October 2010

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.

For a copy of the October 2010 broadcast email, please click here.

Developing Your Teaching Dossier Workshop [Teaching Assessment Series]
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1:00 PM ~ 3:00 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Dr. Marty Wall, Department of Psychology, and the 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, or plan to be involved, in instruction.
Teaching Assessment Series

Grading and Invigilating: What You Need to Know [TA ProD Series]
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
6:00 PM ~ 7:30 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Sohad Kadhum (TAC), Department of Mechanical Engineering
Wondering how to grade fairly? Eager to develop a marking scheme that meets the objectives of grading? Want to know the duties and responsibilities of an invigilator? What do you do if you catch students cheating? Do you have to accompany students to the bathroom? Can students wear hats?
Come and join us in this dynamic session to find out how to deal with the challenges associated with grading and invigilating, and to share your ideas!
TA ProD Series Information

Holding Office Hours: How to "Tutor" and Effectively Deal with One-on-One Communication [TA ProD Series]
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
6:00 PM ~ 7:30 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Tusa Shea, Department of History in Art
Are you wondering what to expect from office/tutoring sessions? You can prepare by familiarizing yourself with the purpose of office hours, understanding the common reasons why students come to talk to TAs, and knowing what to do when you encounter an unexpected problem during a session. In this workshop, we will address these points and identify some resources and skills to cope with tutoring in a one-on-one setting.
TA ProD Series Information

When Talks Matter: International TAs and the Issues of Diversity, Intersectionalities and Human Rights in the Classroom [TA ProD Series]
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
10:00 AM ~ 12:00 PM, HHB128
Facilitator: Moussa Magassa, UVic Human Rights Education
This practical and interactive workshop is designed to empower international TAs in their teaching of and communication with the diversities in their Canadian classroom. For this, international TAs need to develop specific understanding of and skills in how to deal with various dimensions of diversity and their sometimes human rights implications.
A word on the Equity and Human Rights office (EQHR): EQHR champions UVic's commitment to practices of equity, fairness and inclusion. In partnership, we foster communities where strength is found in diversity and respect for difference provides dynamism and vibrancy to university life.
TA ProD Series Information

ISW & PSW Reunion!
Come and Meet Others Who Have Completed the ISW or PSW!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 [Light lunch provided]
12:00 PM ~ 1:30 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Dr. Jane Gair, Coordinator, ISW & PSW Program, Teaching Consultant, Learning and Teaching Centre and Senior Instructor, Division of Medical Sciences
So you completed the ISW or the PSW and learned some wonderful things. You also met some great people! What happens now? Where is everyone? Well, here is your chance to get together with all of those people.
Meet new people, see your old friends and colleagues and let us know how we can improve these workshops! See the "Speakers’ Club" notice about what to do now that the PSW is over - where you can practice your talk and get some feedback. All ISW & PSW facilitators are warmly invited to this reunion.

Strategies for the First Class [Teaching Tips Series #2]
Thursday, October 21, 2010
1:00 PM ~ 3:00 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Dr. Marty Wall, Department of Psychology, and the Learning and Teaching Centre
As an instructor, you might be tempted to dismiss the special significance of your first meeting with your class and not take advantage of the opportunity that it provides to set a positive and engaging beginning to your course. First impressions are important and, particularly in a large class, difficult to change. We will discuss the "do's-and-don'ts" for the first class and consider the impact of different strategies. Come prepared to compare notes on how best to establish an optimal start to a course.
Teaching Tips Series Information

Speakers' Club!
Come and practice your talk, seminar, defense or conference presentation in a safe, friendly environment!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
4:00 PM ~ 5:30 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Dr. Jane Gair, Teaching Consultant, Learning and Teaching Centre and Senior Instructor, Division of Medical Sciences, and Sohad Kadhum, Department of Mechanical Engineering
At the suggestion of some past Presentation Skills Workshop (PSW) participants, we would like to start up a Speaker’s Club where anyone can come to practice a talk, receive some suggestions, advice and feedback or just come to listen and get some ideas for your next talk or presentation. After the PSW, where else can you get the practice (that does make perfect!) and the feedback from friendly colleagues?
Monthly events will/have been held on the following Tuesdays from September 2010 to May 2011:
September 28, October 26 and November 30, 2010; January 25, February 15, March 29, April 26 and May 31, 2011

Relationship Between the Level of Student Readiness in First Year Math Courses and Student Success [First Year Course Instructors Community (FYCIC Series)]
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
10:00 AM ~ 11:00 AM, HHB 128
Facilitators: Lorraine Dame, M.Sc.; and Dr. Gary MacGillivray, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
This session is an update on continuing studies designed to develop strategies to improve student success in entry- level undergraduate mathematics courses. Earlier studies focused on the degree of student engagement as a possible early indicator of at-risk students. This report will examine how prepared are students who are enrolled in first-year math, for example through diagnostic tests administered at the beginning of courses, and how this correlates with student success. Future directions of this research will also be discussed.
FYCIC Series Information

Mentoring as an Effective Tool in Early and Middle Career Development [TA ProD Series]
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
6:00 PM ~ 7:30 PM, HHB 128
Facilitator: Cristal Sargent (TAC), Department of Sociology
The mentor relationship is a collaborative one which can be instrumental in supporting personal growth and career advancement. This partnership can assist in developing a scheme of practices in a teaching assistant position. Having knowledge of both the academic subject matter and the needs of the students is invaluable in the education process; the mentor can supplement the mentor partner's performance by providing guidance or instruction.
In this workshop, you will learn the essential parts of the mentoring role (i.e., the transmission of practical or craft knowledge by experienced instructors). Key responsibilities of the mentor role are facilitating relationships, being reflective and ethical; giving straightforward feedback;articulating rationale for education practices; and supporting the partner through open dialogue. In this workshop, we will discuss different types of mentor relationships: trust-based, being open, and that emphasize genuine interest in the students' well-being. Others emphasize instructional approaches to avoid student alienation, to orient learners to a new culture (university) and to learn the rules of the placement. Mentors with high enthusiasm tend to have higher levels of success in transmission of knowledge for learners. We will explore some tools that promote enthusiastic instruction. Mentoring is a process in which planning, observation and feedback are key.The relationship allows both partners to broaden their scope of knowledge and develop learner-based instruction practices.
TA ProD Series Information

Online Education Fundamentals [Instructional Technology (IT) Series]
Registration Deadline: October 29, 2010
The Learning and Teaching Centre and Learning Systems are offering for the first time a fully-online, 20-week course in online education. While focusing on the pedagogical aspects of online teaching, participants will explore a wide variety of technological tools – including Moodle – and develop solid online discussion moderation skills. The Online Education Fundamentals course is being offered free of charge to all UVic faculty and instructors interested in designing and/or facilitating online courses.
For more information or to register, please visit http://elearning.uvic.ca/component/seminar/?task=3&cid=75 (To register, first log onto the site with your NetLink credentials, then click on the "book" button; you will not see the "book" button before logging in).
Online Education Fundamentals Course Outline
Instructional Technology Series

2010 Gilian Sherwin Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching
Nominations are being accepted for the 2010 Gilian Sherwin Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award is for Sessional Lecturers, Lab Instructors and Senior Lab Instructors.
Nomination Deadline: Friday, October 29, 2010. The nomination form can be found on the Alumni website.

November 2010 Events