2011 Fall Meeting

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Updates from the Community

Brock University, Centre for Teaching, Learning & Educational Technologies

Highlights

• CTLET is partnering or taking the lead on many new initiatives (online learning, copyright, service learning, faculty events, curriculum review) (see challenges).
• Continue to expand workshop series and programming including a number of new workshops brokered through outreach to the Faculties (see new initiatives).
• Tribute to Teaching, held annually for the past 7 years, is a celebration of teaching. Awards are conferred (Early Career, Teaching Large Classes, Sessional teaching) and the event also showcases an address by our Brock University Distinguished Teaching award recipient.
• The Centre grows in terms of resources and staffing (1 full-time hire for Sakai support and 2 new part-time hires for TA support). (see challenges re space!)

New Initiatives

• Assumed responsibility for the development of online learning across the University.
• In collaboration with the Library, CTLET assumed responsibility for educating the Brock community on copyright issues and fair dealing t
• Workshop program for International TAs.
• Narrative Institute hosted in August 2011 was facilitated by Glenys Wilson Boutlbee from Catalyst Consulting in Alberta. We subsequently formed a Narrative Learning community
• Faculty development workshop, scheduled for December 2011, entitled The Slow Professor, led by Profs. Barbara Seeber and Maggie Berg from Queens U, builds on a CAUT survey that found most academics were highly stressed and proposes way to slow down in academia.
• David DiBattista, Faculty member in Psychology, joins the CTLET as a Faculty Associate responsible for assessment and evaluation.
• Karen Burke da Silva, Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, School of Biology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Southern Australia is scheduled for December 12, to offer a workshop (co-sponsored by Faculty of Maths and Science and CTLET) on Transition from a traditional lecture-based first-year biology course to an interactive inquiry-based course.

Challenges

• DLES and GDLES: Helping departments think about their programs and their curriculum, and in terms of learning outcomes and expectations.
• SPACE – Our mandate is expanding and we have no space. New hires are virtually “virtual”

Carleton University, Educational Development Centre

Highlights

• Sustained interest in faculty certificate program
• Expanding certificate program for contract instructors
• Expanding TA mentorship program
• Offered certificates in teaching and educational technology in Rwanda
• Developed online options for TA training
• Inclusion in all major University initiatives

New Initiatives

• Preparing to Teach – 8-week teaching program for PhD students
• Faculty retreat on multiple choice item development
• Three new teaching awards – one with Provost’s office, called “Provost’s Fellows”
• ID support to help faculty develop online courses
• Peer observations for TAs
• New TA website with pedagogical support

Challenges

• Balancing time commitments
• Alternatives to “the clock”
• Trepidation from faculty and TAs in pursuing active training
• Creativity in balancing resource demands
• Budget cuts

University of Guelph, Centre for Open Learning and Educational Support

Highlights

• Supporting curriculum committees re learning outcome and continuous improvement plans
• Collaborating with AVPA’s office to create guide to developing and assessing learning plans
• Creating online journal to coincide with 25th anniversary of Teaching and Learning Innovations conference

New Initiatives

• Began 3-year collaborative project with Learning Outcomes Educational Support group to develop snazzy new resources
• Started social media strategy with Twitter and Facebook
• Piloted Cross-Cultural Teaching Program for TAs who see themselves as from minority backgrounds
• Started first community of practice
• New program for faculty: Educational Leadership in Teaching Excellence

Challenges

• Major changes – merged with Office of Open Learning, changed name, new staff, lost staff, new director

Lakehead University, Instructional Development Centre

Highlights

• Hosted first “Teaching and Learning Week” – 4 workshops, lecture by winner of Distinguished Instructor Award, opening of Learning Commons
• 5th Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium – keynote by Frank Robinson
• Next Teaching and Learning Week in December

New Initiatives

• New alternative to Graduate Student Teaching Practicum: Graduate Student Teaching Workshop Option. Attend 8 workshops, write a critical reflection, create teaching philosophy. Get a letter of recognition. Intended to reach those with less time.

Challenges

• Difficult to develop, enhance, sustain programming when you’re the only employee!

OCAD University, Centre for Innovation in Art and Design Education

Highlights

• Founded Centre for Innovation in Art & Design Education which includes Academic Support Services for Students and the Faculty and Curriculum Development Centre (collocated) as well as the Office of Continuing Studies
• Initiated a program of Professional Development for Instructors
• Planned and implemented a campus-wide Student Feedback on Courses model
• Conducted an e-learning technologies review and selection process; currently in first stage of a scaled implementation of a new LMS, Canvas by Instructure
• Heavily engaged in preparation and implementation of the IQAP and new Academic Plan

New Initiatives

• Curriculum Mapping and e-Portfolio Project
• Action Research Project on Teaching and Learning by Critique
• Development of a hybrid course model for Experiential Learning Courses
• Transforming annual BIG TALK lecture on Teaching and Learning to a one-day conference

Challenges

• Uncertain budget
• Lack of staff
• Multiple strategic priorities allocated to the Centre and tight timelines

Queen’s University, Centre for Teaching and Learning

Highlights

• Expansion of Teaching Development Workshop series
• Discontinuation of English Language Communication Skills for Teaching Purposes an d English Communication Assessment
• CTL website change
• Mazur presentation on “Memorizing or Understanding: Are we teaching the right thing?”
• Launch of Emerging Leadership Initiative
• Budget submission

New Initiatives

• Adventures in Active Learning event
• Teaching Tab on University home page
• Focus on Diversity program (redesigned)
• 20th-anniversary celebrations – Jan 16th will be CTL Day, new graphic, launch of Innovation in Teaching prize, Cross-Faculty Teaching Forum

Challenges

• Labour action involving two bargaining units
• New accountability and quality assurance frameworks
• New operational and budgetary processes
• Continuing financial restraints
• New academic plan for the University
• New University Brand
• New Provost and VP-Academic

University of Toronto, Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation

Highlights

• Navigating Your PATH: Exploring and Supporting Teaching Assistant and Graduate Student Development conference
• Funding for CTSI space renovations ($1.3 million!)
• Funding to support SoTL
• 3 OCUFA awards, 1 3M National Teaching Fellowship
• Increased and diversified staffing – Institutional Academic Technology Strategist, Course Evaluation Officer, Assistant to Directors, Faculty Liaison
• Partnerships with UofT Teaching Academy, Office of the CIO, UofT Libraries, Academic Success Centre, etc.

New Initiatives

• Course Evaluation Framework
• Course Design Institute
• Online Modules to Support Instructors
• Student-Faculty Interactions
• Communications – diversified outreach, online modules, etc.
• Instructional Technology Innovation Fund

Challenges

• Strategies to support SoTL
• Increased requests for CTSI expertise and support

University of Waterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence

Highlights

• Two new hires – Instructional Developer, Curriculum and Programming and Instructional Developer, Consulting and Research
• New office space to bring staff together
• Survived transition to Desire2Learn* Implemented new system to track and report on work
• New grad student programming – Fundamentals of University Teaching – as pre-req for Certificate in University Teaching
• Increased uptake of curriculum services – 25%+ of faculty members over the year

New Initiatives

• Task Force on Innovative Teaching Practices to Promote Deep Learning
• New Opportunities and New Directions conference in April 2012

Challenges

• Ongoing strategic planning, uncertainty re teaching and learning priorities at each level

University of Western Ontario, Teaching Support Centre

Highlights

• New Centre for Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, affiliated with TSS and Faculty of Education
• Fall Perspectives on Teaching conference – focused on internationalization, Darla Deardorff keynote
• New purple guide: The Western Guide to Professional Master’s Programs, Gloria Leckie
• Expanded international TA language workshops
• Introduced the Instructional Skills Workshop and Facilitators Development Workshop to faculty members at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
• Hosted four international scholars

New Initiatives

• New purple guide, Working with TAs, due fall 2011
• New discipline-specific learning communities for TAs in Social Science and Engineering
• American edition of e-book, Surviving and Thriving in Canadian Academia, completed and will be marketed to US. Canadian edition an international success

Challenges

• Reduction to base operating budget has placed constraints on programming – two fewer sessions of TA Training Program, cut grad student/post-doc pronunciation course, no new programming for faculty

Wilfrid Laurier University, Teaching Support Services

Highlights

• Communities of Practice focused on different themes have been created, each with a wiki
• Integrated grad student development opportunities
• New policy being developed on use of mobile devices in teaching spaces
• Media Technologies Resources merged with Information Technology Services (former part of TSS)
• Surveyed students on preferences re: taking courses in summer months
• Hiring new blended-learning specialist
• Initiatives to make development and instruction of online courses more transparent.

New Initiatives

• Welcomed first Associate Vice-President of Teaching and Learning (Dr. Pat Rogers)
• Quality Assurance Office and new position (Manager: Academic Program Development and Review) created within TSS.
• Four-day new faculty orientation program,Foundations for New Faculty
• New training room available – renovated in partnership with three other units
• TSS and reporting subunits – revised mission and mandates statements

Challenges

• Supporting multi-campus staff, faculty and students with respect to TSS programming, events, initiatives
• Identifying best ways to connect with faculty – just-in-time

University of Windsor, Centre for Teaching and Learning

Highlights

• Annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence – 200+ participants, 31 award winners
• Grants to evaluate impact of, and develop new, programs – $140,00 in provincial and university-level funding, including partnerships with several departments on campus
• Centred on Learning Innovation Funds – this year’s theme will be open and online learning
• Increased participation – 749 unique workshop participants, approximately 2,600 contact hours through workshops; thousands of campus members in one-on-one consultations; record number of participants in graduate courses and half-courses (more than triple the number of faculty and sessionals from previous year)
• Second cohort of first-level University Teaching Certificate Program graduated in November 2011; second level begins January 2012.
• 100% of faculty members hired over the last year participated in CTL events
• 5th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference (in partnership with Oakland University) –183 participants from 24 institutions in Canada, the US, and Jamaica.
• GA/TA Network – a partnership with the Faculty of Graduate Studies. First year saw presentations at several conferences, creation of a blog, Facebook and Twitter presence, and a teaching handbook for GA/TAs, Towards Better Teaching.
• LMS – New searchable support, MediaWiki, led to 80,000 views in three months. Upgrading to new version with new features. Survey conducted to assess preferences.
• Piloted Blackboard Collaborate
• Collected Essays in Learning and Teaching journal (CELT), now has online management system, about 60,000 downloads per month

New Initiatives

• None identified (though some in previous section are new!)

Challenges

• Revising mission and mandate
• New Office of Open Learning – uncertain what its relation to CTL will be.

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