For the third consecutive year, the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières (UQTR) recognizes and supports the excellence of the faculty’s work by creating three new chairs through its Chairs of Excellence in Teaching Program. These chairs, funded for two years with a sum of $30,000 per year, aim to accentuate the development of knowledge and the improvement of teaching practices.
Psychological and psychosocial expertise in family matters
Karine Poitras
Directed by Karine Poitras, professor at the Department of Psychology, the Chair for Excellence in Education on Psychological and Psychosocial Expertise in Family Matters aims to develop training content aimed at psychosocial and legal professionals involved in family conflicts. Ultimately, the Chair’s work will support the development of best professional practices, optimal use of expert evidence and improved outcomes for both children and families following parental separation.
“The Chair will contribute to improving professional practice, both among judges and lawyers and among experts, psychologists and social workers. The Superior Court and the Court of Quebec require expertise in diverse and complex family situations. In order to play their role as auxiliary justice officials, experts must have sound professional skills. That is why we want to develop and implement education, training and consultation systems that allow for better knowledge transfer between the various professionals involved,” explains Professor Karine Poitras.
Education through nature
Geneviève Bergeron and Mathieu Point
Led by a duo formed by Geneviève Bergeron and Mathieu Point, professors at the Department of Educational Sciences, Chair Excellence in Teaching “Education through nature and learning area” has as its general objective the creation of essential conditions for the development of a learning area on the UQTR campus and the implementation of Education through Nature as an innovative training and research niche from kindergarten to university. Recognized by several experts for facilitating learning, Education through Nature is an educational strategy that leads to working on content or skills through more authentic experiences and in a more concrete and contextualized way. Education through Nature is also considered a promising approach to work collectively on the socio-ecological transition.
“Universities are called upon to transform into a more open and inclusive environment. We therefore hope that the natural environment of the UQTR campus in Trois-Rivières will become a learning area, a collective outdoor learning zone available to all. Our work will focus on training future teachers and teaching teachers through nature. The chair will also make it possible to offer training activities in the natural spaces of the UQTR – the learning area – for students and teachers from partner schools in Mauricie, but also for university students from various programs and departments,” emphasizes M.me Bergeron and Mr. Point.
A digital and interactive 3D atlas
Stéphane Sobczak and Renaud Jeffrey-Gauthier
Under the direction of Professors Renaud Jeffrey-Gauthier and Stéphane Sobczak from the Department of Anatomy, in collaboration with Professor Valérie Defaweux from the University of Liège (Belgium), Chairman of Excellence in Teaching on Anatomy Training aims to develop and deploy a digital and interactive 3D Atlas (ANI-3D). The central proposal of this chair is to contribute to the efforts to modernize anatomy education and to be at the forefront of development by creating a tool that presents faithful anatomy, in an interactive way, and in the French language.
“ANI-3D will allow us to observe on the spot the different elements of the body in all its layers. The interface will therefore make it possible to navigate through entire bodies, whether it is regions such as the back, abdomen and head, or different systems such as the respiratory, muscular, blood or digestive systems, to name a few examples. The tool is intended for UQTR students who visit the anatomy laboratory as part of training activities in dissection, but also for health professionals who increasingly visit the anatomy laboratory to participate in specialized training. Ultimately, we hope that with this tool we will contribute to the development of skills that are essential for clinical practice, such as manual dexterity, visual-spatial skills and contact with death”, argue the chair holders.
Support a niche of excellence at UQTR
While aiming to recognize and support the excellence of the work of UQTR professors, the Chairs of Excellence in Teaching Program meets the objectives of the UQTR Strategic Plan 2020-2025 to educate responsible, engaged citizens equipped with a critical sense, to transform teaching and research in the digital age, to develop a culture of interdisciplinarity and intersectorality, while accentuating and promoting the mobilization and transfer of knowledge and expertise. The UQTR Foundation is investing $160,000 to support the Chairs of Excellence in Teaching Program thanks to the generosity of its donors.
Information and interview coordination
Jean-François Hinse – Communications Advisor
Media Relations Manager
Department of Communications and Alumni Relations – UQTR
Cell. : 819 244-4119
Email: jean-francois.hinse@uqtr.ca