Shawn Graham
History professor Shawn Graham has won numerous teaching awards for his ingenuity in the classroom. In 2012, he was awarded a Carleton University Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award, and in 2013, he won the international Desire2Learn Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning by using digital media and game-based learning to make history come alive for his students. Information leapt off the pages of textbooks as Shawn led his class in creating an augmented reality catalog for the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Shawn has also enabled past students to immerse themselves in a virtual archeological dig from the comfort of their computer screens, allowing trial and error in a safe environment.
In 2016, Shawn was the recipient of the Provost’s Fellowship in Teaching Award for his unique approach to teaching – encouraging productive failure. As a digital history professor, Shawn makes it safe for his students to fail by assessing a student’s reflection on their process rather than only the final product. By allowing students the room to fail productively and learn from their experiences through written reflections, Shawn helps his students to prepare for the world outside Carleton’s walls.