The Maple League Teaching and Learning Project

Abstract

The Maple League of Canadian universities represents four primarily undergraduate institutions (Mount Allison, Acadia, St.F.X. and Bishops) that specialize in liberal arts and science education in a small, residential setting.  This consortium came together to promote and disseminate information about this distinctive way of learning and living.  This year, the League formed a Teaching and Learning Committee that is pursuing projects around teaching that address this unique way of learning, including a virtual teaching centre we hope to build.  A large thrust of the Maple League is to create new models around education that challenge the large research institution and focus especially on experiential learning, small intimate classroom settings, strong community and life changing experiences in the arts and humanities.  This hope is exemplified in generating the critical thinkers, fully engaged citizens and committed community members that most frequently come from these universities. This session will present the vision of the Maple League and how this consortium is bringing hope to universities that more recently have been seen as peripheral to the mainstream learning experience at large research based universities.   

The presenters include the Executive Director of the Maple League and members of the Maple League Teaching and Learning committee and are interested in talking about this new hope and vision for humanities and arts education while at the same time soliciting ideas as to how the Maple League universities may interact with other smaller institutions in the Maritimes for cooperation and collaboration.