addressing scientific misconduct and teaching students the importance of integrity in research.

91��ɫ U enhances science co-op through national grant 
91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science will expand work-integrated learning opportunities and enhance experiential learning to prepare students for diverse careers in the field.

Courtesy of YFile

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Professor Elizabeth Clare had long eschewed textbooks for her biology students before she discovered the magic of podcasting. Now, she’s made a mark as a pioneer in the science podcast space, offering students and other learners accessible, easy-to-digest lessons in biology. 

For the last two years, the associate professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science has been busy supplementing classroom learning with her podcast, “.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;

Her 33 episodes – hosted on BuzzSprout and available free on Apple and Spotify – cover topics from her biology classes and feature interviews with an expert or former student. The podcasts have been downloaded more than 18,000 times in 71 countries, with 91��ɫ students making up roughly 80 per cent of the listeners. 

Her podcasting started almost by accident, Clare says. She was teaching in England and one of her classes became fascinated by transposable elements, also known as jumping genes. It’s an obscure topic, Clare says, and not her area of specialization, but she happened to have a friend who earned his PhD studying the topic. She asked him to speak to the class over Skype.  

“We spent an hour peppering him with questions,” Clare says. “The students loved it.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;

Next, Clare invited another friend – a scientific author – to talk to students about their work. The students then started asking for experts on various topics, and Clare began taping these talks. When she joined 91��ɫ in 2021, some of her students requested podcasts; Clare found that appealing because it showed students were driving a shift in learning and deciding how they wanted to access information. 

“I’ve always been a bit frustrated by textbooks. I don't really like teaching from a textbook. It’s there if we need it, but students are looking for novel sources of information,” she says. “I like science the way I teach it. I like it as a story you can tell, and this just fits with the podcast format.”

In Clare’s first-year classes, students use both a textbook and the podcast; however, in upper-year classes, she’s stopped relying on textbooks and no longer assigns traditional text readings.  

“Science, particularly at an advanced level, changes fast. Textbooks can’t always keep up when you are teaching new research stories.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;

Teaching by podcast is a great leveller: students don’t have to buy a $200 textbook; podcasts are free; and it turns out, podcasts are helpful for students with specific learning disabilities, Clare says.  

One student told Clare, “I simply can’t sit down and read a chapter of a text. But I can put this on a loop and ride my bike.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;

“The funny thing is the students really love it. I thought they would find it fun. It's fun for me to make,” Clare says. “But I didn’t think they would come to rely on it the way they do. What I had not anticipated was the number of students, in that first year where I really got going with it, who came up and said, ‘You don't understand, this is an equity issue.’” 

Other student feedback has been extremely positive, Clare says, and they continue to request more content. Some have even offered to help make more episodes.  

Christian Nakla is one of those students. He’s a fourth-year biology student who was in Clare’s third-year biology class on evolution where, says Clare, he became known as the “Question Guy” for asking so many questions. He helped create a podcast episode on reproductive barriers and isolation for Clare’s first-year biology class. The  explains how reproductive barriers prevent interbreeding between populations.  

Nakla says making the podcast was rewarding. He is particularly pleased that BioAudio is accessible for non-students and says because it simplifies complex scientific concepts the information is easy for beginners to understand.  

“I think this is a very noble effort to bring this sort of knowledge to students but also to people who are not necessarily enrolled at 91��ɫ in science,” he says.  

Encouraging students to be enthusiastic about science is part of what drives this effort for Clare. And it’s working.  

“Apparently, last year, in my third-year class, there were groups of students getting together on Friday nights and having podcast parties.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;

She’s witnessed first-hand how podcasting, as a resource, is growing. Recently, Clare received an email from a professor in another country who said she’d discovered BioAudio and asked to use the podcast as a teaching aid.  

“OK?” says Clare. “It’s great. I’d love for others to find it valuable. When I got the idea for this, I figured there was already something available. I went looking, but there was just nothing in the podcast world on this topic. So, I had to make it myself. But if I’ve now filled the gap for someone else, that’s really cool.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����; 

This week’s episode is “Fossils, Rocks and Radioactive Clocks.” It explores how scientists date ancient events through a discussion with mammal paleontologist Mathew Jones and can be found  or free on other podcast platforms.  

With files from Julie Carl

Courtesy of YFile

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Students at 91��ɫ’s Markham Campus are taking their math skills beyond the classroom, thanks to a real-world teaching and learning initiative led by Assistant Professor Jessie Yang.

Under Yang’s guidance, seven first-year students host a bi-weekly math club at the Markham Public Library, offering tutoring sessions for children in grades 1 through 4. The students, who come from different disciplines of study, develop lesson plans, conduct math lessons and facilitate tutoring sessions. 

Their goal is to inspire young minds to enjoy and excel in math while making the learning process fun and engaging, says Yang, a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Science. 

“Despite being in their first year, these student leaders are already making a significant impact in their local community,” says Yang. “By applying their academic training in a real-world setting, they are gaining valuable experiential education that enhances their understanding of mathematical concepts and their ability to communicate effectively.” 

The bi-weekly math club aligns with Markham Campus’ goal to foster community engagement and experiential learning.  

"The activities helped me connect with students, allowing me to learn how to nurture curiosity and showed the importance of enjoying what you’re learning,” says Tharuk Ranasinghe, a computer science for software development student. 

Maria-Aimée Tat, a first-year science student, says the experience has given her an opportunity to see first-hand how teaching can spark insterest in learners – and reinforce learning in teachers.

"Seeing their excitement when a concept finally clicks has been incredibly rewarding,” she says. “We’re grateful to be part of these young learners’ journeys and can’t wait to keep making math exciting.” 

The  began Feb. 22 at the Markham Village Branch and will run until March 22, with two sessions per day that offer four classes for grades 1 to 4. 

Courtesy of YFile

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With 91��ɫ’s new Markham Campus now open, the campus is prioritizing opportunities that demonstrate 91��ɫ’s leadership experiential education (EE), which is increasingly a focus in Canada’s halls of higher learning. It is doing so with innovative new programs, including two rooted in biotechnology.

“The vision for the Markham Campus from the onset was to provide our students with access to high-level experiential education opportunities,” said Dan Palermo, interim deputy provost, Markham. “This vision aligns with the broader vision of 91��ɫ to expand experiential education opportunities for students across the institution.

“This is also in response to what students want as part of their academic journey, even what parents want for their children as they go to post-secondary school. And it does prepare students better for the workforce,” Palermo said.

The Markham Campus offers degree programs and micro-credentials focused on EE, digital technologies and entrepreneurship. Among the courses benefiting from the campus’s focus on EE are the brand-new Communication, Social Media & Public Relations course, the Digital Technologies course and the Computer Science for Software Development course, which will all include work terms in Markham-based industries or non-profits.

The Markham Campus’s new Master of Biotechnology Management (MBM) program and Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology will also advance the University’s EE leadership, closely aligning classroom education with what the industry has said workers need.

In the case of the biotechnology programs, the course experiences were – in fact – specifically designed that way.

Jade Atallah, graduate program director of biotechnology at Markham and an assistant professor in the teaching stream in the Department of Biology; and Luz Puentes Jácome, an assistant professor in the teaching stream in the Department of Biology, developed the curricula and pedagogical approaches of the biotechnology programs after listening to the industry. 

“Pedagogically, we knew that experiential education must be at the centre of curricular delivery,” Atallah said. “Because we were working with new programs, it was a relief that no retrofitting was needed. We were able to start from the ground up, where experiential education was at the centre and everything else came around it.”

Indeed, the graduate biotechnology programs incorporate immersive and multimodal experiential learning such as industry workshops, industry fireside chats, participation in biotechnology conferences, industry challenge questions, interdisciplinary capstone projects and industry internships.

“We bring in industry partners to act as industry mentors, and our graduate program students work in groups as consultants and try to solve a problem posed by the industry mentor,” said Puentes Jácome.

“In that way, they’re working directly in an industry context. They go through the process of figuring out a solution for this program, doing some literature search and writing a white paper. Then they’ll have a final presentation in which we will bring all the industry mentors together to observe the presentations and to network with our students.”

The programs are interdisciplinary. In the case of the MBM program, students integrate management training with the biotechnology portion of the course. “This would prepare the students to, perhaps, run a biotech startup,” Puentes Jácome said. For example, she said, “they might work toward creating a water bottle with biology, not fossil fuels.”

Marisol John is a student in the Master of Biotechnology Management program and is among those who have seen the many possibilities for a biotech career available to them through the program.

 “I have learnt so much about this industry, and I’m excited to continue this process of directly engaging with real-world industry problems,” she said.

John is already envisioning ways she can apply her in-class experiences.

“I have a very deep passion for agri-bio and environmental biology,” John said. “Coming from a Caribbean island, Dominica – the greenest island in the Caribbean – I think this program will afford me a diverse skill set to effect positive and sustainable change in my country.”

Her undergrad thesis was based on the therapeutic applications of ginger, something John hopes to expand upon. Her grandparents treated flu and upset stomachs with ginger tea, and John’s research showed it’s used for many therapeutic reasons, including pneumonia, tuberculosis and asthma. But, she said, there is limited information available on these topics.

“I am using this to drive the rest of my career,” said John. “I am learning how various biotech industries can be integrated to bridge the knowledge gap and innovatively solve problems related to crops, agricultural sustainability, food processing and diversification. The possibilities are endless.”

Thanks to the experiential education opportunities provided by the new Markham Campus – like those in biotechnology – the possibilities will be endless for other students, too.

With files from Julie Carl

Courtesy of YFile

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Thanks to new funding from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities, the Faculty of Science is launching a new micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance in Winter 2025 at 91��ɫ’s Markham Campus.

The provincial funding comprises $50,000 from the and $75,000 from the , which will go toward the creation of the new micro-credential that will prepare trainees for jobs in vaccine biomanufacturing and processing.

“Our new programs in vaccine production and biotechnology aim to bridge talent gaps in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and to offer students and professionals a variety of training options for upskilling for industry jobs,” says Hovig Kouyoumdjian, associate dean of curriculum and pedagogy in the Faculty of Science.

Spearheaded by Kouyoumdjian and faculty members Jade Atallah, the Markham biotechnology graduate program director, and Luz Adriana Puentes Jácome in the Department of Biology, the micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance will provide accelerated, experiential and industry-centred training on the fundamentals of vaccine production, including emerging technologies.

“It will be offered as an eight-week, blended program, shaped by input from a variety of industry partners,” says Jácome. “The micro-credential offers more rapid, vaccine-focused training relative to the new Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology and Master’s in Biotechnology Management programs, which are broader in scope and completed in one year or two, respectively.”

With the new funding, the Faculty of Science will also purchase new equipment that will not only benefit student training in the micro-credential but also the Master’s in Biotechnology Management and Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology programs starting this fall at Markham Campus. The equipment will include cell culture tools for various expression systems (bacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells) and novel vaccine platform technologies (DNA, RNA and recombinant proteins) that are highly aligned with current advancements in the vaccine industry.

“Given the focus of these biotechnology postgraduate programs on applied training, the new equipment will support a curricular delivery that is hands-on and highly experiential in nature,” says Atallah. “Our students will complete their training with the knowledge and skills they need to secure in-demand jobs in the biotechnology and vaccine production industry.”

“We are grateful to the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities for supporting the creation and enhancement of these important programs at 91��ɫ,” says Kouyoumdjian.

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The COVID-19 pandemic made student mobility and exchange programs challenging, but Hugo Chen, director of international collaborations and partnerships for 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science, found a way to provide students with a global engagement opportunity nonetheless, by turning to globally networked learning (GNL). Now, post-pandemic, the GNL initiative – his Faculty’s first – is still going strong.

GNL, also known as collaborative online international learning virtual exchange (COIL-VE), refers to an approach to research, learning and teaching that enables students, faculty and non-academic researchers from different locations around the world to participate in, and collaborate on, knowledge-making processes and concrete research projects. It dovetails nicely with 91��ɫ’s University Academic Plan and its priority of advancing global engagement, as well as the Faculty of Science’s Strategic Plan with its goal of creating “more opportunities for all students to have international exchange and field course experiences.”

It also reflects the University’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, by contributing to students’ overall mental health and resilience; SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting intercultural understanding and dialogue; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goal, by emphasizing the importance of global partnerships in achieving sustainable development.

“Many students found the pandemic stressful because they were stuck at home and their opportunities for international exchange were curtailed,” Chen said. “Although I was relatively new to 91��ɫ, I was experienced in international education and knew the benefits of GNL, or COIL-VE, as it is often called.

“The Faculty of Science hadn’t tried GNL previously, but I want to be an innovator and decided to facilitate some cross-cultural communication.”

With support from 91��ɫ International, the office that supports GNL initiatives at 91��ɫ, Chen reached out to Xin Wang, an associate professor at Northeastern University in Shenyang, China. The duo, and an administrative colleague there, agreed to organize a series of Zoom sessions to bring students from 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science together with students from Northeastern’s School of Information Science & Engineering to increase intercultural understanding.

At 91��ɫ, Chen invited members of the group Global Leaders of 91��ɫ Science (GLYS) to participate. GLYS is a volunteer team that works closely with Chen’s office to support the Faculty’s international initiatives, provide undergraduate students with professional development opportunities to enhance their employability skills and help them develop a global mindset. A total of 35 GLYS members and Northeastern students took part in the initial cross-cultural sessions. They began with an international coffee chat over Zoom in November 2021.

“My objective was to have them meet and talk about their own experiences,” said Chen, who is a certified sociocultural competency training facilitator. “The important thing was to build understanding and exposure around different cultures.”

A joint organizing committee comprising students from both universities created a series of virtual sessions, each lasting an hour and a half. The topics they chose included a comparison of their education systems; mental health, including pandemic challenges; artificial intelligence; and the opportunities and risks of globalization. Of course, there was also informal discussion about their favourite books and music, hobbies and interests.

“I suggested ideas, provided advice and was there to facilitate their conversations,” said Chen.

After each session, he and his Northeastern colleagues asked students to provide feedback and suggest potential improvements.

“This was an opportunity to broaden their world views without a huge cost,” said Chen. “Not all students can afford to travel abroad, so this makes international opportunities accessible and inclusive. Having such an experience may also encourage students to study or travel abroad later. There are benefits to exploring different perspectives and this project opens the door to those possibilities.”

The success of the program was apparent in the comments students provided on their post-GNL surveys.

“Engaging with students from different countries was enlightening,” wrote one student. “It’s fascinating to see how our approaches to science and education differ and, yet, how much we can learn from each other.”

Another student added, “This program opened my eyes to different cultural perspectives and has given me friends from across the globe. I’m still in touch with my group members and we often discuss our academic and personal life.”

Since 2021, Chen and his colleagues in China have run the program annually, with participants drawn primarily from GLYS. The composition of the group changes each time, with a mix of returning and new participants, and it continues to be popular.

“One of the program’s most gratifying outcomes has been the formation of ongoing relationships and friendships among the participants that have transcended the program’s duration,” said Chen. “This speaks to the depth of the students’ engagement and the program’s success in forming meaningful international ties.

“We also hope the students will choose 91��ɫ for their further studies.”

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Thanks to the availability of , an online open educational resource (OER) provided to students at no cost, homework shouldn’t be as stressful as usual for the hundreds of 91��ɫ students enrolled in the Linear Algebra (MATH 1025) course this term.

WeBWorK allows them to practise solving challenging problems as often as they’d like and provides instantaneous feedback.

“In mathematics, you need to practise, and with this system, you can keep trying until you get it right,” said Andrew McEachern, an assistant professor and course director for linear algebra. “For retention, research shows that engaging with problems multiple times is best. We want students engaged and practising, and this system allows for low, no-stakes practice. There is no cost for failure.”

Online homework platforms aren’t new, but many of them are costly for students since they are owned by textbook publishing companies.

“Textbook companies have proprietary rights to their platforms and many of them have a lot of bells and whistles that we don’t need,” McEachern said. “This bare-bones system works and does 90 per cent of the job that expert systems do.”

WeBWorK is open source and very customizable. This means it can be downloaded for free, although there are significant costs associated with the server and staff resources. The Faculty of Science is covering these costs to provide the software free of charge to students.

McEachern and other instructors approached the Faculty about installing WeBWorK and joined forces with Hovig Kouyoumdjian, associate dean of curriculum and pedagogy, and Violeta Gotcheva, director of information technology (IT) for the Faculty, to explore the idea. Gotcheva, along with Steven Chen, a systems administrator, and Kalpita Wagh, an IT learning technology support specialist in the Faculty of Science, met with instructors and IT support teams from other Canadian universities to discuss their experiences with WeBWorK. They also joined the worldwide WeBWorK user group to expand their understanding of its applicability and support requirements.

Although faculty members assumed the IT staff could easily upload the software and run it, Gotcheva explained to them that supporting the platform was more complicated.

“It’s essential to ensure any software we run has appropriate security, robustness, reliability and scalability,” she said. “This is accomplished by obtaining a server hosting service aligned with the software requirements and hiring skilled staff for system maintenance and user support. After determining this, we realized we needed to install the open-source WeBWorK platform relying on community support.”

Gotcheva, in collaboration with Kouyoumdjian, McEachern, and Michael Haslam and Stephen Watson – current and former Chairs of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, respectively – created a business case for running the platform. They outlined the financial requirements for hosting and maintaining it and the cost savings that would accrue to students compared to the need for a proprietary platform. The Faculty of Science IT team partnered with Pamela Mills, assistant manager of University Information Technology System Management Services, and her team to use the University enterprise virtual server hosting. The WeBWorK pilot received a grant from the Faculty of Science Academic Equipment Fund to cover the server hosting costs, and the Faculty of Science IT team proceeded with the installation.

Now, the pilot is underway in all the linear algebra sections during the winter term.

“Testing the platform across all sections of the course was a bold move, as initially, we anticipated it being piloted only in Andrew’s section,” said Koyoumdjian. “We eagerly look forward to hearing about the experiences from both the faculty and the students.”

So far, said McEachern, instructors haven’t discovered any insurmountable problems with the platform, and the more than 700 students studying linear algebra this term seem satisfied. He has paired the homework platform with an online help forum on social media platform Discord to provide students with a means for asking questions and getting answers quickly.

“It’s amazing how many times other students pitch in with answers before I even get to the question,” McEachern said. “They just do it out of the goodness of their hearts.”

He also said his students are reporting much less anxiety about their homework than usual.

After the term is over, he, the other instructors and the team will review the success of the pilot, examining usage statistics and trends. They are also considering an informal survey of participants.

“It’s easy to use and it’s cost-effective during tough economic times,” said McEachern. “In my opinion, if even one student benefits, it’s worth it.”

Kouyoumdjian also sees it as a tool for student retention.

“Mathematics is a foundational subject, and by enriching our students’ practice opportunities, we set them up for success and better equip them for future career endeavours” he said. “This pilot is a stepping stone, and we plan to extend the use of this platform to other math courses. We’ve also received positive feedback from colleagues outside our Faculty, who expressed enthusiasm for implementing WeBWorK at 91��ɫ, which indicates a growing interest in adopting such powerful open-source platforms in their own courses as well.”

In addition, noted Gotcheva, the United Nations considers OERs a public good, which aligns well with the 91��ɫ Academic Plan’s commitment to furthering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“The Faculty of Science is committed to OERs,” said Kouyoumdjian. “Our aim is to promote the use of resources that are economically more feasible for our students and flexible enough to be reused, revised, remixed and redistributed. WeBWork aligns with these standards of OERs.”

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