Professor Meunier received this distinction at the 35th edition of the Prix de la ministre de l'Enseignement supérieur awards presentation ceremony held in the Legislative Council Chamber at the Québec National Assembly last Friday evening.

A professor at Polytechnique Montréal for 30 years, Michel Meunier has taught more than 15 different courses, mainly in engineering physics and, more recently, in biomedical engineering. For most of these courses, he developed specially conceived content, designed new laboratories, wrote original course notes and drafted problem case studies that enabled students to put into practice theoretical concepts covered in class.

“Professor Meunier ranks with Polytechnique’s pioneers with regard to the use of peer-to-peer education in his courses,” said Lina Forest, Director of Polytechnique Montréal’s Teaching Support Centre. Professor Meunier became interested in the peer-to-peer educational approach during a renewal year in 2010-11 when he joined the Department of Applied Sciences as a visiting professor at Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

There, he joined the group led by Eric Mazur, a professor with an international reputation in the fields of ultrafast laser processes in organic materials and environments and of nanophotonics, who is also recognized worldwide for his work in the pedagogy of science. During that time, Professor Meunier acquainted himself with the peer-to-peer educational approach taught by Professor Mazur, who favours more hands-on learning and greater student involvement in class.

Excited by the teaching method which consists of asking questions in class about the course’s basic concepts and in encouraging discussion among students (that’s the peer-to-peer educational part), Professor Meunier decided to revise his course teaching method using this approach. (You can get a glimpse of this approach by watching this video produced by Sylvain Lefebvre of the Teaching Support Centre).

This approach, much appreciated by Polytechnique students, ensures that their learning process is monitored more closely as the course progresses and that the teaching method used is adjusted accordingly, resulting in better learning processes for students.

As a researcher of international repute who holds the Canada Research Chair in Materials Micro/Nanoengineering Using Lasers, Professor Meunier devotes a significant amount of time helping undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students complete their projects.

 

 

“These awards highlight the dynamism, determination and competence of the teaching staff at our higher-education establishments,” said Hélène David, Québec Minister Responsible for  Higher Education. “People who place the success of their students at the heart of their priorities deserve our heartfelt thanks.”

 

Educational material 

For his part, sustainable-development adviser Jean-François Desgroseilliers is being recognized for his contribution to educational material at the CEGEP level. Mr. Desgroseillers, along with two colleagues, contributed to the development of the course titled Initiation à la science politique for Le Cégep à distance. In fact, Mr. Desgroseilliers is currently working on one of the online courses (massive open online course, or MOOC) being developed at Polytechnique.

“In the CEGEP and university network, we are lucky to be able to count on passionate and dedicated people who offer teaching methods and educational material aimed at facilitating learning and acquiring skills,” said Sylvie Barcelo, Deputy Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research.

The Prix de la ministre were established in 1978. Their purpose is to underscore the exceptional quality of educational material developed in French for CEGEP and university undergraduate students. In 2013-14, two new awards were created to reward teaching excellence and innovative methods for the transfer of knowledge: the Paul-Gérin-Lajoie award at the CEGEP level and the Guy-Rocher award at the university level.

 

To learn more

Professor Michel Meunier’s expertise fact sheet 

For more information on the Prix de la ministre