2022 Events

Promoting Inclusivity and Accessibility

From May 9 to 13, celebrate teaching and learning at the 13th annual Celebrate Learning Week. This year’s showcase will feature a week of exciting events, including workshops, poster sessions, special guest speakers, and more.

Revisit the CLW 2022 Wiki page 

Download Schedule of Events (PDF) 


Keynote Speaker: Timothy Cordes

The Hurdle and the Highway: How We Think About Inclusion, Accommodation, and Disability, and Why it Matters

May 10, 2022 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Online

Timothy Cordes’ experiences as a blind person in Science, Medicine, and as a Psychiatrist in college mental health care, have taught him unique lessons. Timothy Cordes will explore how we think about inclusion and accommodation, including realizing our own assumptions and how leaving room to discover another’s strengths, makes all the difference. At one level, we approach accommodation in an attempt to enable someone with a disability to overcome educational hurdles. At the same time, we can use what we’ve learned to build universally designed highways that carry many to their best learning opportunities.

Register >


Schedule of events

Researchers Revealed

May 5 – 10, 2022 | Online

Researchers Revealed provides a window into current biodiversity research projects, and introduces the people behind them. Following scientists from the Biodiversity Research Centre at UBC, we travel from oceans to deserts and far-off jungles, uncovering the answers to some of our most pressing questions about life on Earth.

You’ll virtually meet researchers from different career stages, academic specialties, and backgrounds. This online exhibit is available to everyone to explore at your own pace! Captions are available on all videos and there are downloadable resources to supplement your learning.

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Student Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Accessible Practices

May 9, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Online

The student perspective should always be centered in the planning, design and delivery of instruction. See the world through students’ eyes as we explore their experiences in UBC’s classrooms and hear their perspectives on how to create truly accessible learning engagements. Panelists will be drawn from the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses and will reflect a diversity of experiences and disciplines.

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What I Wish Educators Knew Before Class Started: Re-examining Academic Experiences Through Student-led Seminars

May 9, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:30 am | In-person (Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Room 156, UBCV)

Join us for student-led and student-focused discussion exploring classroom culture, community building, learning beyond the classroom and improving student experiences with a panel of Student Directed Seminars Coordinators who served as both students and educators during the pandemic. Each student panelist developed a 3-credit course on a topic not currently offered at UBC, with the support of a Faculty Sponsor, a Student Engagement Advisor and Learning Designers from CTLT and then facilitated the course with up-to fifteen peers. As students balanced the role of educators and students, they learned a lot, and wish to share some of their reflections with the broader teaching community at UBC with the hopes of improving student learning experiences across the university.

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Micro-what? Innovating Through Skills-Based Micro-credentials

May 9, 2022 | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm | In-person (4108 Carr, David Strangway Building, 4th floor, UBCV)

Join us for an informal discussion about micro-credentialing and interdisciplinary, skills-based training. The pandemic has accelerated digitization and disruption, resulting in a need for an adaptable, resilient workforce that is continually upskilling and reskilling to adapt to changing organizational and societal needs. Micro-credentialing helps address labour market skills gaps to create a more resilient workforce, and increases accessibility for learners who may not have the time or financial means to complete a full degree.

We will discuss examples of new UBC skills-based micro-credentials, including MAEST-funded micro-certificates in Blockchain and Cybersecurity, and OLAF-funded programs in Game Writing; Biomedical Visualization and Communication; and Mining Law and Sustainability. We will share lessons learned, innovative program and learning design models, information on funding and support resources, as well as examples of industry, community participation and collaboration.

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2022 TLEF and ALT-2040 Virtual Showcase

May 9, 2022 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm | Online

The TLEF and ALT-2040 Virtual Showcase will celebrate the creative work of project teams and showcase a diverse range of projects from both UBCV and UBCO. During this 2 hour Virtual Showcase, TLEF and ALT-2040 project teams will present posters about their projects. For faculty, staff and students interested in applying for TLEF or ALT- 2040 Fund grants, the event will provide helpful examples of the kinds of projects that these programs support. For those interested in innovative teaching and learning projects and practices, the event is a great way to learn about exciting projects and meet innovative faculty, staff, and student project team members from UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.

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Promoting Equity and Inclusion with Responsible Use of Student Demographic Data

May 9, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:30 pm | Online

In this panel discussion, presenters will discuss their experiences with using student demographic data to promote inclusion and accessibility. Cases will include using personalized demographic data to construct groups in an evidence-based manner (Dr. Joss Ives) and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching approaches (Dr. Bridgette Clarkston). Additionally, examples of using aggregate data to provide insight into the extent to which courses have equitable outcomes will be shared (Dr. Jaclyn Stewart). Panelist Dr. Stephanie McKeown, the project lead and a sponsor of the UBC Student Demographic Data Project, will share about the project and engage in discussion about responsible use of data and concerns about data privacy and access. Attendees will be invited to engage with the panelists as well.

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Keynote Speaker: Timothy Cordes

The Hurdle and the Highway: How We Think About Inclusion, Accommodation, and Disability, and Why it Matters

May 10, 2022 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Online

Timothy Cordes’ experiences as a blind person in Science, Medicine, and as a Psychiatrist in college mental health care, have taught him unique lessons. Timothy Cordes will explore how we think about inclusion and accommodation, including realizing our own assumptions and how leaving room to discover another’s strengths, makes all the difference. At one level, we approach accommodation in an attempt to enable someone with a disability to overcome educational hurdles. At the same time, we can use what we’ve learned to build universally designed highways that carry many to their best learning opportunities.

Register >


Researchers Revealed

May 5 – 10, 2022 | Online

Researchers Revealed provides a window into current biodiversity research projects, and introduces the people behind them. Following scientists from the Biodiversity Research Centre at UBC, we travel from oceans to deserts and far-off jungles, uncovering the answers to some of our most pressing questions about life on Earth.

You’ll virtually meet researchers from different career stages, academic specialties, and backgrounds. This online exhibit is available to everyone to explore at your own pace! Captions are available on all videos and there are downloadable resources to supplement your learning.

Register >


Graduate Students in Teaching Conference

May 10, 2022 | 9:15 am – 2:10 pm | Online

The Graduate Students in Teaching Conference is open for Graduate Students and Teaching Assistants (TA). This conference is an opportunity for graduate students to focus on the present and future role of graduate students in teaching: graduate students teaching now, as well as graduate students as future faculty. Sessions during this conference are often interactive and involve the participants in conversations around teaching, learning theory and practice.

Register >


Looking into the Future: Hybridity and Technology

May 10, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:00 am | Online

The pandemic pushed faculties and students into a world of teaching and learning that increasingly weaves online and in-person learning and re-envisions the needs for the use of learning technologies. Please join our panelists from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Faculty of Medicine, and Faculty of Education to explore the possible directions of designing for learning in terms of the hybridization of courses and technology use. Our panelists bring their unique views and specific needs (e.g. large vs small courses, professional training and practice, pedagogical considerations) from these Faculties. We also invite the audience to join in the discussion with their perspectives, questions, and commentaries.

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RESPECT e-magazine: Immersive Learning Opportunity on EDI

May 10, 2022 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Online

In this poster session, we will showcase the RESPECT magazine as a venue to discuss equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) will be shared. With support from the Equity Enhancement Fund, this UBC student-facing and student-run e-magazine will publish their understanding of EDI issues as multimodal presentations to enhance UBC’s Inclusive Action Plan (IAP).

RESPECT magazine is an Educational Leadership project that will develop an open education resource to inform teaching and learning at the university. It is an example of an immersive learning opportunity for students who are project coordinators and part of the editorial team as well as contributors who choose to go above and beyond their classrooms to share informed perspectives with diverse stakeholders. It is experiential in nature as the team of instructors and students have created a digital platform and a dialogic space for EDI matters to invite reflection in this area and generate ideas to inform the challenges that face all of us.

The session will discuss the project objectives, digital platform development, collaboration with students, Equity Enhancement Office, other stakeholders and expected outcomes.

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Teaching with Care: An Introduction to Accessible Courses

May 10, 2022 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm | Online

One of the priorities when we are teaching is to ensure that our course content, practices, and open resources are accessible to all our learners, regardless of limitations. In this workshop, we will talk about design practices that can help ensure course content and resources are more versatile and useful for all students. Learn about useful processes, resources, and tips for getting started with accessibility. Designing for accessibility is a must and benefits all learners.

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Leveraging Digital Tools to Lower the Barrier to Re-entry into Post Secondary Education

May 10, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm | Online

In 2017, the provincial government expanded the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program to all public institutions in BC, waiving tuition fees for all former youth in foster care. However, only 55.1% of foster youth in BC finish school with high school credentials. As such, many former youths in care are not able to take advantage of the tuition waiver. In addition to the formal qualifications required for entry into post secondary education, many former youths in care have been out of the education system for more than a couple of years and need help acclimatizing. This poster session details the recent success I’ve had using digital tools to help former youth in care access post secondary education during the Covid pandemic.

In conjunction with a team of social workers at Aunt Leah’s, I help alleviate the many barriers confronting former youth in care. The Supporting Education for Former Foster Youth (SEFFY) program at Aunt Leah’s provides holistic mentoring and advising to help demystify the post secondary education system. The SEFFY program provides individual tutoring, academic counselling/coaching, life skills workshops, and refers participants to other supports at Aunt Leah’s. During the Covid pandemic, many of these services had to move online which required us to adapt to virtual learning environments. I leveraged digital tools to help organize student’s schedules, break down their assignments, academic writing, and improve their note taking strategies.

The youth that Aunt Leah’s supports represents a subsection of the population that has historically not been able to access post secondary education. The implements that the SEFFY program has created can also be used to improve academic coaching for students struggling to acclimatize to the rigorous coursework at UBC.

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Beaty Biodiversity Museum: Half-Hour Highlight

May 10, 2022 | 3:00 – 3:30 pm | In-person (Beaty Biodiversity Museum, UBCV)

Offered Tuesday through Sunday at 3:00pm, join the Beaty Biodiversity Museum’s education team for a museum highlight! You may join us for a tour, a hands-on activity, or a journey out into the courtyard! Expect a wide variety of stories and activities that may include museum history, evolution, ecology, local diversity, biodiversity basics, and UBC Biodiversity Research.

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Centre for Accessibility: Meet & Greet for Faculty Advisors

May 10, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Online

The Centre for Accessibility facilitates disability-related accommodations and programming initiatives designed to remove barriers for students with disabilities and ongoing medical conditions in all aspects of university life. Accessibility advisors frequently partner with Faculty advisors to support students in their program of study. Hear about who we are and what we do, with lots of time for Q&A. Note that this session is geared toward Faculty Academic Advisors.

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Alternative Grading Lightning Talks

May 10, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:10 pm | Online

Join us for an Alternative Grading lightning talk event, where UBC faculty from a range of disciplines, who have implemented alternative grading practices will speak about their experiences in short presentations. Alternative grading is a practice that de-emphasizes grades, and focuses on feedback to support student growth. Alternative grading practices often represent more equitable grading practices, which in turn help to decrease achievement disparities. These talks will provide you with alternative frameworks for increasing student engagement, creativity, and mastery of learning outcomes. The presentations will be followed by a question and answer period. The goal of this event is to provide the audience with an opportunity to learn about different types of alternative grading practices from practitioners and to learn about what worked, missteps, and student outcomes based on course data.

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UBC’s Curriculum MAP: Demo

May 11, 2022 | 9:00 – 10:00 am | Online

In this presentation, we demonstrate an institutional mapping, alignment and planning tool, Curriculum MAP, to inform the audience about its diverse application at course, program and institutional levels. Researchers have noted that curriculum mapping and alignment can improve “the quality of teaching” (Meij and Merx, 2018), facilitate comparison between current and “ideal or desired set of competencies” (Sumsion and Goodfellow, 2004), support review and inclusion of “transferrable skills” (Mohan et al., 2010) to “enhance the students’ employability and professional skills” (Valero et al., 2020), and increase “collegiality and collaboration” amongst faculty members (Uchiyama and Radin, 2009).

Curriculum MAP uses backward design to facilitate course planning, which draws one’s attention to inclusive teaching and learning practices. For instance, during the mapping process, users are prompted to consider Universal Design of Learning guidelines, UBC’s workload calculator tool, and institutional level strategic priorities. By guiding the mapping process with examples of best practices, Curriculum MAP helps shape inclusive and accessible teaching and learning goals and outcomes statements.

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Encouraging Academic Integrity Through a Preventative Framework​

May 11, 2022 | 9:30 – 11:00 am | Online

Through a collaboration between the Teaching and Curriculum Development Centre (TCDC), the Centre for Intercultural Engagement (CIE) and the Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Office, an open access toolkit for educators called “Encouraging Academic Integrity Through a Preventative Framework” was created. ​

This toolkit was developed to provide instructors with resources to reframe the conversations around what academic integrity and the expression of integrity means when viewed through the lens of identity and the intersections of culture, gender identity and ethnicity. We provide a model we call the Complexity Quadrant to examine the complexity in expression and perception of academic integrity. With this model in mind, we discuss strategies for fostering integrity and preventing contraventions of academic integrity standards through the use of Universal Design for Learning and intentional assessment design. ​

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Graduate Students in Teaching Conference

May 11, 2022 | 9:30 am – 2:15 pm | Online

The Graduate Students in Teaching Conference is open for Graduate Students and Teaching Assistants (TA). This conference is an opportunity for graduate students to focus on the present and future role of graduate students in teaching: graduate students teaching now, as well as graduate students as future faculty. Sessions during this conference are often interactive and involve the participants in conversations around teaching, learning theory and practice.

Register >


Enhancing Classroom Learning Through Critical Global Citizenship

May 11, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:00 am | In-person (Global Lounge, 2205 Lower Mall Building 1, UBCV)

The Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge and Resource Centre is a capacity-building hub for student-led global citizenship and social justice initiatives that fosters responsive programming grounded in the needs and interests of UBC students. The community is made up of over 35 member clubs concerned with issues such as anti-racism, sustainability, international development and intercultural competence that represent over 2000 students who support, and host over 500 events in the space annually. Students host responsive initiatives tied to current events that include expertise and lived experiences from not only faculty, but also, students and community members from across the globe; as a result, decolonizing students’ ways of knowing at UBC and enhancing their classroom learning. Join us for a presentation and discussion about the work of the Global Lounge, as well as learn how the staff have been able to pivot programming into the virtual space resulting in more accessible and inclusive programming for students.

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The Equity & Inclusion Scholars Program: Interventions Toward Inclusive Teaching

May 11, 2022 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Online

The Equity & Inclusion Scholars program funding six projects across disciplines to develop and test innovative approaches for building capacity for transformative teaching and learning through the integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in teaching related scholarship. The range of projects include curricula development, instructional practice, capacity-building and assessment, as they intersect with EDI in teaching and learning. Project teams will share how their work at part of the E&I Scholars Program hold potential to enhance the experiences of students who are historically or currently marginalized or excluded from higher education and how their interventions can be applied to formal teaching practice to related disciplines, and are collaborative and build on existing resources and expertise on campus.

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Introduction to Universal Design for Learning: What? Why? and How?

May 11, 2022 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Online

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has emerged as a prominent and important pedagogical framework for the inclusion of accessible learning at all levels of education. UDL fundamentally asks, “Is the design of my course accessible?” Rather than setting course curricula first and then adding teaching methods to accommodate specific learning needs, designing a course through UDL focuses on embedding different options of representation, expression and engagement to make course content and delivery more accessible to a diversity of student learning abilities and styles.

In this workshop, we will examine UDL, its principles and how it works. I will share an example of a course design with the UDL lens and discuss the different impacts on the students and teacher experience. Finally, you will have the opportunity to look directly at some of the challenges you may have in the classroom around accessibility and discuss in teams how UDL could help with these challenges and improve the accessibility of your course design.

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Teaching and Learning Accessible Practices and Support Panel

May 11, 2022 | 1:30 – 3:00 pm | Online

Hear from your peers about practical changes you can make to your courses to make them more accessible for students. Faculty and practitioners who have been successful in using inclusive and accessible learning practices will share concrete and practical ways in which they do this. Panelists will be drawn from the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses and will reflect a diversity of experiences and disciplines. Note that the panelist roster will be confirmed closer to the event.

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Inclusive Teaching: What is it and Why Does it Matter?

May 11, 2022 | 1:30 – 3:00 pm | Online

This session is for anyone who teaches at UBC who is looking for an introduction to inclusive teaching practices. Be introduced to the literature underpinning inclusive teaching and discuss why inclusive practices in the classroom are important, including considerations for the online environment . We will explore diversity amongst UBC’s student population. You will have an opportunity to learn, discuss and share inclusive teaching practices. You will leave the workshop with a range of practices and resources to continue exploring.

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Pronunciation Open Resources: Sharing H5P-Based Active Learning and Visual Tutorials for Pronunciation through an LMS

May 12, 2022 | 9:00 – 10:00 am | Online

This virtual panel discussion session will go over technical issues in developing H5P modules that embed into Canvas, and our approaches to designing and developing for these platforms. We will share where we had technical and pedagogical challenges, and explain how the materials are being used or will be used to support specific learning outcomes in language classrooms and linguistics courses.

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Promoting Access and Inclusion for Learners of All Backgrounds at UBC

May 12, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Online

In this session attendees will hear perspectives from UBC leadership on strategies to promote, encourage and support accessible and inclusive teaching and learning.

Accessible and inclusive teaching practices and program design are essential to removing systematic barriers to education for students of all backgrounds including those with disabilities. This panel will explore, from a strategic level, how inclusive teaching is being supported across both UBC campuses. In this 90-minute panel, a panel of UBCV and UBCO leaders will share their strategies, practical approaches, and their experiences and philosophies on inclusive teaching and learning. The panelists will outline ways that their role or units they lead support UBC’s strategic priorities relating to inclusive teaching, identify some systemic barriers or challenges that students face, and discuss strategies to overcome these barriers. There will be time reserved during this session for questions and ideas from the audience.

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Evaluating TLEF and SaP Fund Projects

May 12, 2022 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Online

Evaluation activities are important to think about throughout the life of your teaching and learning project, as they allow you to monitor and refine the development of the project. Evaluation also allows you to report out on the project impact, which will help you to secure continuing funding as well as engage others in better understanding the potential of your project for improving teaching and learning.

The CTLT Research & Evaluation team is offering hands-on workshop to help you develop your evaluation framework. This workshop will introduce useful evaluation frameworks, identify strategies (e.g., commonly used data collection methods), discuss common challenges of evaluation.

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Emotionality, Accessibility, and Inclusion: A Discussion on Emotion and Emotive Expression in UBC Classrooms

May 12, 2022 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Online

In this facilitated discussion, faculty, students, and staff are invited to examine how and to what extent emotion can/should be brought into the classroom at UBC. Drawing on our diverse disciplines, life and classroom experiences, and the emotive stakes of our respective fields, we will collectively ponder how classroom emotionality might enrich learning, disrupt inequitable academic conventions, and promote inclusivity and accessibility.

The facilitator, Dr. Pheroze Unwalla, will share his experiences constructing, employing, and assessing classroom emotionality interventions and emotive writing assignments in his Middle East Studies classrooms and welcomes your feedback on those endeavors.

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How to Promote Inclusive and Accessible Practices using UBC’s Curriculum MAP

May 12, 2022 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | In-person (Campus Administration Building 103, UBCO)

In this poster session, we showcase UBC’s Curriculum MAP as an open source platform that can facilitate syllabus planning using the ‘syllabus generator’ as well as alignment between course and program objectives. Generating consistent and clear syllabi responds to students’ need for clarity and attends to the concern for accessible learning when they view an organized document.

The digital mapping tool uses backward design to facilitate course planning, which draws one’s attention to inclusive teaching and learning practices. Curriculum MAP promotes inclusivity and accessibility by drawing the attention of course and program developers to consider UBC’s strategic priorities such as, “thriving communities” (UBC, Strategy 3) and “inclusive excellence” (UBC, Strategy 4) when planning for teaching and learning goals and outcomes statements. The ease with which one can build and collaborate using the tool is a distinct feature that supports user experience and encourages conversations amongst colleagues.

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Immersive Accessibility: Working with the Emerging Media Lab

May 12, 2022 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm | Online

The Emerging Media Lab presents an introduction to emerging media such as virtual reality or augmented reality. But this Celebrate Learning Week, we feature a discussion with EML faculty members currently working with EML on projects that take a step back and first ask, “does it have to be VR?” Join EML Faculty in Residence Jon Festinger of Allard Law and Dr. Lindsay Rogers of UBC Biochemistry for a discussion of what it’s like to work with the Emerging Media Lab.

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Active Learning in Passive Environments: Using H5P to Open Up Learning (At No Cost)

May 12, 2022 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm | Online

The price of attending university in North America is significantly higher than in other developed countries (OECD, 2018). Moreover, international and minoritized students are often harder hit by hidden costs, like textbooks and homework systems (NCES, 2019). In this workshop, we will demonstrate how attendees can use H5P, a simple, open source tool that can be used to bring formative assessment opportunities into your course at no extra cost to the student or the faculty. Using H5P, attendees will learn how to create and embed interactive elements like multiple choice questions, drag-and-drop, and simple interactive videos. We will also demonstrate how H5P has been used to enrich several courses across several disciplines.

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Centre for Accessibility: Meet & Greet for Faculty Advisors

May 12, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Online

The Centre for Accessibility facilitates disability-related accommodations and programming initiatives designed to remove barriers for students with disabilities and ongoing medical conditions in all aspects of university life. Accessibility advisors frequently partner with Faculty advisors to support students in their program of study. Hear about who we are and what we do, with lots of time for Q&A. Note that this session is geared toward Faculty Academic Advisors.

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Teamable Analytics: A Canvas-Integrated Team Formation and Analytics Tool

May 12, 2022 | 3:30 – 4:20 pm | Online

Do you need to strategically form teams and monitor their performance in your classes? We have built a Canvas-integrated web application that can help you. Our app, called Teamable Analytics, allows the professor to configure how they want the teams to be built, create custom surveys for students to fill out their background and team preferences, form teams randomly or strategically based on preferences or project needs, complete peer evaluations of other team members, and monitor team performance over time.

This is an interactive demo to showcase our Canvas-integrated team formation and analytics app. In this demo, we will describe several scenarios of how teams may be used in classes (e.g., teams built based on project needs, professor and student preferences, or student peer evaluation feedback). We will walk the audience through the steps needed to build teams in the team formation app and demonstrate how team analytics can be used to visualize team performance.

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Celebrate Learning with Asian Library: Spotlight on Collections and Innovations

May 12, 2022 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Online

Asian Library supports all scholars, students and community members conducting research on, or learning about Asia and Asian heritage. Join us and hear how our users are engaged with our collections and services for their research and studies. This event coincides with Asian Heritage Month and showcases the resources available at Asian Library, which can be enjoyed by all members of the UBC community.

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Peer Mentoring and Professional Development: Mentor Perspectives in Teacher Education

May 12, 2022 | 4:00 – 6:00 pm | Online

The purpose of this panel is to discuss how peer mentorship has supported our growth as educational professionals beyond our roles as graduate students in the Faculty of Education. We will discuss how mentorship has encouraged us to reflect upon our practices as teachers and future academics. Talking points include how peer mentor tasks and roles have developed our knowledge regarding teaching and learning as well as amplified our perspectives about the BC Curriculum as an object of research. In this sense, the panel invites current and previous peer mentors to speak about their experiences and connections with teaching, learning, and research.

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Exploring Faculty Perceptions of Student Engagement this Past Academic Year at UBC Okanagan

May 13, 2022 | 9:30 – 11:00 am | Online

Over the past year, the teaching and learning environment at UBC Okanagan has been uncertain as faculty and students dealt with ongoing global pandemic and its impact on our ability to teach in-person. This uncertainty was exacerbated by the impact on students and instructors of the previous 18 months of teaching and learning remotely. In Fall 2021, faculty anecdotally reported that they felt that student attendance and engagement was different than previous years. So at the end of the Fall and Winter semesters, we have surveyed faculty from across campus to explore their perceptions of student engagement, preparedness, and attendance. This session will feature a presentation of the results from both iterations of the survey, followed by faculty panelists reflecting on their experiences from the past year, and approaches they’ve adopted to enhance student engagement.

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Inclusive and Accessible Teaching in the Physical Sciences: Challenges and Opportunities

May 13, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Online

In physical science courses, curricula are often restricted to concepts and discoveries developed in a era of little to no diversity among scientists, so there are few opportunities for students from underrepresented groups to see themselves included as successful learners or practitioners. Most physical science courses include laboratory activities that take part in spaces designed without considering access for students with sensory or mobility barriers. Even when aware of these issues, individual instructors have limited ability to change the conceptual and historical bases of their courses, and limited control over the nature of their learning spaces.

What can we as instructors do to make our physical science courses and programs accessible to a greater diversity of learners, and to address systemic barriers limiting entry or success? Join us for an informal conversation with other instructors to learn about and to share concerns, challenges, and possible successes in making science courses more inclusive and accessible, by discussing course design considerations beyond the usual issues of course topics and delivery. You need not bring proven solutions, just an interest in learning what others have been considering!

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Introducing: The Centre for Workplace Accessibility (CWA)

May 13, 2022 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Online

The Centre for Workplace Accessibility (CWA) is a new service for disabled faculty and staff members (or faculty and staff members with a disability), that aims to minimize or eliminate barriers to full participation in the workplace. Join us to learn more about the CWA.

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Creating Inclusion and Accessibility through Data Science: Challenges and Solutions

May 13, 2022 | 11:00 am – 12:20 pm | Online

In the last decade, data science has exploded in popularity, transforming disciplines across the social, physical, and applied sciences. Today, the use of data science tools and techniques is essential for success in many careers and fields – and provides powerful opportunities for individuals to engage in scientific knowledge creation and analysis in a way which has immediate relevance to their everyday experiences. However, without purposeful design, the benefits of this profusion of new techniques, tools, and opportunities have tended to accrue within those parts of society most well-situated to adopt them, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities and creating barriers to inclusion and access.

In this panel discussion, we invite you to explore these challenges and opportunities in the state-of-the-art here at UBC. Faculty members at UBC Vancouver and Okanagan will share their experiences with modern data science and describe some of the often-overlooked challenges and issues that this new paradigm has created in our community. We will then share some new tools, pedagogical practices, and emerging opportunities that can address these changes – and the benefits that they can create in addressing systemic inequalities in access to these kinds of tools. We will conclude with a free discussion and Q&A period, in which the audience can ask questions and contribute to the dialogue.

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Academic Integrity at UBCO: Where Are We and Where Are We Headed?

May 13, 2022 | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm | Online

Since the shift to online teaching and learning, academic integrity (or dishonesty) has been on top of mind for many instructors, administrators, and students. Much has been learned during the past two years uncovering the deep complexities about this topic including issues around assessment methods, stress and wellbeing pressures, proctoring technologies, tutoring companies in an unregulated market, among others.

This panel discussion will briefly share with the audience what has been done at UBC Okanagan so far, what we have learned, and where we are headed in the short-term. The audience is encouraged to engage in the follow-up conversation with the panelists towards finding more inclusive and accessible strategies towards building a stronger culture of academic integrity.

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