April 2008

Unless otherwise indicated, sessions occur in the Learning and Teaching Centre (LTC) Classroom in the Harry Hickman Building (HHB) Room 128.

If the register buttons are not working, please contact us by email.

First Year Course Instructors Council (FYCIC) ~ General Meeting
Monday, April 7, 2008
2:30 PM ~ 3:30 PM, HHB 128
Dr. Joe Parsons, Director of Counselling Services, and Dr. Tim Haskett, Director of the Trifaculty Advising Centre, will participate in a discussion on strategies for helping students who encounter academic difficulties before the end of the academic term. Dr. Aaron Devor, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies will attend to advise us on issues regarding the role of graduate TAs in first year courses.
Open to all interested faculty.
FYCIC Series Information

Developing Your Teaching Dossier Workshop
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 [Lunch provided]
12:00 PM ~ 2:00 PM, HHB 128
With Teresa Dawson, Director, Learning and Teaching Centre
Developing your teaching dossier is the most effective way to document your teaching for reappointment, tenure and promotion, as well as for winning awards. The most important part of the dossier is the narrative statement that guides the reader through the supporting documentary evidence. This workshop will discuss the role of the teaching dossier in the assessment process at UVic, assist you in developing your narrative, and outline an effective structure for organizing your materials. The workshop is also useful for graduate students who plan to apply for teaching jobs!
Open to all those who are involved in instruction.

Instructional Technology Group (ITG) ~ Facebook – A tool for Online Study Groups or Academic Cheating? - Group Discussion
Thursday, April 10, 2008
1:00 PM ~ 2:00 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Robin Sutherland, UVic Communications Services
This open discussion forum will address the recent controversy over students using Facebook to form online study groups. While this tool can be used by students for peer learning, it can also be used to share assignments and test answers. This session can be an opportunity to discuss strategies for creating awareness amongst students and instructors about the fine lines between peer learning and academic cheating. Everyone is welcome to join the discussion.
ITG Series Information

Psychology Students of Vancouver Island Poster Session (PSOVIPS)
Friday, April 11, 2008
3:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM, Arbutus/Queenswood Room, Cadboro Commons Conference Centre
A select group of advanced undergraduate Psychology students from UVic and Malaspina will present posters reporting their cutting-edge scientific research in such areas as human memory, child development, interpersonal social interactions and electrophysiological analyses of brain processes.
Additional information about PSOVIPS 2008 will soon be available on the UVic Psi Chi website http://web.uvic.ca/~psichi/ or contact Steve Lindsay (slindsay@uvic.ca). This event is sponsored by the Department of Psychology, Psi Chi (the honours society for psychology students), and the Learning and Teaching Centre.
Link to PSOVIPS 2008 Poster

Moodle Course Showcase: Engaging Students Online
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
1:30 PM ~ 3:30 PM, HHB 110, 116 and 128 [Snacks and drinks provided]

How do you engage students in effective online teaching and learning?

Your UVic colleagues invite you to explore this question and exchange ideas at the Moodle Showcase. This showcase provides instructors with opportunities to share pedagogical practices, and discuss how they designed activities and kept students engaged online in their courses over the past year. Join us to investigate examples of a wide range of teaching approaches and objectives, as well as a few lessons learned along the way.

To RSVP and view the full program including session abstracts and bios, please visit the Moodle Showcase website at http://elearning.uvic.ca/showcase/moodle/
With RSVP you become eligible automatically for our door prizes (including 2 ipod shuffles)! Hope to see you there.

Learning and Teaching Development Grants (LTDG) ~ Information Session
Thursday, April 17, 2008
1:00 PM ~ 2:00 PM, HHB 128
Presenter: Dr. Valia Spiliotopoulos, Associate Director, Learning and Teaching Centre
Do you have a question about how your students are learning in your class that you would like the opportunity to investigate? Is there a teaching and learning idea in your discipline that you have always wanted to explore? Come find out how you can apply for a grant to assist you in achieving your pedagogical goals. We have made some modifications to the grant process this year to make it easier to apply and will share these details with you at the meeting as well as answer any questions you may have.
Open to all those interested in applying for Learning and Teaching Grants in 2008.
Link to LTDG Information and Application Forms

Course Redesign Workshop (CRW)
Monday, April 28, 2008 ~ Friday, May 2, 2008 inclusive
8:30 AM ~ 3:30 PM daily, HHB 128 [Lunch and nutrition breaks provided]
Instructor: Dr. Ed Ishiguro, Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology
The Course Redesign Workshop (CRW) provides a collegial environment and extensive support for instructors to design a new course or to redesign a current course that they feel is not as effective as it could be. Over the five days of the workshop, instructors will examine their course content and identify and explain the intended outcomes of their redesigned—or newly designed—course. They will learn about and make informed choices regarding instructional methods to increase student engagement and learning. Additionally, they will learn to design ways of assessing learning that are congruent with the intended outcomes that they had previously identified. Finally, they will learn about appropriate strategies to build a sense of community in their courses and ways to give and receive feedback so that the course stays on track and students feel supported. As a result of their participation, instructors will be able to apply the design/redesign process to other courses.
Previous participants in this workshop have described the CRW as a “transformative experience” and have expressed a renewed sense of enthusiasm for teaching. If you are interested in the CRW, please contact 721-8571 or ltc@uvic.ca.
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL
CRW Information