by Helena Prins, Advisor, Teaching + Learning
Over the next 12 days, we’re unwrapping books that inspire, challenge, and celebrate post-secondary teaching.
As the year winds down, it’s a natural time for reflection, renewal, and a little inspiration. We are sharing a curated collection of books that have shaped conversations in teaching and learning – each one a “gift” offering fresh ideas, practical insights, and thoughtful perspectives for educators and education developers across B.C.’s post-secondary landscape.
Whether you’re hoping to spark new approaches in your classroom, deepen your understanding of learners, or simply enjoy some professional reading over the winter break, we hope these books bring both reflection and joy to your teaching practice.
Please keep checking this blog post and our LinkedIn page between December 8-23 to unwrap each day’s gift.
Day 1 – December 8
Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement by John A.C Hattie is a gift to educators because it is, perhaps, the most extensive and exhaustive meta-analysis of research about what works in education. As Hattie points out in his introduction, “We have a rich educational research base, but rarely is it used by teachers, and rarely does it lead to policy changes that affect the nature of teaching.”
Even if you don’t do a deep dive into all the results and simply focus on the major findings (Chapter 3), you will come away with a solid foundation as to what the research evidence says really matters when it comes to teaching and learning practice.
—Clint Lalonde, Interim Executive Director, BCcampus
