Wednesday, May 4

All webex links to conference events are provided in the Brightspace Conference Site.  To access the site, please go to the conference registration page.

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Thursday, May 5

Concurrent Sessions

Set 1

Ungrading Q&A
Dr. Erika Merschrod, Dr. Jeanette Byrne and Dr. April Pike

How can you make ungrading work in your classroom? Members of last year's Ungrading Community of Practice (CoP) have now tried ungrading in a number of settings, from first year to upper-level classes, from courses required for professional accreditation to seminar-style courses. This session will allow you, the audience, to ask questions of the panelists about ungrading. Some panelists do not have a separate presentation and they will start with a 1-slide, 2-minute description of their ungrading experience. Other panelists will have already presented on their work, so this gives an opportunity for more in-depth discussion about how ungrading could work in your setting!

Relationships and storytelling: Graduate students' efforts toward inclusive, decolonized teaching
Melanie Doyle, Carol Durcharme, Keif Godbout-Kinney and Caralie Brewer

Graduate students in Memorial's Teaching Skills Enhancement Program (TSEP) complete a semester-long apprenticeship during which many of them teach independently for the first time. The duality present when students step into the role of instructor affords many opportunities; as they discover their own pedagogical beliefs, student-educators are well equipped to recognize and repel the colonial dynamics that often exist between instructors and students. Student-educators embrace both perspectives together, which can lead to more culturally competent teaching that benefits all students. Join three TSEP student-educators as they reflect on and share strategies for inclusive, decolonized teaching through storytelling and relationship building.

Encouraging learners to set the agenda with a "leading (by) questions" assignment
Dr. Joel Deshaye

The Leading (by) Questions assignment requires students to write open questions (as opposed to "leading questions") that are used as prompts for class discussion. The assignment encourages learning by inquiry, in-class participation, and the development of leadership skills. Because students set at least a portion of the agenda through the assignment, they turn our attention to topics that are important to them - often real-world issues suited to practical learning styles. Students help each other by answering each other's questions, demonstrating the co-creation of knowledge and a shared responsibility for their education.

Teaching ALL students: What do students want instructors to know?
Julie Temple, Jen D'Eon, Jennifer C. Agu, Draco Dunphy, Nicole Obiodiaka and Suhail (Suha) Hassan

Memorial's students bring with them diverse experiences, and instructors may not be aware of all the barriers students face. As we return to the classroom, how do we ensure we are teaching for ALL students? In this panel discussion, a follow-up to our panel at the 2021 conference, we ask representatives from diverse student organizations to share their expertise. What do students who are Black, Indigenous, new to Canada, queer or trans, neurodiverse, or living with disabilities most want their instructors to know? What teaching strategies have they found helpful? What would they most like instructors to do differently? Join this insightful panel to learn how to create an equitable, accessible classroom that welcomes students in all their diversity.

Rethinking blended curriculum design using the University College of London Learning Designer
Dr. Amanda Hall, Dr. Diana De Carvalho and Adam Reid

In the wake of COVID-19 campus closures, educators at every level were forced to redesign their curricula to adapt to remote and online learning. Although COVID-19 restrictions have eased, the mix of online and in-person learning is not likely to return to pre-COVID status. We used a learning designer tool based on the Conversational Framework to map the blended online curricular activities for a course on Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. This presentation will introduce the learning designer tools, demonstrate our use of these tools, and share the insights into our course content and learner experience we derived from their use.

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Set 2

How we look after: Precarious futures and feminist pedagogies for collective becoming
Daze Jefferies, Kate Lahey and Krysta Fitzpatrick-Sceviour

To "look after" renders a culture of care while gesturing toward a collective futurity. Acknowledging how the lives of both students and adjunct instructors are shaped by material formations of precarity, this facilitated discussion will explore feminist pedagogical possibilities for looking after each other through uncertainties of higher education. Our collaboration will be shaped by a series of questions that interrogate ethics of trust, accommodation, boundaries, critical relationality, and difficult knowledge. Embodying methodological processes of emergency thinking (Scarry 2012) for structural transformation, we will collectively consider emergent modes of interdependent caring and possibilities of teaching for change.

Resisting the 'snap-back'
Jason Geary, Kathy Skinner and Paula Hennessey

The last two years have witnessed an epic disruption in teaching and learning in higher education. This guided discussion will facilitate the sharing of some of the innovative (and not-so-innovative) and creative (and less-than-creative) ways Memorial's teaching and learning community met the challenges presented by the pandemic. This session will also explore the looming "snapback", or the return to normal in teaching and learning. Attendees will be invited to resist the snapback and instead embrace the new and exciting approaches in teaching and learning that have emerged during the pandemic.

RIIG in the classroom: Navigating change and enhancing the student educational experience
Kelly Anne Butler

In 2020, Memorial approved the Research Impacting Indigenous Groups policy. The key piece of this policy is that engagement with applicable Indigenous groups and agreement-in-principle from those groups happens at the concept development phase of research. This policy extends to the classroom, as indicated in section 5, leaving some instructors uncertain as to how to navigate change of this kind. This session will lead attendees through background information around the RIIG policy and offer practical solutions to some of the uncertainty around what it means to implement RIIG in the classroom, and why it is important to do so.

10-minute Talks:

1. Nobody is special
Rita Ujunwa Onah

In a diversified environment, our goals are the same. The goal of learning is that of interest to everyone, and professors are the chief learners. This talk is about my approach to effective teaching and learning in a diversified environment. I will share my experiences as an international student, a friend to an Indigenous student, a mentor to aspiring students and finally, as a course instructor. I develop the slang 'nobody is special' to help relax students' minds and open them to effective learning. My goal is to ensure that we are in a university to learn not to criticize.

2. Turning STEM into STEAM: Creative chemistry assignments with art, music and writing
Dr. Chris Kozak

Chemistry is a visual science of impressive experiments and models describing complex molecules, structures and processes. It is also about storytelling discoveries and facts come from intellectual journeys. While chemistry to some is exciting, to others it is daunting and unfamiliar. Students of first year chemistry have a mixture of excitement and anticipation but also dread and feelings of being unprepared. To ease students into learning chemistry, assignments were designed to use their creative skills and apply them to communicate chemistry using visual, musical or written media. The student response to these Creative Chemistry Assignments will be presented.

3. Examining the potential of a hyflex learning environment
Dr. Karen C. Goodnough and Dr. Saiqa Azam

Hyflex courses use an instructional approach that combines face-to-face and online learning. Students may choose to participate in each class session in one of three ways: face-to-face, online synchronously, or online asynchronously. Regardless of the format, students target the same learning outcomes and each format should offer the same level of engagement. In this session, the presenters will describe the hyflex approach and examine its potential for fostering inclusive learning.

4. Joining the other side of the classroom: A student-to-instructor autoethnography
Keif Godbout-Kinney

The academic classroom exists as a liminal space (Land et al., 2014) where students enter and leave as they move through different phases of their lives. There is a transitory nature inherent within this specific liminality as the classroom is often a space to facilitate the next step out of academia. This presentation elaborates the experience of changing roles from 'student' to 'instructor' in the career of a young academic (Grace, 2014). The methodological approach draws on autoethnography to better understand the teaching landscape at this critical juncture. To explore this changing role, the author has undertaken to understand their own roles within the culture of the classroom setting - first drawing on their experiences as a Ph.D. student and moving to their experiences as a new instructor.

5. Developing 21st century skills in graduate students: Contributions of the Learning Technology Coach program
Marina Grineva

The concept of "21st century skills" is broad and not easy to define. Predictions about skills that will be required in the future differ considerably, and the terms used to refer to the concept are often overlapping and not concise: soft skills, transferable skills, non-cognitive skills. However, many researchers agree that the key skills required from graduate students to succeed in academia and after graduation are critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, ICT literacy and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, including communication and collaboration (Andriessen, & Baker, M., 2020; Novakovic, 2014; Voogt & Roblin, 2012). This presentation will demonstrate the results of a short survey administered to gain understanding of how Learning Technology Coach projects help graduate students enhance transferable skills emphasized by researchers and policy makers as the key competencies necessary to succeed in the rapidly changing educational and working environments.

Connecting the periodic table to the planet: Local action with systems thinking
Dr. Shegufta Shetranjiwalla-Merchant

Chemistry starts with minute atoms but impacts the well-being of our planet and society. To understand the impacts, an interdisciplinary systems approach that differentiate the dose from the poison is required. Also required is a problem-based, real-life platform for putting the learning into practice that empowers students to take local action. Presented here is a unique partnership between students of the environmental toxicology course at Grenfell campus and the City of Corner Brook to analyze toxicants/pollutants for issues specific to the City. Students provided solutions using structure-property relationships, life cycle assessment and feedback loops from their learning in the course.

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Set 3

Learn to succeed: Developing unstoppable learners
Alicia Wall, Melissa MacLean and Stephanie Dohey

Memorial's Academic Success Centre (ASC) is a new initiative that serves as an online hub to help students connect with the support they need to succeed in their learning. The ASC offers programming and resources that promote the development of effective learning strategies and study skills. This presentation will focus on the learner-centred work being done by the Academic Success Centre to contribute to student success at Memorial. In a discussion of the ASC's first operational semester, this session will demonstrate how the ASC has evolved to help equip students with the skills they need to become confident and resilient learners.

Teaching (for change) through tweeting to enhance critical digital media literacy
Dr. Adrienne Peters, Laura Squires and Dr. Linda Rohr

In contemporary society, digital media platforms have become beneficial to, and even necessary in, carrying out every-day activities; this has been particularly true during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Mainstream social media specifically contributes to shaping public opinions by controlling narratives around information/stories that are reported. Critical digital media literacy is thus vital for teaching students how to think about and analyze information disseminated to determine what is legitimate. This presentation provides an overview of how Twitter can be used to assess and develop students' critical digital media literacy and how improvements can be made in using this technology for this purpose.

Developing educators' capacity for critical reflection through the use of thinking routines and ePortfolios
Dr. Joelle Rodway and Trevor Taylor

In this presentation, Dr. Joelle Rodway (instructor) and Mr. Trevor Taylor (MUNL M.Ed. alumnus) present an overview of the Minds On! ePortfolio (eP), an assessment tool that incorporates learning activities based on weekly readings and the related critical reflection, which taken together comprise an artifact in the Minds On! eP. Each artifact provides an opportunity for students to connect research with their professional practice. Together, the presenters will engage a discussion on building critical reflection skills through ePs through the lenses of the instructor and the student.

Addressing the skills awareness gap through on-campus employment
Dr. Jennifer Browne, Danielle Jackson, Lisa Russell and Mher Mardoyan

Employers indicate many new graduates lack career readiness to enter the workforce due to a skills gap. It is more likely a skills awareness gap, with graduates unaware/unable to articulate the skills gained from various experiences. With funding from RBC Future Launch, Memorial University redesigned on-campus employment to increase skills awareness. Presenters will share changes and findings from the Memorial's Undergraduate Career Experience Program (MUCEP) pilot.

Patching the leaky pipeline: Integrating DEI teaching principles into the biological classroom
Caralie Brewer and Dr. Erin Fraser

The "leaky pipeline" analogy is frequently used in reference to the progressive loss of people from minority groups in STEM over the course of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs. Small changes in how we as instructors teach and interact with our students can greatly impact their feelings of belonging, competency, and confidence. In this session, we will lead a discussion on some strategies for integrating DEI teaching principles into an introductory biology course. We will structure the discussion to address three broad approaches: (i) selecting example materials that highlight a broad diversity of successful biologists; (ii) deliberately selecting and using inclusive language to describe fundamental biological principles; and (iii) creating a learner-centered introductory biology syllabus.

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Set 4

The value of collaboration between instructors and learning technology coaches: Learning from and with each other
Marina Grineva, Jennifer Winsor, Lori Hogan and learning technology coaches

The unexpected shift to remote, hybrid or online teaching has created the need for intensive use of existing technology and exploration of new tools that could enhance student learning experiences in the rapidly changing educational contexts. In such circumstances, collaboration between instructors and CITL staff to share best practices and learn from each other has become a necessity. One successful example of such effort is collaboration between instructors and Learning Technology Coaches (LTC). In this series of presentations, LTCs and instructors will discuss mutual benefits of such collaboration and demonstrate some examples of their work including the use of Brightspace assessment tools and rubrics and utilizing Powtoon and H5P to create interactive teaching materials.

Inuit-Indigenizing an applied science distance course containing discussion and activity components
Dr. Geoff Rayner-Canham and Debbie Wheeler

Over the past ten years, Geoff Rayner-Canham and Debbie Wheeler have been developing and instructing online courses at Memorial. In this presentation, we will discuss our experiences with Chem 1900: Chemistry in Everyday Life, highlighting our latest venture, the Inuit-contextualization of course content. First offered to Inuit students at Nunavut Arctic College, it will be the standard format for offerings of Chem 1900 at Memorial. Key to the course success has also been our strategies for creating meaningful and engaged online learning environments. Thus, we will describe our approaches to engaging students and encouraging interaction, methods of assessment, and course structure.

From teaching to research by way of community: A work in progress
Stephen Ellenbogen, Julia Janes, Sulaimon Giwa, Paul Issahaku, Keith Power, Sarah Tremblett and Tina Bankovic

High impact instructional practices are meant to inspire elevated levels of student engagement in educationally purposeful tasks to foster deep learning. This presentation highlights two interconnected and student-centered initiatives, Supple Community-Service Learning and research Scale-up Projects. Our efforts to foster meaningful partnerships with community-based organizations, engage students in research and active learning, create scholarly products, and mobilize knowledge, are chronicled. The reflections of faculty and former students provide insight into challenges and gains. Audience members will be informed of sustainable teaching practices, available resources, and existing opportunities for instructors, students, departments, and outside organizations.

Teaching and scholarship in the time of chaos: Impact of pandemic on teacher educators
Dr. Alireza Moghaddam, Dr. Christine Arnold, Dr. Saiqa Azam, Dr. Karen C. Goodnough, Dr. Kimberly Maich, Dr. Sharon Penney and Dr. Gabrielle Young

The recent pandemic has affected what educators do and how they do it, which has changed the world of education and pedagogy. To examine the effect of COVID-19 on the teaching and learning of educators, this self-study inquiry explored how the COVID-19 pandemic challenged, changed, and impacted the practice of seven teacher educators from an Atlantic Canadian university. Using a narrative inquiry lens, we examined the experiences of teaching, research, and service of these teacher educators in the time of the pandemic.

Use of student-recorded video assessments in nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Jennifer Howard and Dr. Nicole Snow

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the delivery of evaluations to accommodate remote delivery. This included post-secondary educators implementing student-recorded video assessments in lieu of traditional face-to-face evaluations. Video assessments have been utilized in undergraduate nursing education effectively both before and during the pandemic. However, the practice presented unique challenges when assessing practical nursing skills. This presentation will outline the pros and cons of student recorded video assessments in nursing education as reported in recently published literature and with insights gained during the pandemic. Participants in this session will be invited to discuss their experience with using self-reported video assessments.

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Quick Pitches

Wednesday, May 4

Tips and tools for inclusion: An intersectional approach from students to teachers
Jared Hogan and Faith Freeman

Accessibility is essential to some but helpful to all. This quick pitch will cover some small tips and tools for learning accessibility collected through our experience as students transitioning to post-secondary teaching as teaching assistants and future instructors. Some of these small tips and tricks include: selectable PDFs, fill-in-the-blank notes, structured seminars, midterm check-ins, and more! These small items will help create a sense of belonging for neurodivergent and neurotypical students mimicking real-world supports allowing students the space for supportive learning and growth. Innately, this presentation explores inclusive teaching practices and enhanced learning through innovative practices. Have you ever wondered:

1. What works and doesn’t work for my students during the pandemic and beyond?
2. How can I make my course more inclusive for all my students? and/or
3. Where can I find easy but effective accommodations for my students?

Then this quick pitch is for you.

Reducing costs for students: Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) programs and initiatives at MUN
Dr. Erika Merschrod and Javad Abedini

There are many high-quality, zero-cost resources for students across disciplines, authored by instructors like you! Most of these resources are also freely editable, allowing you to adapt them to your course and your students. This quick pitch and discussion will explore how you can find and access these resources and even contribute to them, to make your teaching more inclusive and accessible!

Thursday, May 5

Unlocking research writing success self study series
Dr. Cecile Badenhorst and Pam Phillips

Writing practices in academia may seem straight forward to those of us who have written many research papers and proposals, but for students, the details are often not apparent. One reason for this is thesis and publication genres are often new to graduate students and they cannot draw on previous knowledge.

The ‘Unlocking Research Writing Self Study Success Series’ is developed to support graduate students in writing thesis and papers for publication. It is made available within Brightspace to supervisors, writing mentors, and all registered graduate students at Memorial University. At the end of each course module, students can download a certificate of completion.

The videos within each course module are based on Devitt’s (2009) pedagogical approach: teach specific genres explicitly, teach genre systems, and teach critical genre awareness so that students can begin to “see” and understand writing genres in any context. Whether graduate students continue on in the academy or find employment in other sectors, writing will be an important component of their working life. Students who are aware of writing genres will be able to develop life-long writing capacities.

Learning technology index
Learning technology coaches, CITL

Over the past few years, CITL has been working to build a Learning technology index. This index is designed to help instructors make informed decisions about the use various learning technologies. The technologies in the index have been evaluated against a rubric for learning technology evaluation. The rubric supports a multi-dimensional evaluation of functional, technical, and social aspects of a resource/tool for supporting learning, regardless of delivery method. We invite you to explore the index and some of the 47 technologies currently listed - let us know what you think! Did you find anything you would be interesting in trying as a part of your teaching practice? Are there tools that you use that we should evaluate?

Screencastify for happier remote and blended instruction learners
Patrick Wells

Transactional distance; ever heard of it? Research shows that reducing transactional distance in remote instruction improves the quality of learning for the students (Moore, 2013). This pitch video will explain how short Screencastify can reduce this distance and improve your remote or blended instruction. During pandemic instruction did you notice a significant increase in the volume of student emails? I did! Addressing student concerns by email or responses in discussion forms is, well, impersonal. Not surprisingly, research shows this strategy is time consuming and likely increases transactional distance. I created Screencastify videos to address common student concerns and describe assignment expectations. The student responses to my videos were favorable, they got to see my face, hear my voice, and the volume of emails dropped significantly. So, how can you use these easy-to-make, short videos to improve remote communication? This quick pitch and discussion will review Screencastify communication and suggest strategies for making quick videos to help you address common academic and logistical issues while reducing transactional distance.