Each year, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education puts out a call for senior PhD students to apply to teach a special topics undergraduate course. The applicants are required to design and propose a new course aligned with their area of interest and expertise.
“We receive a large number of high quality applications, each showcasing the wide range of research areas studied under the umbrella of kinesiology,” says Ashley Stirling, associate professor and vice dean of academics at KPE. “It’s often difficult to pick just three.”
But, three is how many get selected each year and this fall the successful applicants were Maeghan James, Sandhya Mylabathula and Asma Khalil, all three PhD students in the kinesiology program. We caught up with them recently to learn more about their courses and what drives their passion for their studies.
Maeghan James has worked with children throughout her adult life through summer camps, recreation programs, respite work and child care. In addition to seeing first-hand how physical activity and movement can impact a child’s life, she also witnessed how children of different ability levels, cultures and demographics face barriers to engage in physical activity.
“I pursued a career in research to better understand how to support physical activity opportunities for kids and how we can do this in the early years so that we ensure all kids develop the skills necessary to be active for life,” she says.
No surprise then that she developed a course called The Role of Movement in Early Childhood Health and Development.
“Research shows that children’s experiences and accompanying development before the age of six is highly predictive of later life health outcomes, as well as engagement in physical activity,” she says. “Therefore, I believe it is critical for any student looking to work in the field of health and physical activity to understand basic concepts related to child development and the role of movement in this context.”
James has been teaching in person and says Tuesday is her favourite day of the week, because she gets to see her students on that day.
“It has been a pleasure getting to know my students and being able to have meaningful conversations in person, although I do miss seeing the smiles underneath the masks,” she says. “Like everyone else, I have been working and studying online for the last year and a half. To say teaching in person has been a breath of fresh air is an understatement. I feel very grateful to have such wonderful students who have made this experience fun, insightful and safe for us all.”
Sandhya Mylabathula is teaching a course called The Impact of Concussions.
“As a researcher, long-time advocate on concussion issues, educator, policy writer and consultant, I have been so excited for this opportunity,” she says.
Her course provides students with an overview of the science behind the injury, societal and policy considerations, and how to make an impact with their knowledge.
“Concussion is the most common brain injury and can be devastating, which makes it all the more important to understand in order to recognize, manage and reduce the risk,” says Mylabathula, who is teaching her course online.
Although she enjoys teaching in person, she says there are benefits to the online delivery.
“Some of my students live outside of Toronto, but are still able to take the course,” she says. “I am also able to invite guest speakers from across the globe, giving my students the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of perspectives, which is so valuable in developing critical thinking and analytical skills.”
Guests in Mylabathula’s course range from Ken Dryden, former NHL-er and member of the Canadian House of Commons, who is a vocal advocate on concussion issues, to her twin sister Swapna, a PhD student in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, with whom she started a show on YouTube called STEAM Stars to help bring attention to women in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM).
Mylabathula believes the skills students learn and develop in this course – especially science communication – will be pertinent to their careers regardless of which field they choose to pursue.
“Effective communication plays such a big role in improving science literacy in a wide range of populations,” she says. “In my course, I encourage students to develop these skills, but also to apply them in a real-world outreach context.”
For their final assignment, Mylabathula will guide students in transforming the material that they learn throughout the term into an interactive activity that they can present to high school students.
“This gives them practical experience, demonstrates their learning and leaves an impact on the community at the same time.”
Asma Khalil is teaching a course this fall called Athlete Activism.
“Athlete activism is not new,” she says of the topic. “There is a long history of athletes using their platforms to take a stand on social justice issues. However, there has definitely been an increase in this phenomenon in recent times and I really wanted to explore this cultural shift.”
She notes the case of George Floyd, an African-American man, who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest.
“With athletes and entire sport teams joining in protest against policy brutality, sport was brought to the forefront of this political conversation and set the stage for some powerful conversations about the experiences of Black people, not just in the US, but globally,” says Khalil. “Muslim women have also been leading protests that challenge laws in sport that ban or restrict them from competing in hijabs.”
A recent guest lecturer in Khalil’s course was Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, a former collegiate basketball player from the US, who led a four year campaign to get the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to overturn their hijab ban.
“This was one more reason that I was so excited to propose this course – having the opportunity to bring voices and perspectives that aren’t often heard or experienced,” she says.
“I am lucky to have worked in grassroots sport for many years as an organizer, meeting many trailblazing individuals along the way. Bringing those voices from the margins to the very center of our academic space is really exciting and provides students with a more holistic, real-world experience.”