Events

Wednesday, January 15

The Centre for Learning and Teaching has several Teaching and Learning Grants that are awarded annually. This event will showcase projects that have been supported by CLT Teaching and Learning Grants. In these roundtable sessions, each presenter/grant recipient will be assigned to a table. Attendees will choose a table, and the presenters will take 15-20 minutes to share and discuss the teaching and learning projects they are working on or have completed that have been supported by their CLT grant. Then, attendees can move to another table and repeat this process. 

These chats with grant recipients will be a great opportunity to:

• Learn about some amazing teaching and learning initiatives happening at Dal that you may be able to adapt or implement in your own courses
• Get an idea for the kinds of projects that the CLTs grants support to inform your own grant applications
• Network with Dal faculty, staff, and students who have a passion for teaching and learning

There will be complimentary coffee, tea, and snacks!

Each session has a registration cap of 15-20, so please register for each session you’d like to attend.

• Link to register for the event.

Session 1: 10:30–11:30 a.m.

• “Evaluating Internships to Support Student Learning and Wellbeing”, Becky Feicht, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant, 2022
• “Process evaluation of the implementation of an inaugural Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in a Collaborative Healthcare Setting focusing on student integration into hospital inpatient clinical pharmacy services”, Natalie Kennie-Kaulbach, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant, 2022
• “Students as Partners: Designing and Implementing Learning Assistant (LA) Program to Enhance Undergraduate Biochemistry Education”, Shawn Xiong, Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Recipient, 2022
• “Collaborative development of anti-colonial occupational therapy pedagogy.” Kaarina Valavaara, Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Recipient, 2023

Session 2: 12:30–1:30 p.m.

• “Colour Chemistry: Development and implementation of colour filter cards to reduce barriers individuals with colour vision deficiency experience when interpreting colour based experimental results” (2021) and “Exploring Sensory Friendly Laboratory Environments” (2023), Jennifer MacDonald, Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Recipient, 2021 and 2023
• “Eco-Hope: Developing Strategies to Counter Eco-Anxiety and Build Resilience in Students”, Amy Mui & Georgia Klein, Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Recipient, 2023
• “Conceptual Transfer for Students Learning New Programming Languages”, Eric Poitras, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant, 2022

Session 3: 2–3 p.m.

• “Developing Microbial Observatory Science Outreach Modules (MOSOMs)”, Joseph Bielawski & Jessica Latimer, Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Recipient, 2024
• “Enhancing accessibility of online learning resources for Introductory Organic Chemistry CHEM2401”, Alison Thompson & Gaia Aish, Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Recipient, 2022
• “Student perspectives on curricula diversification and the learning experience”, Neha Khanna & Lynette Reid, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant, 2023

Event host

Dr. Kate Thompson – Educational Developer (SoTL) with the CLT 
Presenters are listed in the detailed session schedules above

Tuesday, January 21
1-2 p.m.
Hybrid: Microsoft Teams & Killam Library, Room B400
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

Post-secondary education has been described as “a central site of ongoing colonialism” (Cote-Meek & Moeke-Pickering, 2020). SoTL is not immune to these colonial influences, as it often continues to perpetuate Eurocentric frameworks, methodologies, and ways of knowing. In this session, participants will be encouraged to critically consider the colonial connotations embedded in much of the language (e.g., expert, principal investigator, sample population) and conventional methods (e.g., interviews, surveys, and focus groups) commonly used in SoTL research. Decolonial research methods including Indigenous storywork, arts-based methods, and co-designed research processes will be discussed as possible alternative ways of doing SoTL research that can aid in creating space for marginalized voices, Indigenous ways of knowing, and community-based insights. 

Presenter

Rachelle McKay, Educational Developer – Indigenous Knowledges & Ways of Knowing

Intended Audience

• Faculty
• Staff
• Graduate Students
• Teaching Assistants
• Open to all

Monday, January 27, 2025
1–2 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

Efficient feedback strategies TAs can use to help students improve the expression of their ideas, learn the conventions and expectations of their discipline, and empower them in their future academic work, while effectively managing the time devoted to commenting on each paper. This session will also include strategies for helping students with academic integrity concerns in their writing. 

Presenter

Janice MacDonald Eddington, Writing Centre

Intended Audience

• Graduate Students
• Teaching Assistants

Wednesday, January 29
3–4 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

Have you ever thought about whether your students trust you? If they do trust you, why might that be, and why does trust matter? In this seminar, we’ll encourage you to think about these questions as we share research findings on how university instructors in four different countries talk about trust. Our conceptual model for building trust in university classrooms will serve as the basis for a conversation about the kinds of trust building moves that might resonate with your students and/or in your learning and teaching contexts. 

Presenters

Peter Felten, Elon University
Rachel Forsyth, Lund University
Katherine Sutherland, Victoria University of Wellington

Monday, February 10
1-3 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event

Facilitators

Joanne Mills, Psychologist, Student Health & Wellness, and two Stay Connected Peer Support workers (who are students themselves).

The MH101 session is limited to faculty, instructors, and staff at Dalhousie and King's.

In any given year 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness, and according to Statistics Canada youth aged 15-24 are the most likely group to suffer the effects of a mental illness, substance dependency and suicide. Considering most university students are within this age group it is essential that those working with University students are provided the necessary knowledge and resources to recognize and respond to students in distress.

MH101 is a short yet informative presentation developed for university faculty and staff to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness and mental health problems, thus increase your confidence in supporting students. 

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Wednesday, February 12
1–2 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400 (basement)*
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 
 
As a part of the Resilient Classroom Series, this session will highlight the power of academic tenacity and buoyancy in fostering long-term learning and achievement for your students. Academic tenacity involves “[looking] beyond short-term concerns to longer-term or higher-order goals, and withstanding challenges and setbacks to persevere toward [those] goals” (Dweck, Walton, & Cohen, 2014). Related to this construct, academic buoyancy is the ability to overcome daily hassles and challenges typical of academic life, such as low motivation, competing deadlines, test anxiety, and challenging course content (Martin & Marsh, 2008). In this in-person session, you will learn: 

• What academic tenacity and buoyancy are, and key characteristics and behaviours of academically tenacious and buoyant students. 
• How academic tenacity and buoyancy can benefit students.
• How you can foster academic tenacity through methods such as scaffolding, encouraging growth mindsets, helping students set goals, and cultivating a sense of belonging. 
• How you can promote academic buoyancy through the five Cs: confidence, coordination, control, composure, and commitment. 

To help you take what you learn from this session to your classroom, we will identify ways you are already fostering academic tenacity and buoyancy in your students, and collectively brainstorm strategies to further incorporate academic tenacity and buoyancy in your teaching practices. 

Presenter

Daniella Sieukaran, Senior Educational Developer (Curriculum)

Intended Audience

• Faculty
• Staff
• Graduate Students
• Teaching Assistants
• External 
• Open to all

*Creating an accessible and optimal learning environment is paramount for the CLT: please email us at clt@dal.ca to let us know if you anticipate any barriers we will need to remove in the learning environment, or if there is anything in particular you feel we should know that will best facilitate your learning experience. The information you share will be kept confidential and only shared with the session facilitators.

Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Thursday, February 13
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

This session is limited to the Dalhousie and King's community.

Pedagogical frameworks such as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP), Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) support students’ learning by guiding instructors in designing courses and creating safe, interactive, inclusive and flexible classroom environments.

On its own, UDL does not specifically address cultural differences among instructors and students, although its core principles need to be situated, for every learner, within their cultural framework(s). As such, many practitioners are integrating ITC and CRP into their practices to design and teach courses that apply decolonizing, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive theories and practices, and promote accessibility, equity, and inclusion through an intersectional lens.

In this interactive and collaborative workshop, we will engage in an activity together to find intersections and overlaps between two inclusive teaching frameworks, namely ITC (Intercultural Teaching Competency) and UDL (including the new UDL Guidelines 3.0!). This will be followed by discussion to reflect on and strategize ways to incorporate into our course designs and teaching these pedagogical frameworks. 

Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to: 

• Articulate the ITC and UDL principles and philosophies and discover how they intersect with each other. 

We endeavor, too, that as participants, you will: 

• Feel inspired, and invested in implementing ITC, and/or UDL
• Have built knowledge and skills capacity as a means for collegial co-learning, ongoing learning, and mutual support 

Facilitators

• Shazia Nawaz Awan (she/her): Educational Developer (Internationalization & Intercultural Competency)
• Les T. Johnson (he/him): Senior Educational Developer (Online Pedagogies)

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Tuesday, February 18
1–3 p.m.
Killam Library, B400 (basement)*
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

“A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used to utter fully human speech as possible.” – Margaret Atwood 

Have you ever strained your voice from lecturing, had your mic fail and had to nearly shout for the rest of your lecture, or lost your voice from a cold yet had to continue teaching? As professional voice users, instructors have high vocal loads, which puts them at elevated risk for vocal fatigue, injury, and disorders such as dysphonia/hoarseness (Cavalcante, do Nascimento & Ribeiro, 2022). A recent international metaanalysis found that approximately 41% of university professors develop voice disorders from vocal overuse or misuse, compared to a mere 6% of the general population (Azari et al., 2022). Moreover, as many as 70% of instructors experience at least one symptom of a voice disorder (Brisson et al., 2022). In this in-person session, you will learn: 

• Why vocal training and care is important for instructors. 
• How to engage deep breathing to support your voice. 
• How to develop your vocal power, improve articulation, and find presence to better connect with your students. 
• How you can use vocal variety of pitch, pace, and tone to bring life and energy to your teaching.
• Signs of vocal fatigue or injury, and tips to minimize risk and improve your vocal health.

Facilitator

Josephine Christensen, Assistant Professor, Fountain School of Performing Arts 

Host

Daniella Sieukaran, Senior Educational Developer (Curriculum), Centre for Learning and Teaching

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Wednesday, February 19 & Thursday, February 20
10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Hyflex: Online & In-Person (Killam Library, Ko’jua Okuom)

Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

Curated to advance our collective understanding and implementation of anti-colonial course design, this two-day hyflex (in-person and online accessible) event offers seven sessions with the aim of bringing together educators who are actively engaged or interested in exploring anti-colonial approaches within their teaching practices. With a diverse disciplinary range of presenters from Dalhousie and Mount Saint Vincent University, workshops and presentations will engage with themes such as centering Mi’kmaw perspectives, community-engaged course design, challenges associated with anti-colonial course design, and land and/or community-based teaching & learning. In addition to these seven sessions, a Curiosity & Connection Space is being held at the end of each day (2:45-3:30 p.m.), as a gathering space intended to foster dialogue, encourage collaboration, and support relationship building among participants. 

Coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be provided. 

Event Overview

Detailed schedule with presenter & session info available in January 2025.

Wednesday, February 19

Thursday, February 20

Thursday, March 13, 2025
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams
Link to register for the event

Facilitators

Joanne Mills, Psychologist, Student Health & Wellness, and two Stay Connected Peer Support workers (who are students themselves).

The MH101 session is limited to faculty, instructors, and staff at Dalhousie and King's.

In any given year 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness, and according to Statistics Canada youth aged 15-24 are the most likely group to suffer the effects of a mental illness, substance dependency and suicide. Considering most university students are within this age group it is essential that those working with University students are provided the necessary knowledge and resources to recognize and respond to students in distress.

MH101 is a short yet informative presentation developed for university faculty and staff to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness and mental health problems, thus increase your confidence in supporting students.

Thursday, March 20
10–11 a.m.
Killam Library, B400 (basement)*
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

“Emotions drive people. People drive performance.” – Joshua Freedman, CEO, Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Network 
 
For decades, emotional intelligence (EQ) has revolutionized the business and leadership practices of workplaces and Fortune 500 companies (Globe and Mail, 2024). EQ involves accurately recognizing and managing your own feelings, and recognizing and responding effectively to others’ feelings (Mayer & Barsade, 2008). As a part of the Resilient Classroom Series, this session will shift the focus of EQ toward higher education, showcasing how you and your students can use EQ to blend the actions of thinking and feeling to enhance interpersonal dynamics and make optional decisions in the classroom and beyond. In this in-person session, you will learn: 

• What emotional intelligence is and its main competencies, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. 
• How emotional intelligence can benefit students and instructors. 
• Your own personal EQ score.
• How you can use “emotional data” to build stronger connections and inform decision-making.
• Strategies to enhance EQ in yourself and your students. 

To help you take what you learn from this session to your classroom, we will identify ways you are already using EQ in the classroom, and collectively brainstorm strategies to further incorporate EQ into your teaching practices. 

Presenter

Daniella Sieukaran, Senior Educational Developer (Curriculum) 

Intended Audience

• Faculty
• Staff
• Graduate Students
• Teaching Assistants
• External 
• Open to all

*Creating an accessible and optimal learning environment is paramount for the CLT: please email us at clt@dal.ca to let us know if you anticipate any barriers we will need to remove in the learning environment, or if there is anything in particular you feel we should know that will best facilitate your learning experience. The information you share will be kept confidential and only shared with the session facilitators.

Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Details to be confirmed.

The aim of this hands-on, in-person workshop is to introduce key techniques in qualitative data coding and analysis using NVivo software and/or Excel. Participants will gain essential tools to organize, code, and draw meaningful insights from their qualitative data. During the session, you’ll learn how to prepare your data and explore foundational coding techniques, such as in-vivo and thematic coding, to categorize and understand your data more deeply. Through interactive exercises, participants will identify themes and patterns and create a codebook that enhances clarity and consistency throughout the coding process. Additionally, we’ll briefly discuss reliability coding principles in qualitative research.

Bring your own data, or use provided sample datasets for hands-on practice if you don’t have data prepared. 

Please bring a laptop computer with you to this workshop.

Facilitator

Dr. Nasim Tavassoli – Educational Developer (Student Development) with the CLT 

Tuesday, February 4
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams

• Link to drop-in session
  • Meeting ID: 254 810 495 100
  • Passcode: zD6Gx6VE
• Link to add session to your calendar

COURSE DESIGN: e.g., designing your PowerPoint slides for better student learning, engaging students, online teaching tips, and strategies for teaching large classes.

Wednesday, March 5
1–3 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams

• Link to drop-in session
  • Meeting ID: 258 578 018 830
  • Passcode: yv2gk7aJ
• Link to add session to your calendar

Student Assessments: e.g., designing rubrics, assessing higher-order thinking with multiple choice questions, writing clear assessment instructions, providing effective feedback, alterative grading approaches, and making your assignments more creative and “Gen-Z friendly”!

Thursday, April 3
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams

• Link to drop-in session
  • Meeting ID: 250 204 667 67
  • Passcode: Zi7Kp9hS  
• Link to add session to calendar

Instructor Self-Development: e.g., instructor self-care and emotional labour, teaching dossiers, using SLEQ data to enhance your teaching, and debrief on your teaching experiences.