I would say that one of my best learning experiences happened here in UVIC in a class called Creative Being.

As a computer science student, this elective was so different from all my usual classes and I found it to be very enjoyable. Most of my courses are math and computer science classes, and while those can be good most of the time they all follow a very similar structure and style of teaching, one that involves a lot of explanation by the teacher and little active engagement / participation by the student. They take a very behavioral learning approach with some elements of cognitivism, as it relates to Chapter 11 of the textbook. I understand that this style of learning may fit for the subject matter so I do not mind. But by taking electives that differ from my degree, I have been exposed to so many new ideas and more importantly new styles of teaching.

These other courses approach learning in a completely different way, and have exposed me to new and better ways to learn. The Creative Being course did an incredible job of this in my opinion, and used many elements of a constructivist learning approach. It was one of my first classes where I saw large scale student participation – often with many students raising their hands and wanting to share ideas. Discussions were normal and frequent, boosting engagement and encouraging real time critical thinking. Furthermore all the projects and tutorials were all centered around group work and team building. It was such a different environment from my usual classes. By the end of the course I realized that while my usual classes all took a similar approach in the way they taught and conveyed information, there are many other ways that learning can be done that can be more beneficial to certain individuals. The course itself was fun but more than that it opened my eyes to a new way to learn and engage with my work. To this day I still apply the things I learned from Creative Being into my academic approach – and I believe I am a better student for it.