Although collaborative work is promoted as a way to practice real-world teamwork, these assignments, more often than not, fail to do so

I have never been a huge fan of group work, especially when I was randomly assigned members to work with. I'm sure many students also feel the same about group assessments. Although unpleasant, they were more manageable in high school as if need be, we as individuals had the time to carry an entire assignment and avoid facing the consequences of working with others who may not meet the work ethic of others.

However, in university, there is truly no time to carry out an entire project without it impacting your performance in other courses. In university, group projects are intended to be completed through collaboration between students because they are often weighted heavily and are too large to manage on your own. Group projects are also typically high-stakes assessments, which forces students to rely on their peers even when the quality of work produced can be a hit or miss.

The most common reason behind implementing group projects to a high degree within university courses is that it prepares us for collaborative efforts in the workforce. Although the reasoning behind this may have good intentions, the execution of group work is done poorly.

I will admit that some courses have a better way of implementing group projects than others but they all have their flaws. As a result, group projects in university fail to provide an accurate representation of what collaboration looks like in the workforce, defeating the purpose of group work altogether.

For example, you may be putting in a certain level of effort compared to your groupmates because you're working toward a particular goal. However, because their goals for the project don't match yours, you could find yourself doing more work to achieve this goal.

You may also start completing the work earlier on to seek feedback for improvement and often find yourself prompting your groupmates to contribute their fair share. It can be very tricky to navigate this in an academic setting.

Within the workforce, collaboration seems to be much easier as there is more to risk when not contributing your fair share. For example, you may have meetings with human resources, miss the deadline, causing repercussions for the company, lose privileges and in extreme cases, get fired from your job.

Collaboration in the workforce puts forth real consequences aside from the poor grade you might assigned in university; you can even lose potential references for future jobs. However, the challenges of working toward a common goal are lessened in the workforce because everyone has signed up for the same job and is working to accomplish the same goal.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with group projects at university. Many individuals have varying goals and work ethics which make it difficult to create harmony and success. Everyone working at their own pace to achieve their unique goals can be especially difficult when you aren't familiar with your other members and don't have adequate ways to contact them, which is not something that happens in the workplace.

The aim of group work in university is well intended, but the execution of it in courses requires rethinking. We need to find new ways to truly mirror collaboration in the workforce, without hurting student grades in the process.

Perhaps individuals should always be able to choose their groupmates as individuals are more likely to work with others who share similar goals and work ethics. These shared similarities also exist in the workplace, as you often work with co-workers you know on a project.

Another modification could be to have the project adjusted based on the peer evaluations students anonymously provide each other. This method may not be implemented in the workplace. However, the credit for doing a certain aspect of the collaborative work, especially when helping others, usually does not go unnoticed.

Overall, the current framework of group projects is not reflective of collaboration in the real world, causing frustration and an unequal division of work. Instructors need to rethink current group project assessment methods to better prepare students for the real world.

 Photo by Kyle West

By: Rida Pasha

Whether it’s the real world being brought into the classroom by a professor, or the ease in explanation provided by a teaching assistant, there is no doubt that a good learning experience is a product of the time and energy of professors and TAs.

However, these educators are often overlooked and underappreciated for their efforts to bring life to course content. It’s time we become more active in acknowledging our professors and TAs.

The 2019 Teaching Awards Ceremony, an event run by a subcommittee of McMaster Students Union Macademics, was held on March 15, presenting nominated professors and TAs with awards for their excellence in teaching.

As someone involved in organizing and attending the event, a common remark made by the winners was that the greatest compliment they could receive was hearing appreciation from their students.

Although we generally view professors and TAs to be confident people in positions of authority, it was interesting that many of them discussed how even though it’s their job to lecture or run tutorials, they still feel a sense of nervousness before the start of each class.

Though instructors are strongly educated and qualified, it’s reassuring for them to hear that they’re doing a good job from their students.

Let’s take the time to compliment instructors that incorporate memes into their presentations, relate class material to our generation, take feedback seriously and actually make course improvements based off of them.

It’s easy to take their efforts for granted, but if you really enjoyed a class, let your instructor know after class or send them an email with follow-up questions.

Trying to be actively engaged in class is a great way to show instructors that what they’re saying is interesting. Although three-hour lectures can start to drag on, it’s great to ask questions or give your professor a nod of understanding when they look in your direction.

With course evaluations now open, spare a few minutes to describe what you like about your classes so far, and provide suggestions if you have any.

Not only is this an opportunity to give your input, it’s also a great way for professors to cater their class to their students’ needs, something many professors genuinely want to do.

When it’s Teaching Award nomination season, make sure you nominate professors and TAs that are doing a great job. The process takes no more than five minutes and can make all the difference for the educators you’re nominating.

Besides the fact that appreciating your teachers is a kind gesture, it’s also important to remember that beyond the course they are teaching, professors and TAs have industry knowledge and professional experience that could benefit you.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about the field they’re in, getting advice about graduate school or acquiring volunteer opportunities, it’s not a bad idea to start building a relationship with your instructors by showing them how they’re making your learning experience better.

Of course, be genuine and mean what you say, but recognize that sharing your thoughts and opinions about a class can result in a really great professional relationship.

There are classes you will love and others you will hate. But amongst the many that are boring, annoying and difficult, we all have at least one class that we look forward to attending, even on a rough day.

As students, let’s take the time to show our appreciation for our beloved educators that make a positive difference in our lives.

 

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Photos C/O Kyle West

What it is

The Mexican Kitchen at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market recently underwent a major shift in flavor. While you may know the vendor for their homemade chocolate creations, the new owners are cooking up more savory classic Mexican dishes in the kitchen.

While Mexican cuisine is no stranger to Hamilton’s downtown restaurant scene, the tacos, quesadillas, corn tamales and pozole coming out of this tiny kitchen are worth paying a little extra attention to.

Housed in what has become my favourite spot in Hamilton over the years, the Mexican Kitchen is not only serving up fresh dishes at an affordable price but adds a little Mexican hospitality to the market’s tight knit community feel.

From the hanging glass hummingbirds on the tiki umbrella to the colourful handmade cups from the Tonalà Craft Market near Guadalajara, every single embellishment is a conversation starter to learn more about the owners’ stories and memories from Mexico.

At the Mexican Kitchen you’ll find great food at arguably the cutest vendor at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, while also learning something new. It definitely hits all the sweet (or shall I say spicy) spots for me.

 

How to get there from Westdale/Ainslie Wood

There’s a couple ways you can get yourself downtown. Either take the 5, 51 or 1 Hamilton Street Railway bus from Sterling Street and University Avenue heading east, or take the 5 or 10 heading east from Main Street West and Emerson Street. Hop off at Main Street West and MacNab Street South.

You can cut through the MacNab Transit Terminal towards Jackson Square and make your way inside to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market mall entrance. If you prefer a slightly longer walk outdoors you can head west on Main Street West and turn right onto Summers Lane until you reach York Boulevard. Turn right on York Boulevard and the main entrance will be on your right.

The Mexican Kitchen is located on the lower level opposite from Slurp Ramen and Leslie’s European Deli.

 

How much

At the Mexican Kitchen you can easily get away with spending under $10 for a filling meal, but it is cash only. Delicious soft corn tortilla tacos or quesadillas go for $4.50 each or you can order three of the same kind for $11.50. Each taco or quesadilla comes with a side of home-made red or green salsa.

Four different kinds of Mexican tostadas are $7.50 each while corn tamales go for $6.50. A small warm traditional pozole soup is $8.50, while medium and large go for $10.50 and $12.50, respectively.

The simple menu also has a few tasteful extras, you can add fresh squeezed lemonade to your order for $1.00, a churro for $2.00, some extra avocado, cheese, sour cream and beans for $0.75 and salsa or meat for $0.95.  

What to get

If you’re dining solo or simply not up for up for sharing, I recommend the pozole soup with chicken topped with lettuce, radish, tortilla chips and lime. You can add fresh avocados or meat as an extra to the dish. Complete your meal with a glass of fresh lemonade and treat yourself to a churro for dessert.

If you’re like me and like to convince friends to tag along so you can try as much things as possible without breaking the bank then I’m proud to share with you my Mexican Kitchen game plan for three.

Start off with tacos, I recommend the spiced potatoes or grilled poblano peppers with onion and zucchini, sprinkled with roasted garlic, lettuce, pickled red onions and cilantro. Share a tostada, which is basically the flat version of a taco topped with a mountainous pile of fresh ingredients.

All tostadas come with a bed of homemade beans on a crunchy grilled tortilla and the option of sour cream and cheese. Your choice of filling includes slow cooked meat (chicken, beef, pork or chorizo and potato), veggie (avocado, sour cream and cheese), vegan (extra avocado), or cauliflower ceviche (cauliflower with onion, parsley, cucumber, avocado topped with spices and lime juice).

Don’t forget the lemonade and churros, and your meal will still be under $10.00 each!  

 

Why it’s great

While the menu at the Mexican Kitchen consists of five main dishes, each one is made from scratch, is gluten-free and can be customizable for meat, vegetarian and vegan diets.

You can also add an extra helping of their fresh ingredients and handmade beans and salsas for an incredibly affordable price, where else can you get extra avocado for less than a dollar?

The corner vendor has also utilized their space to maximize seating. There are bar stools spanning the entire length of the counter lining the vendor and several tables that seat four.

 

At the Mexican Kitchen there’s something for everybody and when doubt you can never go wrong with a taco.

 

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By: Jason Lau

As a university student, participation grades in class are something that’s been drilled into my head for years. If you want a better grade in the course, participate actively in class discussions and voice your opinions about the class material. Higher grades go to those who participate and engage with the material, and lower grades to those who don’t. Sounds fair, right?

Having been a TA at McMaster for two years, I know all about being on the teaching end of this phenomenon. You raise questions and interesting points, and desperately try to raise any sort of meaningful discussion in the group. Some students, specifically social, talkative and extroverted individuals will almost always shine as they recharge their social batteries while getting their much needed participation grades.

But what about the rest? What about the introverted student in the corner? What about the student who doesn’t like to talk over and interrupt other people? What about the international student who is unconfident with their English speaking abilities?

We give them low grades, if any at all. We tell them that they have not fulfilled the course criteria, and we rationalize it all to think that not speaking means not participating. We assume that these students have not done their readings. We accomplish our own self-fulfilling prophecy by discouraging quiet students to even try again as they look forward to slipping out the door right when the clock hits 20 minutes past the hour.

The evaluation of students’ learning is nevertheless dependent on our ability to be constantly extroverted, talkative, loud and opinionated. We promote it as the only way that demonstrates you have learned something, and the only method of evaluating success as a student in a tutorial environment.

However, more often than not, the phenomenon of tutorial and class participation reflects larger sociopolitical influences and biases that are extremely subtle, but still underlie how participation is practiced and controlled in a classroom environment.

The way that tutorials and class discussions play out reflects the complicated politics of who gets to control the conversation, who gets to voice their opinion and whose story gets told over others’. If an instructor is not careful of their biases, they will make the mistake of favouring several students or types of students over others.

We give them low grades, if any at all. We tell them they have not fulfilled the course criteria, and we rationalize it all to think that not speaking means not participating.

While giving a platform for the favoured to voice their opinions, they will also simultaneously silence others and communicate to them that, somehow, their opinions matter less.

In some cases, instructors sustain a cycle of privileging specific voices that are already privileged while keeping minority voices subordinate. Think of it as the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer, but in terms of participation grades and the platforms given for specific voices over others in an academic environment.

I will admit that I have made mistakes of my own as a TA in favouring only the talkative students whom I consequently saw as the only engaged ones in my tutorials.

This is not right. Talkative students have had life histories that have allowed them to become the way they are. Similarly, shy and quiet students also have complex life experiences that have made them afraid to voice their opinions in public around a group of people who may not be like them. We have to understand that, and we have to take that into consideration.

It’s not okay for an educator to assume one specific mode of engagement as correct and capitalize solely on that. In fact, as an educator, our roles are to make students feel as if their voices matter at all. It’s not about sitting back and waiting for students to speak up, or come to us, but instead actively working to encourage the expression of student voices.

This is especially true for those that may already be stifled. It’s never going to be perfect, but education should nonetheless be about democratizing academic discussion, and not perpetuating the very inequalities that already exist in our world.

Let us finally realize that true academic participation comes not from the voicing and reception of singular and insular ideas, but instead the synthesis of ideas, relationships and conversations between all members of the whole classroom.

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Thou shalt not sit at the edge of the row

Shimmying past a group of seated people is as difficult as an Olympic-grade obstacle course. You have to avoid knocking knees, impaling yourself against the back of the row in front of you and stepping on valuable belongings in the attempt to flail your way to an empty seat. All the while, you’re stiffly leaning forward and praying to God that your backpack won’t accidentally smack someone in the face and give them cause to sue. While there are some exceptions to this golden rule (say, if you happen to be left-handed, or if all the seats in the middle have already been taken, in which case this rule is void), be considerate and move in. Otherwise, if someone backpacks you in the face, it’s only karma.

Thou shalt not hog half the row of seats

While it’s definitely nice to be surrounded by your friends, remember that you’re not in lecture to have a reunion. You’re there to learn, which can be done no matter where you sit, and regardless of whether everyone in your crew is accounted for. Your obligation is not to be the designated usher for everyone you know, but to be considerate of the general public (i.e. your class). So if you decide to look out for your friends, then please, for the love of all that is good, divide and conquer. Don’t be that one person who takes up seven seats. Limit yourself to maybe one or two seats beside you, and meet up with everyone else after class is over. If that ends your friendship, then good riddance.

Thou shalt not leave drinks on the floor

This is Murphy’s Law in action. You’re placing your half-finished coffee in the vicinity of a bunch of limbs whose main purpose is to kick things over. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happens next. Once you spill your coffee (and you will, inevitably, spill your coffee), it becomes a nuisance for you to clean it up. Since a lot of lecture halls are slanted, you’ve not only effectively forced all the following classes held in that lecture hall to wonder which jerk committed this indecency, but you’ve allowed it to spread. So either put it on the seat’s desk beside you or hold it securely. It might even be less of a hassle to wait until after class, where you can actually enjoy your beverage.

Thou shalt not speak over the professor

Nothing is worse than making the commendable feat of actually going to lecture, only to find that you can hardly hear anything the prof is saying. No one wants to hear you gossip about how wasted you got last weekend or whether so-and-so is interested in you. If a lack of general privacy for your personal affairs doesn’t concern you, then ask yourself why you’re in lecture in the first place if you don’t intend to learn. You are in a room filled with bleary-eyed faces, all of whom are copying down notes in attempt to actually be effective with their time. It’s time to have some respect for your peers. So put on your keener jeans and kindly zip it, or take the rest of your conversation outside.

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McMaster was a historically upper-class, white institution and this continues to be reflected in the key symbolic public spaces on campus like Council Chambers and Convocation Hall.

But McMaster’s student body is now fully inclusive of both male and female students of different racialized backgrounds, religious beliefs and abilities. Having students, faculty and staff from diverse experiences enriches critical discourse at our institution—but artwork in key public space predominantly represents the homogeneity of McMaster’s past.

The lack of diversity in McMaster’s most important public space is incongruous with our institution’s values and may be alienating to some students.

McMaster has a history of diversity to be proud of. It was among the first universities in Canada to welcome women, when an initiative led by William McMaster’s wife resulted in the creation of the Moulton Ladies’ College as an arms-length academic department of an otherwise male university in 1888. McMaster became fully mixed with the move to Hamilton from Toronto in 1930.

Since then, McMaster has become increasingly diverse. The latest University Factbook says faculty currently represent 70 countries and international students represent 92 countries. No other metrics of diversity are published, but the roster of student clubs demonstrates the diverse cultural affiliations of the student body.

Specific aspects of diversity are recognized as an asset in the Strategic Mandate Agreement that McMaster signed with the province of Ontario. McMaster’s SMA highlights our retention of aboriginal, first-generation and students with disability as areas of institutional strength.

Given this commitment to diversity, the degree to which McMaster’s predominantly Caucasian, upper-class history past continues to dominate public space on campus is surprising. Particularly in ceremonial and prominent areas of campus like Convocation Hall and Gilmour Hall’s Council Chambers, portraits of university administrators loom over the halls.

Professor Jane Aronson, the Chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC) says the Council has tangentially examined public space, but mostly in terms of physical space rather than art.

“We often worry about what looks like public space on campus actually doesn’t offer space or resources to some students,” said Aronson.

“One thing we’ve addressed is working with indigenous communities and, for example, access to rooms where they can do smudging ceremonies—sometimes the design of space, sometimes the physical plan or the lack of space quantitatively or the ill design of space. Its effects aren’t random”

Aronson agrees that images, even within campus promotional material like the first-year lookbook, have in the past represented a stereotypical student that may not resonate with the current student body.

“While you don’t want to get tokenistic about having some greater diversity in that portrait, you have got to do something about it.”

The issue of representation in public space is not unique to McMaster, Hertford College at Oxford University recently addressed this issue with a special exhibition.

The college replaced the 21 portraits of men in their largest public space with an array of portraits of former female students from different generations and career paths. The display was meant to not only emphasize the importance of the anniversary of welcoming female students to the college, but also broaden what success looks like and what they are proud of.

“All institutions find it difficult not to just pick out people that are in some way celebrities or very rich or very senior in certain public roles, they’re people that you know, are very impressive but they’ve achieved in a very narrow sense of the word,” explained Emma Smith of Oxford University, who organized the project.

“We wanted to show that we are proud of these different things people have done with their lives… we’re not just proud of people that are wealthy and might give back to the college or who have been promoted or become famous or whatever.”

The display is currently planned to last for a year, but the administration is now discussing what will happen next.

She said this type of initiative can be viewed as more than a political statement, but also an artistic one.

“Maybe don’t just think about it in sort of a political or ideological statement but an artistic statement as well, many people feel that the old institutionalized style of portrait isn’t very welcoming,” said Smith.

A Canadian institution, King’s College in Halifax, is also trying to display more diversity, but rather than removing the current portraits, they are simply adding new ones.

“Putting these pictures up isn't about cutting men out, lessening their accomplishments, or even chastising the institution, it's about ensuring that our spaces on campus tell the story of who we are, and that recognizes the people that have made our school what it is today,” said Clare Barrowman, a third-year student at King’s involved in the project.

“Women have been part of that narrative and continue to be. It's important that female students don't just hear that, but see it and feel it.”

A major challenge with implementing this type of project in any of McMaster’s key public space is that there is no single entity which decides how public space is used and what part of McMaster’s history should be commemorated.

A PACBIC working group could hypothetically be created to recommend ways to increases diversity in artwork, but any initiative would have to be cautious and respectful of the important role of the figures from McMaster’s past.

“There are huge ironies because PACBIC meets in Council Chambers, of course the institution has the history the institution has, but sometimes that makes for the most bizarre sort of counterpoint. I think it would probably take an occasion to legitimate the removing, to make that possible because so many people would experience that as dishonoring the people that have gone before,” said Aronson.

In fact, the very nature of donor-driven statues and pieces of art on campus means that a strategic vision would be difficult.

But student input suggests imagery in public space is worth addressing.

For example, through student consultation in designing the Mills library learning commons, Vivian Lewis, the McMaster librarian found that students not only notice what is on the walls, but it also affects their learning.

“The one big criticism [students] had is that there are these giant white wall with nothing on it and they said please, please, please put some art on the wall and make it student art.”

The feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that they also sought student art for the Lyons New Media Centre and the Mills stairwell, which now features 5-foot by 6-foot self-portraits of McMaster art students.

“In terms of why [we wanted student art] was to meet the students’ need for the aesthetic part of learning… we recognized from talking to students that the aesthetic actually matters a great deal,” said Lewis.

As a research-focused, student-centred institution, it’s time to reflect on what our most important public space says about what we, as an institution, value.

Dina Fanara

Assistant News Editor

 

Led by professor Sam Vrankulj, the students of Labour Studies 2A03 (Unions) were given a rare opportunity to participate in a Policy Resolution Convention simulation on Nov. 1.

The event normally occurs whenever a union changes a resolution and allows all members to vote on the changes made in a union-wide gathering.

According to Vrankulj the exercise was part of the department’s “innovative approach for teaching students about unions.”

Each class member is placed in either a Union Local role, representing a specific type or worker within the union, or a Union Committee, responsible for organizing one aspect of all Union Locals.

Each group was responsible for presenting a policy resolution to be approved or rejected by the rest of the class, as well as a support and opposition for a pre-assigned resolution of another group. The union created within this classroom environment is called the Canadian Union of Diversified Workers (CUDW).

According to Vrankulj, “The primary goals of the course are to provide students with some insight into the collective action dilemmas faced by unions, the tensions involved in achieving consensus around policy and bargaining issues amongst diverse groups of workers and the reasons why unions see collective action and involvement in politics as crucial for advancing the interests of working people.”

This is the sixth year that the convention simulation has run. As per tradition, Vrankulj invited influential members of local union life to guest-host this event.

Guests included Matt Root, president of CAW Local 555, which represents McMaster support staff, Tom Atterton, secretary of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, and Mary Long, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council. Long is proudly the first female elected to the position of president.

While the experience was designed to provide students with experience of the inner workings of a union, playful twists were also placed on the event.

Humourous false names were given to the executive board: Ida Know as Union Trustee, Bill Fold as National Secretary Treasurer, Les Ambishus as Vice President, Ivona Powers as President, Ike Ountem as Convention Teller, and finally, Hugh Morless as Sergeant at Arms.

These positions were held by the two class teaching assistants, Professor Vrankulj, and the three guest hosts.

Also, donuts and carbonated beverages were provided for the entire class by Vrankulj.  This was explained to be part of the Union culture, and a staple at all Union meetings and gatherings.

In her introductory speech to the convention simulation, Long explained to the class that the goal of this conference and class’s experiencial setup is to define union priorities, balance membership needs and preserve “the rights that our parents and grandparents struggled to win.”

Vrankulj added, “The participation of union leaders in the simulation increases learning by enhancing realism, and building student familiarity and understanding of the local labour movement while simultaneously cultivating crucial links between the broader labour movement and the Labour Studies Programme.”

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