Richard Schwier
Department of Curriculum Studies
College of Education
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-7641
richard.schwier@usask.ca

Richard Schwier is a self-proclaimed teaching junkie whose passion for teaching and commitment to sound pedagogy have been enhancing student learning for years. An exceptional leader in the field of instructional technology, Richard is respected by a generation of learners and colleagues for his dedication, his compassion, his innovation, and his mentorship.

Whether he is teaching large classes or small ones, at a distance or up close, what distinguishes Rick is how seamlessly he integrates new research into his course content and uses it to initiate relevant discussion and to motivate students. As one colleague states, Rick demonstrates "a special gift for listening to his students, and encouraging and supporting them as they endeavor to find their place in the world of research, teaching, and learning." In his reflections on his teaching, Rick states that the most powerful technologies are the soft technologies - how we do things in the classroom, how we engage students, excite them, and empower them."

Outside of the classroom, Rick has shared his insights and research on online learning communities with the rest of the world through his publications and workshops. Rick has also revised, redesigned, and implemented new programs within the College of Education and was instrumental in promoting a coordinated approach to instructional support services for faculty.

John Thompson
Department of Sociology
St. Thomas More College
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8956
john.thompson@usask.ca

Forty-three years ago, after three sleepless nights worrying that he'd made a career mistake, John Thompson stepped into his first classroom; ten minutes later, he knew he wanted to teach for the rest of his life. And his sociology students--who, one after the other, write that his courses teach them mindfulness, openness, and civic responsibility--are very lucky that he did. He is the recipient of four major awards for teaching.

A leader on his campus and beyond, John has dedicated himself to changing the way student learning and faculty teaching are valued. His presentations, workshops and publications on topics such as the vocation, the evaluation, and the scholarship of teaching have that underlying theme in common: revaluing undergraduate education through attention to student development, and especially through attention to writing as critical thinking.

In fact, he encourages extensive student writing, from informal end-of-class "two-minute memos" to three-stage formal essays; and he regularly enters into the risk and vulnerability of student learning by composing an essay "live" as the students watch him write. And John recognizes the power of story in teaching, but, as one of his nominators writes, his goal, "rather than having students remember his stories, is for students to hear their own."