Brock University COED 2009 Update

From OUCEL Wiki

What's new at Brock?

• New Vice-President Academic Murray Knutilla from University of Regina
• LMS transition from WebCT CE6 to Sakai successful
• Sakai now called "Isaak"
• Learning Commons Programming: exploring embedding support services into curriculum.
• Instructional Skills Workshops still a signature program for faculty and TA training, so far Brock has:
  • 12 Facilitators leading ISWs
  • 3 Facilitator Trainers
  • Next ISW: 2 TA groups, one faculty group January 6-8th (external participants welcome)
  • Hosted first Ontario Facilitator retreat at Five Oaks in Paris, ON - June 2009
  • Associate Director visited Qatar in May to facilitate in first international ISW conference
• Continued success in liaison advisory groups (Educational Technology Advisory Group, Teaching Council, Best Practices Recognition Advisory Group)
• University launched new website http://www.brock.ca/ctlet (discovered social internet).

Awards:

• CTLET hosts Tribute to Teaching December 4th- featuring new teaching awards ( Teaching Large Classes; Early Career Faculty award) presentations from 2008 Distinguished Teacher and Chancellor Chair presentations of SoTL projects
• 12 TVO Award nominations

Hot topics:

• Service learning ( CTLET is part of University wide committee examining best practice in service learning)
• Clickers in the classroom - an effective strategy for large class learning? (Thanks to WILFRED LAURIER University for sharing resources)
• Laptops in the classroom - policies and practices

Challenges:

• Director's position remains vacant (since July 1, 2009)
• Policy on online learning (gee whiz, policies in general!)
• Evaluation of Teaching still problematic re: standardized policies and procedures
• Environmental Awareness
• Outreach; Preaching to the converted
• Hmm, these are familiar from last year (plus ca change...)