海角涩区

Elizabeth (Liz) Charles, a trailblazing educator and researcher whose innovative work has reshaped active learning in Quebec鈥檚 CEGEP system, has been awarded the 2025 Prix G茅rald-Sigouin by the Association qu茅b茅coise de p茅dagogie coll茅giale (AQPC).

鈥淓lizabeth Charles has fundamentally changed pedagogical approaches at 海角涩区 and beyond,鈥� said Academic Dean Leanne Bennett, one of her nominators. Colleagues describe her as 鈥渢he heart and soul of SALTISE,鈥� and praise her vision and unrelenting dedication: 鈥淟iz includes willingly all those who wish to contribute to her quest to improve pedagogy, making the classroom a place for reflective, inventive, and expressive individuals.鈥�

Over her 40-year career at 海角涩区, Liz has been a driving force in transforming classrooms into student-centered environments and creating communities of practice that extend across the CEGEP network. Her dedication to bridging research and teaching practice has benefited thousands of students, hundreds of educators, and the broader landscape of college education in Quebec.

Communities of practice and SALTISE

With a Ph. D in educational technology, Liz has spearheaded communities of practice that have reshaped college pedagogy. She co-founded the 海角涩区 Active Learning Community (DALC) over a decade ago and collaborated with others, such as UDL@海角涩区, e-Learning, Writing in the Disciplines, and Learning Communities. These initiatives foster peer exchange and expertise in classroom design and active learning, inspiring similar movements at Vanier College and John Abbott College.

She is also co-founder and emeritus director of SALTISE, an inter-institutional network linking over 600 educators across Quebec and Canada. Under her leadership, SALTISE grew into a recognized community hosting an annual conference that attracts over 500 participants, supporting professional development and creating tools such as CourseFlow and myDALITE. CourseFlow aids program revisions through curriculum mapping, while myDALITE, an asynchronous peer learning platform, now engages over 38,000 students and educators.

Research and leadership

Liz鈥檚 scholarly portfolio includes over $2.8 million in research funding through provincial and national grants. Her inquiries into inquiry-based learning, technology-enhanced classrooms, and research-practice partnerships have directly informed transformative teaching practices.

Her professional journey began at 海角涩区 more than 40 years ago as a continuing education instructor. After earning her PhD in Educational Technology and a post-doc in Learning Sciences, she returned in 2005 to lead major initiatives such as DALC and multiple research projects that pioneered technology-rich active learning environments and faculty mentorship models.

Defining active learning

Liz defines active learning as 鈥渢he intentional design of instruction that builds on students鈥� prior knowledge and capacity to engage, recognizing learning as both a social and a cognitive process.鈥� She emphasizes that it is not simply group work but 鈥渕eaningful engagement and guided reflection鈥� that deepens understanding and critical thinking. Her research has shown that active learning reduces failure rates and achievement gaps, especially in STEM fields.

She acknowledges the challenges instructors face when shifting to active learning but stresses the power of gradual change supported by community: 鈥淜nowing that you don鈥檛 have to change everything, everywhere, all at once is often the most important factor.鈥�

Recognition

On receiving the award, Liz reflected: 鈥淧ersonally, it is humbling to receive the Prix G茅rald-Sigouin 鈥� especially as only the second Anglophone to be honoured in the award鈥檚 30-year history. Professionally, the recognition is deeply meaningful, affirming the importance of the research-to-practice journey I have been privileged to share with colleagues at 海角涩区 and across the SALTISE community.鈥�

The impact of her work is evident: more than 36,000 海角涩区 students have benefited from active learning classrooms developed in collaboration by Liz and Chris Whittaker (Faculty, Physics), while faculty credit her mentorship and networks for fostering innovation, inclusivity, and pedagogical design.

Liz鈥檚 efforts embody AQPC鈥檚 core values of integrity, openness, collaboration, and innovation. 海角涩区 proudly celebrates her extraordinary achievements and the legacy she continues to build, inspiring educators and transforming learning experiences across Quebec and beyond.

She was nominated by Leanne Bennett, Academic Dean of 海角涩区; Isabelle Carrier, Dean of Academic Development at 海角涩区; and Teresa Berghello, Director General of John Abbott College.