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Teaching Philosophy

Rooted in my teaching philosophy is the firm belief in a challenging, interactive, & learner-centred environment within which students participate in, are motivated by & contribute to the learning process. I view myself as a facilitator of learning and my main objectives are to provide knowledge, insight & guidance in an enthusiastic & encouraging manner so as to promote a positive, useful & relevant learning experience. To accomplish this, I aim to achieve the following:

  • to deliver a challenging, interesting & useful body of knowledge to students that includes both current research & relevant applied skills
  • to foster critical thought & assist in development of independent & balanced views on topics
  • to enhance learning skills & resourcefulness
  • to provide active, 'hands-on' experiential learning via laboratory assignments and field trips
  • to foster interpersonal and communication skills via group work where possible
  • to provide a learning environment that empowers students to take interest and responsibility for their education, thereby instilling in them a desire to learn
  • to accommodate the requests, needs, and interests of students in a constantly changing educational environment

I believe strongly in promoting accessibility of education. I do this in 4 ways:

  1. by designing course materials & assignments that appeal to a wide variety of learning styles (e.g., active & experiential learning, rote & fact-based learning, problem solving, etc.).
  2. by involving students directly (e.g., 'hands on' labs, group projects, field trips, presentations).
  3. by providing course materials & supplemental information to students via course web pages.
  4. by making myself available & approachable to students to encourage direct contact & foster a more personable learning experience

I also realize that education extends beyond the classroom & should aim to address the changing needs & requirements of both students & the community. My approach aims to facilitate learning experiences that are current, relevant & applicable to ‘real world’ issues. For example, I organize field trips to the Capital Regional District’s Sooke Lake Watershed with the hydrological engineer to show how concepts we discuss in class (e.g., water budgets, flow control structures, reservoirs) are managed. Though only a small part of their experience, I believe that exposing students to research on & applications of their learing will spark their interests & may encourage them to become active constituents, prospective researchers & supportive alumni that may eventually contribute, in return, to UVic and their respective communities.
Recent Refereed Publications
Parsons, D., G.F.S. Wiggs, I.J. Walker, & B. Garvey (in press). Time-averaged numerical modelling of airflow over an idealised transverse dune. Environmental Modelling & Software: accepted 11/02.
Walker, I.J. & W.G. Nickling (2002). Dynamics of secondary airflow and sediment transport over and in the lee of transverse dunes. Progress in Physical Geography 26(1): 47-75.
Walker, I.J. (1999). Secondary airflow and sediment transport in the lee of reversing dunes. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 24(5): 437-448.
Walker, I.J., J.R. Desloges, G. Crawford, & D. Smith (1997). Floodplain formation processes and archaeological implications at the Grand Banks site, Lower Grand River, Southern Ontario. Geoarchaeology 12(8): 865-887.
Published Conference Proceedings
Walker, I.J. (2002). Advances in Research on Dune-Airflow-Sand Transport Dynamics: incorporating lee-side flow and transport processes. Keynote address In: Lee, J.A. and Zobeck, T.M. (eds). Proceedings of the ICAR5/GCT-SEN Joint Meeting, 22 – 25 July 2002, Lubbock, Texas, USA, p. 458-462.
Parsons, D., Walker, I.J., & Wiggs G.F.S. (2002). Numerical modeling of flow structures over transverse dunes. In: Lee, J.A. and Zobeck, T.M. (eds). Proceedings of the ICAR5/GCT-SEN Joint Meeting, 22 – 25 July 2002, Lubbock, Texas, USA, p. 454-457.
   Parsons, D., Wiggs G.F.S., Walker, I.J., & Garvey, B.G. (2002). Time-averaged numerical modeling of airflow over an idealized transverse dune. In: Lee, J.A. and Zobeck, T.M. (eds). Proceedings of the ICAR5/GCT-SEN Joint Meeting, 22 – 25 July 2002, Lubbock, Texas, USA, p. 261-266.
Walker, I.J. (1997). Quantifying the two-dimensional pattern of the wind flow field over transverse dunes in a field setting. In: Brunger, A. & F.M. Helleiner (eds.), Proceedings of CAGONT 1996: the 1996 Annual Meeting of the Ontario Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers, Occasional Paper 16: Department of Geography, Trent University, pp.311-332
Conference Presentations
Walker, I.J., P.A. Hesp, R.G. Davidson-Arnott, & J. Ollerhead (2002). Topographic effects on airflow over a vegetated foredune - Greenwich Dunes, Prince Edward Island National Park, Canada. Paper accepted for presentation in the J.R. Allen Memorial Session at Coastal Sediments ’03, May 18-23, 2003, Clearwater Beach, Florida.
Davidson-Arnott, R.G.D., Ollerhead, J., Walker, I.J. and Hesp, P.A. (2002). Spatial and temporal variability in intensity of aeolian transport on a beach and foredune. Paper accepted for presentation in the J.R. Allen Memorial Session at Coastal Sediments ’03, May 18-23, 2003, Clearwater Beach, Florida.
Walker, I.J. (2002). Recent advances in research on dune-airflow-sediment transport interactions. Paper presented at the Canadian Geomorphology Research Group Session GS2, Annual Meeting of the Geological Association of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, May 27 – 29, 2002.
Anderson, J., Phillips, B. and Walker, I.J. (2002). Sediment properties and geomorphic reconstruction of Cowichan Head Bluffs, Victoria, BC. Paper presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers, Simon Fraser University, BC. March 16, 2002.
Walker, I.J. (2001). Lee-side flow deflection and implications for migration of transverse aeolian dunes. Paper presented at the Canadian Geomorphology Research Group Session, Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Association of Geographers, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, June 2 – 3, 2001.
Walker, I.J. (2001). Lee-side flow deflection over transverse aeolian dunes. Paper presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta. March 8 – 9, 2001.
Walker, I.J. (2000). Mean flow, turbulence, and surface shear stress patterns over isolated and closely spaced transverse dunes. Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Association of Geographers, Brock University, St. Catherines, ON, May 31 – June 3, 2000.
Walker, I.J. (2000). A wind tunnel investigation of mean flow, turbulence, and surface shear stress patterns over isolated and closely spaced transverse dunes. Paper presented at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Geomorphology Research Group Ph.D. paper competition, Pittsburg, PA, April 4 – 8, 2000.
Walker, I.J., and W.G. Nickling (1998). Secondary airflow and sediment transport in the lee of reversing dunes, Silver Peak, Nevada. Poster presented at the 29th annual Binghamton Symposium in Geomorphology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole Massachusetts, November 13-15, 1998.
Walker, I.J. (1998). Secondary airflow and sediment dynamics in the lee of transverse dunes: Identifying the properties and role of lee flow patterns in aeolian dune systems. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference of Aeolian Research (ICAR-4), School of Geography, University of Oxford, UK, July 6-10, 1998.
Walker, I.J. (1996). Quantifying the two-dimensional pattern of the wind flow field over transverse dunes in a field setting. Canadian Association of Geographers- Ontario Division (CAGONT), Annual Meeting November 1996, Trent University, Peterborough, p.21.
Desloges, J. R., and Walker, I.J. (1995). Fluvial and geomorphic processes and archaeological site integrity at the Grand Banks site, Grand River, Ontario. Society of American Archaeologists 60th Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 3-7, 1995, p.63.
Desloges, J. R., Walker, I.J., G. Crawford, and D. Smith (1995). Processes of floodplain development and archaeological site integrity: Grand River, Ontario. 1995 Annual Meeting of Canadian Association of Geographers, Université du Québec à Montréal, p.105.
Other
Walker, I.J. (2000). Secondary airflow and sediment transport in the lee of transverse dunes. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Geography, University of Guelph. 256p.
Walker, I.J. (2000). A summary of current software packages used to plot wind roses. Web page posted for the Wind Science & Engineering Research Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. http://www.wind.ttu.edu/atmo/windrose.htm
Bennett, L.P. & Walker, I.J. (2000). GEOG1300DE Introduction to the Biophysical Environment. Course Manual for distance education course (GEOG1300DE), Department of Geography, University of Guelph.
Bennett, L.P. & Walker, I.J. (2000). GEOG1300DE Introduction to the Biophysical Environment - Instructional video. Demonstration video for distance education course (GEOG1300DE), Department of Geography, University of Guelph.
Walker, I.J. (1995). Lateral bar formation and stability on the Grand River near Cayuga, Ontario. B.Sc. honours thesis, Department of Geography, University of Toronto. 84p.