The award recognizes instructors who have demonstrated a passion for, and commitment to, online teaching and who have implemented effective approaches to fostering active learning and student involvement.
David King is an instructor with the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. Professor King goes to great lengths to support students through online learning, presenting materials in an accessible and digestible format and developing discussion posts that encourage students to “look past the content, not regurgitate it.” His students appreciate his creative use of technology and social media to connect them to Arctic peoples and communities noting that they almost felt like they were in the North when they took his class. Sharing his passion for the field of Circumpolar World Studies, Professor King inspires his students to learn more about the North, “opening up an entirely new perspective on Canada as well as their degree.”
What Students Have to Say
Professor King’s course content was rich and always accessible (text, video with subtitles, etc.) and he often posted additional resources and articles to further add context to the subject. Discussion posts were thought-provoking and made us look past the content, not regurgitate it.
Anonymous student
Professor King has not only presented a lively online platform that has facilitated a wide range of learning for me but has also inspired me to pursue an option in Circumpolar World Studies, opening up an entirely new perspective on Canada entirely as well as my degree.
Anonymous student
Rather than take the standardized approach to upload one giant lecture file that I personally find difficult to consume and learn from, his approach is through mini-lectures where each video has a dedicated time slot for a specific course theme and subject matter. This has allowed me to pause, reflect, and further develop my knowledge on the subject at hand that has provided me with a different perspective on learning through smaller approaches instead of one sole file.
Anonymous student
Professor King has developed an immersive assignment that takes the relationship of social media in remote areas into ones of creative and scholarly opportunities for connections and learning. The assignment entails us each day/week to view Lenny Aqigiaq Panigayak’ TikTok’s, who is from the Northern Arctic and to then write journals on what he is showing us about life in the North and connect it to course themes. At first, this presented a daunting task for me as I am not much of a social media person. After the first couple of weeks, I found that I felt so submerged into Lenny’s daily life that it opened up a new relationship for me. Instead of feeling disconnected from learning about the North, I felt that I understood the dynamics of his community and, in turn, was reflective in the creative process of journaling.
Anonymous student
Originally when I came to Trent, I had little to no idea about what Canada’s North looked like and symbolized and those who lived there as well. After having taken one of Professor King’s classes, I feel that I have been presented with a wealth of knowledge that will be extremely useful in my pursuit of employment in Northern development. I have been exposed to the realities of the North that have sparked a passion for all things Arctic and have taken the initiative to pursue Trent University’s option for Circumpolar World Studies that I hope to fulfill upon graduation.
Anonymous student
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